total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: 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
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see
Antarctic Treaty Summary above); sections (some overlapping) claimed
by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France (Adelie Land), New Zealand
(Ross Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud Land), and UK; the US and most
other nations do not recognize the territorial claims of other
nations and have made no claims themselves (the US reserves the
right to do so); no formal claims have been made in the sector
between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west
======================================================================
@Antigua and Barbuda
-------------------
Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 17 03 N, 61 48 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 440 sq km
land: 440 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda
Area--comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 153 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some
higher volcanic areas
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
Natural resources: NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Land use:
arable land: 18%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 62% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to
October); periodic droughts
Environment--current issues: water management?a major concern
because of limited natural fresh water resources--is further hampered
by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing
rainfall to run off quickly
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 64,246 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 8,414; female 8,137)
15-64 years: 69% (male 21,936; female 22,227)
65 years and over: 5% (male 1,504; female 2,028) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.36% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 16.22 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.76 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.46 years
male: 69.06 years
female: 73.98 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.72 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups: black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Religions: Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some
Roman Catholic
Languages: English (official), local dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
schooling
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1960 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Data code: AC
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Saint John's
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*;
Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint
Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Independence: 1 November 1981 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
Constitution: 1 November 1981
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March
1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen
by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; prime minister
appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
(17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of
Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional
representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives--last held 9 March 1999 (next to
be held NA March 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--ALP
12, UPP 4, independent 1
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint
Lucia) (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands
and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester
coalition of three opposition political parties--United National
Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or
ACLM, and the Progressive Labor Movement or PLM
Political pressure groups and leaders: Antigua Trades and Labor
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
consulate(s) general: Miami
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an
embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US
Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
Flag description: red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based
on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal
bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising
sun in the black band
Economy
Economy--overview: Tourism continues to be by far the dominant
activity in the economy accounting directly or indirectly for more
than half of GDP. Increased tourist arrivals have helped spur growth
in the construction and transport sectors. The dual island nation's
agricultural production is mainly directed to the domestic market;
the sector is constrained by the limited water supply and labor
shortages that reflect the pull of higher wages in tourism and
construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for
export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and
electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium
term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized
world, especially in the US, which accounts for about half of all
tourist arrivals.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$503 million (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 6% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$7,900 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 12.5%
services: 83.5% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.1% (1997)
Labor force: 30,000
Labor force--by occupation: commerce and services 82%, agriculture
11%, industry 7% (1983)
Unemployment rate: 9% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $122.6 million
expenditures: $141.2 million, including capital expenditures of
$17.3 million (1997 est.)
Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing,
alcohol, household appliances)
Industrial production growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)
Electricity--production: 95 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 95 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas,
coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Exports: $37.8 million (1997)
Exports--commodities: petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%,
food and live animals 4%, machinery and transport equipment 17%
Exports--partners: OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and
Tobago 2%, US 0.3%
Imports: $325.5 million (1997)
Imports--commodities: food and live animals, machinery and
transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Imports--partners: US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%, other 50%
Debt--external: $240 million (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $2.3 million (1995)
Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.7000
(fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 6,700
Telephone system:
domestic: good automatic telephone system
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station--1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands
Antilles) and Guadeloupe
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (repeater
transmitters for Deutsche Welle and BBC world broadcasts) (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 28,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 77 km
narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost
exclusively for handling sugarcane)
Highways:
total: 250 km (1996 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Saint John's
Merchant marine:
total: 517 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,706,126
GRT/3,542,664 DWT
ships by type: bulk 21, cargo 338, chemical tanker 7, combination
bulk 2, container 111, liquefied gas tanker 2, multifunctional
large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 9,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 21, vehicle carrier 1
note: a flag of convenience registry: Germany owns 10 ships,
Slovenia 2, and Cyprus 2 (1998 est.)
Airports: 3 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal
Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (includes Coast Guard)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
Illicit drugs: over the long-term, considered a relatively minor
transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe and
recently, a transshipment point for heroin from Europe to the US;
potentially more significant as a drug-money-laundering center
======================================================================
@Arctic Ocean
------------
Geography
Location: body of water mostly north of the Arctic Circle
Geographic coordinates: 90 00 N, 0 00 E
Map references: Arctic Region
Area:
total: 14.056 million sq km
note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea,
East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara
Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies
Area--comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the
US; smallest of the world's four oceans (after Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean)
Coastline: 45,389 km
Climate: polar climate characterized by persistent cold and
relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized
by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and
clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and
foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow
Terrain: central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar
icepack that averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure
ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the
Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the
New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland
and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the
summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends
to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50%
continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the
remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges
(Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonsov Ridge)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Fram Basin -4,665 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources: sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits,
polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals
(seals and whales)
Natural hazards: ice islands occasionally break away from
northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western
Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands;
virtually icelocked from October to June; ships subject to
superstructure icing from October to May
Environment--current issues: endangered marine species include
walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to
recover from disruptions or damage
Environment--international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea
(northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait);
strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine
link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating
research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover
in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean;
snow cover lasts about 10 months
Government
Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard
for hydrographic codes--see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic
Data Codes appendix
Economy
Economy--overview: Economic activity is limited to the
exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas,
fish, and seals.
Communications
Telephone system:
international: no submarine cables
Transportation
Ports and harbors: Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe
Bay (US)
Transportation--note: sparse network of air, ocean, river, and
land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea
Route (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: some maritime disputes (see littoral
states); Svalbard is the focus of a maritime boundary dispute
between Norway and Russia
======================================================================
@Argentina
---------
Introduction
Background: A part of the Spanish empire until independence in
1816, Argentina subsequently experienced periods of internal
political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between
civilian and military factions. Meantime, thanks to rich natural
resources and foreign investment, a modern agriculture and a
diversified industry were gradually developed. After World War II, a
long period of Peronist dictatorship was followed by rule by a
military junta. Democratic elections finally came in 1983, but both
the political and economic atmosphere remain susceptible to turmoil.
Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic
Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
Geographic coordinates: 34 00 S, 64 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 2,766,890 sq km
land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 30,200 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly less than three-tenths the size of the
US
Land boundaries:
total: 9,665 km
border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,
Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Coastline: 4,989 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in
southwest
Terrain: rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to
rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western
border
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Salinas Chicas -40 m (located on Peninsula Valdes)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m
Natural resources: fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin,
copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 52%
forests and woodland: 19%
other: 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 17,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the
Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that
can strike the Pampas and northeast; heavy flooding
Environment--current issues: erosion results from inadequate flood
controls and improper land use practices; irrigated soil
degradation; desertification; air pollution in Buenos Aires and
other major cities; water pollution in urban areas; rivers becoming
polluted due to increased pesticide and fertilizer use
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
Conservation
Geography--note: second-largest country in South America (after
Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between South
Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle
Channel, Drake Passage)
People
Population: 36,737,664 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 5,124,087; female 4,932,060)
15-64 years: 62% (male 11,457,399; female 11,469,346)
65 years and over: 11% (male 1,553,158; female 2,201,614) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.29% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 19.91 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 7.64 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.41 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.76 years
male: 71.13 years
female: 78.56 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.66 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine
Ethnic groups: white 85%, mestizo, Amerindian, or other nonwhite
groups 15%
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 90% (less than 20%
practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 6%
Languages: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2%
male: 96.2%
female: 96.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
local short form: Argentina
Data code: AR
Government type: republic
Capital: Buenos Aires
Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (provincias,
singular--provincia), and 1 federal district* (distrito federal);
Buenos Aires; Catamarca; Chaco; Chubut; Cordoba; Corrientes;
Distrito Federal*; Entre Rios; Formosa; Jujuy; La Pampa; La Rioja;
Mendoza; Misiones; Neuquen; Rio Negro; Salta; San Juan; San Luis;
Santa Cruz; Santa Fe; Santiago del Estero; Tierra del Fuego,
Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur; Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica
Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National holiday: Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
Constitution: 1 May 1853; revised August 1994
Legal system: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989);
Vice President Carlos RUCKAUF (since 8 July 1995); note--the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989);
Vice President Carlos RUCKAUF (since 8 July 1995); note--the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 14 May 1995
(next to be held NA October 1999)
election results: Carlos Saul MENEM reelected president; percent of
vote--NA
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso
Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; formerly, three members
appointed by each of the provincial legislatures; presently
transitioning to one-third of the members being elected every two
years to a six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats;
one-half of the members elected every two years to four-year terms)
elections: Senate--transition phase will continue through 2001
elections when all seats will be fully contested; winners will
randomly draw to determine whether they will serve a two-year,
four-year, or full six-year term; Chamber of Deputies--last held 26
October 1997 (next to be held NA October 1999)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--PJ 39, UCR 1, others 32; Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote
by party--NA; seats by party--PJ 119, UCR 69, Frepaso 36, other 33
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), the nine Supreme
Court judges are appointed by the president with approval of the
Senate
Political parties and leaders: Justicialist Party or PJ [Carlos
Saul MENEM] (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical
NA]; Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso (a four-party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Peronist-dominated labor
movement; General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning
umbrella labor organization); Argentine Industrial Union
(manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Society (large
landowners' association); Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical
Labs (CILFA); business organizations; students; the Roman Catholic
Church; the Armed Forces
International organization participation: AfDB, Australia Group,
BCIE, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G- 6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES,
LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MTCR, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR,
UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO