revenues: Greek Cypriot area--$2.9 billion, Turkish Cypriot area--$171
million
expenditures: Greek Cypriot area--$3.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $345 million, Turkish Cypriot area--$306 million,
including capital expenditures of $56.8 million (1997 est.)
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products,
tourism, wood products
Industrial production growth rate: Greek Cypriot area: -4%
(1996); Turkish Cypriot area: 5.1% (1995)
Electricity--production: 2.2 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 2.2 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: potatoes, citrus, vegetables, barley,
grapes, olives, vegetables
Exports: Greek Cypriot area: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.);
Turkish Cypriot area: $70.5 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Exports--commodities: Greek Cypriot area: citrus, potatoes,
grapes, wine, cement, clothing and shoes (1996); Turkish Cypriot
area: citrus, potatoes, textiles (1996)
Exports--partners: Greek Cypriot area: Russia 19.1%, Bulgaria
16.4%, UK 11.3%, Greece 6.3%, Germany 4.8%; Turkish Cypriot area:
Turkey 48.2%, UK 21.3%, other EU 13.7% (1997)
Imports: Greek Cypriot area: $3.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.);
Turkish Cypriot area: $318.4 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Imports--commodities: Greek Cypriot area: consumer goods,
petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains, machinery (1996);
Turkish Cypriot area: food, minerals, chemicals, machinery (1996)
Imports--partners: Greek Cypriot area: US 17.8%, UK 11.9%, Italy
9.7%, Germany 7.5%, Greece 7.6% (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: Turkey
55.3%, UK 13.8%, other EU 11.6% (1997)
Debt--external: Greek Cypriot area: $1.56 billion (1997)
Economic aid--recipient: Greek Cypriot area?$187 million in grants
(1990-94); Turkish Cypriot area-- $700 million from Turkey in grants
and loans (1990-97) that are usually forgiven
Currency: Greek Cypriot area: 1 Cypriot pound (LC) = 100 cents;
Turkish Cypriot area: 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds per US1$--0.5013 (January 1999),
0.5170 (1998), 0.5135 (1997), 0.4663 (1996), 0.4522 (1995), 0.4915
(1994); Turkish liras (TL) per US$1--331,400 (January 1999), 260,724
(1998), 151,865 (1997), 81,405 (1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7
(1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: Greek Cypriot area: 367,000 (1996 est.); Turkish
Cypriot area: 80,000 (1996 est.)
Telephone system: excellent in both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish
Cypriot areas
domestic: open wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay
international: tropospheric scatter; 3 coaxial and 5 fiber-optic
submarine cables; satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations: Greek Cypriot area: AM 4, FM 36,
shortwave 1, Turkish Cypriot area: AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: Greek Cypriot area: 500,000 (1996 est.); Turkish Cypriot
area: 130,000 (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: Greek Cypriot area: 7 (in
addition, there are 35 low-power repeaters) (1997); Turkish Cypriot
area: 3 (in addition, there are 4 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: Greek Cypriot area: 300,000 (1996 est.); Turkish
Cypriot area: 90,000 (1996 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: Greek Cypriot area: 10,415 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 2,350 km
paved: Greek Cypriot area: 5,947 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 1,370 km
unpaved: Greek Cypriot area: 4,468 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 980 km
(1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos,
Vasilikos Bay
Merchant marine:
total: 1,469 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,362,067
GRT/36,945,331 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 2, bulk 430, cargo 530, chemical tanker
23, combination bulk 42, combination ore/oil 11, container 141,
liquefied gas tanker 6, oil tanker 152, passenger 7, refrigerated
cargo 58, roll-on/roll-off cargo 49, short-sea passenger 14,
specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 1
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 37
countries among which are Greece 611, Germany 129, Russia 49, Latvia
278, Netherlands 20, Japan 28, Cuba 16, China 15, Hong Kong 13, and
Poland 15 (1998 est.)
Airports: 15 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 4 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Greek Cypriot area: Greek Cypriot National
Guard (GCNG; includes air and naval elements), Hellenic Forces
Regiment on Cyprus (ELDYK), Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish Cypriot
area: Turkish Cypriot Security Force (TCSF), Turkish Forces Regiment
on Cyprus (KTKA), Turkish mainland army units
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 194,337 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 133,559 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 6,410 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $405 million (1996)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 5.4% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: 1974 hostilities divided the island into
two de facto autonomous areas, a Greek Cypriot area controlled by
the internationally recognized Cypriot Government (59% of the
island's land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (37% of the island),
that are separated by a UN buffer zone (4% of the island); there are
two UK sovereign base areas within the Greek Cypriot portion of the
island
Illicit drugs: transit point for heroin and hashish via air
routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and
Turkey; some cocaine transits as well
======================================================================
@Czech Republic
--------------
Introduction
Background: Once part of the Holy Roman Empire and, later, the
Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Czechoslovakia became an independent
nation at the end of World War I. Independence ended with the German
takeover in 1939. After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the
Soviet sphere of influence, and in 1968 an invasion by Warsaw Pact
troops snuffed out anti-communist demonstrations and riots. With the
collapse of Soviet authority in 1991, Czechoslovakia regained its
freedom. On 1 January 1993, the country peacefully split into its
two ethnic components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech
Republic, largely by aspiring to become a NATO and EU member, has
moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses
both opportunities and risks. But Prague has had a difficult time
convincing the public that membership in NATO is crucial to Czech
security. At the same time, support for eventual EU membership is
waning. Coupled with the country's worsening economic situation,
Prague's political scene, troubled for the past three years, will
remain so for the foreseeable future.
Geography
Location: Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 78,703 sq km
land: 78,645 sq km
water: 58 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 1,881 km
border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km,
Slovakia 215 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain: Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills,
and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east
consists of very hilly country
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite
Land use:
arable land: 41%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 11%
forests and woodland: 34%
other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 240 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding
Environment--current issues: air and water pollution in areas of
northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present
health risks; acid rain damaging forests
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol
Geography--note: landlocked; strategically located astride some of
oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is
a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and
the Danube in central Europe
People
Population: 10,280,513 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 888,292; female 845,662)
15-64 years: 69% (male 3,569,677; female 3,558,844)
65 years and over: 14% (male 545,305; female 872,733) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.01% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 9.84 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 10.86 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.67 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.35 years
male: 71.01 years
female: 77.88 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.28 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech
note: 300,000 Slovaks declared themselves Czech citizens in 1994
Ethnic groups: Czech 94.4%, Slovak 3%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%,
Gypsy 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 1%
Religions: atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%,
Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%
Languages: Czech, Slovak
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 99% (est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika
Data code: EZ
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Prague
Administrative divisions: 73 districts (okresi, singular--okres)
and 4 municipalities* (mesta, singular--mesto); Benesov, Beroun,
Blansko, Breclav, Brno*, Brno-Venkov, Bruntal, Ceske Budejovice,
Ceska Lipa, Cesky Krumlov, Cheb, Chomutov, Chrudim, Decin,
Domazlice, Frydek-Mistek, Havlickuv Brod, Hodonin, Hradec Kralove,
Jablonec nad Nisou, Jesenik, Jicin, Jihlava, Jindrichuv Hradec,
Karlovy Vary, Karvina, Kladno, Klatovy, Kolin, Kromeriz, Kutna Hora,
Liberec, Litomerice, Louny, Melnik, Mlada Boleslav, Most, Nachod,
Novy Jicin, Nymburk, Olomouc, Opava, Ostrava*, Pardubice, Pelhrimov,
Pisek, Plzen*, Plzen-Jih, Plzen-Sever, Prachatice, Praha*,
Praha-Vychod, Praha Zapad, Prerov, Pribram, Prostejov, Rakovnik,
Rokycany, Rychnov nad Kneznou, Semily, Sokolov, Strakonice, Sumperk,
Svitavy, Tabor, Tachov, Teplice, Trebic, Trutnov, Uherske Hradiste,
Usti nad Labem, Usti nad Orlici, Vsetin, Vyskov, Zdar nad Sazavou,
Zlin, Znojmo
Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
National holiday: National Liberation Day, 8 May; Founding of the
Republic, 28 October
Constitution: ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993
Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to
bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal
theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaclav HAVEL (since 2 February 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Milos ZEMAN (since 17 July 1998);
Deputy Prime Ministers Vladimir SPIDLA (since 17 July 1998), Pavel
RYCHETSKY since 17 July 1998), Egon LANSKY (since 17 July 1998),
Pavel MERTLIK (since 17 July 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
election last held 20 January 1998 (next to be held NA January
2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav HAVEL reelected president; Vaclav HAVEL
received 47 of 81 votes in the Senate and 99 out of 200 votes in the
Chamber of Deputies (second round of voting)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of
the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve staggered two-, four-, and six-year terms) and the Chamber
of Deputies or Snemovna Poslancu (200 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 13-14 and 20-21 November 1998 (next to
be held NA November 2000--to replace/reelect 20 senators serving
two-year terms); Chamber of Deputies--last held 19-20 June 1998
(early elections to be held NA June 2000)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--governing coalition (CSSD 23), opposition (ODS 26, KDU-CSL 16,
KCSM 4, ODA 7, US 4, DEU 1); Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by
party--NA; seats by party--governing coalition (CSSD 74), opposition
(ODS 63, KDU-CSL 20, US 19, KCSM 24)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are
appointed by the president for life; Constitutional Court, chairman
and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life
Political parties and leaders: Civic Democratic Party or ODS
KROUPA, chairman]; Christian Democratic Union-Czech People's Party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Czech-Moravian Chamber of
Trade Unions; Civic Movement
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS,
CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksandr VONDRA
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John SHATTUCK
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and
red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost
identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)
Economy
Economy--overview: Political and financial crises in 1997
shattered the Czech Republic's image as one of the most stable and
prosperous of post-Communist states. Delays in enterprise
restructuring and failure to develop a well-functioning capital
market played major roles in Czech economic troubles, which
culminated in a currency crisis in May. The currency was forced out
of its fluctuation band as investors worried that the current
account deficit, which reached nearly 8% of GDP in 1996, would
become unsustainable. After expending $3 billion in vain to support
the currency, the central bank let it float. The growing current
account imbalance reflected a surge in domestic demand and poor
export performance, as wage increases outpaced productivity. The
government was forced to introduce two austerity packages later in
the spring which cut government spending by 2.5% of GDP. A tough
1998 budget continued the painful medicine. These problems were
compounded in the summer of 1997 by unprecedented flooding which
inundated much of the eastern part of the country. Czech
difficulties contrast with earlier achievements of strong GDP
growth, a balanced budget, and inflation and unemployment that were
among the lowest in the region. The Czech economy's transition
problems continue to be too much direct and indirect government
influence on the privatized economy, the sometimes ineffective
management of privatized firms, and a shortage of experienced
financial analysts for the banking system. The country slipped into
a mild recession in 1998, but hopes to rebound with 1% growth in
1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$116.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -1.5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$11,300 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 33.8%
services: 61.2% (1996)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.6%
highest 10%: 23.5% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.7% (1998)
Labor force: 3.655 million (1998)
Labor force--by occupation: industry 33.1%, agriculture 6.9%,
construction 9.1%, transport and communications 7.2%, services 43.7%
(1994)
Unemployment rate: 7% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $16.1 billion
expenditures: $16.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997)
Industries: fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and equipment,
coal, motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Industrial production growth rate: 6.7% (1998 est.)
Electricity--production: 60.214 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 76.69%
hydro: 3.04%
nuclear: 20.27%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 60.164 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 8.8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 8.75 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit;
pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Exports: $23.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: manufactured goods 40.5%, machinery and
transport equipment 37.7%, chemicals 8.8%, raw materials and fuel
7.8% (1997)
Exports--partners: Germany 35.7%, Slovakia 12.9%, Austria 6.4%,
Poland 5.7%, Russia 3.4%, Italy 3.3%, France 2.5% (1997)
Imports: $26.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: machinery and transport equipment 38.1%,
manufactured goods 19.3%, raw materials and fuels 12.4%, chemicals
12.2%, and food 5.2% (1997)
Imports--partners: Germany 26.6%, Slovakia 8.4%, Italy 5.3%,
Austria 4.4%, FSU 3.4%, UK 3.4%, Poland 3.2% (1997)
Debt--external: $21.6 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $351.6 million (1995)
Currency: 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru
Exchange rates: koruny (Kcs) per US$1--30.214 (December 1998),
32.294 (1998), 31.698 (1997), 27.145 (1996), 26.541 (1995), 28.785
(1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 3,349,539 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and
Indian Ocean regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 67 (in addition, there are 35
low-power stations and about 51 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways:
total: 9,440 km
standard gauge: 9,344 km 1.435-m standard gauge (2,743 km
electrified at three voltages; 1,885 km double track)
narrow gauge: 96 km 0.760-m narrow gauge (1996)
Highways:
total: 55,489 km
paved: 55,489 km (including 423 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: NA km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river
Pipelines: natural gas 5,400 km
Ports and harbors: Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Airports: 69 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 35
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 13 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 17 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil
Defense, Railroad Units
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 2,684,817 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,046,079 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 73,072 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $1.1 billion (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.8% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: Liechtenstein claims restitution for
1,600 sq km of property in the Czech Republic confiscated from its
royal family in 1918; the Czech Republic insists that restitution
does not go back before February 1948, when the communists seized
power; individual Sudeten German claims for restitution of property
confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II;
unresolved property issues with Slovakia over redistribution of
former Czechoslovak federal property
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and
hashish and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; domestic
consumption--especially of locally produced synthetic drugs--on the
rise
======================================================================
@Denmark
-------
Introduction
Background: Once the seat of rapacious Viking raiders and later a
major power in northwestern Europe, Denmark has evolved into a
modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the political and
economic integration of Europe. So far, however, they have opted out
of some aspects of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty including
the new monetary system launched on 1 January 1999.
Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North
Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 43,094 sq km
land: 42,394 sq km
water: 700 sq km
note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest
of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Area--comparative: slightly less than twice the size of
Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 68 km
border countries: Germany 68 km
Coastline: 7,314 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 4 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and
cool summers
Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
highest point: Ejer Bavnehoj 173 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone,
stone, gravel and sand
Land use:
arable land: 60%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 10%
other: 25% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding is a threat in some areas of the
country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the
island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of
dikes
Environment--current issues: air pollution, principally from
vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution
of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from
animal wastes and pesticides