total: 15
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Air Force, Border Guard
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 2,601,741 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,073,419 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 70,393 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $645 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.4% (1997)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: ongoing Gabcikovo Dam dispute with
Slovakia is before the International Court of Justice
Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for Southwest Asian
heroin and cannabis and transit point for South American cocaine
destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor
chemicals, particularly for amphetamines and methamphetamines
======================================================================
@Iceland
-------
Introduction
Background: Iceland boasts the oldest surviving parliament in the
world, the Althing, established in 930. Subsequently this Nordic
island, whose small population has largely depended on fishing and
sheep-herding for a living, came under the rule of Norway and then
Denmark. It gained home rule in 1874 and full independence in 1944.
Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are topnotch by world
standards. Tensions continue with Norway, Russia, and other nearby
countries over fishing rights in the North Atlantic and adjacent
seas.
Geography
Location: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and
the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Geographic coordinates: 65 00 N, 18 00 W
Map references: Arctic Region
Area:
total: 103,000 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 4,988 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild,
windy winters; damp, cool summers
Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks,
icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m
Natural resources: fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 23%
forests and woodland: 1%
other: 76% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: earthquakes and volcanic activity
Environment--current issues: water pollution from fertilizer
runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography--note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe;
westernmost European country; more land covered by glaciers than in
all of continental Europe
People
Population: 272,512 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 32,608; female 31,061)
15-64 years: 65% (male 89,258; female 87,449)
65 years and over: 12% (male 14,510; female 17,626) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.57% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 14.87 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 7.01 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.96 years
male: 76.85 years
female: 81.19 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic
Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians
and Celts
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman
Catholic 3%, none 1% (1988)
Languages: Icelandic
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (1976 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland
local long form: Lyoveldio Island
local short form: Island
Data code: IC
Government type: constitutional republic
Capital: Reykjavik
Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular--sysla)
and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular--kaupstadhur);
Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla,
Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*,
Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*,
Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla,
Nordhur-Mulasys-la, Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*,
Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*,
Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla,
Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla,
Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla,
Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the
Republic, 17 June (1944)
Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not
accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August
1996)
head of government: Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April
1991)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 29 June 1996 (next to be held NA June 2000);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON elected president; percent
of vote--41.4%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 8 April 1995 (next to be held by April 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--Independence Party 37.1%,
Progressive Party 23.3%, Social Democratic Party 11.4%, Socialists
14.3%, People's Movement 7.2%, Women's Party 4.9%; seats by
party--Independence 25, Progressive 15, Social Democratic 7,
Socialists 9, People's Movement 4, Women's Party 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Haestirettur, justices are
appointed for life by the president
Political parties and leaders: Independence Party (conservative)
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS,
CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH, UNU, UPU, WEU
(associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jon-Baldvin HANNIBALSSON
chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Day Olin MOUNT
embassy: Laufasvegur 21, Reykjavik
mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340
Flag description: blue with a red cross outlined in white that
extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is
shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy
Economy--overview: Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is
basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system, low
unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. The
economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 75%
of export earnings and employs 12% of the work force. In the absence
of other natural resources--except energy--Iceland's economy is
vulnerable to changing world fish prices. The economy remains
sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to drops in world
prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and
ferrosilicon. The center-right government plans to continue its
policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits,
limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising
agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and
privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed
to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about
losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has
been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the
last decade, and new developments in software production,
biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism
sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and
whale-watching. Growth is likely to slow in 1999, to a still
respectable 4.6%.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$6.06 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 5.1% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$22,400 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 24%
services: 63% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (1998)
Labor force: 130,000 (1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: manufacturing 12.9%, fishing and fish
processing 11.8%, construction 10.7%, other services 59.5%,
agriculture 5.1% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.9 billion
expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $146
million (1996 est.)
Industries: fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon
production, geothermal power; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 5.048 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.06%
hydro: 93.43%
nuclear: 0%
other: 6.51%
Electricity--consumption: 5.532 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: potatoes, turnips; cattle, sheep; fish
Exports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: fish and fish products 70%, animal products,
aluminum, diatomite and ferrosilicon
Exports--partners: EU 60% (UK 19%, Germany 13%, France 6%, Denmark
6%), US 14% (1997)
Imports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products,
foodstuffs, textiles
Imports--partners: EU 58% (Germany 12%, Norway 12%, UK 10%,
Denmark 9%, Sweden 7%), US 9% (1997)
Debt--external: $2.2 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar
Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1--69.250 (January
1999), 70.958 (1998), 70.904 (1997), 66.500 (1996), 64.692 (1995),
69.944 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 143,600 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: adequate domestic service
domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic
cables and microwave radio relay links
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean),
1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note--Iceland shares
the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark,
Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 147 (transmitters and
repeaters), shortwave 0
Radios: 91,500 licensed (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 14 (in addition, there are 156
low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 96,100 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 12,691 km
paved: 3,262 km
unpaved: 9,429 km (1997 est.)
Ports and harbors: Akureyri, Hornafjordur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik,
Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vestmannaeyjar
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,085 GRT/16,938 DWT
ships by type: chemical tanker 1, container 1, oil tanker 1 (1998
est.)
Airports: 87 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 77
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 21
under 914 m: 53 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard;
note--Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic
Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 70,958 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 62,570 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: none
Military--note: Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned
Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: Rockall continental shelf dispute
involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have
signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
======================================================================
@India
-----
Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of
Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 14,103 km
border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463
km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline: 7,000 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: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in
north
Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling
plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world),
iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural
gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 56%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 23%
other: 16% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 480,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms
common; earthquakes
Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial
effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and
runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable
throughout the country; huge and rapidly growing population is
overstraining natural resources
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near
important Indian Ocean trade routes
People
Population: 1,000,848,550 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 175,463,726; female 165,722,164)
15-64 years: 61% (male 318,004,920; female 295,245,556)
65 years and over: 5% (male 23,571,270; female 22,840,914) (1999
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.68% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 25.39 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 60.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.4 years
male: 62.54 years
female: 64.29 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.18 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other
3%
Religions: Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%,
Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%
Languages: English enjoys associate status but is the most
important language for national, political, and commercial
communication, Hindi the national language and primary tongue of 30%
of the people, Bengali (official), Telugu (official), Marathi
(official), Tamil (official), Urdu (official), Gujarati (official),
Malayalam (official), Kannada (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi
(official), Assamese (official), Kashmiri (official), Sindhi
(official), Sanskrit (official), Hindustani (a popular variant of
Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India)
note: 24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons;
numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually
unintelligible
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52%
male: 65.5%
female: 37.7% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional short form: India
Data code: IN
Government type: federal republic
Capital: New Delhi
Administrative divisions: 25 states and 7 union territories*;
Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*,
Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the
Republic, 26 January (1950)
Constitution: 26 January 1950
Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial
review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 25 July
1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since 21 August 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19
March 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of
the states for a five-year term; election last held 14 July 1997
(next to be held NA July 2002); vice president elected by both
houses of Parliament; election last held 16 August 1997 (next to be
held NA August 2002); prime minister elected by parliamentary
members of the majority party following legislative elections;
election last held NA March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003)
election results: Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president;
percent of electoral college vote--NA; Krishnan KANT elected vice
president; percent of Parliament vote--NA; Atal Behari VAJPAYEE
elected prime minister; percent of vote--NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of
the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more
than 250 members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the president,
the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and
territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the
People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular
vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly--last held 16 February through 7 March
1998 (next to be held NA March 2003)
election results: People's Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--BJP 178, Congress (I) Party 141, CPI/M 32, SP 20,
ADMK 18, RJD 17, Telugu Desam 12, SAP 12, CPI 9, BJD 9, Akali Dal
factions 8, Trinamool Congress 7, SHS 6, DMK 6, Janata Dal Party 6,
BSP 5, RSP 5, independents and others 44, vacant 8, appointed by the
president 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the
president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65
Political parties and leaders: Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP
PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary)]; Muslim League
factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab;
National Conference or NC (a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir)
NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: various separatist groups
seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy; numerous
religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam
Sena, Ananda Marg, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, BIS, C,
CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, MIPONUH, MONUA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIL,
UNOMSIL, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Naresh CHANDRA
chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008;
note--Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard F. CELESTE
embassy: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi
mailing address: use embassy street address
consulate(s) general: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay)
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top),
white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small
orange disk centered in the white band
Economy