1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995),
0.6529 (1994); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 61,447 (1983 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: 3 submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 577 km (1995)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Johnston Atoll
--------------
Geography
Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about
one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates: 16 45 N, 169 30 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 2.8 sq km
land: 2.8 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 10 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade
winds with little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly flat
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m
Natural resources: NA; guano deposits worked until depletion
about 1890
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: no natural fresh water resources
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;
Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been
expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island
(Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; closed to
the public; former US nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston
Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); some low-growing
vegetation
People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are 1,200 US military and civilian contractor personnel
(January 1999 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll
Data code: JQ
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US;
administered from Washington, DC, by the US Defense Threat Reduction
Agency (DTRA) and managed cooperatively by DTRA and the Fish and
Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
National Wildlife Refuge system
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
Economy
Economy--overview: Economic activity is limited to providing
services to US military personnel and contractors located on the
island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity--production: NAkWh
note: there are six 25,000 kWh generators supplied by the base
operating support contractor
Electricity--consumption: NAkWh
Communications
Telephone system: 13 outgoing and 10 incoming commercial lines;
adequate telecommunications
domestic: 60-channel submarine cable, 22 DSN circuits by satellite,
Autodin with standard remote terminal, digital telephone switch,
Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), UHF/VHF air-ground
radio, a link to the Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network
(PCTN) satellite
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM 5 channels; also 1 local
volunteer FM radio station;, shortwave NA;
Television broadcast stations: commercial satellite television
system, with 16 channels (1997)
Transportation
Ports and harbors: Johnston Island
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Jordan
------
Geography
Location: Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 31 00 N, 36 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total: 89,213 sq km
land: 88,884 sq km
water: 329 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 1,619 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline: 26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to
April)
Terrain: mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west;
Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,754 m
Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 1%
other: 85% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 630 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: limited natural fresh water
resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 4,561,147 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 1,005,211; female 954,968)
15-64 years: 54% (male 1,265,116; female 1,200,372)
65 years and over: 3% (male 67,852; female 67,628) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.05% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 34.31 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 32.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.06 years
male: 71.15 years
female: 75.08 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.64 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4% (1997 est.)
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely understood among
upper and middle classes
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.6%
male: 93.4%
female: 79.4% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
local short form: Al Urdun
former: Transjordan
Data code: JO
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amman
Administrative divisions: 12 governorates (muhafazat,
singular--muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al
Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under
British administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Constitution: 8 January 1952
Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial
review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King ABDULLAH II (since 7 February 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Fayez TARAWNEH (since 20 August
1998)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
with the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis
al-'Umma consists of the Senate (a 40-member body appointed by the
monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve
four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (80 seats; members
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives--last held 4 November 1997 (next
to be held NA November 2001)
election results: House of Representatives--percent of vote by
party--NA; seats by party--National Constitutional Party 2, Arab Land
Party 1, independents 75, other 2
note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved
by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989 the first
parliamentary elections in 22 years were held
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Political parties and leaders: Al-Ahrar (Freedom) Party [Dr.
Ahmad ZO'BI, secretary general]; Arab Ba'th Progressive Party
Ishaq al-FARHAN, secretary general]; Jordanian Arab Constitutional
MAJALI, secretary general]; National Democratic Public Movement
HNEIDI, secretary general]
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL,
AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUA, NAM, OIC,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG,
UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marwan Jamil MUASHIR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William BURNS
embassy: Jabel Amman, Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892-0200
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top),
white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist
side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on
the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran
Economy
Economy--overview: Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate
supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil and coal.
Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the
late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual real GNP growth averaged
more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in
both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to
an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports--mainly oil, capital
goods, consumer durables, and food--outstripped exports, with the
difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989,
the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and
agreed to implement an IMF-supported program designed to gradually
reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural
reforms. The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however,
aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the
government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and
suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states, worker
remittances, and trade contracted; and refugees flooded the country,
producing serious balance-of-payments problems, stunting GDP growth,
and straining government resources. The economy rebounded in 1992,
largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers
returning from the Gulf, but recovery was uneven. A preliminary
agreement with the IMF in early 1999 will provide new loans over the
next three years. Sluggish growth, along with debt, poverty, and
unemployment are fundamental ongoing economic problems.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$15.5 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 2.2% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 30%
services: 64% (1995 est.)
Population below poverty line: 30% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 34.7% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.15 million
note: in addition, there are 300,000 foreign workers (1997 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants,
and hotels 10.5%, construction 10%, transport and communications
8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other services 52% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 15% official rate; note--actual rate is 25%-30%
(1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.8 billion
expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $672
million (1999 est.)
Industries: phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash,
light manufacturing
Industrial production growth rate: -3.4% (1996)
Electricity--production: 5.52 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.64%
hydro: 0.36%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 5.52 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons,
olives; sheep, goats, poultry
Exports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Exports--commodities: phosphates, fertilizers, potash,
agricultural products, manufactures
Exports--partners: Iraq, India, Saudi Arabia, EU, Indonesia, UAE,
Syria, Ethiopia
Imports: $3.9 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)
Imports--commodities: crude oil, machinery, transport equipment,
food, live animals, manufactured goods
Imports--partners: EU, Iraq, US, Japan, Turkey, Malaysia, Syria,
China
Debt--external: $7.5 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $1.097 billion (1995); note?received $320
million from ODA in 1998 (est.)
Currency: 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1--0.7090 (January
1999-1996), 0.7005 (1995), 0.6987 (1994), 0.6928 (1993)
note: since May 1989, the dinar has been pegged to a basket of
currencies
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 425,000 (1998)
Telephone system:
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial and fiber-optic cable, and
cellular; Jordan has two cellular telephone providers (with
approximately 50,000 subscribers in 1998), ten data service
providers, and four Internet service providers (with approximately
8,000 subscribers in 1998)
international: satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and
29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals (1996); coaxial cable,
fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Syria, and Israel; building a Red Sea Fiber-Optic Link Around the
Globe (FLAG) fiber-optic submarine cable link and planning to update
links with Saudi Arabia and Israel to fiber-optic cable; 4,000
international circuits (1998 est.); participant in Medarabtel
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 7, shortwave 1 (1998 est.)
Radios: 1.1 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (in addition, there are
approximately 42 repeaters and 1 TV receive-only satellite link)
(1997)
Televisions: 350,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 677 km
narrow gauge: 677 km 1.050-m gauge; note--an additional 110 km
stretch of the old Hejaz railroad is out of use (1998 est.)
Highways:
total: 8,000 km
paved: 8,000 km
unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 209 km
Ports and harbors: Al 'Aqabah
Merchant marine:
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,746 GRT/59,100 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 2, container 1, livestock carrier 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 17 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF; includes Royal
Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, and Royal Jordanian Air
Force); Badiya (irregular) Border Guards; Ministry of the Interior's
Public Security Force (falls under JAF only in wartime or crisis
situations)
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,113,998 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 793,002 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 49,954 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $608.9 million (FY 98)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 7.8% (1997)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Juan de Nova Island
-------------------
Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel,
about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 17 03 S, 42 45 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 4.4 sq km
land: 4.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: about seven times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 24.1 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth the of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: NA
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 10 m
Natural resources: guano deposits and other fertilizers
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 90%
other: 10%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: periodic cyclones
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: wildlife sanctuary
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Juan de Nova
Data code: JU
Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high
commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Legal system: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (possession of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (possession of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
Economy
Economy--overview: no economic activity
Transportation
Railways:
total: NA km; short line going to a jetty
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claimed by Madagascar
======================================================================
@Kazakhstan
----------
Introduction
Background: As a republic within the USSR (1920-91), Kazakhstan
suffered greatly from Stalinist purges, from environmental damage,
and saw the ethnic Russian portion of its population rise to 37%
while other non-Kazakhs made up almost 20%. Current issues include
the pace of market reform and privatization; fair and free elections
and democratic reform; ethnic differences between Russians and
Kazakhs; environmental problems; and how to convert the country's
abundant energy resources into a better standard of living.
Geography
Location: Central Asia, northwest of China
Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N, 68 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 2,717,300 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
note: Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of
water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and
semiarid
Terrain: extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from
the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Zhengis Shingy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m
Natural resources: major deposits of petroleum, natural gas,
coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper,
molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 11%
permanent pastures: 57%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 16% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 22,000 sq km (1996 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
Environment--current issues: radioactive or toxic chemical sites
associated with its former defense industries and test ranges are
found throughout the country and pose health risks for humans and
animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the
two main rivers which flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted
for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer
of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then
picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution
in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural
chemicals and salination from faulty irrigation practices
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: landlocked
People
Population: 16,824,825 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 2,432,519; female 2,359,375)
15-64 years: 65% (male 5,279,877; female 5,580,271)
65 years and over: 7% (male 392,934; female 779,849) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.09% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 17.16 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 10.34 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.73 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: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 58.82 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.39 years
male: 57.92 years
female: 69.13 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kazakhstani(s)
adjective: Kazakhstani
Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 46%, Russian 34.7%, Ukrainian 4.9%,
German 3.1%, Uzbek 2.3%, Tatar 1.9%, other 7.1% (1996)
Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other
7%
Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq) (state language) 40%, Russian
(official, used in everyday business) 66%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 96% (1989 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: KZ
Government type: republic
Capital: Astana
note: the government moved from Almaty to Astana in December 1998