GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 0%
industry: 55%
services: 45% (1996)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1997 est.)
Labor force: 1.1 million (1996 est.)
note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(July 1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: government and social services 50%,
services 40%, industry and agriculture 10% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.8% (official 1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $8.1 billion
expenditures: $14.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY98/99 budget est.)
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food
processing, construction materials, salt, construction
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.)
Electricity--production: 23 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 23 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: practically no crops; fish
Exports: $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities: oil and refined products, fertilizers
Exports--partners: Japan 24%, India 16%, US 13%, South Korea 11%,
Singapore 8% (1997)
Imports: $7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Imports--commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and
parts, clothing
Imports--partners: US 22%, Japan 15%, UK 13%, Germany 8%, Italy 6%
(1997)
Debt--external: $7.3 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $27.6 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.3018 (January
1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996), 0.2984 (1995),
0.2976 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 July--30 June
Communications
Telephones: 408,000 (1998)
Telephone system: the civil network suffered some damage as a
result of the Gulf war, but most of the telephone exchanges were
left intact and, by the end of 1994, domestic and international
telecommunications had been restored to normal operation; the
quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, open wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone
system operates throughout Kuwait (with approximately 150,000
subscribers in 1996) and the country is well supplied with pay
telephones; approximately 15,000 Internet subscribers in 1996
international: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia; satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 720,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 13 (in addition, there are several
satellite channels) (1997)
Televisions: 800,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 4,450 km
paved: 3,587 km
unpaved: 863 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural
gas 165 km
Ports and harbors: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina'
'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud
Merchant marine:
total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,509,061 GRT/4,046,739
DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 10, container 6, liquefied gas tanker
7, livestock carrier 3, oil tanker 22 (1998 est.)
Airports: 8 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force,
National Guard, Coast Guard
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 718,061 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 425,126 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 20,854 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $2.7035 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 7.9% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: in November 1994, Iraq formally accepted
the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait which had been spelled out in
Security Council Resolutions 687 (1991), 773 (1993), and 883 (1993);
this formally ends earlier claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and
Warbah islands; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands
disputed by Saudi Arabia
======================================================================
@Kyrgyzstan
----------
Introduction
Background: A country of incredible natural beauty and proud
nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan became part of the Russian empire in
1864. In the Czarist and Soviet periods, Russian managers and
technicians were sent to Kyrgyzstan and have recently made up more
than one-fifth of the population. Many Russians have been returning
home since Kyrgyzstan gained its independence in 1991 when the USSR
collapsed. Privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of
democracy and political freedoms, and inter-ethnic relations are
current issues.
Geography
Location: Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 75 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 198,500 sq km
land: 191,300 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries:
total: 3,878 km
border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870
km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical
in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone
Terrain: peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins
encompass entire nation
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kara-Darya 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m
Natural resources: abundant hydroelectric potential; significant
deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal,
oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth,
lead, and zinc
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 44%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 45% (1993 est.)
note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut forest
Irrigated land: 9,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: water pollution; many people get
their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a
result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity
from faulty irrigation practices
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: landlocked
People
Population: 4,546,055 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 804,502; female 788,076)
15-64 years: 59% (male 1,308,145; female 1,362,140)
65 years and over: 6% (male 105,442; female 177,750) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.68% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 21.83 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.74 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 75.92 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.57 years
male: 59.25 years
female: 68.1 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.63 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kyrgyzstani(s)
adjective: Kyrgyzstani
Ethnic groups: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian
2.5%, German 2.4%, other 11.8%
Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz)--official language, Russian?official
language
note: in March 1996, the Kyrgyzstani legislature amended the
constitution to make Russian an official language, along with
Kirghiz, in territories and work places where Russian-speaking
citizens predominate
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 96% (1989 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: KG
Government type: republic
Capital: Bishkek
Administrative divisions: 6 oblasttar (singular--oblast) and 1
city* (singular--shaar); Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek),
Jalal-Abad Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty,
Ysyk-Kol Oblasty (Karakol)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)
Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: National Day, 2 December; Independence Day, 31
August (1991)
Constitution: adopted 5 May 1993
note: amendment proposed by President AKAYEV and passed in a
national referendum on 10 February 1996 significantly expands the
powers of the president at the expense of the legislature
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Askar AKAYEV (since 28 October 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Jumabek IBRAIMOV (since NA
December 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
elections last held 24 December 1995 (next to be held NA 2000);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Askar AKAYEV reelected president; percent of
vote--Askar AKAYEV 75%; note--elections were held early which gave the
two opposition candidates little time to campaign; AKAYEV may have
orchestrated the "deregistration" of two other candidates, one of
whom was a major rival
Legislative branch: bicameral Supreme Council or Zhogorku Kenesh
consists of the Assembly of People's Representatives (70 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and
the Legislative Assembly (35 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Assembly of People's Representatives--last held 5 February
1995 (next to be held NA 2000); Legislative Assembly--last held 5
February 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: Assembly of People's Representatives--percent of
vote by party--NA; seats by party--NA; note--not all of the 70 seats
were filled at the 5 February 1995 elections; as a result, run-off
elections were held at later dates; the assembly meets twice yearly;
Legislative Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NA;
note--not all of the 35 seats were filled at the 5 February 1995
elections; as a result, run-off elections were held at later dates
note: the legislature became bicameral for the 5 February 1995
elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed for 10-year
terms by the Supreme Council on recommendation of the president;
Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party or PSD
JEKSHEYEV, chairman]; National Unity Democratic Movement or DDNE
MASALIYEV, chairman]; Kyrgyzstan Erkin Party (Democratic Movement of
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Unity Democratic
Movement; Council of Free Trade Unions; Union of Entrepreneurs;
International organization participation: AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNOMSIL, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bakyt ABDRISAYEV
chancery: 1732 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anne M. SIGMUND
embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, 720016 Bishkek
mailing address: use embassy street address
Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center
having 40 rays representing the 40 Kirghiz tribes; on the obverse
side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in
the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three
lines, a stylized representation of the roof of the traditional
Kirghiz yurt
Economy
Economy--overview: Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor, mountainous
country with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, wool, and
meat are the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial
exports include gold, mercury, uranium, and hydropower. Kyrgyzstan
has been one of the most progressive countries of the former Soviet
Union in carrying out market reforms. Following a successful
stabilization program, which lowered inflation from 88% in 1994 to
15% for 1997, attention is turning toward stimulating growth. Much
of the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in
production have been severe since the breakup of the Soviet Union in
December 1991, but by mid-1995 production began to recover and
exports began to increase. Pensioners, unemployed workers, and
government workers with salary arrears continue to suffer. Foreign
assistance played a substantial role in the country's economic
turnaround in 1996-97. The government has adopted a series of
measures to combat some of the severe economic problems such as
excessive debt and inadequate revenue collection, encountered in
1998.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$9.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 1.8% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,200 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 47%
industry: 12%
services: 41% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: 40% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 26.2% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18.4% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.7 million
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture and forestry 40%, industry
and construction 19%, other 41% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: 6% 1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $308 million, including capital expenditures of $11
million (1996 est.)
Industries: small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement,
shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold,
rare earth metals
Industrial production growth rate: 14% (1998 est.)
note: the gold industry spurted in 1998 giving industry as a whole a
boost on a small base while the rest of the economy, including
agriculture, lagged
Electricity--production: 13.49 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 9.56%
hydro: 90.44%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 10.92 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 6.32 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 3.75 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables,
grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool
Exports: $630 million (1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury,
uranium, hydropower; machinery; shoes
Exports--partners: China, UK, FSU
Imports: $670 million (1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: grain, lumber, industrial products, ferrous
metals, fuel, machinery, textiles, footwear
Imports--partners: Turkey, Cuba, US, Germany
Debt--external: $935 million (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $329.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) = 100 tyiyn
Exchange rates: soms (KGS) per US$1--30.25 (February 1999), 20.838
(1998), 17.362 (1997), 12.810 (1996), 10.822 (1995), 10.842 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 356,000 (1996 est.)
Telephone system: poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied
applications for household telephones
domestic: principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider,
probably only limited to Bishkek region
international: connections with other CIS countries by landline or
microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections
with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite
earth stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected
internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note--one
state-run radio broadcast station
Radios: 825,000 (radio receiver systems with multiple speakers
for program diffusion 748,000)
Television broadcast stations: NA (repeater stations throughout
the country relay programs from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and
Turkey) (1997)
Televisions: 875,000
Transportation
Railways:
total: 370 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 370 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways:
total: 18,500 km
paved: 16,854 km (including 140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,646 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 600 km (1990)
Pipelines: natural gas 200 km
Ports and harbors: Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)
Airports: 54 (1994 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 40
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 32 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, National Guard, Security Forces
(internal and border troops), Civil Defense
note: border troops controlled by Russia
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,146,595 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 930,017 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 46,561 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $10.8 million (1996)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: territorial dispute with Tajikistan on
southwestern boundary in Isfara Valley area
Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium
poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication
program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs
to Russia and Western Europe from Southwest Asia
======================================================================
@Laos
----
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of
Vietnam
Geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries:
total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km,
Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry
season (December to April)
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold,
gemstones
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 40% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)
note: rainy season irrigation--2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation--750
sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: floods, droughts, and blight
Environment--current issues: unexploded ordnance; deforestation;
soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to
potable water
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: landlocked
People
Population: 5,407,453 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 1,235,797; female 1,203,520)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,360,991; female 1,434,378)
65 years and over: 3% (male 78,195; female 94,572) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.74% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 39.93 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 12.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 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: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 89.32 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.21 years
male: 52.63 years
female: 55.87 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.55 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian
Ethnic groups: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%,
Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien)
9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%
Languages: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic
languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60%
male: 70%
female: 48% (1998 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos
local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
local short form: none
Data code: LA
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Vientiane
Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and
plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and
1 special zone** (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo,
Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha,
Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet,
Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1975) (proclamation
of the Lao People's Democratic Republic)
Constitution: promulgated 14 August 1991
Legal system: based on traditional customs, French legal norms
and procedures, and Socialist practice
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 26 February
1998); Vice President OUDOM Khattiya (since 26 February 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister SISAVAT Keobounphan (since 26
February 1998); Senior Deputy Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit
(since 20 April 1996); Deputy Prime Ministers KHAMPHOUI Keoboualapha
(since 15 August 1991), CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 26 February
1998), SOMSAVAT Lengsavad (since 26 February 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
by the National Assembly
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held
NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president with the
approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term
election results: KHAMTAI Siphandon elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote--NA