revenues: $1.32 billion
expenditures: $1.76 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
Industries: tourism; electronics, ship building and repair,
construction; food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing,
tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 1.425 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 1.425 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: potatoes, cauliflowers, grapes, wheat,
barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk,
poultry, eggs
Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures (1996)
Exports--partners: France 18%, US 15%, Germany 15%, UK 8%, Italy
6% (1997)
Imports: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Imports--commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco
Imports--partners: Italy 20%, France 16%, UK 15%, Germany 10%, US
8% (1997)
Debt--external: $130 million (1997)
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1--0.3797 (January 1999),
0.3884 (1998), 0.3857 (1997), 0.3604 (1996), 0.3529 (1995), 0.3776
(1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 191,876 (1992 est.)
Telephone system: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station--1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 189,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 300,000 (1996 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,582 km
paved: 1,471 km
unpaved: 111 km (1993 est.)
Ports and harbors: Marsaxlokk, Valletta
Merchant marine:
total: 1,361 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,436,956
GRT/40,706,665 DWT
ships by type: bulk 370, cargo 400, chemical tanker 49, combination
bulk 18, combination ore/oil 17, container 56, liquefied gas tanker
2, livestock carrier 3, multifunction large-load carrier 3, oil
tanker 302, passenger 7, refrigerated cargo 46, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 47, short-sea passenger 19, specialized tanker 4, vehicle
carrier 18
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 49
countries among which includes Greece 445, Russia 51, Switzerland
45, Italy 44, Norway 40, Croatia 26, Turkey 35, Germany 32, Georgia
23, and Monaco 24 (1998 est.)
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Armed Forces (including an air squadron, a
maritime squadron, and the Revenue Security Corps), Maltese Police
Force
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 99,067 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 78,855 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $65.5 million (FY96/97)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.7% (FY96/97)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: Malta and Tunisia are discussing the
commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their
countries, particularly for oil exploration
Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for hashish from North
Africa to Western Europe
======================================================================
@Man, Isle of
------------
Geography
Location: Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great
Britain and Ireland
Geographic coordinates: 54 15 N, 4 30 W
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 588 sq km
land: 588 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than three times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 113 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: cool summers and mild winters; humid; overcast about
half the time
Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 620 m
Natural resources: lead, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 56%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 0%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the
southwest, and is a bird sanctuary
People
Population: 75,686 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 6,906; female 6,597)
15-64 years: 65% (male 24,655; female 24,604)
65 years and over: 17% (male 5,156; female 7,768) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.71% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 12.43 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 11.52 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 6.17 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: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 2.45 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.79 years
male: 74.28 years
female: 81.47 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.67 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Manxman, Manxwoman
adjective: Manx
Ethnic groups: Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton
Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Society of Friends
Languages: English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man
Data code: IM
Dependency status: British crown dependency
Government type: NA
Capital: Douglas
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
National holiday: Tynwald Day, 5 July
Constitution: 1961, Isle of Man Constitution Act
Legal system: English law and local statute
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor His Excellency Sir Timothy
DAUNT (since NA 1995)
head of government: President of the Tynwald and the Legislative
Council Sir Charles KERRUISH (since NA 1990)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch for a five-year term; president of theTwnwald and the
Legislative Council elected by the Tynwald for a five-year term;
election last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: Sir Charles KERRUISH elected president of the
Legislative Council; percent of legislative vote--NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative
Council (a 10-member body composed of the Lord Bishop of Sodor and
Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House
of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys--last held 21 November 1996 (next to be held
NA 2001)
election results: House of Keys--percent of vote by party--NA; seats
by party--independents 24
Judicial branch: High Court of Justice, justices are appointed by
the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant
governor
Political parties and leaders: there is no party system; members
sit as independents
International organization participation: none
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (British crown
dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (British crown
dependency)
Flag description: red with the Three Legs of Man emblem
(Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh
and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise
on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used
Economy
Economy--overview: Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism
are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering
incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions
to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment
opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture
and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in
their shares of GDP. Banking and other services now contribute more
than four fifths of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of
Man enjoys free access to EU markets.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$985 million (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: NA%
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$13,100 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 16%
services: 82% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 33,577 (1996)
Labor force--by occupation: manufacturing 11%, construction 10%,
transport and communication 8%, retail distribution 9%, professional
and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and
finance 18%
Unemployment rate: 1% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $437.7 million
expenditures: $432.5 million, including capital expenditures of
$102.2 million (FY98/99 est.)
Industries: financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: NA kWh
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%
Electricity--consumption: NA kWh
Electricity--exports: NA kWh
Electricity--imports: NA kWh
Agriculture--products: cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs,
poultry
Exports: $NA
Exports--commodities: tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef,
lamb
Exports--partners: UK
Imports: $NA
Imports--commodities: timber, fertilizers, fish
Imports--partners: UK
Debt--external: $NA
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Manx pound (LM) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Manx pounds (LM) per US$1--0.6057 (January 1999),
0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529
(1994)); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 46,000 (1996)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0 (receives broadcasts from the
UK) (1997)
Televisions: 24,450 (1996)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 52 km (27 km electrified)
Highways:
total: 640 km
paved: 320 km
unpaved: 320 km
Ports and harbors: Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey
Merchant marine:
total: 148 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,161,154
GRT/6,880,170 DWT
ships by type: bulk 28, cargo 7, chemical tanker 14, combination
bulk 3, container 20, liquefied gas tanker 14, oil tanker 43,
refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 14, vehicle carrier 2
note: a flag of convenience registry; UK owns 8 ships, Denmark 1,
Sweden 1, Belgium 1, and Netherlands 1 (1998 est.)
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
======================================================================
@Marshall Islands
----------------
Geography
Location: Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific
Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea
Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N, 168 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 181.3 sq km
land: 181.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, and Kwajalein
Area--comparative: about the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 370.4 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands
border typhoon belt
Terrain: low coral limestone and sand islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m
Natural resources: phosphate deposits, marine products, deep
seabed minerals
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: 60%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 40%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons
Environment--current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertication, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography--note: two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and
1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites;
Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US
missile test range
People
Population: 65,507 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 50% (male 16,622; female 15,957)
15-64 years: 48% (male 16,106; female 15,386)
65 years and over: 2% (male 677; female 759) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.86% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 45.31 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.73 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 43.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.81 years
male: 63.21 years
female: 66.5 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.67 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective: Marshallese
Ethnic groups: Micronesian
Religions: Christian (mostly Protestant)
Languages: English (universally spoken and is the official
language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian
family, Japanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 100%
female: 88% (1980 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
conventional short form: Marshall Islands
former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands)
Data code: RM
Government type: constitutional government in free association
with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21
October 1986
Capital: Majuro
Administrative divisions: 33 municipalities; Ailinginae,
Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon,
Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo, Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib,
Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap,
Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik, Wotho, Wotje
Independence: 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN
trusteeship)
National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, 1 May (1979)
Constitution: 1 May 1979
Legal system: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the
legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Imata KABUA (since 14 January 1997);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Imata KABUA (since 14 January 1997);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of
Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own
members for a four-year term; election last held 14 January 1997
(next to be held NA November 1999); note--Imata KABUA elected to
succeed and complete the term of the late President Amata KABUA
election results: Imata KABUA elected president; percent of
Parliament vote--63%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 November 1995 (next to be held NA November
1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NA
note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on
matters affecting customary law and practice
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders: traditionally there have been no
formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely
resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party
headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures; the following
two "groupings" have competed in legislative balloting in recent
International organization participation: AsDB, ESCAP, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory
user), Interpol, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM
chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Honolulu
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joan M. PLAISTED
embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro
mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall
Islands 96960-1379
Flag description: blue with two stripes radiating from the lower
hoist-side corner--orange (top) and white; there is a white star with
four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two
stripes
Economy
Economy--overview: US Government assistance is the mainstay of
this tiny island economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on
small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts,
tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to
handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a
small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the
labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The
islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports.
Under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US provides
roughly $65 million in annual aid, equal to about 70% of GDP.
Negotiations will get underway in 1999 for an extended agreement.
Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, and the
decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial
difficulties have caused GDP to fall in 1996-98.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$91 million (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,450 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 13%
services: 72% (1995)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1997)
Labor force: NA
Labor force--by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 16% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $80.1 million
expenditures: $77.4 million, including capital expenditures of $19.5
million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: copra, fish, tourism, craft items from shell, wood,
and pearls, offshore banking (embryonic)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 57 million kWh (1994)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA%
Electricity--consumption: 57 million kWh (1994)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1994)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1994)
Agriculture--products: coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits;
pigs, chickens
Exports: $17.5 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Exports--commodities: fish, coconut oil, fish, trochus shells
Exports--partners: US, Japan, Australia
Imports: $71.8 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Imports--commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels,
beverages and tobacco
Imports--partners: US, Japan, Australia, NZ
Debt--external: $125 million (FY96/97 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $NA; note?approximately $65 million
annually from the US
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October--30 September
Communications
Telephones: 2,000 (1997 est.)
Telephone system: telex services
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 3 (of which one is an independent
station and two are US military stations) (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise
stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
Ports and harbors: Majuro
Merchant marine:
total: 131 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,572,915
GRT/11,208,214 DWT
ships by type: bulk 56, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3, container 20,
liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 42, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2,
vehicle carrier 1
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes the ships of Canada
1, China 1, Germany 1, Japan 1, and US 7 (1998 est.)
Airports: 16 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: no regular military forces (a coast guard may
be established); Police Force
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claims US territory of Wake Atoll
======================================================================
@Martinique
----------
Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of
Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 61 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 1,100 sq km
land: 1,060 sq km
water: 40 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than six times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 350 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June
to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every
eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid
Terrain: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m
Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 8%
permanent pastures: 17%
forests and woodland: 44%
other: 23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an
average of one major natural disaster every five years)
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
People
Population: 411,539 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 47,933; female 46,957)
15-64 years: 67% (male 136,058; female 138,935)
65 years and over: 10% (male 17,530; female 24,126) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.03% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 16.3 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)