for domestic consumption; opium poppy cultivation negligible in 1998
because of government eradication program; increasingly used as
transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia
and Western Europe
======================================================================
@Tanzania
--------
Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between
Kenya and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 35 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 945,090 sq km
land: 886,040 sq km
water: 59,050 sq km
note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
Area--comparative: slightly larger than twice the size of
California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,402 km
border countries: Burundi 451 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km,
Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline: 1,424 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to temperate in
highlands
Terrain: plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north,
south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
Natural resources: hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal,
diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 40%
forests and woodland: 38%
other: 18% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,500 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: the tsetse fly; flooding on the central plateau
during the rainy season; drought
Environment--current issues: soil degradation; deforestation;
desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine
habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa
People
Population: 31,270,820 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 6,926,149; female 6,967,416)
15-64 years: 53% (male 8,030,141; female 8,437,978)
65 years and over: 3% (male 415,074; female 494,062) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.14% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 40.37 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 16.75 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 95.27 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.17 years
male: 43.85 years
female: 48.57 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Tanzanian(s)
adjective: Tanzanian
Ethnic groups: mainland--native African 99% (of which 95% are
Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of
Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar--Arab, native African, mixed
Arab and native African
Religions: mainland--Christian 45%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs
20; Zanzibar--more than 99% Muslim
Languages: Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for
Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of
commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely
spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages
note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people
living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili
is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety
of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the
lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of
most people is one of the local languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili),
English, or Arabic
total population: 67.8%
male: 79.4%
female: 56.8% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
conventional short form: Tanzania
former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Data code: TZ
Government type: republic
Capital: Dar es Salaam
note: some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which
is planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now
meets there on regular basis
Administrative divisions: 25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam,
Dodoma, Iringa, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro,
Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma,
Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar
North, Zanzibar Urban/West, Ziwa Magharibi
note: Ziwa Magharibi may have been renamed Kagera
Independence: 26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9
December 1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became
independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with
Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and
Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
National holiday: Union Day, 26 April (1964)
Constitution: 25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23 November
1995); Vice President Omar Ali JUMA (since 23 November 1995); note
the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23
November 1995); Vice President Omar Ali JUMA (since 23 November
1995); note--the president is both chief of state and head of
government
note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for
matters internal to Zanzibar; Dr. Salmin AMOUR was elected to that
office on 22 October 1995 in a popular election
cabinet: Cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, are
appointed by the president from among the members of the National
Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 29
October-19 November 1995 (next to be held NA October 2000); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: percent of vote--Benjamin William MKAPA 62%, MREMA
28%, LIPUMBA 6%, CHEYO 4%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274
seats--232 elected by popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated
by the president, five to members of the Zanzibar House of
Representatives; members serve five-year terms); note --in addition
to enacting laws that apply to the entire United Republic of
Tanzania, the Assembly enacts laws that apply only to the mainland;
Zanzibar has its own House of Representatives to make laws
especially for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar House of Representatives has
50 seats, directly elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 29 October-19 November 1995 (next to be held NA
October 2000)
election results: National Assembly: percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--CCM 186, CUF 24, NCCR-Mageuzi 16, CHADEMA 3, UDP 3;
Zanzibar House of Representatives: percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--CCM 26, CUF 24
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; High Court, judges appointed by
the president
Political parties and leaders: Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
EADB, ECA, FAO, G- 6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mustafa Salim NYANG'ANYI
chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles R. STITH
embassy: 285 Toure Drive, Dar es Salaam (temporary location)
mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam
Flag description: divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band
from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is
green and the lower triangle is blue
Economy
Economy--overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the
world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which
accounts for 56% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of
the work force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit
cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. Industry accounts for
15% of GDP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural products
and light consumer goods. The economic recovery program announced in
mid-1986 has generated notable increases in agricultural production
and financial support for the program by bilateral donors. The World
Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have
provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic
infrastructure. Growth in 1991-98 has featured a pickup in
industrial production and a substantial increase in output of
minerals, led by gold. Natural gas exploration in the Rufiji Delta
looks promising and production could start by 2002. Recent banking
reforms have helped increase private sector growth and investment.
Short-term economic progress also depends on curbing corruption.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$22.1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 3.8% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$730 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 56%
industry: 15%
services: 29% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: 51.1% (1991 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 30.2% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.5% (1998)
Labor force: 13.495 million
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce
10% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $700 million
expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY98/99 est.)
Industries: primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer,
cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond and gold mining, oil refining,
shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer, salt
Industrial production growth rate: 0.4% (1995 est.)
Electricity--production: 1.82 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 12.09%
hydro: 87.91%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 1.82 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum
(insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves
(Zanzibar), corn, wheat, cassava (tapioca), bananas, fruits,
vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats
Exports: $952 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: coffee, manufactured goods, cotton, cashew
nuts, minerals, tobacco, sisal (1996)
Exports--partners: India 9.8%, Germany 8.9%, Japan 7.8%, Malaysia
6.5%, Rwanda 5.2%, Netherlands 4.7% (1997)
Imports: $1.46 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: consumer goods, machinery and transportation
equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil
Imports--partners: South Africa 12.9%, Kenya 9.6%, UK 8.7%, Saudi
Arabia 6.6%, Japan 4.9%, China 4.6% (1997)
Debt--external: $8.3 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $860.9 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1--668.3
(February 1999), 664.67 (1998), 612.12 (1997), 579.98 (1996), 574.76
(1995), 509.63 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 July--30 June
Communications
Telephones: 88,000 (1994)
Telephone system: fair system operating below capacity
domestic: open wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 740,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1998)
Televisions: 60,000 (1994 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,569 km (1995)
narrow gauge: 2,600 km 1.000-m gauge; 969 km 1.067-m gauge
note: the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which operates
1,860 km of 1.067-m narrow gauge track between Dar es Salaam and
Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia (of which 969 km are in Tanzania and 891 km
are in Zambia) is not a part of Tanzania Railways Corporation;
because of the difference in gauge, this system does not connect to
Tanzania Railways
Highways:
total: 88,200 km
paved: 3,704 km
unpaved: 84,496 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa
Pipelines: crude oil 982 km
Ports and harbors: Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Kilwa Masoko,
Lindi, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pangani, Tanga, Wete, Zanzibar
Merchant marine:
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,618 GRT/26,321 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, oil tanker 2, passenger-cargo 2,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 129 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 119
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 65
under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Tanzanian People's Defense Force or TPDF
(includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary Police Field
Force Unit, Militia
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 7,119,106 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,120,617 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $21 million (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 0.2% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: dispute with Malawi over the boundary in
Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Illicit drugs: growing role in transshipment of Southwest and
Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for
European and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for
Southern Africa
======================================================================
@Thailand
--------
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the
Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 100 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 514,000 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km
water: 2,230 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundaries:
total: 4,863 km
border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km,
Malaysia 506 km
Coastline: 3,219 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May
to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
southern isthmus always hot and humid
Terrain: central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains
elsewhere
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m
Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum,
timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
Land use:
arable land: 34%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 32% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 44,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from
the depletion of the water table; droughts
Environment--current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions;
water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil
erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography--note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia
and Singapore
People
Population: 60,609,046 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 7,364,411; female 7,095,428)
15-64 years: 70% (male 20,878,602; female 21,493,735)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,664,113; female 2,112,757) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.93% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 16.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 7.16 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: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 29.54 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.21 years
male: 65.58 years
female: 73.01 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Thai (singular and plural)
adjective: Thai
Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism
0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)
Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite),
ethnic and regional dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.8%
male: 96%
female: 91.6% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
conventional short form: Thailand
Data code: TH
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Bangkok
Administrative divisions: 76 provinces (changwat, singular and
plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat,
Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri,
Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi,
Krung Thep Mahanakhon (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri,
Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom,
Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat,
Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum
Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun,
Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae,
Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi,
Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon,
Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla,
Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon
Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
Independence: 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December
(1927)
Constitution: new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11
October 1997
Legal system: based on civil law system, with influences of
common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
head of government: Prime Minister CHUAN Likphai (since 15 November
1997)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
note: there is also a Privy Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister
designated from among the members of the House of Representatives;
following a national election for the House of Representatives, the
leader of the party that can organize a majority coalition usually
becomes prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha
consists of the Senate or Wuthisapha (a 253-member appointed body
which will be phased into a 200-member elected body starting in
March 2000; members serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon (currently has 391
members, but will become a 500-member body after the next election;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives--last held 17 November 1996 (next
scheduled to be held by 17 November 2000, but may be held earlier)
election results: House of Representatives--percent of vote by
party--NA; seats by party--NAP 125, DP 123, NDP 52, TNP 39, SAP 20,
TCP 18, SP 8, LDP 4, MP 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sandika), judges appointed by the
monarch
Political parties and leaders: Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat
Yoobamrung, SOPHON Petchsavang]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNMIBH, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador NIT Phibunsongkhram
chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard HECKLINGER
embassy: 120 Wireless Road, Bangkok
mailing address: APO AP 96546
consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai
Flag description: five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue
(double width), white, and red
Economy
Economy--overview: After months of speculative pressure on the
Thai baht, the government decided to float the currency in July
1997, the symbolic beginning of the country's current economic
crisis. The crisis--which began in the country's financial sector--has
spread throughout the economy. After years of rapid economic growth
averaging 9% earlier this decade, the Thai economy contracted 0.4%
in 1997 and shrunk another 8.5% in 1998. In the years before the
crisis, Thailand ran persistent current account deficits. With the
depreciation of the Thai baht and the collapse of domestic demand,
however, imports have fallen off sharply--by more than 33%--and
Thailand posted a trade surplus of approximately $12 billion in
1998. Foreign investment for new projects, the long-time catalyst of
Thailand's economic growth, has also slowed. The CHUAN government
has closely adhered to the economic recovery program prescribed by
the IMF. The cooperation afforded Thailand stability in the value of
its currency in the second half of 1998 and helped replenish foreign
reserves. Tough measures--including passage of adequate bankruptcy
and foreclosure legislation as well as privatization of state-owned
companies and recapitalization of the financial sector--remain
undone. Bangkok is also trying to establish a social safety net for
those displaced by the current economic crisis and is working to
increase the quality of Thailand's labor force.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$369 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -8.5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,100 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 39%
services: 49% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 13.1% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 37.1% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 32.6 million (1997 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry 15%,
services (including government) 31% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $24 billion
expenditures: $25 billion, including capital expenditures of $8
billion (FY96/97)