party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
Geography--note: world's third-largest country (after Russia and
Canada)
People
Population: 272,639,608 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 30,097,125; female 28,699,568)
15-64 years: 66% (male 89,024,052; female 90,379,328)
65 years and over: 12% (male 14,189,132; female 20,250,403) (1999
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.85% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 14.3 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.8 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 3 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: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.33 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.23 years
male: 72.95 years
female: 79.67 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.07 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: American(s)
adjective: American
Ethnic groups: white 83.5%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Amerindian
0.8% (1992)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other
4%, none 10% (1989)
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1979 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA
Data code: US
Government type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital: Washington, DC
Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama,
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, Wyoming
Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland
Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands,
Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto
Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Atoll
note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered
into a new political relationship with all four political units: the
Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with
the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of
Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the
Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association
with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the
Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US
(effective 21 October 1986)
Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20
January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January
1993); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20
January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January
1993); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each
state; president and vice president serve four-year terms; election
last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000)
election results: William Jefferson CLINTON reelected president;
percent of popular vote--William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party)
49.2%, Robert DOLE (Republican Party) 40.7%, Ross PEROT (Reform
Party) 8.4%, other 1.7%
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100
seats, one-third are renewed every two years; two members are
elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and
House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 2 November 1998 (next to be held 7
November 2000); House of Representatives--last held 2 November 1998
(next to be held 7 November 2000)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 45; House of
Representatives--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--Republican Party 223, Democratic Party 211, independent 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the nine justices are appointed
for life by the president with confirmation by the Senate)
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party [Jim NICHOLSON,
national committee chairman]; several other groups or parties of
minor political significance
International organization participation: AfDB, ANZUS, APEC,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
MIPONUH, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN,
UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG,
UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Flag description: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top
and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the
upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars
arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and
bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent
the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies;
known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a
number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and
Puerto Rico
Economy
Economy--overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and
technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP
of $31,500, the largest among major industrial nations. In this
market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make
most of the decisions, and government buys needed goods and services
predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy
considerably greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western
Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, lay off
surplus workers, and develop new products. At the same time, they
face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' home markets than the
barriers to entry of foreign firms in US markets. US firms are at or
near the forefront in technological advances, especially in
computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment,
although their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II.
The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of
a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the
education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top
and, more and more, fail to get pay raises, health insurance
coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains
in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The
years 1994-98 witnessed solid increases in real output, low
inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment to below 5%. Long-term
problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure,
rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population, sizable trade
deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic
groups. The outlook for 1999 is for GDP growth somewhat below
1998's, continued low inflation, and about the same level of
unemployment. Two shadows for 1999 are the severe financial crises
in East Asia and Russia and the exuberant level of stock prices in
relation to corporate earnings.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$8.511 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 3.9% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$31,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 23%
services: 75% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 13% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%: 28.5% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1998)
Labor force: 137.7 million (includes unemployed) (1998)
Labor force--by occupation: managerial and professional 29.6%,
technical, sales and administrative support 29.3%, services 13.6%,
manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 24.8%, farming,
forestry, and fishing 2.7% (1998)
note: figures exclude the unemployed
Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1998)
Budget:
revenues: $1.722 trillion
expenditures: $1.653 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998)
Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly
diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor
vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics,
food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
Industrial production growth rate: 3.6% (1998)
Electricity--production: 3.629 trillion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 65.1%
hydro: 9.6%
nuclear: 18.59%
other: 6.71% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 3.666 trillion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 9.02 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 46.543 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: wheat, other grains, corn, fruits,
vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest
products; fish
Exports: $663 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial
supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products
Exports--partners: Canada 22%, Western Europe 21%, Japan 10%,
Mexico 10% (1997)
Imports: $912 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products,
machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials,
food and beverages
Imports--partners: Canada, 19%, Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%,
Mexico 10%, China 7% (1997)
Debt--external: $862 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid--donor: ODA, $7.4 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: British pounds (L) per US$--0.6057 (January 1999),
0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529
(1994); Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$--1.5192 (January 1999),
1.4835 (1998), 1.3846 (1997), 1.3635 (1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656
(1994); French francs (F) per US$--5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995
(1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994);
Italian lire (Lit) per US$--1,668.7 (January 1999), 1,763.2 (1998),
1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994);
Japanese yen (Y) per US$--113.18 (January 1999), 130.91 (1998),
120.99 (1997), 108.78 (1996), 94.06 (1995), 102.21 (1994); German
deutsche marks (DM) per US$--1.69 (January 1999), 1.9692 (1998),
1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994); Euro per
US$--0.8597 (January 1999)
Fiscal year: 1 October--30 September
Communications
Telephones: 182.558 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries conventional
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout country
international: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth
stations--61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and
Atlantic Ocean regions) (1990 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4,987, FM 4,932, shortwave 0
Radios: 540.5 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: more than 1,500 (including nearly
1,000 stations affiliated with the five major networks--NBC, ABC,
CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV
systems) (1997)
Televisions: 215 million (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned)
standard gauge: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)
Highways:
total: 6.42 million km
paved: 3,903,360 km (including 88,400 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,516,640 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of
the Great Lakes
Pipelines: petroleum products 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km
(1991)
Ports and harbors: Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston,
Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los
Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral,
Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle,
Tampa, Toledo
Merchant marine:
total: 385 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,123,848
GRT/15,255,996 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 10, bulk 61, cargo 28, chemical tanker
13, combination bulk 2, container 83, liquefied gas tanker 9,
multifunctional large-load carrier 3, oil tanker 114, passenger 7,
passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 3,
specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 7 (1998 est.)
Airports: 14,459 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 5,167
over 3,047 m: 180
2,438 to 3,047 m: 219
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,294
914 to 1,523 m: 2,447
under 914 m: 1,027 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 9,292
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 156
914 to 1,523 m: 1,647
under 914 m: 7,482 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 122 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy
(includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force
note: the Coast Guard falls under the Department of Transportation,
but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: NA
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $267.2 billion (1997 est.)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 3.4% (1997 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: maritime boundary disputes with Canada
(Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal
Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and
only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate
the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial
claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does
not recognize the claims of any other nation; Marshall Islands
claims Wake Atoll
Illicit drugs: consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through
Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and
increasingly methamphetamines from Mexico; consumer of high-quality
Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana,
depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamines;
drug-money-laundering center
======================================================================
@Uruguay
-------
Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic
Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Geographic coordinates: 33 00 S, 56 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Land boundaries:
total: 1,564 km
border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline: 660 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation guaranteed beyond
12 nm
Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal
lowland
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
Natural resources: fertile soil, hydropower, minor minerals,
fisheries
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 77%
forests and woodland: 6%
other: 10% (1997 est.)
Irrigated land: 7,700 sq km (1997 est.)
Natural hazards: seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly
and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine
pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains,
which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly
vulnerable to rapid changes in weather fronts
Environment--current issues: working with Brazil to monitor and
minimize transboundary pollution caused by Brazilian power plant
near border; water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry;
inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
People
Population: 3,308,523 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 407,990; female 388,293)
15-64 years: 63% (male 1,026,554; female 1,054,513)
65 years and over: 13% (male 179,331; female 251,842) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.73% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 16.84 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.81 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.78 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: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.49 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.83 years
male: 72.69 years
female: 79.15 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.27 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan
Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian,
practically nonexistent
Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than one-half of the adult
population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%,
nonprofessing or other 30%
Languages: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish
mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.3%
male: 96.9%
female: 97.7% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay
local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form: Uruguay
Data code: UY
Government type: republic
Capital: Montevideo
Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos,
singular--departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia,
Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo,
Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano,
Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Independence: 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1825)
Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967,
suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30
November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26
November 1989 and 7 January 1997
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March
1995) and Vice President Hugo FERNANDEZ Faingold (since 5 October
1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March
1995) and Vice President Hugo FERNANDEZ Faingold (since 5 October
1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with
parliamentary approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 November
1994 (next to be held 31 October 1999 with run-off election if
necessary on 28 November 1999)
election results: Julio Maria SANGUINETTI elected president; percent
of vote--23%
Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea
General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators--last held 27 November 1994 (next to
be held 31 October 1999); Chamber of Representatives--last held 27
November 1994 (next to be held 31 October 1999)
election results: Chamber of Senators--percent of vote by
party--Colorado 36%, Blanco 34%, Encuentro Progresista 27%, New
Sector/Space 3%; seats by party--Colorado 11, Blanco 10, Encuentro
Progresista 8, New Sector/Space 1; Chamber of
Representatives--percent of vote by party--Colorado 32%, Blanco 31%,
Encuentro Progresista 31%, New Sector/Space 5%; seats by
party--Colorado 32, Blanco 31, Encuentro Progresista 31, New
Sector/Space 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the
president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly
Political parties and leaders: National Party or Blanco [Walter
leader--Gen. Liber SEREGNI]; Progressive Encounter in the Broad Front
International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
Mercosur, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alvaro DIEZ DE MEDINA SUAREZ
chancery: 2715 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher C. ASHBY
embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
mailing address: APO AA 34035
Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and
bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper
hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as
the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy
Economy
Economy--overview: Uruguay's small economy benefits from a
favorable climate for agriculture and substantial hydropower
production. The SANGUINETTI government's conservative monetary and
fiscal policies are aimed at reducing inflation; other priorities
include moving toward a more market-oriented economy, completing
reform of the social security system, and increasing investment in
education. Economic performance remains sensitive to conditions in
Argentina and Brazil, largely because more than half of Uruguay's
trade is conducted with its partners in Mercosur (the Southern Cone
Common Market).