GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$8,600 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 26%
services: 66% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.6% (1998)
Labor force: 1.38 million (1997 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: government 25%, manufacturing 19%,
agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport,
and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10.5% (November 1998)
Budget:
revenues: $4 billion
expenditures: $4.3 billion, with capital expenditures of $385
million (1997 est.)
Industries: meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles,
footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, petroleum refining, wine
Industrial production growth rate: 5.6% (1997)
Electricity--production: 8.35 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 10.18%
hydro: 89.82%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 8.223 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 437 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 310 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; livestock; fish
Exports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities: wool and textile manufactures, beef and
other animal products, rice, fish and shellfish, chemicals
Exports--partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, Germany, Italy, UK
Imports: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports--commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles,
chemicals, minerals, plastics, oil
Imports--partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, Italy, Germany, France,
Spain
Debt--external: $4.6 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $79.7 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1--11.08 (January
1999), 9.98 (January 1998), 9.4418 (1997), 7.9718 (1996), 6.3491
(1995), 5.0529 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 767,333 (1997)
Telephone system: some modern facilities
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 72, FM 0, shortwave 28
Radios: 1.89 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 26 (in addition, there are ten
low-power repeaters for the Montevideo station) (1997)
Televisions: 1,131,065 (1996)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,994 km
standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge (921 km closed) (1997)
Highways:
total: 8,420 km
paved: 7,578 km
unpaved: 842 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Ports and harbors: Fray Bentos, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira,
Paysandu, Punta del Este, Colonia, Piriapolis
Merchant marine:
total: 2 oil tankers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,042 GRT/83,684
DWT (1998 est.)
Airports: 65 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 50
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 33 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm, Coast
Guard, Marines), Air Force, Police (Coracero Guard, Grenadier Guard)
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 806,451 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 653,796 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $172 million (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 0.9% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: two short sections of the boundary with
Brazil are in dispute--Arroyo de la Invernada (Arroio Invernada) area
of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the islands at the confluence of
the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the Uruguay River
======================================================================
@Uzbekistan
----------
Geography
Location: Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 64 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 447,400 sq km
land: 425,400 sq km
water: 22,000 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 6,221 km
border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km,
Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
Coastline: 0 km
note: Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with
a 420 km shoreline
Maritime claims: none (doubly landlocked)
Climate: mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild
winters; semiarid grassland in east
Terrain: mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad,
flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya,
Sirdaryo (Syr Darya), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east
surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral
Sea in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m
highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium,
silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: drying up of the Aral Sea is
resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and
natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly
exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution
from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and
pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing
soil salination; soil contamination from agricultural chemicals,
including DDT
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography--note: along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two
doubly landlocked countries in the world
People
Population: 24,102,473 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (male 4,556,973; female 4,413,617)
15-64 years: 58% (male 6,938,090; female 7,068,839)
65 years and over: 5% (male 443,604; female 681,350) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.32% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 23.43 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 7.75 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.44 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: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 71.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.91 years
male: 60.29 years
female: 67.71 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.82 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Uzbekistani(s)
adjective: Uzbekistani
Ethnic groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%,
Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other
3%
Languages: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (yearend 1996)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan
conventional short form: Uzbekistan
local long form: Uzbekiston Respublikasi
local short form: none
former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: UZ
Government type: republic; effectively authoritarian presidential
rule, with little power outside the executive branch; executive
power concentrated in the presidency
Capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)
Administrative divisions: 12 wiloyatlar (singular--wiloyat), 1
autonomous republic* (respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahri); Andijon
Wiloyati, Bukhoro Wiloyati, Farghona Wiloyati, Jizzakh Wiloyati,
Khorazm Wiloyati (Urganch), Namangan Wiloyati, Nawoiy Wiloyati,
Qashqadaryo Wiloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpoghiston* (Nukus), Samarqand
Wiloyati, Sirdaryo Wiloyati (Guliston), Surkhondaryo Wiloyati
(Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Wiloyati
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: Independence Day, 1 September (1991)
Constitution: new constitution adopted 8 December 1992
Legal system: evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks
independent judicial system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when
he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)
head of government: Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since 21 December
1995) and 10 deputy prime ministers
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with
approval of the Supreme Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA January
2000; note--extension of President KARIMOV's term for an additional
four years overwhelmingly approved--99.6% of total vote in favor--by
national referendum held 26 March 1995); prime minister and all
other ministers appointed by the president
election results: Islom KARIMOV elected president; percent of
vote--Islom KARIMOV 86%, Muhammed SOLIH 12%, other 2%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis
(250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA December
1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--People's Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12,
other 31; note--seating following the final runoff elections were
held 22 January 1995: People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland
Progress Party 14, Social Democratic Party 47, local government 120
note: all parties in parliament support President KARIMOV
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the
president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly
Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Party or NDP
YULDASHEV, chairman]; Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party
secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) Movement
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sadyk SAFAYEV
chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. PRESEL
embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent 700115
mailing address: use embassy street address; US Embassy Tashkent,
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7110
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top),
white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent
moon and 12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant
Economy
Economy--overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of
which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys.
It was one of the poorest areas of the former Soviet Union with more
than 60% of its population living in densely populated rural
communities. Uzbekistan is now the world's third largest cotton
exporter, a major producer of gold and natural gas, and a regionally
significant producer of chemicals and machinery. Following
independence in December 1991, the government sought to prop up its
Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on
production and prices. Faced with high rates of inflation, however,
the government began to reform in mid-1994, by introducing tighter
monetary policies, expanding privatization, slightly reducing the
role of the state in the economy, and improving the environment for
foreign investors. Nevertheless, the state continues to be a
dominating influence in the economy, and reforms have so far failed
to bring about much-needed structural changes. The IMF suspended
Uzbekistan's $185 million standby arrangement in late 1996 because
of governmental steps that made impossible fulfillment of Fund
conditions. Uzbekistan has responded to the negative external
conditions generated by the Asian and Russian financial crises by
tightening export and currency controls within its already largely
closed economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$59.2 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 1% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 27%
services: 47% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 11.9 million (1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry
20%, services 36% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 5% plus another 10% underemployed (December
1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $4.4 billion
expenditures: $4.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1
billion (1997 est.)
Industries: textiles, food processing, machine building,
metallurgy, natural gas
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1998)
Electricity--production: 47.9 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 84.18%
hydro: 15.82%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 43.885 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 5.6 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 6.5 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock
Exports: $3.8 billion (1998)
Exports--commodities: cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral
fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, autos
Exports--partners: Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Western Europe
Imports: $4.1 billion (1998)
Imports--commodities: grain, machinery and parts, consumer
durables, other foods
Imports--partners: principally other FSU, Czech Republic, Western
Europe
Debt--external: $2.6 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $276.6 million (1995)
Currency: Uzbekistani som (UKS)
Exchange rates: Uzbekistani soms (UKS) per US$1--111.9 (February
1999), 110.95 (December 1998), 75.8 (September 1997), 41.1 (1996),
30.2 (1995), 11.4 (1994), 1.0 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1.475 million (1998 est.)
Telephone system: poorly developed; ambitiously engaged in
telecommunications modernization
domestic: in 1998 there were six cellular networks operating in
Uzbekistan; 4 GSM, 1 D-AMPS, 1 AMPS standard
international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS
member states and to other countries by leased connection via the
Moscow international gateway switch; new Intelsat links to Tokyo
(Japan) and Ankara (Turkey) give Uzbekistan international access
independent of Russian facilities; satellite earth stations--NA
Orbita and NA Intelsat; Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note--there
are 12 radio broadcast stations including one state-owned broadcast
station of NA type and four independent stations
Radios: 29,016,870
Television broadcast stations: 4 (in addition, there are two
repeater stations that relay Russian ORT programs and Kazakh,
Kyrgyz, and Tadzhik programs) (1997)
Televisions: 24,497,850
Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,380 km in common carrier service; does not include
industrial lines
broad gauge: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)
Highways:
total: 81,600 km
paved: 71,237 km (note--these roads are said to be hard surfaced,
meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced)
unpaved: 10,363 km dirt (1996 est.)
Waterways: 1,100 (1990)
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural
gas 810 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Termiz (Amu Darya river)
Airports: 3 (1997 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security
Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 6,172,436 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,012,944 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 254,114 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $200 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.4% (1997)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and very
small amounts of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption,
almost entirely eradicated by an effective government eradication
program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs
from Afghanistan to Russia and Western Europe and for acetic
anhydride destined for Afghanistan
======================================================================
@Vanuatu
-------
Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 S, 167 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 14,760 sq km
land: 14,760 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes more than 80 islands
Area--comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,528 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal
plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m
Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 10%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 75%
other: 11% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to
April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes
Environment--current issues: a majority of the population does not
have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea
People
Population: 189,036 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 37,040; female 35,760)
15-64 years: 58% (male 56,649; female 53,799)
65 years and over: 3% (male 3,125; female 2,663) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.02% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 28.49 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.26 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: 1.17 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 59.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.44 years
male: 59.41 years
female: 63.57 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.61 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic groups: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese,
Chinese, Pacific Islanders
Religions: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%,
indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of
Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%
Languages: English (official), French (official), pidgin (known
as Bislama or Bichelama)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 53%
male: 57%
female: 48% (1979 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu
former: New Hebrides
Data code: NH
Government type: republic
Capital: Port-Vila
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma,
Shefa, Tafea, Torba
Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
Constitution: 30 July 1980
Legal system: unified system being created from former dual
French and British systems
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Donald KALPOKAS (since 30 March
1998); Deputy Prime Minister Willie JIMMY (since 19 October 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a
five-year term; election for president last held 2 March 1994 (next
to be held NA 1999); following legislative elections, the leader of
the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime
minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime
minister last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: Jean Marie LEYE elected president; percent of
electoral college vote--NA; Donald KALPOKAS elected prime minister by
Parliament with a total of 35 votes; other candidate, Rialuth Serge
VOHOR, received 17 votes
note: the general legislative elections in November 1995 did not
give a majority to any of the political parties; since the election,
there have been four changes of government--all of which have been
coalitions formed by Parliamentary vote; Rialuth Serge VOHOR was
prime minister from November 1995 until he resigned 7 February 1996
when faced with a no-confidence vote in Parliament; Maxime Carlot
KORMAN was then elected prime minister and served until he was
ousted in a no-confidence motion on 30 September 1996; VOHOR was
then elected prime minister for a second time; as a result of
legislative elections in March 1998, KALPOKAS was elected prime
minister and formed a coalition government with Father LINI's
National United Party (NUP)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--VP 18,
UMP 12, NUP 11, other and independent 11; note--political party
associations are fluid; there have been four changes of government
since the November 1995 elections
note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom
and land
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the
president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader
of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the
president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission
Political parties and leaders: Union of Moderate Parties or UMP