aggregate real expenditure on arms worldwide and somewhat less than
three-quarters of a trillion dollars in money terms, or roughly 2%
of gross world product (1995 est.)
======================================================================
@Yemen
-----
Map
---
Location: 15 00 N, 48 00 E -- Middle East, bordering the Arabian
Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Flag
----
Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
black; similar to the flag of Syria which has two green stars and of
Iraq which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a
horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag
of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
Geography
---------
Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden,
and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 48 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total area: 527,970 sq km
land area: 527,970 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR
or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of
Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)
Land boundaries:
total: 1,746 km
border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Coastline: 1,906 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm in the North; 24 nm in the South
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: large section of boundary with Saudi
Arabia not defined; a dispute with Eritrea over sovereignty of the
Hanish Islands in the southern Red Sea has been submitted to
arbitration under the auspices of the International Court of Justice
Climate: mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate
in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily
hot, dry, harsh desert in east
Terrain: narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and
rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope
into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small
deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in
west
Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 30%
forest and woodland: 7%
other: 57%
Irrigated land: 3,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources;
inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
natural hazards: sandstorms and dust storms in summer
international agreements: party to - Environmental Modification, Law
of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change
Geographic note: controls Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the
Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping
lanes
People
------
Population: 13,483,178 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 3,302,489; female 3,122,246)
15-64 years: 50% (male 3,327,682; female 3,364,787)
65 years and over: 2% (male 158,018; female 207,956) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.56% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 45.22 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 9.59 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 71.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.58 years
male: 58.23 years
female: 60.99 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.29 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Yemeni(s)
adjective: Yemeni
Ethnic divisions: predominantly Arab; Afro-Arab concentrations in
western coastal locations; South Asians in southern regions; small
European communities in major metropolitan areas
Religions: Muslim including Sha'fi (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a),
small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
Languages: Arabic
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 38%
male: 53%
female: 26%
Government
----------
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Yemen
conventional short form: Yemen
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah
local short form: Al Yaman
Data code: YM
Type of government: republic
Capital: Sanaa
Administrative divisions: 17 governorates (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Abyan, Aden, Al Bayda, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah,
Al Mahwit, Ataq, Dhamar, Hadhramaut, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib,
Sa'dah, San'a', Ta'izz
note: there may be a new governorate for the capital city of Sanaa
Independence: 22 May 1990 Republic of Yemen was established on 22
May 1990 with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic {Yemen (Sanaa)
or North Yemen} and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic
Republic of Yemen {Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen}; previously North
Yemen had become independent on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman
Empire) and South Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967
(from the UK)
National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic, 22 May (1990)
Constitution: 16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994
Legal system: based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common
law, and local tribal customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May
1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the
merger of North and South Yemen) was elected for a five-year term by
the House of Representatives; election last held 1 October 1994
(next to be held NA 1999); Vice President Maj. Gen. Abd al-Rab
Mansur al-HADI (since NA October 1994) was appointed by the president
head of government: Prime Minister Abd al-Aziz ABD AL-GHANI (since
NA October 1994) was appointed by the president; Deputy Prime
Ministers Abd al-Wahhab al-ANISI (since NA October 1994), Dr. Abd
al-Karim Ali al-IRYANI (since NA October 1994), Dr. Muhammad Said
al-ATTAR (since NA October 1994), and Abd al-Qadir al-BA JAMAL
(since NA October 1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on
advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Representatives: elections last held 27 April 1993 (next to
be held NA May 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(301 total) GPC 124, Islaah 61, YSP 55, others 13, independents 47,
election nullified 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: over 40 political parties are
active in Yemen, but only three project significant influence; since
the May-July 1994 civil war, President SALIH's General People's
Congress (GPC) and Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR's Yemeni
Grouping for Reform, or Islaah, have joined to form a coalition
government; the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), headed by Ali Salih
UBAYD, has regrouped as a loyal opposition
Other political or pressure groups: NA
International organization participation: ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(applicant)
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Muhsin Ahmad al-AYNI
chancery: Suite 705, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760, 4761
FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador David G. NEWTON
embassy: Dhahr Himyar Zone, Sheraton Hotel District, Sanaa
mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa
telephone: [967] (1) 238843 through 238852
FAX: [967] (1) 251563
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
similar to the flag of Syria which has two green stars and of Iraq
which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a
horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag
of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
Economy
-------
Economic overview: Whereas the northern city Sanaa is the
political capital of a united Yemen, the southern city Aden, with
its refinery and port facilities, is the economic and commercial
capital. Future economic development depends heavily on
Western-assisted development of the country's moderate oil
resources. Former South Yemen's willingness to merge stemmed partly
from the steady decline in Soviet economic support. The low level of
domestic industry and agriculture has made northern Yemen dependent
on imports for practically all of its essential needs. Once
self-sufficient in food production, northern Yemen has become a
major importer. Land once used for export crops - cotton, fruit, and
vegetables - has been turned over to growing a shrub called qat,
whose leaves are chewed for their stimulant effect by Yemenis and
which has no significant export market. Economic growth in former
South Yemen has been constrained by a lack of incentives, partly
stemming from centralized control over production decisions,
investment allocation, and import choices. Yemen's large trade
deficits have been compensated for by remittances from Yemenis
working abroad and by foreign aid. Since the Gulf crisis,
remittances have dropped substantially. High inflation and political
divisions hinder the development of a forward-looking economic
policy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $37.1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 3.6% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,520 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 21%
industry: 24%
services: 55%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 71.3% (1994 est.)
Labor force: no reliable estimates exist, most people are employed
in agriculture and herding or as expatriate laborers; services,
construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-half
of the labor force
Unemployment rate: 30% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.4 billion
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: crude oil production and petroleum refining;
small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food
processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 810,000 kW
production: 1.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 149 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: grain, fruits, vegetables, qat (mildly narcotic
shrub), coffee, cotton; dairy products, poultry, meat; fish
Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: crude oil, cotton, coffee, hides, vegetables, dried and
salted fish
partners: US 17%, Japan 16%, Singapore 15%, China 13% (1994)
Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: textiles and other manufactured consumer goods,
petroleum products, sugar, grain, flour, other foodstuffs, cement,
machinery, chemicals
partners: US 11%, UK 7%, France 7%, Germany 5%, Japan 5% (1994)
External debt: $8 billion (1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $148 million (1993)
Currency: Yemeni rial (new currency)
Exchange rates: Yemeni rials per US$1 - 12.010 (official fixed
rate); 90 (market rate, December 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
--------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 51,392 km
paved: 4,831 km
unpaved: 46,561 km (1992 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 644 km; petroleum products 32 km
Ports: Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla, Mocha, Nishtun
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,059 GRT/18,563 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, oil tanker 2 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 41
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 6
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 3
with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 8
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 9
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10 (1995 est.)
Communications
--------------
Telephones: 131,655 (1992 est.)
Telephone system: since unification in 1990, efforts have been
made to create a national telecommunications network
domestic: the network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, and
tropospheric scatter
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean
and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2
Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 10
Televisions: 350,000 (1992 est.)
Defense
-------
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Police)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 2,985,764
males fit for military service: 1,685,517
males reach military age (18) annually: 145,161 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
======================================================================
@Zaire
-----
Map
---
Location: 0 00 N, 25 00 E -- Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Flag
----
Description: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing
a black arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are
blowing away from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African
colors of Ethiopia
Geography
---------
Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total area: 2,345,410 sq km
land area: 2,267,600 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than one-fourth the size of US
Land boundaries:
total: 10,271 km
border countries: Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African
Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km,
Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline: 37 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake
Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it has been informally
reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary
has been settled; long section with Congo along the Congo river is
indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)
Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler
and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern
highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry
season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November
to March, dry season April to October
Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in
east
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Margherita Peak (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial
and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium,
uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 78%
other: 15%
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations; water
pollution; deforestation; 1.2 million Rwandan refugees are
responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and
wildlife poaching in eastern Zaire
natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
83; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental
Modification
Geographic note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that
controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic
Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern
highlands
People
------
Population: 46,498,539 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 11,161,347; female 11,124,583)
15-64 years: 49% (male 11,197,097; female 11,783,524)
65 years and over: 3% (male 539,775; female 692,213) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.67% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 48.1 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 16.9 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -14.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
note: in 1994, more than one million refugees fled into Zaire to
escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda and
Burundi; a small number of these returned to their homes in 1995
despite fear of the ongoing violence; additionally, Zaire is host to
about 100,000 Angolan, and about 100,000 Sudanese refugees
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 108 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.7 years
male: 44.97 years
female: 48.47 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.64 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Zairian(s)
adjective: Zairian
Ethnic divisions: over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are
Bantu; four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the
Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%,
Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade
language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo,
Tshiluba
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write in French, Lingala,
Kingwana, or Tshiluba (1995 est.)
total population: 77.3%
male: 86.6%
female: 67.7%
Government
----------
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Zaire
conventional short form: Zaire
local long form: Republique du Zaire
local short form: Zaire
former: Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville Congo/Kinshasa
Data code: CG
Type of government: republic with a strong presidential system
Capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region)
and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire,
Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu,
Shaba, Sud-Kivu
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24
November (1965)
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15
February 1978; amended April 1990; new transitional constitution
promulgated in April 1994
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa
Za Banga (since 24 November 1965) elected for a seven-year term by
popular vote; election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be held by 9
July 1997); results - President MOBUTU was reelected without
opposition
head of government: Prime Minister Leon KENGO wa Dondo (since 14
June 1994) elected by the High Council of the Republic
cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by mutual agreement
of the president and the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral
parliament: a single body consisting of the High Council of the
Republic and the Parliament of the Transition with membership
equally divided between presidential supporters and opponents
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January 1991
- Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR); other parties include
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI
wa Mulumba; Democratic Social Christian Party (PDSC); Union of
Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI); Unified Lumumbast
Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA; Union of Independent Democrats (UDI),
Leon KENGO wa Dondo
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador TATANENE Manata
chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON
embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828
telephone: [243] (12) 21533 through 21535
FAX: [243] (88) 43805, ext. 2308 or 43467
Flag: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black
arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing
away from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of
Ethiopia
Economy
-------
Economic overview: Zaire's economy has continued to disintegrate,
although Prime Minister KENGO has had some success in slowing the
rate of economic decline. While meaningful economic figures are
difficult to come by, Zaire's hyperinflation, chronic large
government deficits, and plunging mineral production have made the
country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions are
conducted in hard currency as indigenous bank notes have lost almost
all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the
largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through
subsistence farming and petty trade. The government has not been
able to meet its financial obligations to the IMF nor put in place
the financial measures advocated by it. Although short-term
prospects for improvement remain doubtful, improved political
stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively
exploit its vast mineral and agricultural resources.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: -7.4% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $400 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% monthly average (1995 est.)
Labor force: 14.51 million (1993 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $479 million
expenditures: $479 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products
(including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and
beverages), cement, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: -20% (1993)
Electricity:
capacity: 2,830,000 kW
production: 6.2 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 133 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine,
cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood
products
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic
consumption
Exports: $419 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil
partners: US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South
Africa
Imports: $382 million (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery,
transport equipment, fuels
partners: South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
UK
External debt: $11.3 billion (December 1993 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates: new zaires (Z) per US$1 - 10,618 (October 1995),
1,194 (1994), 3 (1993); zaire (Z) per US$1 - 645,549 (1992), 15,587
(1991)
note: on 22 October 1993 the new zaire, equal to 3,000,000 old
zaires, was introduced
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
--------------
Railways:
total: 5,138 km (1995); note - severely reduced trackage in use
because of civil strife
narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km
1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge