north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air
refueling site
- People
Population: 374,984 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Cape Verdean(s); adjective--Cape Verdean
Ethnic divisions: about 71% Creole (mulatto), 28% African, 1% European
Religion: Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs
Language: Portuguese and Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African
words
Literacy: 48% (1986)
Labor force: 102,000 (1985 est.); 57% agriculture
(mostly subsistence), 29% services, 14% industry (1981); 51% of
population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: Trade Unions of Cape Verde Unity Center (UNTC-CS)
closely associated with ruling party
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Cape Verde
Type: republic
Capital: Praia
Administrative divisions: 12 districts (concelhos, singular--concelho);
Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina,
Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal; there may be 2 new districts named
Porto Novo and Santa Cruz
Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution: 7 September 1980, amended 12 February 1981 and
December 1988
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly
(Assembleia Nacional Popular)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de
Justia)
Leaders:
Chief of State--President Aristides Maria PEREIRA (since 5 July 1975);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, (since
5 July 1975); Deputy Minister Aguinaldo Liboa RAMOS (since NA February
1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party--African Party for
Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Aristides Maria Pereira, secretary
general
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections:
President--last held 13 January 1986 (next to be held January
1991);
results--President Aristides Maria Pereira (PAICV) was reelected without
opposition;
National People's Assembly--last held 7 December 1985 (next
to be held December 1990);
results--PAICV is the only party;
seats--(83 total) PAICV 83
Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jose Luis FERNANDES LOPES;
Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007;
telephone (202) 965-6820; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston;
US--Ambassador Terry McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya
Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone
[238] 614-363 or 253
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical
red band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black
five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses the
popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau
which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band
- Economy
Overview: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource
base, a 17-year drought, and a high birth rate. The economy is
service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for
60% of GDP during the period 1984-86. Although nearly 70% of the population
lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the
fishing and manufacturing sectors are 4% each. About 90% of food must be
imported. The fishing potential of the islands is not fully exploited
(the fish catch--mostly lobster and tuna--came to only 10,000 tons in
1985). Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by
remittances from emigrants, cash grants, food aid, and foreign loans.
GDP: $158 million, per capita $494; real growth rate 6.1% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)
Budget: revenues $80 million; expenditures $87
million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $8.9 million (f.o.b., 1987);
commodities--fish, bananas, salt;
partners--Portugal, Angola, Algeria, Belgium/Luxembourg,
Italy
Imports: $124
million (c.i.f., 1987);
commodities--petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products;
partners--Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, US, FRG
External debt: $140 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1986 est.)
Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 18 million kWh produced,
50 kWh per capita (1989)
Industry: fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP; largely subsistence farming;
bananas are the only export crop; other crops--corn, beans, sweet
potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by
poor soils and limited rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch
provides for both domestic consumption and small exports
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-88), $83 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $540 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
$36 million
Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (plural--escudos); 1 Cape Verdean
escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per
US$1--72.31 (February 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988), 72.5 (1987),
76.56 (1986), 85.38 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Ports: Mindelo and Praia
Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,308
GRT/16,172 DWT
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: interisland radio relay system, high-frequency radio
to mainland Portugal and Guinea-Bissau; 1,740 telephones; stations--5 AM, 1 FM,
1 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP); Army, Navy, and Air
Force are separate components of FARP
Military manpower: males 15-49, 68,776; 40,731 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 11.8% of GDP (1981)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Cayman Islands
(dependent territory of the UK)
- Geography
Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 160 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and
cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
Terrain: low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures;
23% forest and woodland; 69% other
Environment: within the Caribbean hurricane belt
Note: important location between Cuba and Central America
- People
Population: 26,356 (July 1990), growth rate 4.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 33 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Caymanian(s); adjective--Caymanian
Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed, 20% white, 20% black, 20% expatriates of
various ethnic groups
Religion: United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican,
Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant denominations
Language: English
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 8,061; 18.7% service workers, 18.6% clerical, 12.5%
construction, 6.7% finance and investment, 5.9% directors and business managers
(1979)
Organized labor: Global Seaman's Union; Cayman All Trade Union
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: George Town
Administrative divisions: 12 districts; Bodden Town, Creek, East End,
George Town, Jacksons, North Side, Prospect, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay,
West Bay, West End
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Legal system: British common law and local statutes
Constitution: 1959, revised 1972
National holiday: Constitution Day (first Monday in July), 3 July 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Grand Court, Cayman Islands Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor Alan James SCOTT (since NA 1987);
Head of Government--Governor and President of the Executive Council
Alan James SCOTT (since NA 1987)
Political parties and leaders: no formal political parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
Legislative Assembly--last held NA November 1988 (next to be held
November 1992); results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(15 total, 12 elected)
Communists: none
Member of: Commonwealth
Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK,
Caymanian interests in the US are represented by the UK; US--none
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the Caymanian coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the
flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above a shield with three
stars (representing the three islands) and a scroll at the bottom bearing the
motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS
- Economy
Overview: The economy depends heavily on tourism (70% of GDP
and 75% of export earnings) and offshore financial services, with
the tourist industry aimed at the luxury market and catering
mainly to visitors from North America. About 90% of the islands' food and
consumer goods needs must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest
standards of living in the region.
GDP: $238 million, per capita $10,000 (1989 est.); real growth
rate 12% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $46.2 million; expenditures $47.0 million, including
capital expenditures of $9.1 million (1986)
Exports: $2.2 million (f.o.b., 1986 est.);
commodities--turtle products, manufactured consumer goods;
partners--mostly US
Imports: $134 million (c.i.f., 1986 est.);
commodities--foodstuffs, manufactured goods;
partners--US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan
External debt: $15 million (1986)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 59,000 kW capacity; 213 million kWh produced,
8,960 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, real estate
and construction
Agriculture: minor production of vegetables, fruit, livestock; turtle
farming
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $26.7 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
$32.2 million
Currency: Caymanian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Caymanian dollar
(CI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars (CI$) per US$1--0.835 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications
Highways: 160 km of main roads
Ports: George Town, Cayman Brac
Merchant marine: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 355,055 GRT/576,622
DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 8 cargo, 8 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 1
liquefied gas carrier, 8 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
Airports: 3 total; 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 35,000 telephones; telephone system uses 1 submarine
coaxial cable and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station to link islands and
access international services; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, no TV
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Central African Republic
- Geography
Total area: 622,980 km2; land area: 622,980 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: 5,203 km total; Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km,
Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills
in northeast and southwest
Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures;
64% forest and woodland; 28% other
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas;
poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges;
desertification
Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
- People
Population: 2,877,365 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 141 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 48 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Central African(s); adjective--Central African
Ethnic divisions: about 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have
related ethnic and linguistic characteristics; 34% Baya, 27% Banda, 10% Sara,
21% Mandjia, 4% Mboum, 4% M'Baka; 6,500 Europeans, of whom 3,600 are French
Religion: 24% indigenous beliefs, 25% Protestant, 25% Roman Catholic,
15% Muslim, 11% other; animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence
the Christian majority
Language: French (official); Sangho (lingua franca and national
language); Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
Literacy: 40.2%
Labor force: 775,413 (1986 est.); 85% agriculture, 9% commerce and
services, 3% industry, 3% government; about 64,000 salaried workers;
55% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 1% of labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Central African Republic (no short-form name);
abbreviated CAR
Type: republic, one-party presidential regime since 1986
Capital: Bangui
Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures,
singular--prefecture) and 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures
economiques, singular--prefecture economique); Bamingui-Bangoran,
Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou,
Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham,
Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga; note--there may be a new autonomous commune
of Bangui
Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France; formerly Central African
Empire)
Constitution: 21 November 1986
Legal system: based on French law
National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the republic),
1 December (1958)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper house or
Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et Regional) and a
lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Andre-Dieudonne
KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Centrafrican Democrtic
Rally Party (RDC), Andre-Dieudonne Kolingba
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
President--last held 21 November 1986 (next to be held November
1993);
results--President Kolingba was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held 31 July 1987 (next to be
held July 1992);
results--RDC is the only party;
seats--(total) RDC 52
Communists: small number of Communist sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Conference of East and Central African
States, EAMA, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD,
ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UDEAC, UEAC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jean-Pierre SOHAHONG-KOMBET;
Chancery at 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
483-7800 or 7801;
US--Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON; Embassy at Avenue du President
David Dacko, Bangui (mailing address is B. P. 924, Bangui);
telephone 61-02-00 or 61-25-78, 61-43-33
Flag: four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow
with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the
hoist side of the blue band
- Economy
Overview: The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest
countries in Africa, with a per capita income of roughly $450 in 1988.
Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, is the backbone of the economy,
with over 70% of the population living in the countryside. In 1988 the
agricultural sector generated about 40% of GDP, mining and manufacturing 14%,
utilities and construction 4%, and services 41%. Agricultural products accounted
for about 60% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 30%. Important
constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a
poor transportation infrastructure, and a weak human resource base. Multilateral
and bilateral development assistance plays a major role in providing capital
for new investment.
GDP: $1.27 billion, per capita $453; real growth rate 2.0%
(1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 4.2% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% in Bangui (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $132 million; current expenditures $305 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA million (1989 est.)
Exports: $138 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco;
partners--France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
Imports: $285 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities--food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical
equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods,
industrial products;
partners--France, other EC, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia
External debt: $660 million (December 1989)
Industrial production: 1.9% (1987 est.)
Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 84 million kWh produced,
30 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sawmills, breweries, diamond mining, textiles,
footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; self-sufficient in food production
except for grain; commercial crops--cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber; food
crops--manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $44 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
$38 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs);
1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per
US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987),
346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Highways: 22,000 km total; 458 km bituminous, 10,542 km improved earth,
11,000 unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of
shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 66 total, 49 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system; network relies primarily on radio
relay links, with low-capacity, low-powered radiocommunication also used;
6,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 642,207; 335,863 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.8% of GDP, or $23 million (1989 est.)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Chad
- Geography
Total area: 1,284,000 km2; land area: 1,259,200 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries: 5,968 km total; Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African
Republic 1,197 km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: Libya claims and occupies a small portion of the Aozou Strip in
far north; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria
tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined--since the boundary has
not been demarcated, border incidents have resulted
Climate: tropical in south, desert in north
Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south
Natural resources: small quantities of crude oil (unexploited but
exploration beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 36% meadows and
pastures; 11% forest and woodland; 51% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; drought and
desertification adversely affecting south; subject to plagues of locusts
Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body
in the Sahel
- People
Population: 5,017,431 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 136 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 38 years male, 40 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Chadian(s); adjective--Chadian
Ethnic divisions: some 200 distinct ethnic groups, most of whom are
Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, and
Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye,
Moudang, Moussei, Massa) in the south; some 150,000 nonindigenous, of whom
1,000 are French
Religion: 44% Muslim, 33% Christian, 23% indigenous beliefs,
animism
Language: French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south; more
than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken
Literacy: 25.3%
Labor force: NA; 85% agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming,
herding, and fishing)
Organized labor: about 20% of wage labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Chad
Type: republic
Capital: N'Djamena
Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures,
singular--prefecture); Batha, Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi,
Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi,
Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile
Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution: 22 December 1989
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (founding of the Third Republic),
7 June (1982)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Consultative Council
(Conseil National Consultatif)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal