business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers, the Democratic
Action-dominated labor organization
Member of: Andean Pact, AIOEC, FAO, G-77, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, OPEC, PAHO, SELA, WFTU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI
Bottaro; Chancery at 2445 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 797-3800; there are Venezuelan Consulates General in
Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US--Ambassador-designate Eric JAVITS; Embassy at Avenida Francisco
de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas (mailing address
is P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO Miami 34037);
telephone [58] (2) 284-6111 or 7111; there is a US Consulate in Maracaibo
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the
coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white
five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
- Economy
Overview: Petroleum is the cornerstone of the economy and accounted
for 17% of GDP, 52% of central government revenues, and 81% of export
earnings in 1988. President Perez introduced an economic readjustment
program when he assumed office in February 1989. Lower tariffs and
price supports, a free market exchange rate, and market-linked interest
rates have thrown the economy into confusion, causing about an 8%
decline in GDP.
GDP: $52.0 billion, per capita $2,700; real growth rate - 8.1%
(1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 80.7% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $8.4 billion; expenditures $8.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (1989)
Exports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--petroleum
81%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products, basic manufactures;
partners--US 50.3%, FRG 5.3%, Japan 4.1% (1988)
Imports: $10.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs,
chemicals, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment;
partners--US 44%, FRG 8.5%, Japan 6%, Italy 5%, Brazil 4.4% (1987)
External debt: $33.6 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.7%, excluding oil (1988)
Electricity: 19,110,000 kW capacity; 54,516 million kWh produced,
2,830 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food
processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and 15% of labor force;
products--corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef,
pork, milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food other than meat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and coca for the
international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities
of cocaine and marijuana do transit the country
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $10 million
Currency: bolivar (plural--bolivares);
1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1--43.42 (January 1990),
34.6815 (1989), 14.5000 (fixed rate 1987-88), 8.0833 (1986),
7.5000 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all single
track, government owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned
Highways: 77,785 km total; 22,780 km paved, 24,720 km gravel, 14,450 km
earth roads, and 15,835 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept
oceangoing vessels
Pipelines: 6,370 km crude oil; 480 km refined products;
4,010 km natural gas
Ports: Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello,
Puerto Ordaz
Merchant marine: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 997,458
GRT/1,615,155 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 28 cargo,
2 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 11 bulk, 1 vehicle carrier,
1 combination bulk, 1 combination ore/oil
Civil air: 58 major transport aircraft
Airports: 306 total, 278 usable; 134 with permanent-surface
runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
92 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern and expanding; 1,440,000 telephones;
stations--181 AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
- Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces (Army), Naval Forces (Navy, Marines, Coast Guard),
Air Forces, Armed Forces of Cooperation (National Guard)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,073,913; 3,680,176 fit for military
service; 211,269 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP, or $570 million (1990 est.)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Vietnam
- Geography
Total area: 329,560 km2; land area: 325,360
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: 3,818 km total; Cambodia 982 km, China 1,281 km,
Laos 1,555 km
Coastline: 3,444 km (excluding islands)
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: offshore islands and three sections of the boundary with
Cambodia are in dispute; maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined;
occupied Cambodia on 25 December 1978; sporadic border clashes with
China; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China,
Malaysia, Philippines, and Taiwan; maritime boundary dispute with China
in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by
Vietnam and Taiwan
Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season
(mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands;
hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate,
offshore oil deposits, forests
Land use: 22% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures;
40% forest and woodland; 35% other; includes 5% irrigated
Environment: occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive
flooding
- People
Population: 66,170,889 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 50 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Vietnamese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Vietnamese
Ethnic divisions: 85-90% predominantly Vietnamese; 3% Chinese; ethnic
minorities include Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham; other mountain tribes
Religion: Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs,
Islamic, Protestant
Language: Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal
languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy: 78%
Labor force: 35,000,000 (1989 est.)
Organized labor: reportedly over 90% of wage and salary earners are
members of the Vietnam Federation of Trade Unions (VFTU)
- Government
Long-form name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam; abbreviated SRV
Type: Communist state
Capital: Hanoi
Administrative divisions: 37 provinces (tinh, singular and plural),
3 municipalities* (thanh pho, singular and plural); An Giang,
Bac Thai, Ben Tre, Binh Tri Thien, Cao Bang, Cuu Long, Dac Lac, Dong Nai,
Dong Thap, Gia Lai-Cong Tum, Ha Bac, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ha Nam Ninh,
Ha Noi*, Ha Son Binh, Ha Tuyen, Hau Giang, Hoang Lien Son, Ho Chi Minh*,
Kien Giang, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Long An, Minh Hai, Nghe Tinh,
Nghia Binh, Phu Khanh, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Quang Ninh, Song Be, Son La,
Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thuan Hai, Tien Giang, Vinh Pu,
Vung Tau-Con Dao; note--diacritical marks are not included; the number
of provinces may have been changed with the elimination of
Binh Tri Thien, Nghia Binh, and Phu Khanh and the addition of Binh Dinh,
Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien
Independence: 2 September 1945 (from France)
Constitution: 18 December 1980
Legal system: based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system
National holiday: Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Executive branch: chairman of the Council of State, Council of State,
chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Quoc Hoi)
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--Chairman of the Council of State Vo Chi CONG (since
18 June 1987);
Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) Do MUOI
(since 22 June 1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party-- Vietnam Communist Party
(VCP), Nguyen Van Linh
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
National Assembly--last held 19 April 1987
(next to be held April 1992);
results--VCP is the only party;
seats--(496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496
Communists: nearly 2 million
Member of: ADB, CEMA, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, IRC, ITU, Mekong
Committee, NAM, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
- Economy
Overview: This is a centrally planned, developing economy with
extensive government ownership and control of productive facilities.
The economy is primarily agricultural, employing about 65% of the labor
force and accounting for almost half of GNP. Rice is the staple crop;
substantial amounts of maize, sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes are
also grown. The government permits sale of surplus grain on the open
market. Most of the mineral resources are located in the north,
including coal, which is an important export item. Following the
end of the war in 1975, heavy handed government measures undermined
efforts at an efficient merger of the agricultural resources of the
south and the industrial resources of the north. The economy remains
heavily dependent on foreign aid and has received assistance from
Communist countries, Sweden, and UN agencies. Inflation, although down
from recent triple-digit levels, is still a major weakness, and per
capita output is among the world's lowest. Since early 1989 the
government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more
economic activity over to the private sector.
GNP: $14.2 billion, per capita $215; real growth rate 8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $3.2 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including
capital expenditures of $528 million (1987 est.)
Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--agricultural and
handicraft products, coal, minerals, ores; partners--USSR, Eastern Europe,
Japan, Singapore
Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--petroleum,
steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals, medicines, raw cotton,
fertilizer, grain; partners--USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore
External debt: $16 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989)
Electricity: 2,465,000 kW capacity; 6,730 million kWh produced,
100 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, textiles, machine building, mining,
cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for half of GNP; paddy rice, corn, potatoes make up
50% of farm output; commercial crops (rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas)
and animal products other 50%; not self-sufficient in food staple rice; fish
catch of 900,000 metric tons (1988 est.)
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-74), $3.1 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
$2.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million; Communist
countries (1970-88), $10.9 million
Currency: new dong (plural--new dong); 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates: new dong (D) per US$1--4,000 (March 1990),
900 (1988), 225 (1987), 18 (1986), 12 (1985); note--1985-89 figures
are end of year
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 3,059 km total; 2,454 1.000-meter gauge, 151 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 230 km dual gauge (three rails), and 224 km not restored to
service
Highways: about 85,000 km total; 9,400 km bituminous, 48,700 km gravel or
improved earth, 26,900 km unimproved earth
Pipelines: 150 km, refined products
Inland waterways: about 17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable
at all times by vessels up to 1.8 meter draft
Ports: Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City
Merchant marine: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 290,123 GRT/432,152
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 55 cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo,
1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 8 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 1 bulk; note--Vietnam owns 10 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 111,028 DWT under the registry of Panama and Malta
Civil air: controlled by military
Airports: 100 total, 100 usable; 50 with permanent-surface runways; 10
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 35,000 telephones in Ho Chi Minh City (1984);
stations--16 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 2,300,000 TV sets; 6,000,000 radio receivers;
at least 2 satellite earth stations, including 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 15,707,629; 10,030,563 fit for military
service; 787,444 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 19.4% of GNP (1986 est.)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Virgin Islands
(territory of the US)
- Geography
Total area: 352 km2; land area: 349 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 188 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively low
humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use: 15% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 26% meadows and pastures;
6% forest and woodland; 47% other
Environment: rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe
droughts, floods, earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources
Note: important location 1,770 km southeast of Miami and 65 km east of
Puerto Rico, along the Anegada Passage--a key shipping lane for the Panama
Canal; St. Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the
Caribbean
- People
Population: 99,200 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 20 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Virgin Islander(s); adjective--Virgin Islander
Ethnic divisions: 74% West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29%
born elsewhere in the West Indies), 13% US mainland, 5% Puerto Rican, 8% other;
80% black, 15% white, 5% other; 14% of Hispanic origin
Religion: 42% Baptist, 34% Roman Catholic, 17% Episcopalian, 7% other
Language: English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely spoken
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 45,000 (1987)
Organized labor: 90% of the government labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Virgin Islands of the United States
Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by
the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
Interior
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 serves as the
constitution
Legal system: based on US
National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)
Executive branch: US president, governor, lieutenant governor
Legislative branch: unicameral Senate
Judicial branch: US District Court handles civil matters over $50,000,
felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases; Territorial
Court handles civil matters up to $50,000 small claims, juvenile, domestic,
misdemeanors, and traffic cases
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President George
BUSH (since 20 January 1989), represented by Governor Alexander FARRELLY
(since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE (since 5 January 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Marilyn Stapleton;
Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin Brown; Republican Party,
Charlotte-Poole Davis
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens,
but do not vote in US presidential elections
Elections:
Governor--last held NA 1986 (next to be held NA 1990);
results--Alexander Farrelly (Democratic Party) defeated
Adelbert Bryan (ICM);
Senate--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held NA);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988
(next to be held 6 November 1990);
results--the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
Flag: white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the
large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an eagle holding
an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed
shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
- Economy
Overview: Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for
more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector consists
of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants.
The agricultural sector is small with most food imported. International
business and financial services are a small but growing component of the
economy. The world's largest petroleum refinery is at St. Croix.
GDP: $1.03 billion, per capita $9,030; real growth rate NA% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 3.5% (1987)
Budget: revenues $315 million; expenditures $322 million,
including capital expenditures of NA (FY88)
Exports: $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1985); commodities--refined
petroleum products; partners--US, Puerto Rico
Imports: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1985); commodities--crude oil,
foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials; partners--US, Puerto Rico
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 12%
Electricity: 341,000 kW capacity; 507 million kWh produced,
4,650 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, government service, petroleum refining, watch
assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Agriculture: truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum,
Senepol cattle
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-87), $33.5 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications
Highways: 856 km total
Ports: St. Croix--Christiansted, Frederiksted; St. Thomas--Long Bay,
Crown Bay, Red Hook; St. John--Cruz Bay
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways
1,220-2,439 m; international airports on St. Thomas and St. Croix
Telecommunications: 44,280 telephones; stations--4 AM, 6 FM, 3 TV;
modern system using fiber optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and
satellite facilities; 90,000 radio receivers; 56,000 television sets
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Wake Island
(territory of the US)
- Geography
Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 19.3 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Climate: tropical
Terrain: atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano;
central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim; average elevation
less than four meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: subject to occasional typhoons
Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North Pacific
Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana
Islands; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
- People
Population: 195 (January 1990); no indigenous inhabitants;
temporary population consists of 11 US Air Force personnel,
27 US civilians, and 151 Thai contractors
Note: population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during
the Vietnam conflict
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force
(under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972
Flag: the US flag is used
- Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to US
military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.
- Communications
Ports: none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore
anchorages for large ships
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,987 m
Telecommunications: underwater cables to Guam and through Midway
to Honolulu; AFRTS radio and television service provided by satellite;
stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only
by US military and some commercial cargo planes
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Wallis and Futuna
(overseas territory of France)
- Geography
Total area: 274 km2; land area: 274 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 129 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool,
dry season (May to October)
Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 5% arable land; 20% permanent crops;
0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 75% other
Environment: both island groups have fringing reefs
Note: located 4,600 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean
about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
- People
Population: 14,910 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 32 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)