4
oceans--Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean
1
World
266
total
note: The US Government does not recognize the four so-called independent
homelands of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda in South Africa.
Exchange rate: The value of a nation's monetary unit at a given date or over a
given period of time, as expressed in units of local currency per US dollar and
as determined by international market forces or official fiat.
Gross domestic product (GDP): The value of all goods and services produced
domestically in a given year.
Gross national product (GNP): The value of all goods and services produced
domestically in a given year, plus income earned abroad, minus income earned by
foreigners from domestic production.
Gross world product (GWP): The aggregate value of all goods and services
produced worldwide in a given year.
GNP/GDP methodology: In the "Economy'' section, GNP/GDP dollar estimates for the
OECD countries, the former Soviet republics, and the East European countries are
derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations rather than from
conversions at official currency exchange rates. The PPP method normally
involves the use of international dollar price weights, which are applied to the
quantities of goods and services produced in a given economy. In addition to the
lack of reliable data from the majority of countries, the statistician faces a
major difficulty in specifying, identifying, and allowing for the quality of
goods and services. The division of a PPP GNP/GDP estimate in dollars by the
corresponding estimate in the local currency gives the PPP conversion rate. One
thousand dollars will buy the same market basket of goods in the US as one
thousand dollars--converted to the local currency at the PPP conversion rate--
will buy in the other country. GNP/GDP estimates for the LDCs, on the other
hand, are based on the conversion of GNP/GDP estimates in local currencies to
dollars at the official currency exchange rates. Because currency exchange rates
depend on a variety of international and domestic financial forces that often
have little relation to domestic output, use of these rates is less satisfactory
for calculating GNP/GDP than the PPP method. Furthermore, exchange rates may
suddenly go up or down by 10% or more because of market forces or official fiat
whereas real output has remained unchanged. One additional caution: the
proportion of, say, defense expenditures as a percent of GNP/GDP in local
currency accounts may differ substantially from the proportion when GNP/GDP
accounts are expressed in PPP terms, as, for example, when an observer estimates
the dollar level of Russian or Japanese military expenditures; similar problems
exist when components are expressed in dollars under currency exchange rate
procedures. Finally, as academic research moves forward on the PPP method, we
hope to convert all GNP/GDP estimates to this method in future editions of The
World Factbook.
Growth rate (population): The annual percent change in the population, resulting
from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants
entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative.
Illicit drugs: There are five categories of illicit drugs--narcotics,
stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These
categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well
as those illegally produced and sold outside medical channels.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides
hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot,
Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish
(hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
Coca (Erythroxylon coca) is a bush, and the leaves contain the stimulant
cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and
is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter.
Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.
Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include
chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital),
benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide
(Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).
Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional, or
behavioral change in an individual.
Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results in
physical,
mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual.
Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness, and
emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc,
buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP,
angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others
(psilocybin, psilocyn).
Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.
Marijuana is the dried leaves of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium,
opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium
(paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol
w/codeine, Empirin w/codeine, Robitussan AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic
narcotics include heroin (horse, smack), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Synthetic
narcotics include meperidine or Pethidine (Demerol, Mepergan), methadone
(Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon, Lomotil).
Opium is the milky exudate of the incised, unripe seedpod of the opium poppy.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source for many natural and
semisynthetic narcotics.
Poppy straw concentrate is the alkaloid derived from the mature dried opium
poppy.
Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant from the buds or leaves of Catha edulis that is
chewed or drunk as tea.
Stimulants are drugs that relieve mild depression, increase energy and activity,
and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines (Desoxyn, Dexedrine),
phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and others (Cylert,
Sanorex, Tenuate).
Infant mortality rate: The number of deaths to infants under one year old in a
given year per l,000 live births occurring in the same year.
International disputes: This category includes a wide variety of situations that
range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one
sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international boundaries
and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the Department of State. References
to other situations may also be included that are border or frontier relevant,
such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues.
However, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or
recognition by the US Government.
Irrigated land: The figure refers to the number of km 2 that is artifically
supplied with water.
Land use: Human use of the land surface is categorized as arable land--land
cultivated for crops that are replanted after each harvest (wheat, maize, rice);
permanent crops--land cultivated for crops that are not replanted after each
harvest (citrus, coffee, rubber); meadows and pastures--land permanently used
for herbaceous forage crops; forest and woodland land--under dense or open
stands of trees; and other--any land type not specifically mentioned above
(urban areas, roads, desert).
Leaders: The chief of state is the titular leader of the country who represents
the state at official and ceremonial funcions but is not involved with the day-
to-day activities of the government. The head of government is the
administrative leader who manages the day-to-day activities of the government.
In the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the Prime Minister is the head
of government. In the US, the President is both the chief of state and the head
of government.
Life expectancy at birth: The average number of years to be lived by a group of
people all born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in
the future.
Literacy: There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless
otherwise noted, all rates are based on the most common definition--the ability
to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual
countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of
this publication.
Maps: All maps will be available only in the printed version of The World
Factbook for the foreseeable future.
Maritime claims: The proximity of neighboring states may prevent some national
claims from being extended the full distance.
Merchant marine: All ships engaged in the carriage of goods. All commercial
vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing
vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc.; also, a grouping of merchant ships by
nationality or register.
Captive register--A register of ships maintained by a territory, possession, or
colony primarily or exclusively for the use of ships owned in the parent
country; also referred to as an offshore register, the offshore equivalent of an
internal register. Ships on a captive register will fly the same flag as the
parent country, or a local variant of it, but will be subject to the maritime
laws and taxation rules of the offshore territory. Although the nature of a
captive register makes it especially desirable for ships owned in the parent
country, just as in the internal register, the ships may also be owned abroad.
The captive register then acts as a flag of convenience register, except that it
is not the register of an independent state.
Flag of convenience register--A national register offering registration to a
merchant ship not owned in the flag state. The major flags of convenience (FOC)
attract ships to their register by virtue of low fees, low or nonexistent
taxation of profits, and liberal manning requirements. True FOC registers are
characterized by having relatively few of the ships registered actually owned in
the flag state. Thus, while virtually any flag can be used for ships under a
given set of circumstances, an FOC register is one where the majority of the
merchant fleet is owned abroad. It is also referred to as an open register.
Flag state--The nation in which a ship is registered and which holds legal
jurisdiction over operation of the ship, whether at home or abroad. Differences
in flag state maritime legislation determine how a ship is manned and taxed and
whether a foreign-owned ship may be placed on the register.
Internal register--A register of ships maintained as a subset of a national
register. Ships on the internal register fly the national flag and have that
nationality but are subject to a separate set of maritime rules from those on
the main national register. These differences usually include lower taxation of
profits, manning by foreign nationals, and, usually, ownership outside the flag
state (when it functions as an FOC register). The Norwegian International Ship
Register and Danish International Ship Register are the most notable examples of
an internal register. Both have been instrumental in stemming flight from the
national flag to flags of convenience and in attracting foreignowned ships to
the Norwegian and Danish flags.
Merchant ship--A vessel that carries goods against payment of freight; commonly
used to denote any nonmilitary ship but accurately restricted to commercial
vessels only.
Register--The record of a ship's ownership and nationality as listed with the
maritime authorities of a country; also, the compendium of such individual
ships' registrations. Registration of a ship provides it with a nationality and
makes it subject to the laws of the country in which registered (the flag state)
regardless of the nationality of the ship's ultimate owner.
Money figures: All are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars unless otherwise
indicated.
National product: The total output of goods and services in a country in a given
year. See Gross domestic product (GDP), Gross national product (GNP), and
GNP/GDP methodology.
Net migration rate: The balance between the number of persons entering and
leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear
population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net
immigration (3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the
country as net emigration (-9.26 migrants/1,000 population).
Population: Figures are estimates from the Bureau of the Census based on
statistics from population censuses, vital registration systems, or sample
surveys pertaining to the recent past, and on assumptions about future trends.
Total fertility rate: The average number of children that would be born per
woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore
children according to a given fertility rate at each age.
Years: All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as
fiscal year (FY).
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