been trying to move the economy from a sluggish Soviet-style centrally
planned economy to one that is more market-oriented but still within a
rigid political framework of Communist Party control. To this end the
authorities switched to a system of household responsibility in
agriculture in place of the old collectivization, increased the
authority of local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted
a wide variety of small-scale enterprise in services and light
manufacturing, and opened the economy to increased foreign trade and
investment. The result has been a quadrupling of GDP since 1978.
Agricultural output doubled in the 1980s, and industry also posted
major gains, especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong and opposite
Taiwan, where foreign investment helped spur output of both domestic
and export goods. On the darker side, the leadership has often
experienced in its hybrid system the worst results of socialism
(bureaucracy, lassitude, corruption) and of capitalism (windfall gains
and stepped-up inflation). Beijing thus has periodically backtracked,
retightening central controls at intervals. In 1992-96 annual growth
of GDP accelerated, particularly in the coastal areas - averaging more
than 10% annually according to official figures. In late 1993 China's
leadership approved additional long-term reforms aimed at giving still
more play to market-oriented institutions and at strengthening the
center's control over the financial system; state enterprises would
continue to dominate many key industries in what was now termed "a
socialist market economy." In 1995-96 inflation dropped sharply,
reflecting tighter monetary policies and stronger measures to control
food prices. At the same time, the government struggled to (a) collect
revenues due from provinces, businesses, and individuals; (b) reduce
corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) keep afloat the large
state-owned enterprises, most of which had not participated in the
vigorous expansion of the economy and many of which have been losing
the ability to pay full wages and pensions. From 60 to 100 million
surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities,
many subsisting through part-time low-paying jobs. Popular resistance,
changes in central policy, and loss of authority by rural cadres have
weakened China's population control program, which is essential to
maintaining growth in living standards. Another long-term threat to
continued rapid economic growth is the deterioration in the
environment, notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall
of the water table especially in the north. China continues to lose
arable land because of erosion and economic development; furthermore,
the regime gives insufficient priority to agricultural research. The
next few years will witness increasing tensions between a highly
centralized political system and an increasingly decentralized
economic system. Rapid economic growth likely will continue but at a
declining rate.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.39 trillion (1996 estimate as
extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1995 with use of official
Chinese growth figure for 1996; the result may overstate China's GDP
by as much as 25%)
GDP - real growth rate: 9.7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 49%
services : 31% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 10% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total : 614.7 million (1994)
by occupation: agriculture and forestry 54%, industry and commerce
26%, construction and mining 7%, social services 6%, other 7% (1994)
Unemployment rate: officially 3% in urban areas; probably 8%-10%;
substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas (1996
est.)
Budget:
revenues : $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: iron and steel, coal, machine building, armaments,
textiles and apparel, petroleum, cement, chemical fertilizers,
consumer durables, food processing, autos, consumer electronics,
telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate: 13% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 210 million kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 859 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 684 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: rice, wheat, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea,
millet, barley, cotton, other fibers, oilseed; pork and other
livestock products; fish
Exports:
total value : $151.07 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: clothing, miscellaneous consumer goods, fabrics,
footwear, toys, electrical machinery and switchgear (1995)
partners: Hong Kong, Japan, US, South Korea, Germany, Singapore (1995)
Imports:
total value : $138.83 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: plastics, fabrics, telecommunications equipment,
electrical machinery and switchgear, transistors, other industrial
machinery (1995)
partners: Japan, US, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Germany, Russia
(1995)
Debt - external: $92 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $1.977 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 yuan (¥) = 10 jiao
Exchange rates: yuan (¥) per US$1 - 8.2963 (January 1997), 8.3142
(1996), 8.3514 (1995), 8.6187 (1994), 5.7620 (1993), 5.5146 (1992)
note: beginning 1 January 1994, the People's Bank of China quotes the
midpoint rate against the US dollar based on the previous day's
prevailing rate in the interbank foreign exchange market
Fiscal year: calendar year
@China:Communications
Telephones: 20 million (1994 est.)
Telephone system: domestic and international services are increasingly
available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves
principal cities, industrial centers, and most townships
domestic: telephone lines are being expanded to 100 million by 1996;
interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems
have been installed; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth
stations is in place
international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region) and 1
Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean Regions); several international
fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong
Radio broadcast stations: AM 274, FM NA, shortwave 0
Radios: 216.5 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 202 (repeaters 2,050)
Televisions: 75 million
@China:Transportation
Railways:
total : 62,500 km (including 5,400 km of provincial "local" rails)
standard gauge: 58,900 km 1.435-m gauge (9,700 km electrified; 18,100
km double track)
narrow gauge: 3,600 km 0.750-m gauge local industrial lines (1996
est.)
Highways:
total: 1.117 million km
paved: 239,500 km
unpaved: 877,500 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 138,600 km; about 110,600 km navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 9,700 km; petroleum products 1,100 km; natural
gas 6,200 km (1990)
Ports and harbors: Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Lianyungang,
Nanjing, Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shantou,
Tianjin, Xiamen, Yantain, Zhanjiang
Merchant marine:
total: 1,736 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,749,069
GRT/25,196,607 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 2, bulk 325, cargo 883, chemical tanker
16, combination bulk 11, container 109, liquefied gas tanker 9,
multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 232, passenger 6,
passenger-cargo 47, refrigerated cargo 24, roll-on/roll-off cargo 22,
short-sea passenger 43, specialized tanker 1
note: China owns an additional 270 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
8,754,413 DWT operating under the registries of Panama, Hong Kong,
Malta, Liberia, Vanuatu, Cyprus, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Marshall Islands, and Singapore (1996 est.)
Airports: 206 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 192
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 65
1,524 to 2,437 m: 90
914 to 1,523 m : 13
under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m : 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: People's Liberation Army (PLA), which includes the
Ground Forces, Navy (includes Marines and Naval Aviation), Air Force,
Second Artillery Corps (the strategic missile force), People's Armed
Police (internal security troops, nominally subordinate to Ministry of
Public Security, but included by the Chinese as part of the "armed
forces" and considered to be an adjunct to the PLA in wartime)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 356,848,321 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 196,780,527 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males : 9,872,055 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: the officially announced but
suspect figure is 70.2 billion yuan (1995 est.); note - conversion of
the defense budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate
could produce misleading results
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: boundary with India in dispute; disputed
sections of the boundary with Russia remain to be settled; boundary
with Tajikistan in dispute; short section of the boundary with North
Korea is indefinite; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly
Islands with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly
Brunei; maritime boundary dispute with Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin;
Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan;
claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu
Tai), as does Taiwan
Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for heroin produced in the
Golden Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem
______________________________________________________________________
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
(territory of Australia)
@Christmas Island:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of
Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 10 30 S, 105 40 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 138.9 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Terrain: steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
Natural resources: phosphate
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland : NA%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can
be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to : NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography - note: located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
@Christmas Island:People
Population: 743 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: -8.98% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
total population : NA male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island
Ethnic groups: Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no
indigenous population
Religions: Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991)
Languages: English
@Christmas Island:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form : Christmas Island
Data code: KT
Dependency status: territory of Australia
Government type: NA
National capital: The Settlement
Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
National holiday: NA
Constitution: Christmas Island Act of 1958
Legal system: under the authority of the governor general of Australia
and Australian law
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Australian governor general
head of government : Administrator (vacant); Official Secretary
Merrilyn CHILVERS (since NA) is serving as acting administrator
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; administrator
appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the
queen and Australia
Legislative branch: unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 1996 (next to be held NA December
1997)
election results : percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
International organization participation: none
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)
Flag description: the flag of Australia is used
Economy
Economy - overview: Phosphate mining had been the only significant
economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government
closed the mine. In 1990, the mine was reopened by private operators.
Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $45
million casino on Christmas Island.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%
Labor force:
total: NA
by occupation: tourism 400 people, mining 100 people
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: NA
Exports: $NA
commodities: phosphate
partners: Australia, NZ
Imports: $NA
commodities : consumer goods
partners: principally Australia
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid: none
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.2735 (January
1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704, (1993),
1.3600 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Christmas Island:Communications
Telephones: NA
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international : NA
note: external telephone and telex services are provided by INTELSAT
satellite
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 500 (1992)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 350 (1992)
@Christmas Island:Transportation
Railways: 24 km to serve phosphate mines
Highways:
total: NA km
paved : NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Flying Fish Cove
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
CLIPPERTON ISLAND
(possession of France)
@Clipperton Island:Geography
Location: Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km
southwest of Mexico
Geographic coordinates: 10 17 N, 109 13 W
Map references: World
Area:
total: 7 sq km
land : 7 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 11.1 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees C, rains
May-October
Terrain: coral atoll
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point : Rocher Clipperton 29 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (all coral)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: subject to tornadoes
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified : NA
Geography - note: reef about 8 km in circumference
@Clipperton Island:People
Population: uninhabited
@Clipperton Island:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Clipperton Island
local long form: none
local short form : Ile Clipperton
former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion
Data code: IP
Dependency status: possession of France; administered by France from
French Polynesia by a high commissioner of the Republic
Flag description: the flag of France is used
Economy
Economy - overview: The only economic activity is a tuna fishing
station.
@Clipperton Island:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS
(territory of Australia)
@Cocos (Keeling) Islands:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean,
south of Indonesia, about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri
Lanka
Geographic coordinates: 12 30 S, 96 50 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note : includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
Area - comparative: about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2.6 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: pleasant, modified by the southeast trade wind for about nine
months of the year; moderate rainfall
Terrain: flat, low-lying coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land : NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other : 100% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: cyclones may occur in the early months of the year
Environment - current issues: fresh water resources are limited to
rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified : NA
Geography - note: two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms
and other vegetation
@Cocos (Keeling) Islands:People
Population: 617 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 0.98% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years : NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
total population: NA male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective : Cocos Islander
Ethnic groups: Europeans, Cocos Malays
Religions: Sunni Muslim 57%, Christian 22%, other 21% (1981 est.)
Languages: English, Malay
@Cocos (Keeling) Islands:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Data code: CK
Dependency status: territory of Australia
Government type: NA
National capital: West Island
Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
National holiday: NA
Constitution: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955
Legal system: based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Suffrage: NA
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Australian governor general
head of government : Administrator (acting) Jarl ANDERSSON (since NA)
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; administrator
appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the
queen and Australia
Legislative branch: unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council
(NA seats)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
International organization participation: WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)
Flag description: the flag of Australia is used
Economy
Economy - overview: Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the
sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners.
Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but
additional food and most other necessities must be imported from
Australia.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry : NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%
Labor force: NA
note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction
workers, stevedores, and lighterage worker operations; tourism employs
others
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures : $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: copra products and tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Exports: $NA
commodities: copra
partners: Australia
Imports: $NA
commodities: foodstuffs
partners: Australia
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid: none
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.2835 (January
1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993),
1.3600 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Cocos (Keeling) Islands:Communications
Telephones: NA
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with
Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA
type
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 300 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
note: intermittent television service via satellite
Televisions: NA
@Cocos (Keeling) Islands:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total : NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved : NA km
Ports and harbors: none; lagoon anchorage only
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
COLOMBIA
@Colombia:Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Ecuador and Panama
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total : 1,138,910 sq km
land: 1,038,700 sq km
water: 100,210 sq km
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and
Serranilla Bank
Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana