bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag
is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and
talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in
its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its
breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized
ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow
Economy
Economy - overview: Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good
farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy
depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine,
and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and
natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to
sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in
1991. The Moldovan Government has recently been making progress on an
ambitious economic reform agenda, and the IMF has called Moldova a
model for the region. As part of its reform efforts, Moldova
introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped
issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed their
steady privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest
rates. With the election of President LUCINSCHI in December 1996, it
is unclear how rapidly the reforms will be pushed.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $10.8 billion (1996 estimate
extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,400 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 48%
industry: 28%
services: 24% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 15% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 2.03 million (January 1994)
by occupation: agriculture 39.5%, industry 12.0%, other 48.5% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 1.4% (includes only officially registered
unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (January 1996)
Budget:
revenues: $570 million
expenditures: $645 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)
Industries: food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry
equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery,
sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 3.222 million kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 1.4 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 324 kWh (1996 est.)
Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets,
sunflower seed, tobacco; meat, milk
Exports:
total value: $775 million (1996)
commodities: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear,
machinery
partners : Russia, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany
Imports:
total value: $1.048 billion (1996)
commodities: oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, foodstuffs,
automobiles, and other consumer durables
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany
Debt - external: $950.7 million (of which $240 million to Russia)
(1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: commitments, $1,335 million ($500 million disbursements),
1992-95
Currency: the Moldovan leu (MLD) (plural lei) was introduced in late
1993
Exchange rates: lei (MLD) per US$1 (end of period) - 4.6870 (January
1997), 4.6743 (1996), 4.4990 (1995), 4.2700 (1994), 3.6400 (1993),
0.4145 (1992); period average - 4.6121 (August 1996), 4.4958 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Moldova:Communications
Telephones: 600,000 (1996 est.)
Telephone system: telecommunication system not well developed; 215,000
unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991 est.); in early 1997,
Chisinau was considering privatizing its state-owned telephone company
domestic: NA
international: international connections to other former Soviet
republics by landline and microwave radio relay through Ukraine and to
other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international
gateway switch; satellite earth stations - 1 Eutelsat and 1 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 5, shortwave NA (1994)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 (one national and one private) (1995)
Televisions: NA
@Moldova:Transportation
Railways:
total: 1,328 km
broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)
Highways:
total: 12,259 km
paved: 10,690 km
unpaved: 1,569 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 424 km (1994)
Pipelines: natural gas 310 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 26 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m : 3 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m : 5
under 914 m: 8 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic
Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,134,619 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 894,337 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 37,689 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: 203 million lei (1995); note -
conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current
exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: certain territory of Moldova and Ukraine -
including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina - are considered by
Bucharest as historically a part of Romania; this territory was
incorporated into the former Soviet Union following the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly
for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western
Europe and Russia
______________________________________________________________________
MONACO
@Monaco:Geography
Location: Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, on the
southern coast of France, near the border with Italy
Geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 24 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total : 1.9 sq km
land: 1.9 sq km
water : 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about three times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 4.4 km
border countries: France 4.4 km
Coastline: 4.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea : 12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Agel 140 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures : 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (urban area)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: second smallest independent state in world (after
Holy See); almost entirely urban
@Monaco:People
Population: 31,892 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 2,731; female 2,671)
15-64 years : 63% (male 9,856; female 10,392)
65 years and over: 20% (male 2,288; female 3,954) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.49% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 10.66 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 12.01 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.24 years
male: 74.59 years
female: 82.07 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)
adjective: Monegasque or Monacan
Ethnic groups: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Literacy: NA
@Monaco:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco
local long form: Principaute de Monaco
local short form : Monaco
Data code: MN
Government type: constitutional monarchy
National capital: Monaco
Administrative divisions: 4 quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier);
Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo
Independence: 1419 (rule by the House of Grimaldi)
National holiday: National Day, 19 November
Constitution: 17 December 1962
Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Prince RAINIER III (since 9 May 1949); Heir Apparent
Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre (born 14 March 1958)
head of government: Minister of State Michel LEVEQUE (since 3 February
1997)
cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the prince
elections: none; the prince is a hereditary monarch; minister of state
appointed by the prince from a list of three French national
candidates presented by the French Government
Legislative branch: unicameral National Council or Conseil National
(18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 24 and 31 January 1993 (next to be held NA
January 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
National and Democratic Union 15, other 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme
Political parties and leaders: National and Democratic Union or UND
[Jean-Louis CAMPORA]
International organization participation: ACCT, ECE, IAEA, ICAO, ICRM,
IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Monaco does not have an embassy
in the US
consulate(s) general: New York
honorary consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New
Orleans, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
honorary consulate(s): Dallas, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and
Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France) is accredited
to Monaco
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white;
similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of
Poland which is white (top) and red
Economy
Economy - overview: Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean
coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and
pleasant climate. The Principality has successfully sought to
diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting
industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and
thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established
residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and
offices. About 55% of Monaco's annual revenue comes from value-added
taxes on hotels, banks, and the industrial sector; about 25% of
revenue comes from tourism. Living standards are high, roughly
comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $800 million (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,000 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%
Labor force:
total: 30,540 (1 January 1994)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1994)
Budget:
revenues: $570.4 million
expenditures: $570.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1994 est.)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 10,000 kW standby
note: electricity imported from France
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: none
Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and
rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system
through customs union with France
Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and
rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system
through customs union with France
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169(January 1997),
5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938
(1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Monaco:Communications
Telephones: 53,180 (1994 est.)
Telephone system: automatic telephone system
domestic : NA
international: no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into
the French communications system
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 30,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 22,000 (1992 est.)
@Monaco:Transportation
Railways:
total: 1.7 km
standard gauge: 1.7 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways:
total : 43 km
paved: 43 km
unpaved : 0 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: Monaco
Merchant marine: none
Airports: linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
MONGOLIA
@Mongolia:Geography
Location: Northern Asia, between China and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total : 1.565 million sq km
land: 1.565 million sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total: 8,114 km
border countries: China 4,673 km, Russia 3,441 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature
ranges)
Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and
southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m
highest point: Tavan Bogd Uul 4,374 m
Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten,
phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold
Land use:
arable land : 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 80%
forests and woodland: 9%
other: 10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 800 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms can occur in the spring; grassland fires
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources;
policies of the former communist regime promoting rapid urbanization
and industrial growth have raised concerns about their negative
effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal and the
concentration of factories in Ulaanbaatar have severely polluted the
air; deforestation, overgrazing, the converting of virgin land to
agricultural production have increased soil erosion from wind and
rain; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location between China and
Russia
@Mongolia:People
Population: 2,538,211 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 485,760; female 471,005)
15-64 years: 58% (male 743,194; female 743,529)
65 years and over : 4% (male 40,621; female 54,102) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.62% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 24.57 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 8.41 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.1 years
male: 59.1 years
female : 63.2 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.89 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Mongolian(s)
adjective: Mongolian
Ethnic groups: Mongol 90%, Kazak 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Religions: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4%
note: previously limited religious activity because of communist
regime
Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian, Chinese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.9%
male : 88.6%
female: 77.2% (1988 est.)
@Mongolia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form : Mongolia
local long form: none
local short form : Mongol Uls
former: Outer Mongolia
Data code: MG
Government type: republic
National capital: Ulaanbaatar
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and
3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor,
Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan,
Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay,
Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China)
National holiday: National Day, 11 July (1921)
Constitution: 12 February 1992
Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law;
no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state : President Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 3 September
1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Mendsaihan ENHSAIHAN (since 18 July
1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the State Great Hural
elections: president nominated by parties in the State Great Hural and
elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 6
June 1993 (next to be held 19 May 1997); following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is
usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural
election results: Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (MNDP and MSDP) reelected
president; percent of vote - Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT 57.8%, Lodongiyn
TUDEV (MPRP) NA%; Mendsaihan ENHSAIHAN elected prime minister; percent
of State Great Hural vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral State Great Hural (76 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 June 1996 (next to be held NA June 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - DUC 66%, MPRP 33%, MCP
1%; seats by party - DUC 50 (MNDP 34, MSDP 13, independents 3), MPRP
25, MCP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, serves as appeals court for people's
and provincial courts, but to date rarely overturns verdicts of lower
courts, judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts for
approval by the Great Hural
Political parties and leaders: Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
(MPRP), N. ENHBAYAR, general secretary; Democratic Union Coalition
(DUC), Mendsaihan ENHSAIHAN, general secretary (includes Mongolian
National Democratic Party or MNDP, M. ENHSAIHAN, chairman; Mongolian
Social Democratic Party or MSDP, Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJI,
chairman; Green Party, leader NA; and Mongolian Democratic Party of
Believers or MDPB, leader NA); Mongolian Conservative Party (MCP),
leader NA; Democratic Power Coalition, D. BYAMBASUREN, chairman
(includes Mongolian Democratic Renaissance Party or MDRP, BYAMBASUREN,
chairman, and Mongolian People's Party or MPP, leader NA); Mongolian
National Solidarity Party (MNSP), leader NA; Bourgeois
Party/Capitalist Party, VARGALSAIHAN, chairman; United Heritage Party
(UHP), B. JAMTSAI (includes United Party of Herdsman and Farmers,
leader NA; Independence Party, leader NA; Traditional United
Conservative Party, leader NA; and Mongolian United Private Property
Owners Party, leader NA); Workers' Party, leader NA
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jalbuugiyn CHOINHOR
chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117
FAX : [1] (202) 298-9227
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Llewellyn
HEDGBETH
embassy: inner north side of the Big Ring, just west of the Selbe Gol,
Ulaanbaatar
mailing address: c/o American Embassy Beijing, Micro Region 11, Big
Ring Road; PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone : [976] (1) 329095, 329606
FAX: [976] (1) 320776
Flag description: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side),
blue, and red, centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the
national emblem ("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and
geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the
yin-yang symbol)
Economy
Economy - overview: The new government has embraced free-market
economics, freezing spending, easing price controls, liberalizing
domestic and international trade. Mongolia's severe climate, scattered
population, and wide expanses of unproductive land, however, have
constrained economic development. Economic activity traditionally has
been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock. In past years
extensive mineral resources had been developed with Soviet support;
total Soviet assistance at its height amounted to 30% of GDP. The
mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and
gold account for a large part of industrial production. The dramatic
drop in the price of copper which accounts for half of the country's
export earnings, has held back economic growth. The Mongolian
leadership also has been soliciting support from international
financial agencies and foreign investors. The economy, however, has
still not recovered from the loss of Soviet aid. The country continues
to suffer substantial economic hardships, with one-fourth of the
population below the poverty line.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,060 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 28%
industry: 35%
services: 37% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 53% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 1.115 million (mid-1993 est.)
by occupation : primarily herding/agricultural
Unemployment rate: 6% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.5 billion
expenditures : $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)
Industries: copper, construction materials, mining (particularly
coal); food and beverage, processing of animal products
Industrial production growth rate: 6% (1995 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 900,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 3.07 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,215 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, potatoes, forage crops; sheep,
goats, cattle, camels, horses
Exports:
total value: $400 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities : copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool,
hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals
partners: former CMEA countries 30%, China 15%, EU 9% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $473 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities : machinery and equipment, fuels, food products,
industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea
partners: former CMEA countries 56%, China 9%, EU 8% (1995)
Debt - external: $500 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA; US, $9.5 million (1995 est.)