arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi
River and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter
temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January
and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the
Rocky Mountains
Terrain: vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low
mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska;
rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m
Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates,
uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver,
tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land: 19%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 30%
other: 26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 207,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around
Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the
midwest; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding;
permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development
Environment - current issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain in
both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon
dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff
of pesticides and fertilizers; very limited natural fresh water
resources in much of the western part of the country require careful
management; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic
Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Desertification,
Hazardous Wastes
Geography - note: world's third-largest country (after Russia and
Canada)
@United States:People
Population: 267,954,764 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 29,837,393; female 28,450,028)
15-64 years: 65% (male 87,170,245; female 88,400,551)
65 years and over : 13% (male 13,975,746; female 20,120,801) (July
1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.89% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 14.6 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 8.8 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.04 years
male: 72.75 years
female : 79.49 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.06 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: American(s)
adjective: American
Ethnic groups: white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Amerindian 0.8%
(1992)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%,
none 10% (1989)
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1979 est.)
@United States:Government
Country name:
conventional long form : United States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA
Data code: US
Government type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition
National capital: Washington, DC
Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island,
Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa
Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands, Wake Island
note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a
new political relationship with all four political units: the Northern
Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in political union with the US
(effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free
Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the Federated
States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US
(effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands
signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October
1986)
Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January
1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20
January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January
1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state;
president and vice president serve four-year terms; election last held
5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000)
election results: William Jefferson CLINTON elected president; percent
of popular vote - William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 49.2%,
Bob DOLE (Republican Party) 40.7%, Ross PEROT (Reform Party) 8.4%,
other 1.7%
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100 seats,
one-third are renewed every two years; two members are elected from
each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and House of
Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular
vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 2
November 1998); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 1996
(next to be held 2 November 1998)
election results : Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 45; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Republican Party 227, Democratic Party 205, independent 1, vacant 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed for life by the
president with confirmation by the Senate
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Jim NICHOLSON,
national committee chairman; Democratic Party, Steve GROSSMAN,
national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor
political significance
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS,
APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CP, EBRD, ECE,
ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR,
NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security
Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIH, UNOMIG,
UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTAES, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO, ZC
Flag description: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and
bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged
in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom)
alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50
states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as
Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of
other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
Economy
Economy - overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and
technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP
of $28,600, the largest among major industrial nations. In this
market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make
most of the decisions, and government buys needed goods and services
predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy
considerably greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western
Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, lay off surplus
workers, and develop new products. At the same time, they face higher
barriers to entry in their rivals' home markets than the barriers to
entry of foreign firms in US markets. In all economic sectors, US
firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances,
especially in computers, and medical, aerospace, and military
equipment, although their advantage has narrowed since the end of
World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual
development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom
lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at
the top and, more and more, fail to get pay raises, health insurance
coverage, and other benefits. The years 1994-96 witnessed moderate
gains in real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment
below 6%. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic
infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population,
sizable budget and trade deficits, and stagnation of family income in
the lower economic groups. The outlook for 1997 is for continued
moderate growth, low inflation, and about the same level of
unemployment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.61 trillion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,600 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 23%
services: 75% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 133.943 million (includes unemployed) (1996)
by occupation: managerial and professional 28.8%, technical, sales and
administrative support 29.7%, services 13.6%, manufacturing, mining,
transportation, and crafts 25.1%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%
Unemployment rate: 5.4% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $1.351 trillion
expenditures: $1.514 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995)
Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified
and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,
aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food
processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
Industrial production growth rate: 3.1% (1996)
Electricity - capacity: 702.7 million kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 3.5357 trillion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 11,636 kWh (1994 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables,
cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish
Exports:
total value: $584.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities : capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw
materials, consumer goods, agricultural products
partners: Canada 22%, Western Europe 21%, Japan 11%, Mexico 8% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $771 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery,
automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and
beverages
partners : Canada, 20%, Western Europe 18%, Japan 16.5%, Mexico 8%
(1995)
Debt - external: $862 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
donor : ODA, $9.721 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: British pounds (£) per US$ - 0.6023 (January 1997),
0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664
(1992); Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$ - 1.3486 (January 1997),
1.3635 (1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087
(1992); French francs (F) per US$ - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155
(1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992);
Italian lire (Lit) per US$ - 1,568.1 (January 1997), 1,542.9 (1996),
1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992);
Japanese yen (¥) per US$ - 118.02 (January 1997), 108.78 (1996), 94.06
(1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992); German deutsche
marks (DM) per US$ - 1.6043 (January 1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331
(1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
@United States:Communications
Telephones: 182.558 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, and domestic satellites
international : 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth
stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) (1990
est.), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific
and Atlantic Ocean regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4,987, FM 4,932, shortwave 0
Radios: 540.5 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1,092 (in addition, there are about
9,000 cable TV systems)
Televisions: 215 million (1993 est.)
@United States:Transportation
Railways:
total: 240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned)
standard gauge: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)
Highways:
total : 6,261,154 km
paved: 3,759,516 km (including 88,500 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,501,638 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the
Great Lakes
Pipelines: petroleum products 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km
(1991)
Ports and harbors: Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago,
Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles,
New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland
(Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo
Merchant marine:
total: 305 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,319,000
GRT/14,454,000 DWT
ships by type : bulk 15, cargo 22, chemical tanker 16, intermodal 119,
liquefied gas tanker 14, passenger-cargo 3, tanker 104, tanker
tug-barge 12
note: in addition, there are 193 government-owned vessels (1996 est.)
Airports: 13,396 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11,677
over 3,047 m: 180
2,438 to 3,047 m: 201
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,217
914 to 1,523 m: 2,354
under 914 m : 7,725 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,719
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m : 152
914 to 1,523 m: 1,559 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 103 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy
(includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force
note: the Coast Guard falls under the Department of Transportation,
but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 69,414,007 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: NA
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 1,864,580 (1996 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $267.2 billion (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (1997 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: maritime boundary disputes with Canada
(Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal
Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only
mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the
lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim
in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not
recognize the claims of any other nation; Republic of Marshall Islands
claims Wake Island
Illicit drugs: consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through
Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and
increasingly methamphetamines from Mexico; consumer of high-quality
Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana,
depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamines; drug
money-laundering center
______________________________________________________________________
URUGUAY
@Uruguay:Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean,
between Argentina and Brazil
Geographic coordinates: 33 00 S, 56 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Washington State
Land boundaries:
total: 1,564 km
border countries : Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline: 660 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea : 200 nm; overflight and navigation guaranteed beyond
12 nm
Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
Natural resources: fertile soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 77%
forests and woodland: 5%
other : 11% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,400 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and
occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas),
droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as
weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid
changes in weather fronts
Environment - current issues: substantial pollution from Brazilian
industry along border; one-fifth of country affected by acid rain
generated by Brazil; water pollution from meat packing/tannery
industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
@Uruguay:People
Population: 3,270,707 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 405,016; female 385,863)
15-64 years: 63% (male 1,021,166; female 1,042,401)
65 years and over: 13% (male 173,345; female 242,916) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.7% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 16.98 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 8.97 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 75.23 years
male: 72.09 years
female : 78.55 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan
Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian,
specifically, the Charrua, which are practically nonexistent and make
up probably less than 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than one-half of the adult
population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%,
nonprofessing or other 30%
Languages: Spanish, Portunon, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on
the Brazilian frontier)
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.3%
male: 96.9%
female: 97.7% (1995 est.)
@Uruguay:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay
local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form : Uruguay
Data code: UY
Government type: republic
National capital: Montevideo
Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular -
departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno,
Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio
Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y
Tres
Independence: 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27
June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980;
constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 7 January 1997
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March 1995)
and Vice President Hugo BATALLA (since 1 March 1995); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government as well as
the Senate president
head of government : President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March
1995) and Vice President Hugo BATALLA (since 1 March 1995); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government as well as
the Senate president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections : president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 November 1994
(next to be held NA November 1999)
election results: Julio Maria SANGUINETTI elected president; percent
of vote - NA
Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General
consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and
Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 November 1994 (next to
be held NA November 1999); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27
November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
Colorado 36%, Blanco 34%, Encuentro Progresista 27%, New Sector 3%;
seats by party - Colorado 11, Blanco 10, Encuentro Progresista 8, New
Sector 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
Colorado 32%, Blanco 31%, Encuentro Progresista 31%, New Sector 5%;
seats by party - Colorado 32, Blanco 31, Encuentro Progresista 31, New
Sector 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president
and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly
Political parties and leaders: National (Blanco) Party, Alberto
VOLONTE Berro; Herrerista faction of the Blanco Party, Luis LACALLE;
Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front Coalition, Tabare VAZQUEZ
(as of 22 December 1996); New Sector Coalition, Rafael MICHELINI;
Party for the Government by the People (PGP), Hugo BATALLA;
Progressive Encounter (Encuentro Progresista), Tabare VAZQUEZ