electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
consumer goods, industrial products
Imports - partners: France 30%, Cote d'Ivoire 18%, Cameroon 11%,
Germany 4%, Japan (1997)
Debt - external: $790 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $172.2 million (1995); note - traditional
budget subsidies from France
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1
- 647.25 (January 2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997),
511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995)
note: since 1 January 1999, the CFAF is pegged to the euro at a rate
of 655.957 CFA francs per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Central African Republic:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 8,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 79 (1995)
Telephone system: fair system
domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 283,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: 18,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
@Central African Republic:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 23,810 km
paved: 429 km
unpaved: 23,381 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of
shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
Ports and harbors: Bangui, Nola
Airports: 52 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 49
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 15 (1999 est.)
@Central African Republic:Military
Military branches: Central African Armed Forces (includes Republican
Guard and Air Force), Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, Police
Force
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 804,941 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 420,619 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $29 million (FY96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.2% (FY96)
@Central African Republic:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
CHAD
@Chad:Introduction
Background: Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960,
endured three decades of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya
before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. A
transitional government eventually suppressed or came to terms with
most political-military groups, settled a territorial dispute with
Libya on terms favorable to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution,
and held multiparty presidential and National Assembly elections in
1996 and 1997 respectively. In 1998 a new rebellion broke out in
northern Chad, which continued to escalate throughout 1999. Despite
movement toward democratic reform, power remains in the hands of a
northern ethnic oligarchy.
@Chad:Geography
Location: Central Africa, south of Libya
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 19 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 1.284 million sq km
land: 1,259,200 sq km
water: 24,800 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than three times the size of
California
Land boundaries:
total: 5,968 km
border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197
km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical in south, desert in north
Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m
highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m
Natural resources: petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way),
uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 36%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 35% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 140 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north;
periodic droughts; locust plagues
Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water;
improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water
pollution; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography - note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water
body in the Sahel
@Chad:People
Population: 8,424,504 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,022,339; female 1,994,978)
15-64 years: 49% (male 1,964,216; female 2,204,902)
65 years and over: 3% (male 99,459; female 138,610) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.31% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 48.81 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 15.71 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 96.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.49 years
male: 48.5 years
female: 52.56 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.63 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chadian(s)
adjective: Chadian
Ethnic groups: Muslims, commonly referred to as "northerners" or
"gorane" (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi,
Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba); non-Muslims, commonly referred to as
"southerners" (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei,
Massa) including nonindigenous 150,000 (of whom 1,000 are French)
note: ethnicity and regional background more commonly used to identify
Chadians than religious affiliation
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly
animism) 25%
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in
south), more than 100 different languages and dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
total population: 48.1%
male: 62.1%
female: 34.7% (1995 est.)
@Chad:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Chad
conventional short form: Chad
local long form: Republique du Tchad
local short form: Tchad
Data code: CD
Government type: republic
Capital: N'Djamena
Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular -
prefecture); Batha, Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi,
Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi,
Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile
Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Constitution: passed by referendum 31 March 1995
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary
law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Nagdum YAMASSOUM (since 13 December
1999)
cabinet: Council of State, members appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms;
if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the two
candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second round of
voting; last held 2 June and 11 July 1996 (next to be held June 2001);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: in the first round of voting none of the 15
candidates received the required 50% of the total vote; percent of
vote, first round - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 43.8%, Wadal Abdelkader
KAMOUGUE 12.4%; percent of vote, second round - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY
69.1%, Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE 30.9%
note: government coalition - MPS, UNDR, and URD
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (125 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); replaces the Higher
Transitional Council or the Conseil Superieur de Transition
elections: National Assembly - last held in two rounds on 5 January
and 23 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2001); in the first round of
voting some candidates won clear victories by receiving 50% or more of
the vote; where that did not happen, the two highest scoring
candidates stood for a second round of voting
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS
65, URD 29, UNDR 15, RDP 3, others 13
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts;
Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders: National Union for Development and
Renewal or UNDR ; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS
(originally in opposition but now the
party in power and the party of the president); Rally for Democracy
and Progress or RDP ; Union for Renewal and
Democracy or URD
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,
CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hassaballah Abdelhadi Ahmat SOUBIANE
chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: (202) 462-4009
FAX: (202) 265-1937
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher GOLDTHWAIT
embassy: Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena
mailing address: B. P. 413, N'Djamena
telephone: (51) 70-09, (51) 90-52, (51) 92-33
FAX: (51) 56-54
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side),
yellow, and red; similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the
flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of
arms centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of
France
@Chad:Economy
Economy - overview: Landlocked Chad's economic development suffers
from it's geographic remoteness, drought, lack of infrastructure, and
political turmoil. About 85% of the population depends on agriculture,
including the herding of livestock. Of Africa's Francophone countries,
Chad benefited least from the 50% devaluation of their currencies in
January 1994. Financial aid from the World Bank, the African
Development Fund, and other sources is directed largely at the
improvement of agriculture, especially livestock production. Due to
lack of financing, the development of the Doba Basin oil fields,
originally due to finish in 2000, has been substantially delayed.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.6% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 38%
industry: 14%
services: 48% (1998)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1998 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 85% (subsistence farming,
herding, and fishing)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $198 million
expenditures: $218 million, including capital expenditures of $146
million (1998 est.)
Industries: cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron
(sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1995)
Electricity - production: 100 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 93 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice,
potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels
Exports: $288 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: cotton, cattle, textiles
Exports - partners: Portugal 30%, Germany 14%, Thailand, Costa Rica,
South Africa, France (1997)
Imports: $359 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment,
industrial goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners: France 41%, Nigeria 10%, Cameroon 7%, India 6%
(1997)
Debt - external: $1 billion (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $238.3 million (1995); note - $125 million
committed by Taiwan (August 1997); $30 million committed by African
Development Bank
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine Francs (CFAF) per US$1
- 647.25 (January 2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997),
511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995)
note: since 1 January 1999, the CFAF is pegged to the euro at a rate
of 655.957 CFA francs per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Chad:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 5,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: primitive system
domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios: 1.67 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 10,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
@Chad:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 33,400 km
paved: 267 km
unpaved: 33,133 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 2,000 km navigable
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 49 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 42
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)
@Chad:Military
Military branches: Armed Forces (includes Ground Force, Air Force, and
Gendarmerie), Republican Guard, Rapid Intervention Force, Police,
Rural and Nomadic Guard (GNNT)
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,749,033 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 915,664 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 79,596 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $39 million (FY96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.5% (FY96)
@Chad:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: delimitation of international boundaries in
the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents
in the past, has been completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon,
Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
______________________________________________________________________
CHILE
@Chile:Introduction
Background: A three-year-old Marxist government was overthrown in 1973
by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, which ruled
until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic
policies, first implemented by the PINOCHET dictatorship, led to
unprecedented growth in 1991-97 and have helped secure the country's
commitment to democratic and representative government. Growth slowed
in 1998-99, but will likely recover in 2000.
@Chile:Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean
and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S, 71 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 756,950 sq km
land: 748,800 sq km
water: 8,150 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,171 km
border countries: Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Coastline: 6,435 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region;
cool and damp in south
Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes
in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m
Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious
metals, molybdenum, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 22%
other: 55% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,650 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial and
vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location relative to sea lanes between
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake
Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions
@Chile:People
Population: 15,153,797 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 2,137,826; female 2,044,546)
15-64 years: 65% (male 4,919,060; female 4,958,030)
65 years and over: 7% (male 453,234; female 641,101) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.17% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 17.19 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 5.52 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 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: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.74 years
male: 72.43 years
female: 79.22 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean
Ethnic groups: white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL
Languages: Spanish
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.2%
male: 95.4%
female: 95% (1995 est.)
@Chile:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile
Data code: CI
Government type: republic
Capital: Santiago
Administrative divisions: 13 regions (regiones, singular - region);
Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania,
Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los
Lagos, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region
Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30
July 1989 and in 1993
Legal system: based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and
subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; does not accept
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March 2000);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March
2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 12 December 1999, with runoff election held 16
January 2000 (next to be held NA December 2005)
election results: Ricardo LAGOS Escobar elected president; percent of
vote - Ricardo LAGOS Escobar 51.32%, Joaquin LAVIN 48.68%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
consists of the Senate or Senado (48 seats, 38 elected by popular vote
and 10 appointed (all former presidents are senators for life);
members serve eight-year terms - one-half elected every four years)
and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 11 December 1997 (next to be held NA
December 2001); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 1997 (next
to be held NA December 2001)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - CPD (PDC 14, PS 4, PPD 2), UPP 17 (RN 7, UDI 10), Chile 2000
(UCCP) 1, independents 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
party - CPD 50.55% (PDC 22.98%, PS 11.10%, PPD 12.55%, PRSD 3.13%),
UPP 36.23% (RN 16.78%, UDI 14.43%); seats by party - CPD 70 (PDC 39,
PPD 16, PRSD 4, PS 11), UPP 46 (RN 24, UDI 21, Party of the South 1),
right-wing independents 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema, judges are appointed
by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates
provided by the court itself, the president of the Supreme Court is
elected by the 21-member court; Constitutional Tribunal
Political parties and leaders: Chile 2000 - main party is UCCP
; Christian Democratic Party or PDC
; Coalition of Parties for Democracy
("Concertacion") or CPD - including PDC, PS,
PPD, PRSD; Independent Democratic Union or UDI ;
National Renewal or RN ; Party for Democracy or PPD
; Party of the South or PS ; Progressive
Center-Center Union or UCCP ; Radical
Social Democratic Party or PRSD ; Socialist Party or PS
; Union for the Progress of Chile ("Alliance for
Chile") or UPP - including RN and UDI
Political pressure groups and leaders: revitalized university student
federations at all major universities; Roman Catholic Church; United
Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five
largest labor confederations
International organization participation: APEC, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mario ARTAZA
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: (202) 785-1746
FAX: (202) 887-5579
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John O'LEARY
embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: (2) 232-2600
FAX: (2) 330-3710
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red;
there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the
hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white
five-pointed star in the center; design was based on the US flag
@Chile:Economy