total: 2,859 km (508 km privately owned and operated)
standard gauge: 2,859 km 1.435-m gauge (600 km electrified; 760 km
double track) (1998)
Highways:
total: 71,437 km
paved: 71,437 km (including 843 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 417 km
Pipelines: crude oil 110 km; petroleum products 578 km; natural gas
700 km
Ports and harbors: Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia,
Grena, Koge, Odense, Struer
Merchant marine:
total: 336 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,190,227 GRT/6,815,128
DWT
ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 132, chemical tanker 22, container 70,
liquified gas 26, livestock carrier 6, petroleum tanker 24, rail car
carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 13, roll-on/roll-off 19, short-sea
passenger 8, specialized tanker 3 (1999 est.)
note: Denmark has created its own internal register, called the Danish
International Ship register (DIS); DIS ships do not have to meet
Danish manning regulations, and they amount to a flag of convenience
within the Danish register (1998 est.)
Airports: 118 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 90
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 82 (1999 est.)
@Denmark:Military
Military branches: Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish
Air Force, Home Guard
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,299,250 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,113,378 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 30,471 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2.822 billion (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (FY98)
@Denmark:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving
Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a
boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
______________________________________________________________________
DJIBOUTI
@Djibouti:Introduction
Background: The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became
Djibouti in 1977. A peace accord in 1994 ended a three-year uprising
by Afars rebels.
@Djibouti:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea,
between Eritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 11 30 N, 43 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 22,000 sq km
land: 21,980 sq km
water: 20 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 508 km
border countries: Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km
Coastline: 314 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: desert; torrid, dry
Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m
Natural resources: geothermal areas
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 91% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic
disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water;
desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: strategic location near world's busiest shipping
lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into
Ethiopia; mostly wasteland
@Djibouti:People
Population: 451,442 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 96,482; female 96,025)
15-64 years: 55% (male 130,264; female 116,270)
65 years and over: 2% (male 6,426; female 5,975) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.45% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 40.98 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 14.87 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -11.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 103.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.82 years
male: 49.01 years
female: 52.68 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
Ethnic groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and
Italian 5%
Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 46.2%
male: 60.3%
female: 32.7% (1995 est.)
@Djibouti:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
Data code: DJ
Government type: republic
Capital: Djibouti
Administrative divisions: 5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle);
'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
Independence: 27 June 1977 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Constitution: multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4
September 1992
Legal system: based on French civil law system, traditional practices,
and Islamic law
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: President GUELLEH Ismail Omar (since NA 1999);
head of government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30
September 1978)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 9 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: GUELLEH Ismail Omar elected president; percent of
vote - GUELLEH Ismail Omar 74.4%, IDRIS Moussa Ahmed 25.6%
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des
Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year
terms)
elections: last held 19 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - RPP 65; note - RPP
(the ruling party) dominated the election
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders: Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN
Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD ;
People's Progress Assembly or RPP - the
governing party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Front for the Restoration of
Unity and Democracy or FRUD and affiliates; Movement for Unity and
Democracy or MUD
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Olhaye Oudine ROBLE
chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: (202) 331-0270
FAX: (202) 331-0302
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lange SCHERMERHORN
embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
telephone: 35 39 95
FAX: 35 39 40
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and
light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
bearing a red five-pointed star in the center
@Djibouti:Economy
Economy - overview: The economy is based on service activities
connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free
trade zone in northeast Africa. Two-thirds of the inhabitants live in
the capital city, the remainder being mostly nomadic herders. Scanty
rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most
food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit
port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling
center. It has few natural resources and little industry. The nation
is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support
its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An
unemployment rate of 40% to 50% continues to be a major problem.
Inflation is not a concern, however, because of the fixed tie of the
franc to the US dollar. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated
35% over the last seven years because of recession, civil war, and a
high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Also,
renewed fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea has disturbed normal
external channels of commerce. Faced with a multitude of economic
difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term
external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of
foreign aid donors.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $550 million (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,200 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 20%
services: 77% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 282,000
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry 11%, services
14% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: 40%-50% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $156 million
expenditures: $175 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)
Industries: limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy
products and mineral-water bottling
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production: 177 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 165 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels
Exports: $260 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
Exports - partners: Somalia 53%, Yemen 23%, Ethiopia 5%, (1998)
Imports: $440 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment,
chemicals, petroleum products
Imports - partners: France 13%, Ethiopia 12%, Italy 9%, Saudi Arabia
6%, UK 6% (1998)
Debt - external: $350 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $106.3 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1 - 177.721 (fixed rate
since 1973)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Djibouti:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 8,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are
adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying
areas of the country
domestic: microwave radio relay network
international: submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles,
Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay
telephone network
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 52,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 5 low-power repeaters) (1998)
Televisions: 28,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
@Djibouti:Transportation
Railways:
total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
note: Djibouti and Ethiopia plan to revitalize the century-old
railroad that links their capitals by 2003
Highways:
total: 2,890 km
paved: 364 km
unpaved: 2,526 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Djibouti
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 12 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)
@Djibouti:Military
Military branches: Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air
Force)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 106,287 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 62,496 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $23 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.5% (FY97)
@Djibouti:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
DOMINICA
@Dominica:Introduction
Background: Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be
colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the
native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which
made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after
independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and
tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia
CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who
remained in office for 15 years.
@Dominica:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad
and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 754 sq km
land: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than four times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 148 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 67%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive
hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Dominica:People
Population: 71,540 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 10,556; female 10,254)
15-64 years: 63% (male 23,151; female 21,984)
65 years and over: 8% (male 2,294; female 3,301) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.14% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 18.27 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -22.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.35 years
male: 70.5 years
female: 76.36 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups: black, Carib Amerindian
Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%,
Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none
2%, other 6%
Languages: English (official), French patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (1970 est.)
@Dominica:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Data code: DO
Government type: parliamentary democracy; republic within the
Commonwealth
Capital: Roseau
Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David,
Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint
Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution: 3 November 1978
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vernon Lorden SHAW (since 7 October 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS (since 2 February
2000)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime
minister
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year
term; election last held 7 October 1998 (next to be held NA October
2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vernon Lorden SHAW elected president; percent of
legislative vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9
appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote representatives;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPD
10, UWP 9, DFP 2
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (located in Saint
Lucia), one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over
the Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles
SAVARIN]; Labor Party of Dominica or LPD ; United
Workers Party or UWP
Political pressure groups and leaders: Dominica Liberation Movement or
DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in
Dominica)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: (202) 364-6781
FAX: (202) 364-6791
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown,
Barbados
Flag description: green, with a centered cross of three equal bands -
the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the
horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the
center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled
by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars
represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
@Dominica:Economy
Economy - overview: The economy depends on agriculture and is highly
vulnerable to climatic conditions, notably tropical storms.
Agriculture, primarily bananas, accounts for 21% of GDP and employs
40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry remains
difficult because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the
lack of an international airport. Hurricane Luis devastated the
country's banana crop in September 1995; tropical storms had wiped out
one-quarter of the crop in 1994 as well. The economy's recovery
continued in 1998, fueled by increases in construction, soap
production, and tourist arrivals. The government is attempting to
develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the
island's production base.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $225 million (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1998 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,400 (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21%
industry: 16%
services: 63% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.1% (1998)
Labor force: 25,000
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry and commerce
32%, services 28%
Unemployment rate: 20% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $72 million
expenditures: $79.9 million, including capital expenditures of $11.5
million (FY97/98)
Industries: soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement
blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 40 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 50%
hydro: 50%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 37 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops,
coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Exports: $60.8 million (1998)
Exports - commodities: bananas 50%, soap, bay oil, vegetables,
grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners: Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.)
Imports: $120.4 million (1998)
Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment,
food, chemicals
Imports - partners: US 41%, Caricom countries 25%, UK 13%,
Netherlands, Canada (1996 est.)
Debt - external: $90 million (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $24.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed
rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Dominica:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 18,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system:
domestic: fully automatic network
international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to
Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint
Lucia
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 46,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (however, there is one cable
television company) (1997)
Televisions: 6,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
@Dominica:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 780 km
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Portsmouth, Roseau
Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)
Airports: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1999 est.)
@Dominica:Military
Military branches: Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes
Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
@Dominica:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and
Europe; minor cannabis producer; banking industry is vulnerable to
money laundering
______________________________________________________________________
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
@Dominican Republic:Introduction
Background: A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative, rule for
much of the 20th century was brought to an end in 1996 when free and
open elections ushered in a new government.
@Dominican Republic:Geography
Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola,
between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 70 40 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km
water: 350 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
total: 275 km
border countries: Haiti 275 km
Coastline: 1,288 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 6 nm