with growth averaging a robust 9% in 1995-2001. Agriculture, once the
most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts
for 38% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 28% of the labor
force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust
growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending
and recovery in both construction and business investment. Over the past
decade, the Irish government has implemented a series of national economic
programs designed to curb inflation, reduce government spending, increase
labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in
launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10 other
EU nations. The economy felt the impact of the global economic slowdown
in 2001, particularly in the high-tech export sector; the growth rate was
cut by nearly half. Growth in 2002 is expected to fall in the 3%-5% range.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $104.7 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,300 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 38% services: 58%
(2000)
Population below poverty line: 10% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 35.9 (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9% (2001)
Labor force: 1.8 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, industry 28%, agriculture 8%
(2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 4.3% (2001)
Budget: revenues: $34 billion expenditures: $27 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal;
software
Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 22.285 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 94.86% hydro: 3.77%
other: 1.37% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 20.823 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 71 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 169 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat;
beef, dairy products
Exports: $75.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
Exports - partners: EU 63% (UK 20%, Germany 11%, France 8%, Netherlands
6%, Belgium 5%), US 20% (2000)
Imports: $49.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: data processing equipment, other machinery and
equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Imports - partners: EU 61% (UK 33%, Germany 6%, France 5%, Netherlands
4%), US 16%, Japan 4% (2000)
Debt - external: $11 billion (1998)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $283 million (2001)
Currency: euro (EUR); Irish pound (IEP) note: on 1 January 1999, the
European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be
used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002,
the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the
member countries
Currency code: EUR; IEP
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175
(2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Irish pounds per US dollar - 0.7014
(1998), 0.6588 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Ireland
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.59 million (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2 million (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern digital system using cable
and microwave radio relay domestic: microwave radio relay international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 2.55 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)
Televisions: 1.82 million (2001)
Internet country code: .ie
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2000)
Internet users: 1.25 million (2001)
Transportation Ireland
Railways: total: 3,314 km broad gauge: 1,949 km 1.600-m gauge (38 km
electrified; 485 km double-tracked) narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge
(operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations
and briqueting plants) (2001)
Highways: total: 92,500 km paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of
expressways) unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998)
Pipelines: natural gas 7,592 km (transmission 1,158 km; distribution
6,434 km) (2000)
Ports and harbors: Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway,
Limerick, New Ross, Waterford
Merchant marine: total: 26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 110,741
GRT/127,342 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here
as a flag of convenience: Germany 2 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 4,
cargo 20, container 1, short-sea passenger 1
Airports: 41 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047
m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m:
22 (2001)
Military Ireland
Military branches: Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps),
National Police (Garda Siochana)
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,013,739 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 816,744
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 32,287
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $700 million (FY00/01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY00/01)
Transnational Issues Ireland
Disputes - international: disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK
over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from
North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic
drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
Western Europe
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Equatorial Guinea
Introduction
Equatorial Guinea
Background: Composed of a mainland portion and five inhabited islands,
Equatorial Guinea, which gained independence in 1968 after 190 years
of Spanish rule, has been ruled by President OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO since
he seized power in a coup in 1979. Although nominally a constitutional
democracy since 1991, the 1996 presidential and 1999 legislative elections
were widely seen as being flawed.
Geography Equatorial Guinea
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon
and Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 2 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 28,051 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 28,051 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: total: 539 km border countries: Cameroon 189 km,
Gabon 350 km
Coastline: 296 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Pico Basile 3,008 m
Natural resources: oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits
of gold, manganese, uranium
Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 3% other: 92% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: violent windstorms, flash floods
Environment - current issues: tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none
of the selected agreements
Geography - note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated
People Equatorial Guinea
Population: 498,144 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 106,061; female 105,071) 15-64
years: 53.8% (male 128,489; female 139,732) 65 years and over: 3.8%
(male 8,385; female 10,406) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.45% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 37.33 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 12.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 90.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 56.5 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 4.81 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.51% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,100 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 120 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s) adjective:
Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic groups: Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni
(primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Religions: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic,
pagan practices
Languages: Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang,
Bubi, Ibo
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 78.5% male: 89.6% female: 68.1% (1995 est.)
Government Equatorial Guinea
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea local short form: Guinea
Ecuatorial local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial former:
Spanish Guinea
Government type: republic
Capital: Malabo
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia);
Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Independence: 12 October 1968 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Constitution: approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended
January 1995
Legal system: partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal adult
Executive branch: chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro
OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in
a military coup) elections: president elected by popular vote for a
seven-year term; election last held 25 February 1996 (next to be held
NA February 2003); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed
by the president election results: President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
MBASOGO reelected with 98% of the popular vote in elections marred
by widespread fraud cabinet: Prime Minister Candido Muatetema RIVAS
(since 26 February 2001); First Deputy Prime Minister Miguel OYONO NDONG
(since NA January 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Demetrio Elo NDONG NZE FUMU
(since NA January 1998)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of People's Representatives or
Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members directly elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 7 March 1999
(next to be held NA March 2004) election results: percent of vote by party
- PDGE 80%, UP 6%, CPDS 5%; seats by party - PDGE 75, UP 4 and CPDS 1
note: opposition parties have refused to take up their seats in the House
to protest widespread irregularities in the 1999 legislative elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal
Political parties and leaders: Convergence Party for Social Democracy
or CPDS [Placido MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or
PDGE (ruling party) [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]; Party for Progress
of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial
Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP [Andres Moises Bda
ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Victorino Bolekia BONAY];
Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,
CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Teodoro
BIYOGO NSUE chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 FAX:
[1] (202) 528-5252 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
George McDade STAPLES; note - the US does not have an embassy in
Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995); the US ambassador to
Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea; the US State Department is
considering opening a Consulate Agency in Malabo
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white,
and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the
coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow
six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands)
above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a
scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
Economy Equatorial Guinea
Economy - overview: The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves
have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry,
farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence
farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea
counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect
of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential
for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to
reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs
sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since
1993 because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for
concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government
has been unsuccessfully trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management
program with the World Bank and IMF. Businesses, for the most part,
are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped
natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and
alluvial gold. Boosts in production and higher world oil prices stimulated
growth in 2002, with oil accounting for 90% of increased exports.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.04 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20% industry: 60% services:
20% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (2001 est.)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: 30% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $200 million expenditures: $158 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (1994 est.)
Electricity - production: 22 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90.91% hydro: 9.09%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 20.46 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca),
bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Exports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners: China 24%, Japan 7%, US 7%, South Korea 5% (1999)
Imports: $736 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: petroleum sector equipment, manufactured goods
and equipment
Imports - partners: US 60%, France 12%, Spain 8%, Italy 6% (1999)
Debt - external: $225 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $33.8 million (1995)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code: XAF
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US
dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70
(1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the
XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
Fiscal year: 1 January - 31 December
Communications Equatorial Guinea
Telephones - main lines in use: 4,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: poor system with adequate
government services domestic: NA international: international
communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)
Radios: 180,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002)
Televisions: 4,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .gq
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 600 (2000)
Transportation Equatorial Guinea
Railways: total: 0 km
Highways: total: 2,880 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 2,880 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Bata, Luba, Malabo
Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
14,413 GRT/16,251 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Equatorial Guinea
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force,
National Police
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 112,664 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 57,194
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $27.5 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.5% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Equatorial Guinea
Disputes - international: tripartite maritime boundary and economic
zone dispute with Cameroon and Nigeria is currently before the ICJ;
maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty
over islands in Corisco Bay
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Estonia
Introduction
Estonia
Background: After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian
rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into
the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of
the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia
has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe.
Geography Estonia
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland,
between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 59 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea water: Area -
comparative: slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries: total: 633 km border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia
294 km
Coastline: 3,794 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination
with neighboring states territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain: marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Suur
Munamagi 318 m
Natural resources: oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand,
dolomite, arable land, sea mud
Land use: arable land: 27% permanent crops: 0% other: 73% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Environment - current issues: air polluted with sulfur dioxide from
oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of
pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of
2000 were 4.6 times smaller than in 1980; the amount of unpurified
wastewater discharged to water bodies fell 20 times in 2000 compared to
1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants,
the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400
natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas
need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded;
offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
People Estonia
Population: 1,415,681 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.4% (male 118,603; female 114,102) 15-64
years: 68.5% (male 466,882; female 502,343) 65 years and over: 15.1%
(male 70,085; female 143,666) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.52% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 8.96 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 13.44 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 12.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 76.31 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.24 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 500 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian
Ethnic groups: Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Belarusian
1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998)
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox,
Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal,
Word of Life, Jewish
Languages: Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1998 est.)
Government Estonia
Country name: Republic of Estonia conventional short form: local long
form: Eesti Vabariik
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Tallinn
Administrative divisions: 15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond):
Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa
(Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa
(Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla),
Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa
(Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru) note: counties have the administrative center
name following in parentheses
Independence: regained on 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24
February 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 20 August
1991 was the date of reindependence from the Soviet Union
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of
legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens