Budget: revenues: $499 million expenditures: $554 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances,
mining (manganese), chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2000)
Electricity - production: 7.404 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 20.99% hydro: 79.01%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 7.886 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 200 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 1.2 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: citrus, grapes, tea, vegetables, potatoes;
livestock
Exports: $450 million (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports;
citrus fruits, tea, wine, other agricultural products
Exports - partners: Turkey 22.3%, Russia 20.6%, Germany 10.4%, Azerbaijan
6.3%, Armenia 4%, US 2.2% (2000)
Imports: $723 million (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment,
grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners: EU 23.8%, Turkey 16%, Russia 12.8%, US 10.1%,
Germany 7.9% (2000)
Debt - external: $1.7 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $212.7 million (1995)
Currency: lari (GEL)
Currency code: GEL
Exchange rates: lari per US dollar - 2.1888 (January 2002), 2.0730
(2001), 1.9762 (2000), 2.0245 (1999), 1.3898 (1998), 1.2975 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Georgia
Telephones - main lines in use: 620,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 185,500 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: local - T'bilisi
and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone networks; urban telephone density
is about 20 per 100 people; rural telephone density is about 4 per 100
people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi
and K'ut'aisi; nationwide pager service is available international:
Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and
Sochi (Russia); present international service is available by microwave,
landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international
electronic mail and telex service are available
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 3.02 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
Televisions: 2.57 million (1997)
Internet country code: .ge
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)
Internet users: 20,000 (2000)
Transportation Georgia
Railways: total: 1,583 km in common carrier service; does not include
industrial lines broad gauge: 1,546 km 1.520-m gauge narrow gauge:
37 km 0.912-m gauge (2000 est.)
Highways: total: 33,900 km paved: 29,500 km (includes some all-weather
gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved: 4,400 km (these roads are made of
unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440 km
(1992)
Ports and harbors: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Merchant marine: total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 210,620
GRT/288,565 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 46, container 5, petroleum
tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Belize 1, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1,
Ecuador 1, Egypt 4, Gibraltar 1, Greece 5, Jordan 1, Latvia 1, Liberia 1,
Malta 1, Panama 9, Romania 8, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 5, Turkey 2, Ukraine
7, United Arab Emirates 11, United Kingdom 1, United States 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 31 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047
m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524
to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 6 (2001) 914 to 1,523 m: 4
Transportation - note: transportation network is in poor condition
resulting from ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages;
network lacks maintenance and repair
Military Georgia
Military branches: Ground Forces (includes National Guard), combined
Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Forces, Republic Security and Police
Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,300,259 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,027,407
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 41,561
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $23 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.59% (FY00)
Military - note: a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed
in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer
group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Transnational Issues Georgia
Disputes - international: Chechen and other insurgents transit Pankisi
Gorge to infiltrate Akhmeti region; boundary with Russia has been largely
delimited, but not demarcated; several small, strategic segments remain
in dispute
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly
for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via
Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Ghana
Introduction
Ghana
Background: Formed from the merger of the British colony of the
Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became
the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long
series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981
and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring
multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS, head
of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but
was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000.
He was succeeded by John KUFUOR.
Geography Ghana
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote
d'Ivoire and Togo
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 239,460 sq km land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 2,094 km border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km,
Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast;
hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Mount Afadjato 880 m
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese,
fish, rubber, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 16% permanent crops: 7% other: 77% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 110 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from
January to March; droughts
Environment - current issues: recurrent drought in north severely
affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water
pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
People Ghana
Population: 20,244,154 note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result
in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40.4% (male 4,116,600; female 4,063,654)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 5,625,397; female 5,723,786) 65 years and over:
3.5% (male 338,352; female 376,365) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.7% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 28.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 10.31 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.74 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: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 55.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 58.51 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 3.69 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.6% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 340,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 33,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic groups: black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%,
Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and
other 1.5% (1998)
Religions: indigenous beliefs 21%, Muslim 16%, Christian 63%
Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write male: 75.9%
female: 53.5% (1995 est.) total population: 64.5%
People - note: there are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and
1,000 Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002)
Government Ghana
Country name: Republic of Ghana conventional short form: Government
type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Accra
Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central,
Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Constitution: new constitution approved 28 April 1992
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7
January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001);
Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet:
Parliament elections: president and vice president elected on the same
ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 and 28
December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results: John
Agyekum KUFUOR elected president in runoff election; percent of vote -
John KUFUOR 56.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.6%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (200 seats; members are elected
by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held
7 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 100, NDC 92, PNC 3,
CPP 1, independents 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii
Noi DOWUONA, general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE
[Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan
LARTY]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National
Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary]; New
Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's Convention
Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman]; People's Heritage
Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; People's National Convention
or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP,
UNMOT, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador Alan J. KYEREMATEN
consulate(s) general: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Nancy J. POWELL embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra mailing
address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 776601, 776602 FAX:
[233] (21) 775747
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow,
and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow
band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the
flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
Economy Ghana
Economy - overview: Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has
roughly twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West
Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international
financial and technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production
are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues
to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 36% of GDP
and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Excessively
expansionary monetary and fiscal policy prior to the 2000 elections led
to accelerating inflation in early 2001. A depressed cocoa market and
continued weak growth in non-traditional exports led to disappointing
growth in 2001. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted
Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $39.4 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,980 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 36% industry: 25% services:
39% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 31.4% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 29.5% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 39.6 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 9 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25%
(1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.603 billion expenditures: $1.975 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting,
food processing
Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 5.92 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 30.41% hydro: 69.59%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 5.484 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 422 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 400 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts,
corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Exports: $1.94 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum,
manganese ore, diamonds
Exports - partners: Togo, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, US, France
(1998)
Imports: $2.83 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: UK, Nigeria, US, Germany, Italy, Spain (1998)
Debt - external: $5.96 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $6.9 billion (1999)
Currency: cedi (GHC)
Currency code: GHC
Exchange rates: cedis per US dollar - 7,195 (January 2002), 7,170.76
(2001), 5,455.06 (2000), 2,669.30 (1999), 2,314.15 (1998), 2,050.17 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Ghana
Telephones - main lines in use: 240,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 150,000 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet
accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of
services is underway domestic: international: satellite earth stations
- 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel
system connects Ghana to its neighbors
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios: 12.5 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations: 10 (2001)
Televisions: 1.9 million (2001)
Internet country code: .gh
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 12 (2000)
Internet users: 200,000 (2002)
Transportation Ghana
Railways: total: 953 km narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge; undergoing
major rehabilitation (2001 est.)
Highways: 9,346 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: Waterways:
1,293 km note: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial
navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of
arterial and feeder waterways
Pipelines: 0 km
Ports and harbors: Takoradi, Tema
Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,450
GRT/22,097 DWT ships by type: petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo
5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag
of convenience: Brazil 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1
(2002 est.)
Airports: 12 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to
2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to
1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2001)
Military Ghana
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,045,355 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,799,292
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 213,237
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $35.2 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.7% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Ghana
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug
trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and,
to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Gibraltar
Introduction
Gibraltar
Background: Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great
Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was
formally declared a colony in 1830. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians
ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British
dependency. Spain and the UK are discussing the issue of Gibraltar and
have set the goal of reaching an agreement by mid-2002.
Geography Gibraltar
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar,
which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the
southern coast of Spain
Geographic coordinates: 36 8 N, 5 21 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 sq km
Area - comparative: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km
Coastline: 12 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point:
Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: limited natural freshwater resources:
large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no
longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant
Geography - note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links
the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
People Gibraltar
Population: 27,714 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.5% (male 2,633; female 2,509) 15-64 years:
66.3% (male 9,456; female 8,907) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 1,803;
female 2,406) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.23% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 11.19 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 82.25 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar
Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese
Religions: Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%,
Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)
Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish,
Italian, Portuguese, Russian
Literacy: definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female:
NA%
Government Gibraltar
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Gibraltar
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Government type: NA
Capital: Gibraltar
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: National Day, 10 September (1964); note - day of
the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go
with Spain
Constitution: 30 May 1969
Legal system: English law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have
been residents six months or more
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief David DURIE (since
5 April 2000); note - DURIE was appointed in February 2000 but took
office in April 2000 elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor
appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor head of
government: Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the
House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15
elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex
officio members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held
10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of
vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter
CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar
Representatives Organization; Women's Association
International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of
the UK)
Flag description: two horizontal bands of white (top, double width)
and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band;
hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
Economy Gibraltar