capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal
products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 467.7 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.52% hydro: 25.66%
other: 16.82% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 6.158 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 735 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 6.458 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine
grapes; livestock products
Exports: $7.85 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, steel products,
chemicals, rubber products, glass
Exports - partners: EU 85% (Germany 24%, France 21%, Belgium 13%), US 4%
(2000)
Imports: $10.25 billion (c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities: minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer
goods
Imports - partners: EU 88% (Belgium 37%, Germany 25%, France 13%), US 4%
(2000)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $160 million (1999)
Currency: euro (EUR); Luxembourg franc (LUF) 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; LUF
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175
(2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Luxembourg francs per US dollar -
34.77 (January 1999), 36.299 (1998), 35.774 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Luxembourg
Telephones - main lines in use: 314,700 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 215,741 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed, completely
automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables domestic: nationwide
cellular telephone system; buried cable international: 3 channels leased
on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Radios: 285,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1999)
Televisions: 285,000 (1998 est.)
Internet country code: .lu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 8 (2000)
Internet users: 100,000 (2001)
Transportation Luxembourg
Railways: total: 274 km standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km
electrified) (2001)
Highways: 5,166 km (including 118 km of expressways) unpaved: Waterways:
37 km (on the Moselle)
Pipelines: petroleum products 48 km
Ports and harbors: Mertert
Merchant marine: total: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,487,752
GRT/2,123,579 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, chemical tanker 13, container 8,
liquefied gas 19, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 6
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Belgium 21, Finland 3, France 8, Germany 10, Monaco 1,
Netherlands 3, Norway 1, United Kingdom 9, United States 3 (2002 est.)
Airports: 2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Luxembourg
Military branches: Army, Grand Ducal Police
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 113,557 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 93,429
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 2,565
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $147.8 million (FY01/02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.8% (FY01/02)
Transnational Issues Luxembourg
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Libya
Introduction
Libya
Background: Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu
Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination
of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International
Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds
during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya,
even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of
Marxism and capitalism. Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the
prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad
was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased
after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended
in April 1999.
Geography Libya
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N, 17 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1,759,540 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 1,759,540 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: total: 4,348 km border countries: Algeria 982 km,
Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline: 1,770 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 NM note: Gulf of Sidra closing
line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m highest point:
Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting
one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues: desertification; very limited natural
fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest
water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water
from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: more
than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
People Libya
Population: 5,368,585 note: includes 662,669 non-nationals, of which
an estimated 500,000 or more are Africans living in Libya (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (male 958,243; female 917,940) 15-64
years: 61% (male 1,694,986; female 1,581,400) 65 years and over: 4%
(male 105,500; female 110,516) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.41% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 27.59 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 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: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 78.11 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 3.57 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.05% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Libyan(s) adjective: Libyan
Ethnic groups: Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians,
Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians
Religions: Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the
major cities
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 76.2% male: 87.9% female: 63% (1995 est.)
Government Libya
Country name: conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya
none local long form:
Government type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed
by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Capital: Tripoli
Administrative divisions: 25 municipalities (baladiyat, singular -
baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al
Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az
Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha,
Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan; note -
the 25 municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions
Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy)
National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
Legal system: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law;
separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar
Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note - holds no official
title, but is de facto chief of state elections: national elections are
indirect through a hierarchy of people's committees; head of government
elected by the General People's Congress; election last held 2 March 2000
(next to be held NA) election results: Mubarak al-SHAMEKH elected premier;
percent of General People's Congress vote - NA% cabinet: General People's
Committee established by the General People's Congress head of government:
(since 2 March 2000)
Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats;
members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: various Arab nationalist movements
with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely,
as well as some Islamic elements
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF,
AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAU,
OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Libya does not have an embassy in
the US
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US suspended all embassy
activities in Tripoli on 2 May 1980
Flag description: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam
(the state religion)
Economy Libya
Economy - overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon
revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export
earnings and about one-quarter of GDP. These oil revenues and a small
population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but
little of this income flows down to the lower orders of society. Import
restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to periodic
shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. The nonoil manufacturing and
construction sectors, which account for about 20% of GDP, have expanded
from processing mostly agricultural products to include the production
of petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Climatic conditions and
poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about
75% of its food. Higher oil prices in 1999 and 2000 led to an increase
in export revenues, which improved macroeconomic balances and helped
to stimulate the economy. The suspension of UN sanctions in 1999 also
boosted growth. Libya's January 2002 51% devaluation of the official
exchange rate of the dinar is another fiscal plus, although it will also
bring higher inflation.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $40 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 47% services: 46%
(1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.6% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 1.5 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 54%, industry 29%, agriculture 17%
(1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $9.3 billion expenditures: $9.2 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 19.4 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 18.042 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables,
peanuts, soybeans; cattle
Exports: $13.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products
Exports - partners: Italy 42%, Germany 19%, Spain 13%, Turkey 6%,
France 4%, Switzerland 3%, Tunisia 2% (2000)
Imports: $8.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured
goods
Imports - partners: Italy 25%, Germany 10%, UK 8%, France 7%, Tunisia
7%, South Korea 4% (2000)
Debt - external: $4.7 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $7 million (1999 est.)
Currency: Libyan dinar (LYD)
Currency code: LYD
Exchange rates: Libyan dinars per US dollar - 0.6501 (December 2001),
0.6501 (2001), 0.5403 (2000), 0.5403 (1999), 0.3785 (1998), 0.3891 (1997);
market rate for Libyan dinars per US dollar - 1.55 (January 2002) note:
Libya devalued its official rate for foreign trade on 1 January 2002 to
21.30 dinars per US dollar; the previous official rate was 0.63 dinar
per US dollar (Dec 2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Libya
Telephones - main lines in use: 380,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: telecommunications system is
being modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in
1996 domestic: and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
international: submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave radio
relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant
in Medarabtel (1999)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 4, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios: 1.35 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1998)
Televisions: 730,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ly
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 20,000 (2001)
Transportation Libya
Railways: note: Libya has had no railroad in operation since 1965, all
previous systems having been dismantled; current plans are to construct
a 1.435-m standard-gauge line from the Tunisian frontier to Tripoli
and Misratah, then inland to Sabha, center of a mineral-rich area, but
there has been little progress; other plans made jointly with Egypt would
establish a rail line from As Sallum, Egypt, to Tobruk with completion
originally set for mid-1994; Libya signed contracts with two private
companies - Bahne of Egypt and Jez Sistemas Ferroviarios of Spain -
in 1998 for the supply of crossings and pointwork (2001)
Highways: total: 24,484 km paved: 6,798 km unpaved: 17,686 km note:
data for the length of unpaved roads include the assumption that because
they were listed as secondary roads, they are unpaved; some may be paved
and some part of the primary roads may not be paved (1996)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km (includes
liquefied petroleum gas or LPG 256 km); natural gas 1,947 km
Ports and harbors: Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah,
Misratah, Ra's Lanuf, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zuwarah
Merchant marine: total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 209,000
GRT/278,277 DWT ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquefied
gas 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 4
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Algeria 1, Kuwait 1, United Arab Emirates 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 136 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 58 over 3,047 m: 23 2,438 to
3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
Airports - with unpaved runways: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: Heliports: 1
(2001)
Military Libya
Military branches: Armed Peoples on Duty (Army), Navy, Air and Air
Defense Command (includes Air Force)
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,503,647 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 890,783
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 61,694
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.3 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.9% (FY99/00)
Transnational Issues Libya
Disputes - international: Chadian rebels from Aozou region reside
in Libya; Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in Niger as well as part of
southeastern Algeria in currently dormant disputes
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Madagascar
Introduction
Madagascar
Background: Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French
colony in 1886, but regained its independence in 1960. During 1992-93,
free presidential and National Assembly elections were held, ending 17
years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race,
Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned
to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between
the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing
secession of half of the country. In April 2002 the High Constitutional
Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner.
Geography Madagascar
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 47 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 587,040 sq km water: 5,500 sq km land: 581,540 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 4,828 km
Maritime claims: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: Climate: tropical
along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point:
Maromokotro 2,876 m
Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz,
tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 1% other: 95% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 10,900 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic cyclones
Environment - current issues: soil erosion results from deforestation
and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw
sewage and other organic wastes; several species of flora and fauna
unique to the island are endangered
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location
along Mozambique Channel
People Madagascar
Population: 16,473,477 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 3,713,700; female 3,696,478) 15-64
years: 51.8% (male 4,227,931; female 4,313,940) 65 years and over: 3.2%
(male 241,699; female 279,729) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.03% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 42.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 12.15 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 81.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 58.11 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 11,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 870 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Malagasy (singular and plural) adjective: Malagasy
Ethnic groups: Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers
(mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka,
Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran
Religions: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
Languages: French (official), Malagasy (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 80% male: 88% female: 73% (1990 est.)
Government Madagascar
Country name: Republic of Madagascar conventional short form: long
form: Republique de Madagascar
Government type: republic
Capital: Antananarivo
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo,
Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 June (1960)
Constitution: 19 August 1992 by national referendum
Legal system: based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6
May 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last
held 16 December 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006); prime minister
appointed by the president from a list of candidates nominated by the
National Assembly election results: percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA
(AREMA) 40.89%, Marc RAVALOMANANA 46.21%; note - on 29 April 2002,
the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner by just
over 50% after a recount; RATSIRIKA's prime minister was put under house
arrest on 27 May 2002, and SYLLA was appointed the new prime minister
by President RAVALOMANANA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
(150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms); note - the legislature is scheduled to become a
bicameral Parliament with the establishment of a Senate; two-thirds of
the seats of this Senate will be filled by regional assemblies whose
members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of the
seats will be appointed by the president; the total number of seats will
be determined by the National Assembly; all members will serve four-year
terms elections: election results: National Assembly - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - AREMA 63, LEADER/Fanilo 16, AVI 14,
RPSD 11, AFFA 6, MFM 3, AKFM/Fanavaozana 3, GRAD/Iloafo 1, Fihaonana 1,
independents 32
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional
Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle