Gabriel MONTALVO telephone: Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
R. James "Jim" NICHOLSON embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane
26, 00162 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box F, APO AE 09624 telephone:
[39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 5758346
Flag description: two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white
with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in
the white band
Economy Holy See (Vatican City)
Economy - overview: This unique, noncommercial economy is supported
financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholics
throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos,
fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications. The incomes
and living standards of lay workers are comparable to, or somewhat better
than, those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services
NA%; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers
live outside the Vatican
Budget: revenues: $209.6 million expenditures: $198.5 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Industries: printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and
staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear:
NA% other: NA%
Electricity - consumption: NA kWh
Electricity - imports: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy
Economic aid - recipient: none
Currency: euro (EUR); Italian lira (ITL)
Currency code: EUR; ITL
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175
(2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Vatican lire per US dollar - 2,099
(2000), 1817.2 (1999), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997); note - the Vatican
lira is at par with the Italian lira; the Vatican started using euros in
2002 in conjunction with Italy at a fixed rate of 1,936.17 lire per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Holy See (Vatican City)
Telephones - main lines in use: NA
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: automatic exchange domestic:
tied into Italian system international: uses Italian system
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1996)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .va
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Internet users: NA
Transportation Holy See (Vatican City)
Railways: total: 0.86 km standard gauge: 0.86 km 1.435-m gauge note:
a spur of the Italian Railways system, serving Rome's Saint Peter's
station (2001 est.)
Highways: none; all city streets
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: none (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Holy See (Vatican City)
Military branches: Swiss Guards Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera)
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal
Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security
and protect the Pope
Transnational Issues Holy See (Vatican City)
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Namibia
Introduction
Namibia
Background: South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa
during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World
War II when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West
Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war
of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was
not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in
accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Independence came
in 1990.
Geography Namibia
Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Angola and South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 17 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 825,418 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 825,418 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries: total: 3,936 km border countries: Angola 1,376 km,
Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline: 1,572 km
Maritime claims: 200 NM territorial sea: Climate: desert; hot, dry;
rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert
in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Konigstein 2,606 m
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium,
cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish note:
suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 70 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: prolonged periods of drought
Environment - current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources;
desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few
conservation areas
Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: first country in the world to incorporate the
protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land
is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip
People Namibia
Population: 1,820,916 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: 42.6% (male 392,706; female 382,690) 15-64
years: 53.7% (male 490,151; female 488,052) 65 years and over: 3.7%
(male 29,345; female 37,972) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.19% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 34.17 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 22.28 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: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77
male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 72.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 37.07 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 19.54% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 160,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 18,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Namibian(s) adjective: Namibian
Ethnic groups: black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5% note: about 50% of
the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe;
other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%,
Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%
Religions: Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous
beliefs 10% to 20%
Languages: English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most
of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
indigenous languages: Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write total population: 38% male: 45% female: 31% (1960 est.)
Government Namibia
Country name: Republic of Namibia conventional short form: Government
type: republic
Capital: Windhoek
Administrative divisions: 13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas,
Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto,
Otjozondjupa
Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA (since
21 March 1990); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government head of government: President Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA
(since 21 March 1990); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from
among the members of the National Assembly elections: president elected
by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 30 November-1
December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Sam Shafishuna
NUJOMA elected president; percent of vote - Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA 77%
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the National
Council (26 seats; two members are chosen from each regional council to
serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National
Council - elections for regional councils, to determine members of the
National Council, held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held by
December 2004); National Assembly - last held 30 November-1 December 1999
(next to be held by December 2004) note: the National Council is primarily
an advisory body election results: National Council - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - SWAPO 21, DTA 4, UDF 1; National Assembly -
percent of vote by party - SWAPO 76%, COD 10%, DTA 9%, UDF 3%, MAG 1%,
other 1%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 7, DTA 7, UDF 2, MAG 1,
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on
the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)
Political parties and leaders: Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA];
Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA,
president]; Monitor Action Group or MAG [Kosie PRETORIUS]; South West
Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United
Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU,
OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard
Nangolo IIPUMBU chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20009 FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443 telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Kevin J. McGUIRE embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek
mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek telephone:
[264] (61) 221601 FAX: [264] (61) 229792
Flag description: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills
the upper left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the
lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that
is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders
Economy Namibia
Economy - overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction
and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of
GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in
Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Rich alluvial
diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds.
Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver,
and tungsten. About half of the population depends on agriculture
(largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood. Namibia must
import some of its food. Although per capita GDP is five times the per
capita GDP of Africa's poorest countries, the majority of Namibia's
people live in pronounced poverty because of large-scale unemployment,
the great inequality of income distribution, and the large amount of
wealth going to foreigners. The Namibian economy has close links to South
Africa. Agreement has been reached on the privatization of several more
enterprises in coming years, which should stimulate long-run foreign
investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11% industry: 28% services:
61% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.8% (2001)
Labor force: 500,000
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 47%, industry 20%, services 33%
(1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% to 40%, including underemployment (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $883 million expenditures: $950 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1998)
Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining
(diamond, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - production: 30 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2% other: 0% (2000)
hydro: 98% nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 890.9 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 863 million kWh note: supplied by South Africa
(2000)
Agriculture - products: millet, sorghum, peanuts; livestock; fish
Exports: $1.58 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium;
cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
Exports - partners: UK 43%, South Africa 26%, Spain 14%, France 8%,
Japan (1998 est.)
Imports: $1.71 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery
and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners: South Africa 81%, US 4%, Germany 2% (1997 est.)
Debt - external: $217 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $127 million (1998)
Currency: Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR)
Currency code: NAD; ZAR
Exchange rates: Namibian dollars per US dollar - 11.58786 (January 2002),
8.60918 (2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796
(1997)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Namibia
Telephones - main lines in use: 110,200 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 82,000 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones
for each 100 persons domestic: good urban services; fair rural service;
microwave radio relay links major towns; connections to other populated
places are by open wire; 100% digital international: fiber-optic cable
to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South African
Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa; satellite earth
stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios: 232,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters)
(1997)
Televisions: 60,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .na
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 30,000 (2001)
Transportation Namibia
Railways: total: 2,382 km narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2001)
Highways: total: 64,800 km paved: 5,378 km unpaved: 59,430 km (2001)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Luderitz, Walvis Bay
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 137 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 22 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047
m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: 21 914 to 1,523 m: Military Namibia
Military branches: National Defense Force (Army, including Air Wing),
Police
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 436,642 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 260,879
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $104.4 million (2001)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.6% (FY97/98)
Transnational Issues Namibia
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
West Bank
Introduction West Bank
Background: The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13
September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five
years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers
and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the
Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the
interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A
transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho
took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on
the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West
Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the
Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron,
the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September
1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain
responsibility during the transitional period for external security
and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israeli
citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza
and West Bank had begun in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus,
but have been derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September
2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian
Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement.
Geography West Bank
Location: Middle East, west of Jordan
Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 35 15 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 5,860 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient,
and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus;
East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as
a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 water:
220 sq km land: 5,640 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries: total: 404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan
97 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude,
warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain: mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west,
but barren in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Tall
Asur 1,022 m
Natural resources: arable land
Land use: arable land: NEGL% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: droughts
Environment - current issues: adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage
treatment
Geography - note: landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for
Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 231 Israeli settlements and
civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem
(August 2001 est.)
People West Bank
Population: 2,163,667 (July 2002 est.) note: in addition, there are
about 182,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and about 176,000 in
East Jerusalem (August 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.4% (male 492,446; female 468,321) 15-64
years: 52% (male 575,282; female 550,793) 65 years and over: 3.6%
(male 33,163; female 43,662) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.39% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 34.94 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 74.29 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 4.77 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: NA adjective: NA
Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Religions: Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and
other 8%
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many
Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government West Bank
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
West Bank
Economy West Bank
Economy - overview: Economic output in the West Bank is governed
by the Paris Economic Protocol of April 1994 between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority. Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and
Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996
due to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid
population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the
result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures
in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor
and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The
most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment;
unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by
1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures
during the next five years decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new
policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures
on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled
an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended
in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of Palestinian violence,
which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas
and severely disrupted trade and labor movements. In 2001, and even
more severely in 2002, internal turmoil and Israeli military measures
in Palestinian Authority areas have resulted in the destruction of much
capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures,
and a sharp drop in GDP. Another major loss has been the decline in
earnings of Palestinian workers in Israel.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -35% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9% industry: 28% services:
63% note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13%
(1996)
Unemployment rate: 26% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $930 million note: includes Gaza Strip (2000 est.)
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $15 million
Industries: generally small family businesses that produce cement,
textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs;
the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in
the settlements and industrial centers
Industrial production growth rate: NA%