Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November
to March)
Terrain: mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld);
mountains in east
Elevation extremes: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m highest
point: Natural resources: coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel,
copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 1% other: 91% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,170 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; land
degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd -
once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been
significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to
toxic waste and heavy metal pollution
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Geography - note:
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia;
in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river
forms the world's largest curtain of falling water
People Zimbabwe
Population: 11,376,676 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: 37.9% (male 2,178,073; female 2,128,287)
15-64 years: 58.4% (male 3,376,850; female 3,268,315) 65 years and over:
3.7% (male 213,286; female 211,865) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.05% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 24.59 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 24.06 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is
a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa in search of
better paid employment (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 62.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 35.1 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 3.21 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 25.06% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.5 million (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 160,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Zimbabwean(s) adjective: Zimbabwean
Ethnic groups: African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed
and Asian 1%, white less than 1%
Religions: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%,
Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the
Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write English total population:
Government Zimbabwe
Country name: Republic of Zimbabwe conventional short form: Government
type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Harare
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial
status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland
East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South,
Midlands
Independence: 18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution: 21 December 1979
Legal system: mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel
MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA
(since 31 December 1987) and Joseph MSIKA (since 23 December 1999);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31
December 1987) and Joseph MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House of Assembly
elections: least 10 registered voters (at least one from each province)
and elected by popular vote; election last held 9-11 March 2002 (next
to be held NA March 2006); co-vice presidents appointed by the president
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent of
vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 56.2%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 41.9%
Legislative branch: unicameral parliament, called House of Assembly
(150 seats - 120 elected by popular vote for five-year terms, 12
nominated by the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen
by their peers, and 8 occupied by provincial governors appointed by the
president) elections: last held 24-25 June 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF 47.2%, MDC 45.6%,
ZANU-Ndonga 0.7%, United Parties 0.7%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 63,
MDC 56, ZANU-Ndonga 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders: Movement for Democratic Change or MDC
[Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; Zimbabwe African
National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga [leader NA]; Zimbabwe African
National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE];
Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Paul SIWELA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Constitutional Assembly
or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA,
SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Simbi Veke MUBAKO FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326 telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100
chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Joseph G. SULLIVAN embassy: 172 Herbert
P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone:
Flag description: seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red,
black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged
in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is
superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle
Economy Zimbabwe
Economy - overview: The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety
of difficult economic problems as it struggles to consolidate earlier
moves to develop a market-oriented economy. Its involvement in the
war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, has already
drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy. Badly needed
support from the IMF has been suspended because of the country's failure
to meet budgetary goals. Inflation rose from an annual rate of 32% in
1998 to 59% in 1999, to 60% in 2000, and to 100% by yearend 2001. The
economy is being steadily weakened by excessive government deficits,
AIDS, and rampant inflation. The government's land reform program,
characterized by chaos and violence, has derailed the commercial sector,
the traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider
of 400,000 jobs. Distribution of income is extremely unequal.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $28 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -6.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,450 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11% industry: 14% services:
75% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 60% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 46.9% (1990)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 56.8 (1990-91)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 100% (2001)
Labor force: 5.5 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 24%, industry 10%
(1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 60% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.5 billion expenditures: $2.6 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: mining (coal, gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous
metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals,
fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: -10% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 6.425 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 53.31% hydro: 46.69%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 10.475 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 4.5 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane,
peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs
Exports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: tobacco 30%, gold 11%, ferroalloys 9%,
textile/clothing 3% (2000)
Exports - partners: South Africa 12.1%, UK 8.5%, Japan 7.7%, Germany
6.1%, China 5.4% (2000)
Imports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 34%, other
manufactures 18%, chemicals 17%, fuels 11% (1999)
Imports - partners: South Africa 46.3%, UK 7.2%, Germany 2.5%, US 2.8%,
Japan 2.5% (2000 est.)
Debt - external: $5 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $200 million (2000 est.)
Currency: Zimbabwean dollar (ZWD)
Currency code: ZWD
Exchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars per US dollar - 54.9451 (December
2001), 54.9451 (2001), 43.2900 (2000), 38.3142 (1999), 21.4133 (1998),
11.8906 (1997)
Fiscal year: 1 January - 31 December
Communications Zimbabwe
Telephones - main lines in use: 212,000 (in addition, there are about
20,000 fixed telephones in wireless local loop connections) (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 111,000 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: system was once one of the best
in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000
outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of
installed but unused main lines domestic: consists of microwave radio
relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations,
fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular
network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all
major towns and for some of the smaller ones international: satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges
(in Harare and Gweru)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations),
shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 1.14 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 16 (1997)
Televisions: 370,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .zw
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)
Internet users: 30,000 (1999)
Transportation Zimbabwe
Railways: total: 3,077 km narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge
(313 km electrified; 42 km double-tracked) note: includes the 318 km
Bulawaya-Beitbridge Railway Company line (2001)
Highways: total: 18,338 km paved: 8,692 km unpaved: 9,646 km (2002)
Waterways: chrome ore is transported from Harare - by way of the Mazoe
River - to the Zambezi River in Mozambique
Pipelines: petroleum products 212 km
Ports and harbors: Binga, Kariba
Airports: 454 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047
m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 8 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 437 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to
1,523 m: 209 under 914 m: 224 (2001)
Military Zimbabwe
Military branches: Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe,
Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary
Police)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 3,057,381 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,898,383
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $350.6 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.8% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Zimbabwe
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transit point for African cannabis and South Asian
heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the South African
and European markets
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Pacific Ocean
Introduction
Pacific Ocean
Background: The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans
(followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic
Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse,
Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits.
Geography Pacific Ocean
Location: body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia,
and the Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 160 00 W
Map references: Political Map of the World
Area: total: 155.557 million sq km note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea,
Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Flores Sea, Gulf of Alaska,
Gulf of Tonkin, Java Sea, Philippine Sea, Savu Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea
of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, Timor Sea, and other tributary
water bodies
Area - comparative: about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28%
of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Coastline: 135,663 km
Climate: planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns
exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds
and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal
fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico
from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental
influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the
eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific
Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during
the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over
the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow
from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons)
may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December
Terrain: surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a
clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the
southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern
Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter;
in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost
extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated
by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep
trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench
-10,924 m highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and
gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Natural hazards: surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake
activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject
to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May
to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones
(hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and
Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September);
cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific,
influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific;
ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to
May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard
from June to December
Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include the
dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution
in Philippine Sea and South China Sea
Geography - note: the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama
Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides
the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific
Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean
People Pacific Ocean
Population growth rate: NA%
Economy Pacific Ocean
Economy - overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the
world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly
touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West,
extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals,
and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60%
of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of
offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the
energy supplies of US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of
recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world
prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
Transportation Pacific Ocean
Ports and harbors: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung (Taiwan),
Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco
(US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia),
Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Transportation - note: Inside Passage offers protected waters from
southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)
Transnational Issues Pacific Ocean
Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
========================================================================
CIA - The World Factbook 2002 - Appendixes
Appendix A: Abbreviations
Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups
Appendix C: Selected International Environmental Agreements
Appendix D: Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes
Appendix E: Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes
Appendix F: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names
===============================================================================
Appendix A - Abbreviations
ABEDA : Arab Bank for Economic Development in
Africa
ACC : Arab Cooperation Council
ACCT : Agency for the French-Speaking Community
ACP Group : African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of
States
AfDB : African Development Bank
AFESD : Arab Fund for Economic and Social
Development
Air Pollution : Convention on Long-Range Transboundary
Air Pollution
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides : Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-
Range Transboundary Air Pollution
Concerning the Control of Emissions of
Nitrogen Oxides or Control of Emissions
of Nitrogen Oxides or Their
Transboundary Fluxes
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic: Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-
Pollutants : Range Transboundary Air Pollution on
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Air Pollution-Sulphur 85 : Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-
Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the
Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their
Transboundary Fluxes by at Least 30%
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94 : Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-
Range Transboundary Air Pollution on
Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic : Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-
Compounds : Range Transboundary Air Pollution
Concerning the Control of Emissions of
Volatile Organic Compounds or Their
Transboundary Fluxes
AL : Arab League
AMF : Arab Monetary Fund
AMU : Arab Maghreb Union
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol: Protocol on Environmental Protection to
the Antarctic Treaty
ANZUS : Australia-New Zealand-United States
Security Treaty
APEC : Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Arabsat : Arab Satellite Communications
Organization
AsDB : Asian Development Bank
ASEAN : Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Autodin : Automatic Digital Network
Benelux : Benelux Economic Union
Biodiversity : Convention on Biological Diversity
BIS : Bank for International Settlements
BSEC : Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone
C : Commonwealth
CACM : Central American Common Market
CAEU : Council of Arab Economic Unity
CAN : Andean Community of Nations
Caricom : Caribbean Community and Common Market
CB : citizen's band mobile radio
communications
CBSS : Council of the Baltic Sea States
CCC : Customs Cooperation Council
CDB : Caribbean Development Bank
CE : Council of Europe
CEI : Central European Initiative
CEMA : Council for Mutual Economic Assistance;
also known as CMEA or Comecon
CEPGL : Economic Community of the Great Lakes
Countries
CERN : European Organization for Nuclear
Research
c.i.f. : cost, insurance, and freight
CIS : Commonwealth of Independent States
CITES : see Endangered Species
Climate Change : United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol : Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change
COCOM : Coordinating Committee on Export
Controls
Comsat : Communications Satellite Corporation
CP : Colombo Plan
CY : calendar year
DC : developed country
Desertification : United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification in Those Countries
Experiencing Serious Drought and/or
Desertification, Particularly in Africa
DSN : Defense Switched Network
DWT : deadweight ton
EADB : East African Development Bank
EAPC : Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
EBRD : European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development
EC : European Community
ECA : Economic Commission for Africa
ECE : Economic Commission for Europe
ECLAC : Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean
ECO : Economic Cooperation Organization
ECOSOC : Economic and Social Council
ECOWAS : Economic Community of West African
States
ECS : European Coal and Steel Community
EEC : European Economic Community
EFTA : European Free Trade Association
EIB : European Investment Bank
EMU : European Monetary Union
Endangered Species : Convention on the International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Flora and
Fauna (CITES)
Entente : Council of the Entente
Environmental Modification : Convention on the Prohibition of
Military or Any Other Hostile Use of
Environmental Modification Techniques
ESA : European Space Agency
ESCAP : Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific
ESCWA : Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia
est. : estimate
EU : European Union
Euratom : European Atomic Energy Community
Eutelsat : European Telecommunications Satellite
Organization
Ex-Im : Export-Import Bank of the United States
FAO : Food and Agriculture Organization
FAX : facsimile
f.o.b. : free on board
FLS : Front Line States
FRG : Federal Republic of Germany (West
Germany); used for information dated
before 3 October 1990 or CY91
FSU : former Soviet Union
FY : fiscal year
FYROM : The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia
FZ : Franc Zone
G-2 : Group of 2
G-3 : Group of 3
G-5 : Group of 5
G-6 : Group of 6
G-7 : Group of 7
G-8 : Group of 8
G-9 : Group of 9
G-10 : Group of 10
G-11 : Group of 11
G-15 : Group of 15
G-19 : Group of 19
G-24 : Group of 24
G-30 : Group of 30
G-33 : Group of 33
G-77 : Group of 77
GATT : General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade;
now WTrO
GCC : Gulf Cooperation Council
GDP : gross domestic product
GDR : German Democratic Republic (East
Germany); used for information dated
before 3 October 1990 or CY91
GNP : gross national product
GRT : gross register ton
GWP : gross world product
Hazardous Wastes : Basel Convention on the Control of
Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and Their Disposal
HF : high-frequency
IADB : Inter-American Development Bank
IAEA : International Atomic Energy Agency
IBEC : International Bank for Economic
Cooperation