Читать книгу The 2004 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 32
ОглавлениеCoastline:
45,389 km
Climate:
polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively
narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by
continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear
skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy
weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow
Terrain:
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that
averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may
be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort
Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New
Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and
Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer,
but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the
encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental
shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central
basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera,
Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Fram Basin −4,665 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules,
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)
Natural hazards:
ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island;
icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme
northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked
from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from
October to May
Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack
Geography - note:
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to
the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between
North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes
of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated
by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20
to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10
months
Economy Arctic Ocean
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural
resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.
Transportation Arctic Ocean
Ports and harbors:
Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)
Transportation - note:
sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest
Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are
important seasonal waterways
Transnational Issues Arctic Ocean
Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Argentina
Introduction Argentina
Background:
Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina experienced
periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and
liberals and between civilian and military factions. After World War
II, a long period of Peronist authoritarian rule and interference in
subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took
power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983, and numerous elections
since then have underscored Argentina's progress in democratic
consolidation.
Geography Argentina
Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Chile and Uruguay
Geographic coordinates:
34 00 S, 64 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 2,766,890 sq km
land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 30,200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 9,665 km
border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,
Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Coastline:
4,989 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
Climate:
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
Terrain:
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau
of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Laguna del Carbon −105 m (located between Puerto San
Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa
Cruz)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern
corner of the province of Mendoza)
Natural resources:
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore,
manganese, petroleum, uranium
Land use: arable land: 12.31% permanent crops: 0.48% other: 87.21% (2001)
Irrigated land:
15,610 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to
earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the
pampas and northeast; heavy flooding
Environment - current issues: environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic
location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the
South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake
Passage); Cerro Aconcagua is South America's tallest mountain, while
Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere
People Argentina
Population:
39,144,753 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 25.9% (male 5,179,236; female 4,947,234)
15–64 years: 63.6% (male 12,452,566; female 12,457,451)
65 years and over: 10.5% (male 1,685,371; female 2,422,895) (2004
est.)
Median age:
total: 29.2 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 30.1 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.02% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
17.19 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
7.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.7 years
male: 71.95 years
female: 79.65 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.24 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,500 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine
Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo, Amerindian, or
other nonwhite groups 3%
Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant
2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Languages:
Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.1%
male: 97.1%
female: 97.1% (2003 est.)
Government Argentina
Country name:
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Buenos Aires
Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 autonomous
city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital
Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios,
Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio
Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del
Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur,
Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica
Independence:
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
Constitution:
1 May 1853; revised August 1994
Legal system:
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice
President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003);
Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: results of the presidential primary of 27 April
2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez
MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other
8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was
awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on
the eve of the election
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; the last election held was the
presidential primary election of 27 April 2003 (next election to be
held NA 2007)
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently
one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term)
and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by
direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a
four-year term)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA;
seats by bloc or party - PJ 41, UCR 16, provincial parties 15;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats
by bloc or party - PJ 133, UCR 46, IF 23, ARI 11, Socialist 6,
other/provincial parties 38
elections: Senate - last held intermittently by province during the
2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005); Chamber of Deputies -
last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003
(next to be held NA 2005)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are
appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)
Political parties and leaders:
Action for the Republic or AR [Domingo CAVALLO]; Alternative for a
Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for a Country in
Solidarity or Frepaso (a four-party coalition) [Dario Pedro
ALESSANDRO]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of
approximately 12 parties including RECREAR) [leader NA];
Justicialist Party or PJ [leader NA] (Peronist umbrella political
organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Angel ROZAS]; Federal
Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY]; Socialist Party
or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH];
several provincial parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine
Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural
Society (large landowners' association); business organizations;
General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella
labor organization); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical
union for employed and unemployed workers); Peronist-dominated labor
movement; Roman Catholic Church; students
International organization participation:
AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG,
UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York
FAX: [1] (202) 332–3171
telephone: [1] (202) 238–6400
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lino GUTIERREZ
embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO
address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: [54] (11) 5777–4533
FAX: [54] (11) 5777–4240
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light
blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a
human face known as the Sun of May
Economy Argentina
Economy - overview:
Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate
population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a
diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the
country has suffered recurring economic problems of inflation,
external debt, capital flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000
was a negative 0.8%, as both domestic and foreign investors remained
skeptical of the government's ability to pay debts and maintain the
peso's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic
situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine
bonds, massive withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in
consumer and investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a
"zero deficit," to stabilize the banking system, and to restore
economic growth proved inadequate in the face of the mounting
economic problems. The peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in
January 2002, and the peso was floated in February; the exchange
rate plunged and inflation picked up rapidly, but by mid-2002 the
economy had stabilized, albeit at a lower level. Strong demand for
the peso compelled the Central Bank to intervene in foreign exchange
markets to curb its appreciation in 2003. Led by record exports, the
economy began to recover with output up 8% in 2003, unemployment
falling, and inflation reduced to under 4% at year-end.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $435.5 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $11,200 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.1% industry: 34.8% services: 54.1% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
15.1% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
51.7% (May 2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.4% (2003)
Labor force:
14.92 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
Unemployment rate:
17.3% (2003)
Budget:
revenues: $26.62 billion
expenditures: $26 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)
Public debt:
65.7% of GDP (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products:
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts,
tea, wheat; livestock
Industries:
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles,
chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
Industrial production growth rate:
16.2% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
97.17 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
92.12 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
5.662 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
7.417 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
828,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
486,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
2.927 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
37.15 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
31.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
6.05 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
768 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
$7.855 billion (2003)
Exports:
$29.57 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles
Exports - partners:
Brazil 15.8%, Chile 12%, US 10.6%, China 8.4%, Spain 4.7% (2003)
Imports:
$13.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal
manufactures, plastics
Imports - partners:
Brazil 34%, US 16.4%, Germany 5.6%, China 5.2% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$14.16 billion (2003)
Debt - external:
$145.6 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$10 billion (2001 est.)
Currency:
Argentine peso (ARS)
Currency code:
ARS
Exchange rates:
Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9003 (2003), 3.0633 (2002),
0.9995 (2001), 0.9995 (2000), 0.9995 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Argentina
Telephones - main lines in use:
8,009,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.5 million (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to
competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications
Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of
modern telecommunication technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines
are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are
entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is being
improved; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and
making telephone service universally available will take time
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
use is rapidly expanding
international: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 8
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables;
two international gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than
1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)
Radios:
24.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
7.95 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ar
Internet hosts:
742,358 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
33 (2000)
Internet users:
4.1 million (2002)
Transportation Argentina
Railways:
total: 34,091 km (167 km electrified)
broad gauge: 20,594 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 10,375 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2003)
Highways:
total: 215,471 km
paved: 63,348 km (including 734 km of expressways)
unpaved: 152,123 km (1999)
Waterways:
11,000 km (2004)
Pipelines:
gas 27,166 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 3,668 km; refined
products 2,945 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Concepcion del
Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario,
Santa Fe, Ushuaia
Merchant marine:
total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 149,007 GRT/212,620 DWT
by type: cargo 9, petroleum tanker 9, rail car carrier 1,
refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1,
specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: Uruguay 1
registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.)
Airports:
1,335 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 144
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 62
914 to 1,523 m: 44
under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,190
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 50
914 to 1,523 m: 569
under 914 m: 567 (2004 est.)
Military Argentina
Military branches:
Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes Naval
Aviation and Marines), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina,
FAA)
Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 9,901,352 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 8,042,304 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 327,738 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.3 billion (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (FY00)
Transnational Issues Argentina
Disputes - international:
UK continues to reject sovereignty talks requested by Argentina,
whose constitution still claims UK-administered Falkland Islands
(Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
but in 1995 ceded the right to settle the dispute by force; Beagle
Channel islands dispute resolved through Papal mediation in 1984,
but armed incidents persist since 1992 oil discovery; territorial
claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see
Antarctic disputes); unruly region at convergence of
Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering,
smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and fundraising for extremist
organizations; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over
Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint
with Argentina in question
Illicit drugs:
used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and
the US; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border
Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Armenia
Introduction Armenia
Background:
Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt
Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over
the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires
including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. It was
incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian
leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim
Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated
region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow.
Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the
struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from
the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold,
Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a
significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both
sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress
toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on
Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Geography Armenia
Location:
Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 29,800 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 1,254 km
border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
Terrain:
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing
rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m
Natural resources:
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina
Land use: arable land: 17.55% permanent crops: 2.3% other: 80.15% (2001)
Irrigated land:
2,870 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
Environment - current issues:
soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis
of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for
firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the
draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a
source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of
Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a
seismically active zone
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake
Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range
People Armenia
Population:
2,991,360
note: Armenia's first census since independence was conducted in
October 2001 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 22.7% (male 357,094; female 323,396)
15–64 years: 66.7% (male 929,719; female 1,065,505)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 128,027; female 187,619) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.7 years
male: 27.1 years
female: 32.4 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
−0.32% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
11.43 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
8.12 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
−6.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.18 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 29.32 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.23 years
male: 67.73 years
female: 75.36 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
Ethnic groups:
Armenian 93%, Azeri 1%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4%
(2002)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from
Armenia
Religions:
Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi
(Zoroastrian/animist) 2%
Languages:
Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.4%
female: 98% (2003 est.)
Government Armenia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Yerevan
Administrative divisions:
11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat,
Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush,
Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan
Independence:
21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1991)
Constitution:
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARKARYAN (since 12 May
2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA
2008); prime minister appointed by the president; the prime minister
and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly
refuses to accept their program
election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of
vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 75
members elected by party list, 56 by direct vote)
elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of
2007)
note: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice
Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity
Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by party - Republican
Party 23, Justice Bloc 14, Rule of Law 12, ARF (Dashnak) 11,
National Unity 9, United Labor 6; note - seats by party change
frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves
independent
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)
Political parties and leaders:
Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALIAN]; Armenia Party [Myasnik
MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN,
chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun
MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation
("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Vahan HOVHANISSIAN]; Democratic Party
[Aram SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party,
National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, and the
People's Party); National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN];
National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Unity
Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman]; People's Party of Armenia
[Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Albert BAZEYAN and Aram
SARKISYAN, chairmen]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN];
Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman]; Union of
Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party
[Gurgen ARSENIAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]
International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Arman KIRAKOSSIAN consulate(s) general: Los Angeles FAX: [1] (202) 319–2982 telephone: [1] (202) 319–1976 chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John M. EVANS
embassy: 18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019
mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, 7020
Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521–7020
telephone: [374](1) 521–611, 520–791, 542–117, 542–132, 524–661,
527–001, 524–840
FAX: [374](1) 520–800
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange
Economy Armenia
Economy - overview:
Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed
a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and
other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw
materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR in December
1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the
large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural
sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated
technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace,
but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration.
Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (copper, gold,
bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the
ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup
of the centrally directed economic system of the former Soviet Union
contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By
1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious
IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in
positive growth rates in 1995–2003. Armenia joined the WTrO in
January 2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize
the local currency (the dram), and privatize most small- and
medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia
suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been offset by the energy
supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is
now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient
generating capacity to replace Metsamor, which is under
international pressure to close. The electricity distribution system
was privatized in 2002. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been
offset somewhat by international aid and foreign direct investment.
Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy
sector.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $11.79 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
9.9% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.4% industry: 35.1% services: 41.5% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.8% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
50% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 46.2% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.4 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.8% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
1.4 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 45%, industry 25%, services 30% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
20% (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $425.9 million
expenditures: $460.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003)
Agriculture - products:
fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock
Industries:
diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing
machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk
fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry
manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy
Industrial production growth rate:
15% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
6.479 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
5.784 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 704 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2001)
Electricity - imports:
463 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
5,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
1.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
1.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance:
$-210 million (2003)
Exports:
$735 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy
Exports - partners:
Belgium 18.2%, UK 16.8%, Israel 15.7%, Russia 12.1%, Iran 7.9%, US
6.3%, Germany 5% (2003)
Imports:
$1.18 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds
Imports - partners:
Belgium 11.6%, Russia 11.6%, Israel 11.3%, US 9.5%, Iran 8.8%,
Germany 6.7%, UAE 5.4%, Italy 4.7%, Ukraine 4.6% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$509.4 million (2003)
Debt - external:
$905 million (June 2001)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $170 million (2000)
Currency:
dram (AMD)
Currency code:
AMD
Exchange rates:
drams per US dollar - 578.763 (2002), 555.078 (2001), 539.526
(2000), 535.062 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Armenia
Telephones - main lines in use:
562,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
114,400 (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and
undergoing modernization and expansion
domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment
are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)
international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the
Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional
international service is available by microwave radio relay and
landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of
Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and
by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
850,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus an unknown number of repeaters); (1998)
Televisions:
825,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.am
Internet hosts:
2,206 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2001)
Internet users:
150,000 (2003)
Transportation Armenia
Railways:
total: 845 km
broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2003)
Highways:
total: 15,918 km
paved: 15,329 km (includes 7,527 km of expressways)
unpaved: 589 km (2000)
Pipelines:
gas 1,871 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
none
Airports:
17 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
Military Armenia
Military branches:
Army, Air Force and Air Defense Force
Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18–27 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (May 2004)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 812,140 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 649,568 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 31,926 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$135 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
6.5% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Armenia
Disputes - international:
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh
and militarily occupies 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate
dispute; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute; traditional demands regarding former Armenian lands in
Turkey have subsided; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of
Georgia seek greater autonomy from the new Georgian Government
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 236,306 (Azerbaijan)
IDPs: 50,000 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic
consumption; used as a transit point for illicit drugs - mostly
opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a
lesser extent the rest of Europe
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Aruba
Introduction Aruba
Background:
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the
Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main
industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity
brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last
decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry.
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a
separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in
1990.
Geography Aruba
Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
12 30 N, 69 58 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 193 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
68.5 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural resources:
NEGL; white sandy beaches
Land use:
arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2001)
Irrigated land:
0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its
tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the
Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27
degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
People Aruba
Population:
71,218 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 20.3% (male 7,429; female 7,051)
15–64 years: 68.2% (male 23,587; female 25,007)
65 years and over: 11.4% (male 3,347; female 4,797) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.5 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 39.1 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.51% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
11.53 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 6.85 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.98 years
male: 75.64 years
female: 82.49 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality: noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Ethnic groups:
mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish
Languages:
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English
dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Literacy: definition: total population: 97% male: NA female: NA
Government Aruba
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba
Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal
affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands
Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign
affairs
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Oranjestad
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Flag Day, 18 March
Constitution:
1 January 1986
Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law
influence
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April
1980), represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May
2004)
election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent
of legislative vote - NA
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for
a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime
minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last
held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30
October 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers (elected by the Staten)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by
direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%,
PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP
12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1
Judicial branch:
Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic
Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo
BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban
Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP
[Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; Concentration for the Liberation of Aruba or
CLA [leader NA]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O.
ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [Urbana LOPEZ];
National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
