Читать книгу The 2004 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 58
ОглавлениеMilitary expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA
Transnational Issues Gaza Strip
Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
status to be determined through further negotiation
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 922,674 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA)) (2004)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Georgia
Introduction Georgia
Background:
The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of
Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in
the first centuries AD and Christianity became the state religion in
the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a
Georgian golden age (11th to the 13th centuries) that was cut short
by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and
Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was
absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent
for three years (1918–1921) following the Russian revolution, it was
forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved
in 1991. Despite myriad problems, some progress on market reforms
and democratization has been made since then. An attempt by the
government to manipulate legislative elections in November 2003
touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of
Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early
2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National
Movement Party.
Geography Georgia
Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and
Russia
Geographic coordinates:
42 00 N, 43 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,
Turkey 252 km
Coastline:
310 km
Maritime claims:
No data available
Climate:
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain:
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and
Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida
Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in
the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of
Kolkhida Lowland
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m
Natural resources:
forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor
coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important
tea and citrus growth
Land use:
arable land: 11.44%
permanent crops: 3.86%
other: 84.7% (2001)
Irrigated land:
4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari
River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil
pollution from toxic chemicals
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much
of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them
People Georgia
Population:
4,693,892 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 18.7% (male 461,967; female 416,898)
15–64 years: 65.8% (male 1,480,217; female 1,607,509)
65 years and over: 15.5% (male 290,534; female 436,767) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 37 years
male: 34.5 years
female: 39.2 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
−0.36% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
10.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
−4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.16 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 21.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.62 years
male: 72.35 years
female: 79.44 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.4 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian
Ethnic groups:
Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian
3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Religions:
Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Armenian
Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%
Languages:
Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 100%
female: 98% (1999 est.)
Government Georgia
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia
local long form: none
former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: Sak'art'velo
Government type:
republic
Capital:
T'bilisi
Administrative divisions:
9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities (k'alak'ebi,
singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy
respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)
: regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti,
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti,
Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli
: cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, T'bilisi,
Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi
note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are
shown in parentheses
: autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri
Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika
(Bat'umi)
Independence:
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date of
independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date of
independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution:
adopted 17 October 1995
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January
2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government for the power ministries: state security (includes
interior) and defense
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 4 January 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent of
vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9%
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
head of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January
2004); Prime Minister Zurab ZHVANIA (since 9 February 2004); note -
the president is the chief of state and head of government for the
power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense;
the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries of government
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) or
Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party lists); members
are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - National
Movement-Democrats 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all other
parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - National
Movement-Democrats 135, Rightist Opposition 15
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the
president's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second
instance courts
Political parties and leaders:
Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front
[Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG
[Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry
Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor
Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP
[Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Movement Democratic Front [Mikheil
SAAKASHVILI] bloc composed of National Movement and
Burjanadze-Democrats; National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New
Right [Levaii GACHECHILADZE]; Republican Party [David
BERDZENISHVILI]; Rightist Opposition [Davit GAMKRELIDZE] bloc
composed of Industrialists and New Right Party; Socialist Party or
SPG [Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of
National Forces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad
DZIDZIGURI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile;
separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
supporters of the late ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA
International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Levan MIKELADZE
FAX: [1] (202) 393–4537
telephone: [1] (202) 387–4537
chancery: Suite 602, 1101 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard M. MILES embassy: #25 Atoneli Street, T'bilisi 0105 mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521–7060 telephone: [995] (32) 989–967/68 FAX: [995] (32) 933–759
Flag description:
white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross connecting all
four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red
bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back to
the 14th century
Economy Georgia
Economy - overview:
Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of
agricultural products such as citrus fruits, tea, hazelnuts, and
grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small
industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages,
metals, machinery, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk of
its energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. Its only
sizable internal energy resource is hydropower. Despite the severe
damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with
the help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic
gains since 1995, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing
inflation. However, the Georgian Government suffers from limited
resources due to a chronic failure to collect tax revenues. Georgia
also suffers from energy shortages; it privatized the T'bilisi
distribution network in 1998, but collection rates are low, making
the venture unprofitable. The country is pinning its hopes for
long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and
trade. The start of construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil
pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline will bring
much-needed investment and job opportunities.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $12.18 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20.5% industry: 22.6% services: 56.9% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
54% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 27.9% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.1 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.8% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
2.1 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
17% (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $603.5 million
expenditures: $700.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining
(manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2000)
Electricity - production:
7.27 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
7.611 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
850 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
31,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Natural gas - production:
60 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
1.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
1.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance:
$-365 million (2003)
Exports:
$615 million (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits,
tea, wine
Exports - partners:
Russia 17.7%, Turkey 17.3%, Turkmenistan 12.2%, Armenia 8.6%,
Switzerland 6.9%, Ukraine 6.3%, UK 5.9% (2003)
Imports:
$1.25 billion (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and other
foods, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
Russia 14%, UK 12.9%, Turkey 9.9%, Azerbaijan 8.3%, US 8%, Germany
7.3%, Ukraine 7%, France 4.9% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$190.7 million (2003)
Debt - external:
$1.8 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $150 million (2000 est.)
Currency:
lari (GEL)
Currency code:
GEL
Exchange rates:
lari per US dollar - 2.1457 (2003), 2.1957 (2002), 2.073 (2001),
1.9762 (2000), 2.0245 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Georgia
Telephones - main lines in use:
650,500 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
522,300 (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone
networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural
telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities
include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;
nationwide pager service is available
international: country code - 995; Georgia and Russia are working on
a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present
international service is available by microwave, landline, and
satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail
and telex service are available
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:
3.02 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
Televisions:
2.57 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ge
Internet hosts:
5,160 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)
Internet users:
150,500 (2003)
Transportation Georgia
Railways:
total: 1,612 km (1,612 km electrified)
broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2003)
Highways:
total: 20,363 km
paved: 19,038 km
unpaved: 1,325 km (2000)
Pipelines:
gas 1,697 km; oil 1,027 km; refined products 232 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Merchant marine:
total: 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 855,908 GRT/1,288,812 DWT
by type: bulk 20, cargo 95, chemical tanker 1, container 11,
liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 1,
petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2,
short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: Albania 2, Belize 2, British Virgin Islands 2,
Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 5, Ecuador 1, Egypt 3, Estonia 1, Germany 1,
Gibraltar 1, Greece 13, Israel 1, Italy 1, Latvia 4, Lebanon 3,
Liberia 2, Madagascar 1, Malta 1, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Panama 8,
Romania 6, Russia 10, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 4, Saudi Arabia 1, Syria 31, Turkey 10, Ukraine 16,
registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports:
31 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 2
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
2 (2003 est.)
Transportation - note:
transportation network is in poor condition resulting from ethnic
conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks
maintenance and repair
Military Georgia
Military branches:
Ground Forces (including National Guard), Air and Air Defense
Forces, Maritime Defense Force
Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 1,156,302 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 906,400 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 39,570 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$23 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.59% (FY00)
Military - note:
a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the
Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer
group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Transnational Issues Georgia
Disputes - international:
about a third of the boundary with Russia remains undelimited, and
none of it demarcated, with several small, strategic segments
remaining in dispute; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as
the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in
Abkhazia; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet
Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armenia remains
undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia
seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government; Azerbaijan
protests Georgian construction at the Red Bridge crossing and
several other small segments of boundary, which remain unresolved
until delimitation
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 260,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for
domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via
Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Germany
Introduction Germany
Background:
As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany
remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and
defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in
two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and
left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US,
UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the
Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal
Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic
(GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic
and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO,
while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led
Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War
allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has
expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages
up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU
countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
Geography Germany
Location:
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between
the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates:
51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 357,021 sq km
water: 7,798 sq km
land: 349,223 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 3,621 km
border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646
km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577
km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline:
2,389 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;
occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Terrain:
lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster −3.54 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m
Natural resources:
coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium,
potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 33.85% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 65.56% (2001)
Irrigated land:
4,850 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
flooding
Environment - current issues:
emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to
air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions,
is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and
industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste
disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of
nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU
commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the
EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance
to the Baltic Sea
People Germany
Population:
82,424,609 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 14.7% (male 6,197,490; female 5,879,052)
15–64 years: 67% (male 28,119,536; female 27,132,713)
65 years and over: 18.3% (male 6,096,106; female 8,999,712) (2004
est.)
Median age:
total: 41.7 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 43.2 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.02% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
8.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
10.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.54 years
male: 75.56 years
female: 81.68 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
41,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: German(s)
adjective: German
Ethnic groups:
German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek,
Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)
Religions:
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or
other 28.3%
Languages:
German
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1997 est.)
male: NA
female: NA
Government Germany
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form: Germany
local short form: Deutschland
former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
Berlin
Administrative divisions:
13 states (Laender, singular - Land) and 3 free states*
(Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern*,
Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen,
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen,
Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen*, Sachsen-Anhalt,
Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen*
Independence:
18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four
zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945
following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West
Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and
French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)
proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;
unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October
1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991
National holiday:
Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Constitution:
23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united
German people 3 October 1990
Legal system:
civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004)
elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal
Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an
equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; election
last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held 23 May 2009); chancellor
elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a
four-year term; election last held 22 September 2002 (next to be
held September 2006)
head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October
1998); Vice Chancellor Joschka FISCHER (since 17 October 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by
the president on the recommendation of the chancellor
election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604
votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN;
Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent of Federal Assembly
vote 50.7%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assembly
or Bundestag (603 seats; elected by popular vote under a system
combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win
5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain
representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal
Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly
represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on population
and are required to vote as a block)
elections: Federal Assembly - last held 22 September 2002 (next to
be held NA September 2006); note - there are no elections for the
Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the
state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the
potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election
election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - SPD
38.5%, CDU/CSU 38.5%, Alliance '90/Greens 8.6%, FDP 7.4%, PDS 4%;
seats by party - SPD 251, CDU/CSU 248, Alliance '90/Greens 55, FDP
47, PDS 2; Federal Council - current composition - NA
Judicial branch:
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the
judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER];
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social
Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or
FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Party of Democratic Socialism or
PDS [Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Franz
MUENTEFERING]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
business associations, employers' organizations; expellee, refugee,
trade unions, and veterans groups
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE,
CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
Club, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISCHINGER consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 298–4249 telephone: [1] (202) 298–8140 chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel R. COATS embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4–5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008 mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (030) 8305–0 FAX: [49] (030) 8305–1215 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
Economy Germany
Economy - overview:
Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy- the fifth
largest national economy in the world - has become one of the
slowest growing economies in the entire euro zone, and a quick
turnaround is not in the offing in the foreseeable future. Growth in
2001–03 fell short of 1%. The modernization and integration of the
eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process,
with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70
billion. Germany's ageing population, combined with high
unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level
exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the
labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers
and the setting of wages on a national basis - have made
unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring and growing
capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germany
to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration
and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities are
further addressed. The government is also starting long-needed
structural reforms designed to revitalize the country's economy. In
the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise
in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.271 trillion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
−0.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $27,600 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 31% services: 68% (2002 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
17.7% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 25.1% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.1% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
42.63 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 2.8%, industry 33.4%, services 63.8% (1999)
Unemployment rate:
10.5% (2003 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.079 trillion
expenditures: $1.173 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)
Public debt:
64.2% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle,
pigs, poultry
Industries:
among the world's largest and most technologically advanced
producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,
vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages;
shipbuilding; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
544.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
506.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
43.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
44 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
85,860 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2.813 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
404,300 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
3.081 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
327.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
22.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
94.34 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
6.674 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
78.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
298.3 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
$57.24 billion (2003)
Exports:
$696.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures,
foodstuffs, textiles
Exports - partners:
France 10.6%, US 9.3%, UK 8.4%, Italy 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%,
Austria 5.3%, Belgium 5.1%, Spain 4.9%, Switzerland 4% (2003)
Imports:
$585 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals
Imports - partners:
France 9.2%, Netherlands 8.4%, US 7.3%, Italy 6.3%, UK 6%, Belgium
4.9%, China 4.7%, Austria 4% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$96.84 billion (2003)
Debt - external:
NA (2000 est.)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $5.6 billion (1998)
Currency:
euro (EUR)
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
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Germany
Telephones - main lines in use:
54.35 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
64.8 million (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most
technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to
World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the
western part
domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic
cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic
satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available,
expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign
countries
international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is
excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable
facilities as well as earth stations in the INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
EUTELSAT, and INTERSPUTNIK satellite systems (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 51, FM 787, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:
77.8 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
51.4 million (1998)
Internet country code:
.de
Internet hosts:
2,686,119 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
200 (2001)
Internet users:
39 million (2003)
Transportation Germany
Railways:
total: 46,039 km (20,100 km electrified)
standard gauge: 45,801 km 1.435-m gauge (20,084 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 214 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km
0.750-m gauge (2003)
Highways:
total: 230,735 km
paved: 230,735 km (including 11,515 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Waterways:
7,300 km
note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North
Sea and Black Sea (2004)
Pipelines:
condensate 325 km; gas 25,293 km; oil 3,540 km; refined products
3,827 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden,
Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Luebeck, Magdeburg,
Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart
Merchant marine:
total: 278 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,721,495 GRT/6,810,631 DWT
by type: cargo 71, chemical tanker 14, container 169, liquefied gas
3, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum
tanker 5, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 3,
short-sea/passenger 7
registered in other countries: 2,295 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Finland 4, Iceland 1, Netherlands 3
Airports:
550 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 331 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 71 under 914 m: 134 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 62
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 219 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 185 (2004 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 31
Heliports: 34 (2003 est.)
Military Germany
Military branches:
Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche Marine; including Naval Air arm), Air
Force (Luftwaffe), Joint Support Service, Central Medical Service
Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age (conscripts serve a nine-month tour of compulsory
military service) (2004 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 20,468,942 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 17,338,435 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 484,837 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$35.063 billion (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (2003)
Transnational Issues Germany
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine
processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian
heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic
drugs; major financial center
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Ghana
Introduction Ghana
Background:
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and
the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first
sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A
long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution
in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution,
restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry
RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in
1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a
third term in 2000. He was succeeded by John KUFUOR, who defeated
former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election.
Geography Ghana
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire
and Togo
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 239,460 sq km
land: 230,940 sq km
water: 8,520 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,094 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo
877 km
Coastline:
539 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and
humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain:
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Natural resources:
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish,
rubber, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 16.26% permanent crops: 9.67% other: 74.07% (2001)
Irrigated land:
110 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts
Environment - current issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
People Ghana
Population:
20,757,032
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
2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 38% (male 3,988,800; female 3,904,989)
15–64 years: 58.3% (male 6,030,151; female 6,071,725)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 359,042; female 402,325) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 20 years
male: 19.8 years
female: 20.3 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.36% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
24.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
10.67 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
−0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 49.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 55.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.27 years
male: 55.36 years
female: 57.22 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.17 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
350,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
30,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis
overall degree of risk: very high (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic groups:
black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%,
Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)
Religions:
Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%
Languages:
English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 67.1% (2003 est.)
male: 82.7%
total population: 74.8%
People - note:
there are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 1,000
Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002)
Government Ghana
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana
former: Gold Coast
Government type:
constitutional democracy
Capital:
Accra
Administrative divisions:
10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra,
Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Independence:
6 March 1957 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Constitution:
approved 28 April 1992
Legal system:
based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January
2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January
2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject
to approval by Parliament
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 December
2004 (next to be held December 2008)
election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in
election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200 seats
in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general
secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA,
chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY];
National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National
Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary];
New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's
Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman];
People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE];
People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party
[Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]
