Читать книгу The 2005 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 45
ОглавлениеManpower available for military service:
males age 18–49: 3,815,761 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18–49: 3,123,281 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 140,084 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$3.42 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.8% (2004)
Transnational Issues Chile
Disputes - international:
Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama
corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but
not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian gas and
other commodities; Peru proposes changing its latitudinal maritime
boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern
axis; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory)
partially overlaps Argentine and British claims
Illicit drugs:
important transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and
the US; economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile
more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits,
especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new
anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors
passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@China
Introduction China
Background:
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the
rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and
early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major
famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War
II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic
socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed
strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of
millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and
other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by
2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living
standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal
choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.
Geography China
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea,
and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 9,596,960 sq km
land: 9,326,410 sq km
water: 270,550 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries:
total: 22,117 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km,
India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km,
Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km,
Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40
km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km
Coastline:
14,500 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Terrain:
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas,
and hills in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Turpan Pendi −154 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten,
antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum,
lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)
Land use:
arable land: 15.4%
permanent crops: 1.25%
other: 83.35% (2001)
Irrigated land:
525,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern
coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land
subsidence
Environment - current issues:
air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from
reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly
in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation;
estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil
erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in
endangered species
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, 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: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US);
Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak
People China
Population:
1,306,313,812 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 21.4% (male 148,134,928/female 131,045,415)
15–64 years: 71% (male 477,182,072/female 450,664,933)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 47,400,282/female 51,886,182) (2005
est.)
Median age:
total: 32.26 years
male: 31.87 years
female: 32.67 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.58% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
13.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
−0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.18 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.27 years
male: 70.65 years
female: 74.09 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
840,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
44,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups:
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu,
Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Religions:
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Languages:
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing
dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan
(Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
(see Ethnic groups entry)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9%
male: 95.1%
female: 86.5% (2002)
Government China
Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form: Zhong Guo
abbreviation: PRC
Government type:
Communist state
Capital:
Beijing
Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions
(zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular
and plural)
: provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan,
Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin,
Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan,
Zhejiang
: autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang
(Tibet)
: municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries
for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau
Independence:
221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912
(Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's
Republic established)
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1
October (1949)
Constitution:
most recent promulgation 4 December 1982
Legal system:
a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law;
rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal
codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being
made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice
President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Vice
Premiers HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG
Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress
(NPC)
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 15–17
March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier nominated by
the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
election results: HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth National
People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted
against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong
elected vice president by the Tenth National People's Congress with
a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190
abstained, and 38 did not vote); two seats were vacant
Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao
Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and
provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held
late 2007-February 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA
Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's
Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher, intermediate and
local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily military, maritime,
and railway transport courts)
Political parties and leaders:
Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao, General Secretary of the
Central Committee]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP
Political pressure groups and leaders:
no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the
government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the
China Democracy Party as subversive groups
International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA
(observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), ONUB,
OPCW, PCA, SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Jiechi
chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328–2500
FAX: [1] (202) 328–2582
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco
consulate(s): Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.
embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521–0002
telephone: [86] (10) 6532–3831
FAX: [86] (10) 6532–6929
consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Shenyang
Flag description:
red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow
five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of
the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner
Economy China
Economy - overview: In late 1978 the Chinese leadership began moving the economy from a sluggish, inefficient, Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system. Whereas the system operates within a political framework of strict Communist control, the economic influence of non-state organizations and individual citizens has been steadily increasing. The authorities switched to a system of household and village responsibility in agriculture in place of the old collectivization, increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of small-scale enterprises in services and light manufacturing, and opened the economy to increased foreign trade and investment. The result has been a quadrupling of GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2004 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still poor. Agriculture and industry have posted major gains especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong and opposite Taiwan and in Shanghai, where foreign investment has helped spur output of both domestic and export goods. The leadership, however, often has experienced - as a result of its hybrid system - the worst results of socialism (bureaucracy and lassitude) and of capitalism (growing income disparities and rising unemployment). China thus has periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at intervals. The government has struggled to (a) sustain adequate jobs growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) keep afloat the large state-owned enterprises, many of which had been shielded from competition by subsidies and had been losing the ability to pay full wages and pensions. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. Popular resistance, changes in central policy, and loss of authority by rural cadres have weakened China's population control program, which is essential to maintaining long-term growth in living standards. At the same time, one demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. As part of its effort to gradually slow the rapid economic growth seen in 2004, Beijing says it will reduce somewhat its spending on infrastructure in 2005, while continuing to focus on poverty relief and through rural tax reform. Accession to the World Trade Organization helps strengthen its ability to maintain strong growth rates but at the same time puts additional pressure on the hybrid system of strong political controls and growing market influences. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with 94 million users at the end of 2004. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable economic growth. Shortages of electric power and raw materials may affect industrial output in 2005. More power generating capacity is scheduled to come on line in 2006. In its rivalry with India as an economic power, China has a lead in the absorption of technology, the rising prominence in world trade, and the alleviation of poverty; India has one important advantage in its relative mastery of the English language, but the number of competent Chinese English-speakers is growing rapidly.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$7.262 trillion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
9.1% (official data) (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.8% industry and construction: 52.9% services: 33.3% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
760.8 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 49%, industry 22%, services 29% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.8% in urban areas; substantial unemployment and underemployment
in rural areas; an official Chinese journal estimated overall
unemployment (including rural areas) for 2003 at 20% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
10% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 30.4% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44 (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.1% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
46% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $317.9 billion
expenditures: $348.9 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)
Public debt:
31.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples,
cotton, oilseed, pork, fish
Industries:
mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals;
coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum;
cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including
footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation
equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships,
and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch
vehicles and satellites
Industrial production growth rate:
17.1% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:
1.91 trillion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 80.2% hydro: 18.5% nuclear: 1.2% other: 0.1% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
1.63 trillion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
10.38 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
2.3 billion kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
3.392 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
4.956 million bbl/day (2002 est.)
Oil - exports:
427,800 bbl/day (2002)
Oil - imports:
2.414 million bbl/day (2002)
Oil - proved reserves:
17.74 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production:
35 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
29.18 billion cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.23 trillion cu m (2004)
Current account balance:
$30.32 billion (2004 est.)
Exports:
$583.1 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment,
iron and steel
Exports - partners:
US 21.1%, Hong Kong 17%, Japan 12.4%, South Korea 4.7%, Germany 4%
(2004)
Imports:
$552.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics, optical
and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel
Imports - partners:
Japan 16.8%, Taiwan 11.4%, South Korea 11.1%, US 8%, Germany 5.4%
(2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$609.9 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external:
$233.3 billion (3rd quarter 2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
NA
Currency (code):
yuan (CNY)
note:: also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)
Currency code:
CNY
Exchange rates:
yuan per US dollar - 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002),
8.2771 (2001), 8.2785 (2000)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications China
Telephones - main lines in use:
263 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
269 million (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic and international services are
increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed
domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and
many towns
domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system
with 55 earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean
regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South
Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)
Radios:
417 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)
Televisions:
400 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.cn
Internet hosts:
160,421 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
94 million (2004)
Transportation China
Railways:
total: 71,898 km
standard gauge: 71,898 km 1.435-m gauge (18,115 km electrified)
dual gauge: 23,945 km (multiple track not included in total) (2002)
Highways:
total: 1,765,222 km
paved: 395,410 km (with at least 25,130 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,369,812 km (2002 est.)
Waterways:
121,557 km (2002)
Pipelines:
gas 15,890 km; oil 14,478 km; refined products 3,280 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Dalian, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai
Merchant marine:
total: 1,649 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,724,653 GRT/27,749,784 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 362, cargo 696, chemical
tanker 38, combination ore/oil 1, container 135, liquefied gas 30,
passenger 7, passenger/cargo 81, petroleum tanker 246, refrigerated
cargo 30, roll on/roll off 11, vehicle carrier 10
foreign-owned: 9 (Hong Kong 4, Japan 2, South Korea 2, United States
1)
registered in other countries: 872 (2005)
Airports:
472 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 383
over 3,047 m: 53
2,438 to 3,047 m: 116
1,524 to 2,437 m: 141
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 50 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 89
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
15 (2004 est.)
Military China
Military branches:
People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes
marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes Airborne Forces),
and II Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed
Police Force (internal security troops considered to be an adjunct
to the PLA); Militia (2003)
Military service age and obligation: 18–22 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service; 17 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18–49: 342,956,265 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18–49: 281,240,272 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 13,186,433 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$67.49 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.3% (2004)
Transnational Issues China
Disputes - international: in 2005, China and India initiate drafting principles to resolve all aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; about 90,000 ethnic Tibetan exiles reside primarily in India as well as Nepal and Bhutan; China asserts sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan have become more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested dispute with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is considered indefinite; China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of North Koreans; in 2004, China and Russia divided up the islands in the Amur, Ussuri, and Argun Rivers, ending a century-old border dispute; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been delayed; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 299,287 (Vietnam) estimated 30,000–50,000 (North Korea) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden
Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for
chemical precursors and methamphetamine
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@Christmas Island
Introduction Christmas Island
Background:
Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed
and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began
in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958.
Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Geography Christmas Island
Location:
Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
10 30 S, 105 40 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
138.9 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by
trade winds; wet season December to April
Terrain:
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
Natural resources:
phosphate, beaches
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100%
note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national
park (2001)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime
hazard
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
People Christmas Island
Population: 361 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: NA
15–64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate:
0% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA
Net migration rate:
NA
Sex ratio:
NA
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001)
Religions:
Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Languages:
English (official), Chinese, Malay
Literacy:
NA
People - note:
the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1,508
as of the 2001 Census
Government Christmas Island
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department
of Transport and Regional Services
Government type:
NA
Capital:
The Settlement
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)
Independence:
none (territory of Australia)
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Constitution:
Christmas Island Act of 1958–59 (1 October 1958)
Legal system:
under the authority of the governor general of Australia and
Australian law
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November
2003)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
Australia
Legislative branch:
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held in 2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
none
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas
Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag,
however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the
official flag of the territory
Economy Christmas Island
Economy - overview:
Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity,
but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In
1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a
$34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The
Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a
commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin
operations in the near future
GDP (purchasing power parity):
NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
NA
Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Agriculture - products:
NA
Industries:
tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: NA
hydro: NA
nuclear: NA
other: NA
Exports:
NA
Exports - commodities:
phosphate
Exports - partners:
Australia, NZ
Imports:
NA
Imports - commodities:
consumer goods
Imports - partners:
principally Australia
Economic aid - recipient:
NA
Currency (code):
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
AUD
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003),
1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications Christmas Island
Telephones - main lines in use:
NA
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system
in February 2005
international: country code - 61–891; satellite earth stations - one
Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios:
1,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Televisions:
600 (1997)
Internet country code:
.cx
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
NA
Transportation Christmas Island
Highways: total: 240 km paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000)
Ports and harbors:
Flying Fish Cove
Airports:
1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Christmas Island
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia
Transnational Issues Christmas Island
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@Clipperton Island
Introduction Clipperton Island
Background:
This isolated island was named for John CLIPPERTON, a pirate who
made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in
1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually
awarded the island to France, which took possession in 1935.
Geography Clipperton Island
Location:
Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km
southwest of Mexico
Geographic coordinates:
10 17 N, 109 13 W
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 6 sq km
land: 6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
11.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; humid, average temperature 20–32 degrees C, rains
May-October
Terrain:
coral atoll
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Rocher Clipperton 29 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all coral) (2001)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
reef 12 km in circumference
People Clipperton Island
Population: uninhabited (July 2005 est.)
Government Clipperton Island
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Clipperton Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Clipperton
former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion
Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by France from French Polynesia
by a high commissioner of the Republic
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy Clipperton Island
Economy - overview:
Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the
territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity
is tuna fishing.
Transportation Clipperton Island
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military Clipperton Island
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Clipperton Island
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Introduction Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Background:
There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING
discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until
the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred
to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two
inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on
West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island.
Geography Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest
of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
Geographic coordinates:
12 30 S, 96 50 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
Area - comparative:
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds
for about nine months of the year
Terrain:
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
cyclone season is October to April
Environment - current issues: fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Geography - note: islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
People Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Population: 628 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: NA
15–64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate:
0% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA
Net migration rate:
NA
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander
Ethnic groups:
Europeans, Cocos Malays
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)
Languages:
Malay (Cocos dialect), English
Government Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Government type:
NA
Capital:
West Island
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)
Independence:
none (territory of Australia)
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Constitution:
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1953)
Legal system:
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Suffrage:
NA
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Evan WILLIAMS (since
1 November 2003)
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
Australia
Legislative branch:
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
election; last held NA
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
none
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Economy - overview:
Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop.
Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but
additional food and most other necessities must be imported from
Australia. There is a small tourist industry.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction
workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others
Unemployment rate:
60% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA
Agriculture - products:
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Industries:
copra products and tourism
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: NA
hydro: NA
nuclear: NA
other: NA
Exports:
NA
Exports - commodities:
copra
Exports - partners:
Australia
Imports:
NA
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Australia
Economic aid - recipient:
NA
Currency (code):
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
AUD
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003),
1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
287 (1992)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
note - analog cellular service available
Telephone system:
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication
system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61–891; telephone, telex, and
facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite;
1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios:
300 (1992)
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.cc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
NA
Transportation Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Highways: total: 15 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Port Refuge
Airports:
1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have
a five-person police force
Transnational Issues Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@Colombia
Introduction Colombia
Background:
Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the
collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and
Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian
Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds
from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large
swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the
movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to
overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries
has grown to several thousand strong in recent years, challenging
the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade, and also
the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas.
While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control
throughout the country, neighboring countries worry about the
violence spilling over their borders.
Geography Colombia
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama
and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Ecuador and Panama
Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 72 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 1,138,910 sq km
land: 1,038,700 sq km
water: 100,210 sq km
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and
Serranilla Bank
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
