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Imports:

$58.68 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and

electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)

Imports - partners:

Germany 29.2%, Austria 8.3%, Russia 5.7%, Italy 5.5%, Netherlands

4.9%, China 4.8%, France 4.7% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$14.8 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:

$57 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $4.2 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004–06)

Currency (code):

forint (HUF)

Currency code:

HUF

Exchange rates:

forints per US dollar - 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003), 257.89

(2002), 286.49 (2001), 282.18 (2000)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Hungary

Telephones - main lines in use:

3,666,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

6,862,800 (2002)

Telephone system:

general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is

capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service

domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk

services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave

radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was

initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones

international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable

connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch

is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic

Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture

terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:

7.01 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

4.42 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.hu

Internet hosts:

383,071 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

16 (2000)

Internet users:

1.6 million (2002)

Transportation Hungary

Railways:

total: 7,937 km

broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge

standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)

Highways:

total: 159,568 km

paved: 70,050 km (including 533 km of expressways)

unpaved: 89,518 km (2002)

Waterways:

1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2004)

Pipelines:

gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:

Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)

Airports:

44 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 18 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 5 (2004 est.)

Military Hungary

Military branches:

Ground Forces, Air Forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in June 2004 (June 2004)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 18–49: 2,303,116 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 18–49: 1,780,513 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:

males: 63,847 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:

$1.08 billion (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

1.75% (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Hungary

Disputes - international:

in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special social

and cultural benefits and voted down a referendum to extend dual

citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states, which

have objected to such measures; consultations continue between

Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion the

Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a

member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary

must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for

South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer

of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and

methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money

laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Iceland

Introduction Iceland

Background:

Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants

during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the

world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing,

established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was

subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja

volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused

widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the

island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited

home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence

attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion

are first-rate by world standards.

Geography Iceland

Location:

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North

Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK

Geographic coordinates:

65 00 N, 18 00 W

Map references:

Arctic Region

Area:

total: 103,000 sq km

land: 100,250 sq km

water: 2,750 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Kentucky

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

4,988 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy

winters; damp, cool summers

Terrain:

mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast

deeply indented by bays and fiords

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)

Natural resources:

fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

Land use: arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001)

Irrigated land:

NA sq km

Natural hazards:

earthquakes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:

water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater

treatment

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic

Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto

Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,

Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer

Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life

Conservation

Geography - note:

strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost

European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in

the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental

Europe

People Iceland

Population:

296,737 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:

0–14 years: 22.1% (male 33,302/female 32,257)

15–64 years: 66.2% (male 99,513/female 96,886)

65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,723/female 19,056) (2005 est.)

Median age:

total: 34 years

male: 33.53 years

female: 34.49 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.91% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:

13.73 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:

6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:

2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.19 years

male: 78.13 years

female: 82.34 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.92 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

220 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Icelander(s)

adjective: Icelandic

Ethnic groups:

homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%,

population of foreign origin 6%

Religions:

Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman

Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian

2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)

Languages:

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.9% (1997 est.)

male: NA%

female: NA%

Government Iceland

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Iceland

conventional short form: Iceland

local long form: Lydhveldidh Island

local short form: Island

Government type:

constitutional republic

Capital:

Reykjavik

Administrative divisions:

8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra,

Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland

Independence:

1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown);

17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

Constitution:

16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times

Legal system:

civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory

ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August

1996)

head of government: Prime Minister Halldor ASGRIMSSON (since 15

September 2004); note - Former Prime Minister David ODDSSON switched

positions with former Foreign Minister Halldor ASGRIMMSON

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by

parliament

elections: president, which is largely a ceremonial post, elected by

popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 June 2004

(next to be held June 2008); following legislative elections, the

leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition

is usually the prime minister

election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON wins with 85.6% of the

vote, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by

popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party

33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31.0%, Progressive Party 17.7%,

Left-Green Alliance 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party -

Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive

Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by

the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are

appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)

Political parties and leaders:

Independence Party or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance or

LGP [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon

KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; Social

Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social

Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA [Ingibjorg Solrun

GISLADOTTIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD,

ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,

IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW,

OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO,

WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON

chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005–1704

telephone: [1] (202) 265–6653

FAX: [1] (202) 265–6656

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador James I. GADSDEN

embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik

mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728–0340

telephone: [354] 562–9100

FAX: [354] 562–9118

Flag description:

blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of

the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist

side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Iceland

Economy - overview: Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996–2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007, slowly dropping until the end of the decade.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$9.373 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

1.8% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $31,900 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.2% industry: 9.6% services: 79.2% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 158,100 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture, fishing and fish processing 10.3%, industry 18.3%, services 71.4% (2003)

Unemployment rate:

3.1% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

23.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $4.154 billion

expenditures: $4.058 billion, including capital expenditures of $467

million (2004 est.)

Public debt:

35.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:

potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish

Industries:

fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production,

geothermal power; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

8.8% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:

8.271 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 82.5% nuclear: 0% other: 17.5% (geothermal) (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

7.692 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:

16,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:

15,470 bbl/day (2001)

Current account balance:

$-570 million (2004 est.)

Exports:

$2.902 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:

fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products,

ferrosilicon, diatomite

Exports - partners:

UK 19.1%, Germany 17.2%, Netherlands 11.5%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.8%,

Denmark 4.6% (2004)

Imports:

$3.307 billion (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:

Germany 12.3%, US 9.9%, Norway 9.7%, Denmark 7.9%, UK 7.2%, Sweden

6.7%, Netherlands 6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$935 million (2004)

Debt - external:

$3.073 billion (2002)

Economic aid - donor:

$NA

Currency (code):

Icelandic krona (ISK)

Currency code:

ISK

Exchange rates:

Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 70.192 (2004), 76.709 (2003),

91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001), 78.616 (2000)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Iceland

Telephones - main lines in use:

190,700 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

279,100 (2003)

Telephone system:

general assessment: extensive domestic service

domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic

cables and microwave radio relay links

international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2

Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean

regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the

other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

260,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:

98,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.is

Internet hosts:

122,175 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

20 (2001)

Internet users:

195,000 (2003)

Transportation Iceland

Highways:

total: 13,004 km

paved/oiled gravel: 4,331 km

unpaved: 8,673 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:

Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Hornafjordhur, Reykjavik,

Seydhisfjordhur

Merchant marine:

total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,341 GRT/6,019 DWT

by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1

registered in other countries: 30 (2005)

Airports:

98 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 93

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 29

under 914 m: 61 (2004 est.)

Military Iceland

Military branches:

no regular armed forces; Icelandic National Police, Icelandic Coast

Guard (Islenska Landhelgisgaeslan)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 18–49: 69,038 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 18–49: 56,777 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:

0

Military - note:

defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF)

headquartered at Keflavik

Transnational Issues Iceland

Disputes - international:

Iceland disputes Denmark's alignment of the Faroe Islands'

fisheries median line; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute

Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends

beyond 200 nm

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@India

Introduction India

Background:

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world,

dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest

invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian

inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions

starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by

those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By

the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually

all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a

vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British

colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought

independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular

state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war

between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming

the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite impressive gains in

economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such

as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive

overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and

ethnic and religious strife.

Geography India

Location:

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,

between Burma and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates:

20 00 N, 77 00 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 3,287,590 sq km

land: 2,973,190 sq km

water: 314,400 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Land boundaries:

total: 14,103 km

border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463

km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Coastline:

7,000 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:

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Terrain:

upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along

the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Natural resources:

coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese,

mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,

petroleum, limestone, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 54.4%

permanent crops: 2.74%

other: 42.86% (2001)

Irrigated land:

590,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive

flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air

pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water

pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap

water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing

population is overstraining natural resources

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living

Resources, Antarctic Treaty, 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, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean

trade routes

People India

Population:

1,080,264,388 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:

0–14 years: 31.2% (male 173,634,432/female 163,932,475)

15–64 years: 63.9% (male 356,932,082/female 333,283,590)

65 years and over: 4.9% (male 26,542,025/female 25,939,784) (2005

est.)

Median age:

total: 24.66 years

male: 24.64 years

female: 24.67 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.4% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:

22.32 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:

8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:

−0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female

total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 56.29 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 56.86 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 55.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 64.35 years

male: 63.57 years

female: 65.16 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.78 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.9% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5.1 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

310,000 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,

and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese

encephalitis are high risks in some locations

animal contact disease: rabies (2004)

Nationality:

noun: Indian(s)

adjective: Indian

Ethnic groups:

Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)

Religions:

Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%,

unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Languages:

English enjoys associate status but is the most important language

for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the

national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are

14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu,

Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri,

Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu

spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official

language

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 59.5%

male: 70.2%

female: 48.3% (2003 est.)

Government India

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of India

conventional short form: India

Government type:

federal republic

Capital:

New Delhi

Administrative divisions:

28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*,

Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*,

Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa,

Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand,

Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,

Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab,

Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh,

West Bengal

Independence:

15 August 1947 (from UK)

National holiday:

Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

Constitution:

26 January 1950; amended many times

Legal system:

based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative

acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations;

separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President A.P.J. Abdul KALAM (since 26 July 2002);

Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002)

head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since NA May 2004)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the

recommendation of the prime minister

elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of

elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of

the states for a five-year term; election last held July 2002 (next

to be held 18 July 2007); vice president elected by both houses of

Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 12 August 2002

(next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosen by

parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative

elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May

2009)

election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of

electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vice

president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or

Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to

12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen

by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies;

members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha

(545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the

president; members serve five-year terms)

elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May

2004 (next to be held 2009)

election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party -

NA%; seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 24,

BSP 19, DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6,

TDP 5, TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in

office until they reach the age of 65)

Political parties and leaders:

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha

JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [Debabrata BISWAS]; Asom

Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP

[MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Lal Krishna ADVANI]; Biju

Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI

[Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or

CPI (M) Hakishan Singh SURJEET]; Congress (I) Party [Sonia GANDHI];

Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu)

[M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI];

Indian National League [Suliaman SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D.

Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United) or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand

Mukti Morcha or JMM [leader NA]; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K.

M. MANI]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [leader NA]; Marumalarchi

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M.

BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR];

Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [leader NA]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or

RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP

[Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani

Akali Dal or SAD [G. S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY];

Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telangana Rashtra Samithi or

TRS [leader NA]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU];

Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,

including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater

communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties

Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist

Council of Nagaland in the Northeast

International organization participation:

AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CERN (observer),

CP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,

ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM

(observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW,

PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE,

UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN

chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -

Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,

DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 939–7000

FAX: [1] (202) 265–4351

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD

embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: [91] (11) 2419–8000

FAX: [91] (11) 2419–0017

consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai

(Bombay)

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top),

white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in

the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small

orange disk centered in the white band

Economy India

Economy - overview:

India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming,

modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries,

and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of

economic growth, though two-thirds of the workforce is in

agriculture. The UPA government has committed to furthering economic

reforms and developing basic infrastructure to improve the lives of

the rural poor and boost economic performance. Government controls

on foreign trade and investment have been reduced in some areas, but

high tariffs (averaging 20% in 2004) and limits on foreign direct

investment are still in place. The government has indicated it will

do more to liberalize investment in civil aviation, telecom, and

insurance sectors in the near term. Privatization of

government-owned industries has proceeded slowly, and continues to

generate political debate; continued social, political, and economic

rigidities hold back needed initiatives. The economy has posted an

excellent average growth rate of 6.8% since 1994, reducing poverty

by about 10 percentage points. India is capitalizing on its large

numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to

become a major exporter of software services and software workers.

Despite strong growth, the World Bank and others worry about the

combined state and federal budget deficit, running at approximately

9% of GDP. The huge and growing population is the fundamental

social, economic, and environmental problem. In late December 2004,

a major tsunami took nearly 11,000 lives, left almost 6,000 missing,

destroyed $1.2 billion worth of property, and severely damaged the

fishing fleet.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$3.319 trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.6% industry: 28.4% services: 48% (2002 est.)

Labor force:

482.2 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture 60%, industry 17%, services 23% (1999)

Unemployment rate:

9.2% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:

25% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

37.8 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.2% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

23.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $67.3 billion

expenditures: $104 billion, including capital expenditures of $13.5

billion (2004 est.)

Public debt:

59.7% of GDP (federal debt only; state debt not included) (2004

est.)

Agriculture - products:

rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;

cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Industries:

textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation

equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Industrial production growth rate:

7.4% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:

547.2 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81.7% hydro: 14.5% nuclear: 3.4% other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

510.1 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:

350 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:

1.54 billion kWh (2002)

Oil - production:

780,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:

2.13 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:

NA

Oil - imports:

NA

Oil - proved reserves:

5.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production:

22.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

22.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

542.4 billion cu m (2004)

Current account balance:

$4.897 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:

$69.18 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:

textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals,

leather manufactures

Exports - partners:

US 17%, UAE 8.8%, China 5.5%, Hong Kong 4.7%, UK 4.5%, Singapore

4.5% (2004)

Imports:

$89.33 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:

crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals

Imports - partners:

China 6.1%, US 6%, Switzerland 5.2%, Belgium 4.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$126 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:

$117.2 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:

$2.9 billion (FY98/99)

Currency (code):

Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code:

INR

Exchange rates:

Indian rupees per US dollar - 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61

(2002), 47.186 (2001), 44.942 (2000)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Communications India

Telephones - main lines in use:

48.917 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

26,154,400 (2003)

Telephone system:

general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of

telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change;

local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of

the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban

areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission

of private and private-public investors, but telephone density

remains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but only

one per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list of

over 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest

growth in fixed lines

domestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak in

rural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramatic

reductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobile

cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and

organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecom

circles each with about three private service providers and one

state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk

capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the

world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National

Satellite system (INSAT), with five satellites supporting 33,000

very small aperture terminals (VSAT)

international: country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8

Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine

gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata

(Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar,

Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3

with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link

Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South

Africa - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking

to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai

(Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras),

provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both

voice and data traffic (2004)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)

Radios:

116 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Televisions:

63 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.in

Internet hosts:

86,871 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

43 (2000)

Internet users:

18.481 million (2003)

Transportation India

Railways:

total: 63,230 km (16,693 km electrified)

broad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,106 km 0.762-m gauge and

0.610-m gauge (2004)

Highways:

total: 2,525,989 km

paved: 1,448,655 km

unpaved: 1,077,334 km (1999)

Waterways:

14,500 km

note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for

mechanized vessels (2004)

Pipelines:

gas 6,171 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,195 km; oil 5,613 km; refined

products 5,567 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:

Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),

Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Merchant marine:

total: 299 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,555,507 GRT/11,069,791 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 85, cargo 75, chemical tanker 13, combination

ore/oil 1, container 7, liquefied gas 14, passenger 3,

passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 91, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned: 10 (Australia 1, China 1, Greece 1, UAE 6, United

Kingdom 1)

registered in other countries: 30 (2005)

Airports:

333 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 234 over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 47 1,524 to 2,437 m: 78 914 to 1,523 m: 74 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 99 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 45 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 20 (2004 est.)

Military India

Military branches:

Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard,

various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security

Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border

Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force,

Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and

Defense Security Corps)

Military service age and obligation:

16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16–49: 287,551,111 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16–49: 219,471,999 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:

males: 11,446,452 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:

$18.86 billion (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

2.93% (2005/06)

Transnational Issues India

Disputes - international:

China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in

2005, consolidating discussions related to the dispute over most of

their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation,

Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, 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); in 2004, India and

Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir and in 2005,

restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control;

Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's

building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir

to the World Bank for arbitration; UN Military Observer Group in

India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of

peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding

historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; disputes persist with

Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and

prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, in 2004, India and

Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek

estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch; Pakistani maps continue

to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with

Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river

boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, to

allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade,

migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous

border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off

high-traffic sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South

Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime

boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma

to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote

areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues

to demarcate minor disputed boundary sections; India has instituted

a stricter border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control

illegal cross-border activities from Nepal

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (Tibet/China) 60,922 (Sri

Lanka)

IDPs: 650,000 (Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri

Hindus); 113,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami) (2004)

Illicit drugs:

world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical

trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit

international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics

produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone;

vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Indian Ocean

Introduction Indian Ocean

Background:

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans

(after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the

Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access

waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb

(Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of

Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International

Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth

ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean

south of 60 degrees south.

Geography Indian Ocean

Location:

body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and

Australia

Geographic coordinates:

20 00 S, 80 00 E

Map references:

Political Map of the World

Area:

total: 68.556 million sq km

note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,

Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea,

Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of

Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:

about 5.5 times the size of the US

Coastline:

66,526 km

Climate:

northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to

October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and

October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February

in the southern Indian Ocean

Terrain:

surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system

of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of

surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric

pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in

the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents,

while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter

air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest

winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean

Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest

Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Java Trench −7,258 m

highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:

oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates,

placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Natural hazards:

occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches

Environment - current issues:

endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and

whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea