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ОглавлениеPeople Sri Lanka
Population: 19,576,783 note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.6% (male 2,559,246; female 2,446,393) 15-64 years: 67.7% (male 6,446,320; female 6,802,515) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 628,398; female 693,911) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.85% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 16.36 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 15.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 7,500 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 490 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.2% male: 93.4% female: 87.2% (1995 est.)
Government Sri Lanka
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of
Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Serendib, Ceylon
Government type: republic
Capital: Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North
Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note -
North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern
Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Constitution: adopted 16 August 1978
Legal system: a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2005) election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA) 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms) elections: last held 7 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2007) election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 46.8%, PA and EPDP 38%, JVP 9.1%, Tamil National Alliance 3.89%, PLOTE 0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114, PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, Tamil National Alliance 15, PLOTE 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC
[KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN];
Communist Party or CP [D. GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith)
Front or DUNLF [Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party
or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation
Front or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or
JVP [Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF];
People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's
Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader NA]; Sihala
Urumaya or SU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP
[Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC
[Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA];
Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National
Alliance or TNA [Nadarajah RAVIRAJ]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF
[R. SAMPATHAN]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE];
Upcountry People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic
Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either Parliament or provincial
councils
Political pressure groups and leaders: Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS
(observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Warnasena RASAPUTRAM consulate(s): New York [1] (202) 232-7181 telephone: Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
E. Ashley WILLS embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address:
P. O. Box 106, Colombo telephone: [94] (1) 448007 FAX: [94] (1) 437345
Flag description: yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
Economy Sri Lanka
Economy - overview: In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% throughout the 1990s until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000 with average growth of 5.3%. But 2001 saw the first contraction in the country's history, due to a combination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $62.7 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21% industry: 27% services: 52% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 22% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 28% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 34.4 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.2% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 6.6 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation: services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7.7% (2001)
Budget: revenues: $2.8 billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2001)
Electricity - production: 6.619 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.86% hydro: 68.14% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 6.156 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Exports: $4.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: textiles and apparel 15%, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products
Exports - partners: US 39%, UK 13%, Middle East 8%, Germany 4%, Japan 4% (2000)
Imports: $6 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Japan 9%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, Singapore 7%,
South Korea 5% (2000)
Debt - external: $9.9 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $577 million (1998)
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Currency code: LKR
Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 93.383 (January 2002), 89.383 (2001), 77.005 (2000), 70.635 (1999), 64.450 (1998), 58.995 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Sri Lanka
Telephones - main lines in use: 494,509 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 228,604 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good international service (1999) domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999) international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 3.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 21 (1997)
Televisions: 1.53 million (1997)
Internet country code: .lk
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2000)
Internet users: 121,500 (2001)
Transportation Sri Lanka
Railways: total: 1,463 km broad gauge: 1,404 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2001)
Highways: total: 11,285 km paved: 10,721 km unpaved: 564 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft)
Pipelines: crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports and harbors: Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee
Merchant marine: total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 137,321 GRT/233,367 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 9, Hong Kong 1, United Arab Emirates 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 15 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Sri Lanka
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,347,153 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,148,825 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 193,522 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $719 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.2% (FY98)
Transnational Issues Sri Lanka
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Congo, Republic of the
Introduction
Congo, Republic of the
Background: Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.
Geography Congo, Republic of the
Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Angola and Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 342,000 sq km water: 500 sq km land: 341,500 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total: 5,504 km border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km
Coastline: 169 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Mount Berongou 903 m
Natural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: seasonal flooding
Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
Geography - note: about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville,
Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
People Congo, Republic of the
Population: 2,958,448 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 630,985; female 622,024) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 783,238; female 823,882) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 39,369; female 58,950) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.18% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 37.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 16.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 97.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 51.24 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 4.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 6.43% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 86,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 8,600 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groups: Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997
Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Languages: French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.9% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (1995 est.)
Government Congo, Republic of the
Country name: Republic of the Congo conventional short form:
Congo/Brazzaville, Congo local long form: Republique du Congo
Government type: republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
Constitution: constitution approved by referendum in January 2002
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) head of government: civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Transitional Council (75 seats, members elected by reconciliation forum of 1,420 delegates in January 1998); note - the National Transitional Council will be replaced by a bicameral Parliament, with a National Assembly and Senate, following elections in 2002 elections: National Transitional Council - last held NA January 1998 (next to be held in 2002); note - at that election the National Transitional Council is to be replaced by a bicameral legislature election results: National Transitional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders: the most important of the many parties are
the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for
Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican
Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union
for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal)
[Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and
Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for
Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and
Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president];
Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO];
Union for Democracy and Republic [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces
or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Congolese Trade Union Congress
or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC;
Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese
Socialist Youth or UJSC
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC,
CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
Diplomatic representation from the US: NA mailing address: is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy Congo, Republic of the
Economy - overview: The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. Given a fragile peace, agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, and general international support for reconstruction and development, prospects for structural reform and 4% growth in 2002-03 appear strong.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $900 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10% industry: 48% services: 42% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2001 est.)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $870 million expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 302 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.66% hydro: 99.34% other: 0% (1999) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 406.9 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 126 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Exports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: petroleum 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports - partners: US 20.9%, South Korea 15.5%, China 6.7%, Germany 3.2% (2000)
Imports: $725 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: petroleum products, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: France 20.5%, US 9.8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 3.8% (2000)
Debt - external: $5 billion (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $159.1 million (1995)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code: XAF
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Congo, Republic of the
Telephones - main lines in use: 22,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 250,000 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out-of-order domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios: 341,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002)
Televisions: 33,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .cg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 500 (2000)
Transportation Congo, Republic of the
Railways: total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2000 est.)
Highways: total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1996)
Waterways: 1,120 km note: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only
Pipelines: crude oil 25 km
Ports and harbors: Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
Airports: 33 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 12 (2001)
Military Congo, Republic of the
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Gendarmerie, National Police
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 702,048 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 356,388 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 32,350 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $84 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.8% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Congo, Republic of the
Disputes - international: most of the Congo River boundary with the
Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been
reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the
Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Introduction
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Background: Since 1997 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow in 1994 of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of former president MOBUTU Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups RCD-G and MLC, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated on 16 January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state on 26 January 2001. Despite taking a radically different approach than his father, the new president has been equally unsuccessful in ending the war.
Geography Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 2,345,410 sq km water: 77,810 sq km land: 2,267,600 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Land boundaries: total: 10,744 km border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 473 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline: 37 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October
Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber
Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 1% other: 96% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 110 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes
Environment - current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
Geography - note: straddles Equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
People Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Population: 55,225,478 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 48.2% (male 13,369,493; female 13,256,174) 15-64 years: (male 581,568; female 813,944) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.79% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 45.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 14.93 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: one million refugees fled into Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DROC) in 1994 as a result of the ethnic fighting in Rwanda; fighting in the DROC between rebels and government forces in October 1996 caused 875,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early 1997 and additional refugees have returned in subsequent years; fighting between the Congolese government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese displaced in DROC and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 98.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 51.13 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 6.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5.07% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.1 million (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 95,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groups: over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language),
Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba total population: 77.3% male: 86.6% female: 67.7% (1995 est.)
Government Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local short form: none former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire local long form: Government type: dictatorship; presumably undergoing a transition to representative government
Capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province)
and one city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental,
Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale,
Sud-Kivu
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it was not ratified by a national referendum; one outcome of the ongoing inter-Congolese dialogue is to be a new constitution
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by the president elections: before Laurent Desire KABILA seized power on 16 May 1997, the president was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, there was also a prime minister who was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - elections were not held in 1991 as called for by the constitution note: November 1965 until forced into exile on 16 May 1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Desire KABILA; KABILA immediately assumed governing authority and pledged to hold elections by April 1999, but, in December 1998, announced that elections would be postponed until all foreign military forces attempting to topple the government had withdrawn from the country; KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph KABILA election results: results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition
Legislative branch: a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly
established in August 2000 elections: NA; members of the Transitional
Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President Laurent Desire
KABILA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [three factions: MPR-Fait Prive (Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo); MPR/Vunduawe (Felix VUNDUAWE); MPR/Mananga (MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo)]; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI [two factions: UFERI (Lokambo OMOKOKO); UFERI/OR (Adolph Kishwe MAYA)]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS embassy: 310 Avenue des Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: Flag description: light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed stars along the hoist side
Economy Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Economy - overview: The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and has increased external debt. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $32 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $590 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 54% industry: 9% services: 37% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 358% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 14.51 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $269 million expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
Industries: mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 5.268 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.05% hydro: 97.95% other: 0% (1999) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 4.55 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 404 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 55 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Exports: $750 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
Exports - partners: Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999)
Imports: $1.024 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners: South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%,
China (1999)
Debt - external: $12.9 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $195.3 million (1995)
Currency: Congolese franc (CDF)
Currency code: CDF
Exchange rates: Congolese francs per US dollar - 305 (January 2002), 21.82 (2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997) note: on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Telephones - main lines in use: 21,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 15,000 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: poor domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios: 18.03 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (2001)
Televisions: 6.478 million (1997)
Internet country code: .cd
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 1,500 (1999)
Transportation Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Railways: total: 5,138 km narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge note: severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by civil strife (2000 est.)
Highways: total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Waterways: 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)
Pipelines: petroleum products 390 km
Ports and harbors: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu,
Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 232 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 24 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 208 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 96 under 914 m: 92 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Security Battalion
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 11,996,175 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 6,110,595 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $250 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.6% (FY97)
Transnational Issues Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Disputes - international: Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state; Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, political rebels, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda; most of the Congo River boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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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, China was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established a dictatorship 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 gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision making, and output quadrupled by 2000. Political controls remain tight even while economic controls continue to be relaxed.
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: 22,147.34 km border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, Hong Kong 30 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Macau 0.34 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
Coastline: 14,500 km
Maritime claims: 200 NM continental shelf: 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 (1999 est.)
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: 13% permanent crops: 1% other: 86% (1998 est.)
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, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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: 1,284,303,705 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 24.3% (male 163,821,081; female 148,855,387) 15-64 years: (male 43,834,528; female 49,382,568) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.87% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 15.85 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 6.77 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 73.86 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.2% (2000-01 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.25 million (January 2001)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 17,000 (1999 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: 81.5% male: 89.9% female: 72.7% (1995 est.)
Government China
Country name: conventional long form: People's Republic of China
conventional short
PRC local long form:
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); Anhui, Beijing**, Chongqing**, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi*, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol*, Ningxia*, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanghai**, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin**, Xinjiang*, Xizang* (Tibet), Yunnan, Zhejiang; 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 221
BC; Qing or Ch'ing Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912;
People's Republic established 1 October 1949)
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 JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) and Vice President HU Jintao (since 16 March 1998) elections: president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 16-18 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress head of government: Premier ZHU Rongji (since 18 March 1998); Vice Premiers QIAN Qichen (since 29 March 1993), LI Lanqing (29 March 1993), WU Bangguo (since 17 March 1995), and WEN Jiabao (since 18 March 1998) cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC) election results: JIANG Zemin reelected president by the Ninth National People's Congress with a total of 2,882 votes (36 delegates voted against him, 29 abstained, and 32 did not vote); HU Jintao elected vice president by the Ninth National People's Congress with a total of 2,841 votes (67 delegates voted against him, 39 abstained, and 32 did not vote)
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,979 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms) elections: last held NA December 1997-NA February 1998 (next to be held late 2002-NA March 2003) 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 [JIANG Zemin, 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 sect and the China Democracy Party as potential rivals
International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue
partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CCC, CDB, ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO,
MONUC, NAM (observer), OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMOVIC,
UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Jiechi consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582 telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500 chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
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) 6532-3431 FAX: [86] (10) 6532-6422 consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, 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 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 have 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 enterprise 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. In 2001, with its 1.27 billion people but a GDP of just $4,300 per capita, China stood as the second largest economy in the world after the US (measured on a purchasing power parity basis). Agriculture and industry have posted major gains, especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong and opposite Taiwan, where foreign investment has helped spur output of both domestic and export goods. On the darker side, the leadership has often experienced in its hybrid system the worst results of socialism (bureaucracy and lassitude) and of capitalism (windfall gains and growing income disparities). Beijing thus has periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at intervals. The government has struggled to (a) collect revenues due from provinces, businesses, and individuals; (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 80 to 120 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. Another long-term threat to continued rapid economic 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. Beijing will intensify efforts to stimulate growth through spending on infrastructure - such as water control and power grids - and poverty relief and through rural tax reform aimed at eliminating arbitrary local levies on farmers. Access to the World Trade Organization strengthens China's ability to maintain sturdy growth rates, and at the same time puts additional pressure on the hybrid system of strong political controls and growing market influences. Although Beijing has claimed 7%-8% annual growth in recent years, many observers believe the rate, while strong, is more like 5%.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.56 trillion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.3% (official estimate) (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.7% industry: 49.3% services: 33% (2001 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: 40 (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.8% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 706 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 50%, industry 23%, services 27% (2001 est.)
