Appendixes 

A: The United Nations System 

B: Abbreviations for International Organizations and Groups 

C: International Organizations and Groups 

D: Abbreviations for Selected International Environmental Agreements 

E: Selected International Environmental Agreements 

F: Weights and Measures 

G: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names 

Reference Maps 

The World 

North America 

Central America and the Caribbean 

South America 

Europe 

Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe 

Middle East 

Africa 

Asia 

Commonwealth of Independent States--European States 

Commonwealth of Independent States--Central Asian States 

Southeast Asia 

Oceania 

Arctic Region 

Antarctic Region 

Standard Time Zones of the World 

There have been some significant changes in this edition. The format and content 

of the former entries on the Environment have been changed, and two new 

appendixes have been added--Appendix D: Abbreviations for Selected International 

Environmental Agreements and Appendix E: Selected International Environmental 

Agreements. The name of Macedonia was changed to The Former Yugoslav Republic of 

Macedonia (FYROM). The gross domestic product (GDP) of most of the developing 

countries is now presented on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis rather than 

on an exchange rate basis. The electronic files used to produce the Factbook 

have been restructured into a database. As a result, the formats of some entries 

in this edition have been changed. Additional changes will occur in the 1995 

Factbook. 

Abbreviations: (see Appendix B for abbreviations for international organizations 

and groups and Appendix D for abbreviations for international environmental 

agreements) 

avdp. -- avoirdupois 

c.i.f. -- cost, insurance, and freight 

CY -- calendar year 

DWT -- deadweight ton 

est. -- estimate 

Ex-Im -- Export-Import Bank of the United States 

f.o.b. -- free on board 

FRG -- Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany); used for information dated 

before 3 October 1990 or CY91 

FSU -- former Soviet Union 

FY -- fiscal year 

FYROM -- The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 

GDP -- gross domestic product 

GDR -- German Democratic Republic (East Germany); used for information dated 

before 3 October 1990 or CY91 

GNP -- gross national product 

GRT -- gross register ton 

GWP -- gross world product 

km -- kilometer 

kW -- kilowatt 

kWh -- kilowatt hour 

m -- meter 

NA -- not available 

NEGL -- negligible 

nm -- nautical mile 

NZ -- New Zealand 

ODA -- official development assistance 

OOF -- other official flows 

PDRY -- People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]; 

used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91 

sq km -- square kilometer 

sq mi -- square mile 

UAE -- United Arab Emirates 

UK -- United Kingdom 

US -- United States 

USSR -- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union); used for information 

dated before 25 December 1991 

YAR -- Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen]; used for information 

dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91 

Administrative divisions: The numbers, designatory terms, and first-order 

administrative divisions are generally those approved by the US Board on 

Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by 

BGN are noted. 

Area: Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by 

international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all 

surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding 

inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Comparative areas are based on 

total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of 

the 50 states. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 

69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres). 

Birth rate: The average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 

population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. 

Dates of information: In general, information available as of 1 January 1994 was 

used in the preparation of this edition. Population figures are estimates for 1 

July 1994, with population growth rates estimated for calendar year 1994. Major 

political events have been updated through May 1994. 

Death rate: The average annual number of deaths during a year per l,000 

population at midyear; also known as crude death rate. 

Digraphs: The digraph is a two-letter "country code" that precisely identifies 

every entity without overlap, duplication, or omission. AF, for example, is the 

digraph for Afghanistan. It is a standardized geopolitical data element 

promulgated in the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS) 

10-3 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (US Department of 

Commerce) and maintained by the Office of the Geographer (US Department of 

State). The digraph is used to eliminate confusion and incompatibility in the 

collection, processing, and dissemination of area-specific data and is 

particularly useful for interchanging data between databases. 

Diplomatic representation: The US Government has diplomatic relations with 183 

nations, including 177 of the 184 UN members (excluded UN members are Bhutan, 

Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Vietnam, and former Yugoslavia). In addition, the 

US has diplomatic relations with 6 nations that are not in the UN - Holy See, 

Kiribati, Nauru, Switzerland, Tonga, and Tuvalu. 

Economic aid: This entry refers to bilateral commitments of official development 

assistance (ODA) and other official flows (OOF). ODA is defined as financial 

assistance which is concessional in character, has the main objective to promote 

economic development and welfare of LDCs. and contains a grant element of at 

least 25%. OOF transactions are also official government assistance, but with a 

main objective other than development and with a grant element less than 25%. 

OOF transactions include official export credits (such as Ex-Im Bank credits), 

official equity and portfolio investment, and debt reorganization by the 

official sector that does not meet concessional terms. Aid is considered to have 

been committed when agreements are initialed by the parties involved and 

constitute a formal declaration of intent. 

Entities: Some of the nations, dependent areas, areas of special sovereignty, 

and governments included in this publication are not independent, and others are 

not officially recognized by the US Government. "Nation" refers to a people 

politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory. 

"Dependent area" refers to a broad category of political entities that are 

associated in some way with a nation. Names used for page headings are usually 

the short-form names as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names. There are 

266 entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows: 

NATIONS 

183 -- UN members (excluding both the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 

and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; membership status in the UN is still to 

be determined) 

7 -- nations that are not members of the UN--Holy See, Kiribati, Nauru, Serbia 

and Montenegro, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu 

OTHER 

1 -- Taiwan 

DEPENDENT AREAS 

6 -- Australia--Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) 

Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island 

2 -- Denmark--Faroe Islands, Greenland 

16 -- France--Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Guiana, 

French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, 

Guadeloupe, Juan de Nova Island, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, 

Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna 

2 -- Netherlands--Aruba, Netherlands Antilles 

3 -- New Zealand--Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau 

3 -- Norway--Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard 

1 -- Portugal--Macau 

16 -- United Kingdom--Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British 

Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong 

Kong, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South 

Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands 

15 -- United States--American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis 

Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern 

Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), Palmyra Atoll, 

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island 

MISCELLANEOUS 

6 -- Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, 

Western Sahara 

OTHER ENTITIES 

4 -- oceans--Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean 

1 -- World 

266 -- total 

Exchange rate: The value of a nation's monetary unit at a given date or over a 

given period of time, as expressed in units of local currency per US dollar and 

as determined by international market forces or official fiat. 

Gross domestic product (GDP): The value of all final goods and services produced 

within a nation in a given year. 

Gross national product (GNP): The value of all final goods and services produced 

within a nation in a given year, plus income earned abroad, minus income earned 

by foreigners from domestic production. 

Gross world product (GWP): The aggregate value of all goods and services 

produced worldwide in a given year. 

GNP/GDP methodology: In the "Economy" section, GNP/GDP dollar estimates for the 

great majority of countries are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) 

calculations rather than from conversions at official currency exchange rates. 

The PPP method normally involves the use of international dollar price weights, 

which are applied to the quantities of goods and services produced in a given 

economy. In addition to the lack of reliable data from the majority of 

countries, the statistician faces a major difficulty in specifying, identifying, 

and allowing for the quality of goods and services. The division of a GNP/GDP 

estimate in local currency by the corresponding PPP estimate in dollars gives 

the PPP conversion rate. On average, one thousand dollars will buy the same 

market basket of goods in the US as one thousand dollars--converted to the local 

currency at the PPP conversion rate--will buy in the other country. Whereas PPP 

estimates for OECD countries are quite reliable, PPP estimates for developing 

countries are often rough approximations. The latter estimates are based on 

extrapolation of numbers published by the UN International Comparison Program 

and by Professors Robert Summers and Alan Heston of the University of 

Pennsylvania and their colleagues. Because currency exchange rates depend on a 

variety of international and domestic financial forces that often have little 

relation to domestic output, use of these rates is less satisfactory for 

calculating GNP/GDP than the PPP method. In developing countries with weak 

currencies the exchange rate estimate of GNP/GDP in dollars is typically one-

fourth to one-half the PPP estimate. Furthermore, exchange rates may suddenly 

go up or down by 10% or more because of market forces or official fiat whereas 

real output has remained unchanged. On 12 January 1994, for example, the 14 

countries of the African Financial Community (whose currencies are tied to the 

French franc) devalued their currencies by 50%. This move, of course, did not 

cut the real output of these countries by half. One additional caution: the 

proportion of, say, defense expenditures as a percent of GNP/GDP in local 

currency accounts may differ substantially from the proportion when GNP/GDP 

accounts are expressed in PPP terms, as, for example, when an observer estimates 

the dollar level of Russian or Japanese military expenditures; 

Growth rate (population): The annual percent change in the population, resulting 

from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants 

entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. 

Illicit drugs: There are five categories of illicit drugs--narcotics, 

stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These 

categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well 

as those illegally produced and sold outside medical channels. 

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides 

hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, 

Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish 

(hash), and hashish oil (hash oil). 

Coca (Erythroxylon coca) is a bush, and the leaves contain the stimulant 

cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and 

is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter. 

Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush. 

Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include 

chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital), 

benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide 

(Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid). 

Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional, or 

behavioral change in an individual. 

Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results in 

physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual. 

Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness, and 

emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, 

buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, 

angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others 

(psilocybin, psilocyn). 

Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). 

Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine. 

Mandrax is a synthetic chemical depressant, the same as, or similar to Quaalude. 

Marijuana is the dried leaves of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). 

Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium, 

opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium 

(paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with 

codeine, Empirin with codeine, Robitussan AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic 

narcotics include heroin (horse, smack), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Synthetic 

narcotics include meperidine or Pethidine (Demerol, Mepergan), methadone 

(Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon, Lomotil). 

Opium is the milky exudate of the incised, unripe seedpod of the opium poppy. 

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source for many natural and 

semisynthetic narcotics. 

Poppy straw concentrate is the alkaloid derived from the mature dried opium 

poppy. 

Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant from the buds or leaves of catha edulis that is 

chewed or drunk as tea. 

Stimulants are drugs that relieve mild depression, increase energy and activity, 

and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines (Desoxyn, Dexedrine), 

phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and others (Cylert, 

Sanorex, Tenuate). 

Infant mortality rate: The number of deaths to infants under one year old in a 

given year per l,000 live births occurring in the same year. 

International disputes: This category includes a wide variety of situations that 

range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one 

sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international boundaries 

and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the Department of State. References 

to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as 

resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues. However, 

inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by 

the US Government. 

Irrigated land: The figure refers to the land area that is artificially supplied 

with water. 

Land use: Human use of the land surface is categorized as arable land--land 

cultivated for crops that are replanted after each harvest (wheat, maize, rice); 

permanent crops--land cultivated for crops that are not replanted after each 

harvest (citrus, coffee, rubber); meadows and pastures--land permanently used 

for herbaceous forage crops; forest and woodland--under dense or open stands of 

trees; and other--any land type not specifically mentioned above (urban areas, 

roads, desert). 

Leaders: The chief of state is the titular leader of the country who represents 

the state at official and ceremonial functions but is not involved with the day-

to-day activities of the government. The head of government is the 

administrative leader who manages the day-to-day activities of the government. 

In the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the Prime Minister is the head 

of government. In the US, the President is both the chief of state and the head 

of government. 

Life expectancy at birth: The average number of years to be lived by a group of 

people all born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in 

the future. 

Literacy: There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless 

otherwise noted, all rates are based on the most common definition--the ability 

to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual 

countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of 

this publication. 

Maritime claims: The proximity of neighboring states may prevent some national 

claims from being extended the full distance. 

Merchant marine: All ships engaged in the carriage of goods. All commercial 

vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing 

vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc.; also, a grouping of merchant ships by 

nationality or register. 

Captive register--A register of ships maintained by a territory, possession, or 

colony primarily or exclusively for the use of ships owned in the parent 

country; also referred to as an offshore register, the offshore equivalent of an 

internal register. Ships on a captive register will fly the same flag as the 

parent country, or a local variant of it, but will be subject to the maritime 

laws and taxation rules of the offshore territory. Although the nature of a 

captive register makes it especially desirable for ships owned in the parent 

country, just as in the internal register, the ships may also be owned abroad. 

The captive register then acts as a flag of convenience register, except that it 

is not the register of an independent state. 

Flag of convenience register--A national register offering registration to a 

merchant ship not owned in the flag state. The major flags of convenience (FOC) 

attract ships to their register by virtue of low fees, low or nonexistent 

taxation of profits, and liberal manning requirements. True FOC registers are 

characterized by having relatively few of the ships registered actually owned in 

the flag state. Thus, while virtually any flag can be used for ships under a 

given set of circumstances, an FOC register is one where the majority of the 

merchant fleet is owned abroad. It is also referred to as an open register. 

Flag state--The nation in which a ship is registered and which holds legal 

jurisdiction over operation of the ship, whether at home or abroad. Differences 

in flag state maritime legislation determine how a ship is manned and taxed and 

whether a foreign-owned ship may be placed on the register. 

Internal register--A register of ships maintained as a subset of a national 

register. Ships on the internal register fly the national flag and have that 

nationality but are subject to a separate set of maritime rules from those on 

the main national register. These differences usually include lower taxation of 

profits, manning by foreign nationals, and, usually, ownership outside the flag 

state (when it functions as an FOC register). The Norwegian International Ship 

Register and Danish International Ship Register are the most notable examples of 

an internal register. Both have been instrumental in stemming flight from the 

national flag to flags of convenience and in attracting foreign owned ships to 

the Norwegian and Danish flags. 

Merchant ship--A vessel that carries goods against payment of freight; commonly 

used to denote any nonmilitary ship but accurately restricted to commercial 

vessels only. 

Register--The record of a ship's ownership and nationality as listed with the 

maritime authorities of a country; also, the compendium of such individual 

ships' registrations. Registration of a ship provides it with a nationality and 

makes it subject to the laws of the country in which registered (the flag state) 

regardless of the nationality of the ship's ultimate owner. 

Money figures: All money figures are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars 

unless otherwise indicated. 

National product: The total output of goods and services in a country in a given 

year. See Gross domestic product (GDP), Gross national product (GNP), and 

GNP/GDP methodology. 

Net migration rate: The balance between the number of persons entering and 

leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear 

population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net 

immigration (3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the 

country as net emigration (-9.26 migrants/1,000 population). 

Population: Figures are estimates from the Bureau of the Census based on 

statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or 

sample surveys pertaining to the recent past, and on assumptions about future 

trends. Starting with the 1993 Factbook demographic estimates for some countries 

(mostly African) have taken into account the effects of the growing incidence of 

AIDS infections; in 1993 these countries were Burkina, Burundi, Central African 

Republic, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, 

Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Thailand, and Brazil. 

Total fertility rate: The average number of children that would be born per 

woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore 

children according to a given fertility rate at each age. 

Years: All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as 

fiscal year (FY). 

Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was compiled from material in 

the public domain and does not represent Intelligence Community estimates. The 

Handbook of International Economic Statistics, published annually in September 

by the Central Intelligence Agency, contains detailed economic information for 

the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, 

Eastern Europe, the newly independent republics of the former nations of 

Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, and selected other countries. The Handbook can 

be obtained wherever The World Factbook is available.

***THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994

@Afghanistan, Geography

Location: 

Southern Asia, between Iran and Pakistan

Map references: 

Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World 

Area: 

total area: 

647,500 sq km 

land area: 

647,500 sq km 

comparative area: 

slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: 

total 5,529 km, China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,

Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km 

Coastline: 

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: 

none; landlocked

International disputes: 

periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights; Iran supports

clients in country, private Pakistani and Saudi sources also are

active; power struggles among various groups for control of Kabul,

regional rivalries among emerging warlords, traditional tribal

disputes continue; support to Islamic fighters in Tajikistan's civil

war; border dispute with Pakistan (Durand Line); support to Islamic

militants worldwide by some factions

Climate: 

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Terrain: 

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Natural resources: 

natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulphur, lead,

zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones 

Land use: 

arable land: 

12% 

permanent crops: 

0% 

meadows and pastures: 

46% 

forest and woodland: 

3% 

other: 

39% 

Irrigated land: 

26,600 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: 

current issues: 

soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining

forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials);

desertification

natural hazards: 

damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains (one measured 6.8

on the Richter scale in 1991); flooding

international agreements: 

party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine

Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,

Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life

Conservation

Note: 

landlocked

@Afghanistan, People

Population: 

16,903,400 (July 1994 est.) 

Population growth rate: 

2.45% (1994 est.) 

Birth rate: 

43.46 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Death rate: 

18.94 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Net migration rate: 

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Infant mortality rate: 

155.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) 

Life expectancy at birth: 

total population: 

44.89 years 

male: 

45.53 years 

female: 

44.21 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 

6.27 children born/woman (1994 est.) 

Nationality: 

noun: 

Afghan(s) 

adjective: 

Afghan 

Ethnic divisions: 

Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups

(Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)

Religions: 

Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% 

Languages: 

Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily

Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and

Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Literacy: 

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

total population: 

29% 

male: 

44% 

female: 

14% 

Labor force: 

4.98 million 

by occupation: 

agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%, industry 10.2%, construction

6.3%, commerce 5.0%, services and other 10.7% (1980 est.)

@Afghanistan, Government

Names: 

conventional long form: 

Islamic State of Afghanistan 

conventional short form: 

Afghanistan 

local long form: 

Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan 

local short form: 

Afghanestan 

former: 

Republic of Afghanistan 

Digraph: 

AF

Type: 

transitional government 

Capital: 

Kabul 

Administrative divisions: 

30 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,

Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat,

Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar,

Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e

Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol

note: 

there may be a new province of Nurestan (Nuristan)

Independence: 

19 August 1919 (from UK)

National holiday: 

Victory of the Muslim Nation, 28 April; Remembrance Day for Martyrs

and Disabled, 4 May; Independence Day, 19 August 

Constitution: 

none

Legal system: 

a new legal system has not been adopted but the transitional

government has declared it will follow Islamic law (Shari'a)

Suffrage: 

undetermined; previously universal, male ages 15-50

Executive branch: 

chief of state: 

President Burhanuddin RABBANI (Interim President July - December 1992;

President since 2 January 1993); First Vice President Mohammad NABI

Mohammadi (since NA); First Vice President Mohammad SHAH Fazli (since

NA); election last held NA December 1992 (next to be held NA December

1994); results - Burhanuddin RABBANI was elected to a two-year term by

a national shura, later amended by multi-party agreement to 18 months.

head of government: 

Prime Minister Gulbuddin HIKMATYAR (since 17 March 1993); First Deputy

Prime Minister Qutbuddin HELAL (since 17 March 1993); Deputy Prime

Minister Arsala RAHMANI (since 17 March 1993) 

cabinet: 

Council of Ministers 

Legislative branch: 

a unicameral parliament consisting of 205 members was chosen by the

shura in January 1993; non-functioning as of June 1993

Judicial branch: 

an interim Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has been appointed, but

a new court system has not yet been organized

Political parties and leaders: 

current political organizations include Jamiat-i-Islami (Islamic

Society), Burhanuddin RABBANI, Ahmad Shah MASOOD; Hizbi

Islami-Gulbuddin (Islamic Party), Gulbuddin HIKMATYAR faction; Hizbi

Islami-Khalis (Islamic Party), Yunis KHALIS faction; Ittihad-i-Islami

Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the Liberation of

Afghanistan), Abdul Rasul SAYYAF; Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami (Islamic

Revolutionary Movement), Mohammad Nabi MOHAMMADI;

Jabha-i-Najat-i-Milli Afghanistan (Afghanistan National Liberation

Front), Sibghatullah MOJADDEDI; Mahaz-i-Milli-Islami (National Islamic

Front), Sayed Ahamad GAILANI; Hizbi Wahdat (Islamic Unity Party),

Abdul Ali MAZARI; Harakat-i-Islami (Islamic Movement), Mohammed Asif

MOHSENI; Jumbesh-i-Milli Islami (National Islamic Movement), Rashid

DOSTUM

note: 

the former ruling Watan Party has been disbanded

Other political or pressure groups: 

the former resistance commanders are the major power brokers in the

countryside; shuras (councils) of commanders are now administering

most cities outside Kabul; ulema (religious scholars); tribal elders

Member of: 

AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD,

IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD,

UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO 

Diplomatic representation in US: 

chief of mission: 

(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Abdul RAHIM 

chancery: 

2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 

telephone: 

(202) 234-3770 or 3771 

FAX: 

(202) 328-3516 

US diplomatic representation: 

none; embassy was closed in January 1989

Flag: 

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black, with

the national coat of arms superimposed in the middle of the white band

and large Islamic lettering superimposed over the green and white

bands

Overview: 

Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent

on farming (wheat especially) and livestock raising (sheep and goats).

Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and

military upheavals during more than 14 years of war, including the

nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February

1989). Over the past decade, one-third of the population fled the

country, with Pakistan sheltering more than 3 million refugees and

Iran about 3 million. About 1.4 million Afghan refugees remain in

Pakistan and about 2 million in Iran. Another 1 million probably moved

into and around urban areas within Afghanistan. Although reliable data

are unavailable, gross domestic product is lower than 12 years ago

because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption of trade

and transport.

National product: 

GDP $NA

National product real growth rate: 

NA%

National product per capita: 

$NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 

NA%

Unemployment rate: 

NA%

Budget: 

revenues: 

$NA

expenditures: 

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports: 

$243 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities: 

fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts,

precious and semi-precious gems

partners: 

FSU countries, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium,

Luxembourg, Czechoslovakia

Imports: 

$737 million (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities: 

food and petroleum products; most consumer goods

partners: 

FSU countries, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea,

Germany

External debt: 

$2.3 billion (March 1991 est.)

Industrial production: 

growth rate 2.3% (FY91 est.); accounts for about 25% of GDP

Electricity: 

capacity: 

480,000 kW

production: 

1 billion kWh 

consumption per capita: 

60 kWh (1992)

Industries: 

small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes,

fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal,

copper

Agriculture: 

largely subsistence farming and nomadic animal husbandry; cash

products - wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts, wool, mutton

Illicit drugs: 

an illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis for the

international drug trade; world's second-largest opium producer after

Burma (680 metric tons in 1993) and a major source of hashish

Economic aid: 

recipient: 

$450 million US assistance provided 1985-1993; USAID will stop all

programs by mid-1994; the UN provides assistance in the form of food

aid, immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid to

refugees and displaced persons

Currency: 

1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls

Exchange rates: 

afghanis (Af) per US$1 - 1,900 (January 1994), 1,019 (March 1993), 850

(1991), 700 (1989-90), 220 (1988-89); note - these rates reflect the

free market exchange rates rather than the official exchange rates

Fiscal year: 

21 March - 20 March

@Afghanistan, Communications

Railroads: 

9.6 km (single track) 1.524-meter gauge from Gushgy (formerly Kushka)

(Turkmenistan) to Towraghondi and 15.0 km from Termiz (Uzbekistan) to

Kheyrabad transshipment point on south bank of Amu Darya

Highways: 

total: 

21,000 km 

paved: 

2,800 km 

unpaved: 

gravel 1,650 km; earth 16,550 km (1984)

Inland waterways: 

total navigability 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels

up to about 500 metric tons

Pipelines: 

petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to

Shindand; natural gas 180 km 

Ports: 

Shir Khan and Kheyrabad (river ports)

Airports: 

total: 

42 

usable: 

35 

with permanent-surface runways: 

9 

with runways over 3,659 m: 

0 

with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 

10 

with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 

17 

Telecommunications: 

limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast services; television

introduced in 1980; 31,200 telephones; numerous cellular telephones;

broadcast stations - 5 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station

@Afghanistan, Defense Forces

Branches: 

the military still does not yet exist on a national scale; some

elements of the former Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National

Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police Force (Sarandoi), and

tribal militias remain intact but are factionalized among the various

mujahedin and former regime leaders

Manpower availability: 

males age 15-49 4,188,036; fit for military service 2,245,196; reach

military age (22) annually 158,335 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures: 

the new government has not yet adopted a defense budget

@Albania, Geography

Location: 

Balkan State, Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula between

Serbia and Montenegro and Greece

Map references: 

Africa, Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones

of the World 

Area: 

total area: 

28,750 sq km 

land area: 

27,400 sq km 

comparative area: 

slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries: 

total 720 km, Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km (114 km with Serbia, 173 km with

Montenegro)

Coastline: 

362 km 

Maritime claims: 

continental shelf: 

not specified

territorial sea: 

12 nm

International disputes: 

Albanian majority in Kosovo seeks independence from Serbia and

Montenegro, and the Albanian Government supports the Kosovo position

politically

Climate: 

mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers;

interior is cooler and wetter

Terrain: 

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Natural resources: 

petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel 

Land use: 

arable land: 

21% 

permanent crops: 

4% 

meadows and pastures: 

15% 

forest and woodland: 

38% 

other: 

22% 

Irrigated land: 

4,230 sq km (1989)

Environment: 

current issues: 

deforestation

natural hazards: 

subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern

coast

international agreements: 

party to - Biodiversity

Note: 

strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to

Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

@Albania, People

Population: 

3,374,085 (July 1994 est.) 

note: 

IMF, working with Albanian government figures estimates the population

at 3,120,000 in 1993 and that the population has fallen since 1990

Population growth rate: 

1.19% (1994 est.) 

Birth rate: 

22.46 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Death rate: 

5.32 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Net migration rate: 

-5.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Infant mortality rate: 

30 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) 

Life expectancy at birth: 

total population: 

73.4 years 

male: 

70.42 years 

female: 

76.61 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 

2.78 children born/woman (1994 est.) 

Nationality: 

noun: 

Albanian(s) 

adjective: 

Albanian 

Ethnic divisions: 

Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and

Bulgarians) (1989 est.)

Religions: 

Muslim 70%, Greek Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% 

note: 

all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances

prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious

practice

Languages: 

Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek 

Literacy: 

age 9 and over can read and write (1955)

total population: 

72% 

male: 

80% 

female: 

63% 

Labor force: 

1.5 million (1987)

by occupation: 

agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 40% (1986)

@Albania, Government

Names: 

conventional long form: 

Republic of Albania 

conventional short form: 

Albania 

local long form: 

Republika e Shqiperise 

local short form: 

Shqiperia 

former: 

People's Socialist Republic of Albania 

Digraph: 

AL

Type: 

nascent democracy 

Capital: 

Tirane 

Administrative divisions: 

26 districts (rrethe, singular - rreth); Berat, Dibre, Durres,

Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Kolonje, Korce, Kruje, Kukes,

Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite, Permet, Pogradec, Puke,

Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar, Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje, Vlore

Independence: 

28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: 

Liberation Day, 28 November (1944; changed by decree on 12 November

1993)

Constitution: 

an interim basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on 29 April

1991; a new constitution was to be drafted for adoption in 1992, but

is still in process

Legal system: 

has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 

18 years of age, universal and compulsory

Executive branch: 

chief of state: 

President of the Republic Sali BERISHA (since 9 April 1992) 

head of government: 

Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers Aleksander Gabriel MEKSI

(since 10 April 1992) 

Cabinet: 

Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: 

unicameral

People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor): 

elections last held 22 March 1992; results - DP 62.29%, ASP 25.57%,

SDP 4.33%, RP 3.15%, UHP 2.92%, other 1.74%; seats - (140 total) DP

92, ASP 38, SDP 7, RP 1, UHP 2

Judicial branch: 

Supreme Court 

Political parties and leaders: 

there are at least 18 political parties; most prominent are the

Albanian Socialist Party (ASP; formerly the Albania Workers Party),

Fatos NANO, first secretary; Democratic Party (DP), Eduard SELAMI,

chairman; Albanian Republican Party (RP), Sabri GODO; Omonia (Greek

minority party), leader NA (ran in 1992 election as Unity for Human

Rights Party (UHP)); Social Democratic Party (SDP), Skender GJINUSHI;

Democratic Alliance Party (DAP), Spartak NGJELA, chairman

Member of: 

BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,

IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL,

IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,

UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO 

Diplomatic representation in US: 

chief of mission: 

Ambassador Lublin Hasan DILJA 

chancery: 

Suite 1010, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 

telephone: 

(202) 223-4942, 8187 

FAX: 

(202) 628-7342 

US diplomatic representation: 

chief of mission: 

Ambassador William E. RYERSON 

embassy: 

Rruga E. Elbansanit 103, Tirane 

mailing address: 

PSC 59, Box 100 (A), APO AE 09624 

telephone: 

355-42-32875, 33520 

FAX: 

355-42-32222 

Flag: 

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

@Albania, Economy

Overview: 

An extremely poor country by European standards, Albania is making the

difficult transition to a more open-market economy. The economy

rebounded in 1993 after a severe depression accompanying the collapse

of the previous centrally planned system in 1990 and 1991.

Stabilization policies, including public sector layoffs and reduced

social services, have improved the government's fiscal situation and

reduced inflation. The recovery was spurred by the remittances of some

5% of the population which works abroad, mostly in Greece and Italy.

Foreign assistance and humanitarian aid also supported the recovery.

Most agricultural land was privatized in 1992, substantially improving

peasant incomes. Albania's limited industrial sector, now less than

one-sixth of GDP, continued to decline in 1993. A sharp fall in

chromium prices reduced hard currency receipts from the mining sector.

Large segments of the population, especially those living in urban

areas, continue to depend on humanitarian aid to meet basic food

requirements. Unemployment remains a severe problem accounting for

approximately one-fifth of the work force. Growth is expected to

continue in 1994, but could falter if Albania becomes involved in the

conflict in the former Yugoslavia, workers' remittances from Greece

are reduced, or foreign assistance declines.

National product: 

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $3.3 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 

11% (1993)

National product per capita: 

$1,100 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 

31% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 

18% (1993 est.)

Budget: 

revenues: 

$1.1 billion 

expenditures: 

$1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1991

est.)

Exports: 

$70 million (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities: 

asphalt, metals and metallic ores, electricity, crude oil, vegetables,

fruits, tobacco

partners: 

Italy, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece,

Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary

Imports: 

$524 million (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities: 

machinery, consumer goods, grains

partners: 

Italy, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany,

Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece

External debt: 

$724 million (1993 est.)

Industrial production: 

growth rate -10% (1993 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP (1993 est.)

Electricity: 

capacity: 

1,690,000 kW

production: 

5 billion kWh 

consumption per capita: 

1,520 kWh (1992)

Industries: 

food processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, oil, cement,

chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Agriculture: 

accounts for 55% of GDP; arable land per capita among lowest in

Europe; 80% of arable land now in private hands; one-half of work

force engaged in farming; produces wide range of temperate-zone crops

and livestock

Illicit drugs: 

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan

route; limited opium production

Economic aid: 

recipient: 

$190 million humanitarian aid; $94 million in loans/guarantees/credits

Currency: 

1 lek (L) = 100 qintars

Exchange rates: 

leke (L) per US$1 - 99 (January 1994), 97 (January 1993), 50 (January

1992), 25 (September 1991)

Fiscal year: 

calendar year

@Albania, Communications

Railroads: 

543 km total; 509 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track and 34

km narrow gauge, single track (1990); line connecting Titograd (Serbia

and Montenegro) and Shkoder (Albania) completed August 1986

Highways: 

total: 

16,700 km 

paved: 

6,700 km 

unpaved: 

earth 10,000 km (1990)

Inland waterways: 

43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake

Prespa (1990)

Pipelines: 

crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1991)

Ports: 

Durres, Sarande, Vlore

Merchant marine: 

11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,967 GRT/76,887 DWT

Airports: 

total: 

12 

usable: 

10 

with permanent-surface runways: 

3 

with runways over 3,659 m: 

0 

with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 

6 

with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 

4 

Telecommunications: 

inadequate service; 15,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 13 AM, 1

TV; 514,000 radios, 255,000 TVs (1987 est.)

@Albania, Defense Forces

Branches: 

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops 

Manpower availability: 

males age 15-49 906,938; fit for military service 746,945; reach

military age (19) annually 33,184 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures: 

215 million leke, NA% of GNP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense

expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could

produce misleading results

@Algeria, Geography

Location: 

Northern Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and

Tunisia

Map references: 

Africa, Europe 

Area: 

total area: 

2,381,740 sq km 

land area: 

2,381,740 sq km 

comparative area: 

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 

total 6,343 km, Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km,

Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km 

Coastline: 

998 km 

Maritime claims: 

territorial sea: 

12 nm

International disputes: 

Libya claims part of southeastern Algeria; land boundary dispute with

Tunisia settled in 1993

Climate: 

arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast;

drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a

hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer

Terrain: 

mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous

coastal plain

Natural resources: 

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc 

Land use: 

arable land: 

3% 

permanent crops: 

0% 

meadows and pastures: 

13% 

forest and woodland: 

2% 

other: 

82% 

Irrigated land: 

3,360 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: 

current issues: 

soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices;

desertification; dumping of untreated sewage, petroleum refining

wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of

rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming

polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; limited

supply of potable water

natural hazards: 

mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes

international agreements: 

party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental

Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;

signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test

Ban

Note: 

second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

@Algeria, People

Population: 

27,895,068 (July 1994 est.) 

Population growth rate: 

2.29% (1994 est.) 

Birth rate: 

29.71 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Death rate: 

6.22 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Net migration rate: 

-0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Infant mortality rate: 

52.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) 

Life expectancy at birth: 

total population: 

67.68 years 

male: 

66.63 years 

female: 

68.77 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 

3.83 children born/woman (1994 est.) 

Nationality: 

noun: 

Algerian(s) 

adjective: 

Algerian 

Ethnic divisions: 

Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Religions: 

Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% 

Languages: 

Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects 

Literacy: 

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

total population: 

57% 

male: 

70% 

female: 

46% 

Labor force: 

6.2 million (1992 est.)

by occupation: 

government 29.5%, agriculture 22%, construction and public works

16.2%, industry 13.6%, commerce and services 13.5%, transportation and

communication 5.2% (1989)

@Algeria, Government

Names: 

conventional long form: 

Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria 

conventional short form: 

Algeria 

local long form: 

Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah 

local short form: 

Al Jaza'ir 

Digraph: 

AG

Type: 

republic 

Capital: 

Algiers 

Administrative divisions: 

48 provinces (wilayast, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain

Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj

Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El

Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela,

Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran,

Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes,

Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza,

Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

Independence: 

5 July 1962 (from France)

National holiday: 

Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954) 

Constitution: 

19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988

and 23 February 1989

Legal system: 

socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of

legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various

public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not

accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: 

chief of state: 

President Lamine ZEROUAL (since 31 January 1994); next election to be

held after a three-year transition period which began on 31 January

1994 

head of government: 

Prime Minister Mokdad SIFI (since 11 April 1994) 

cabinet: 

Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch: 

unicameral

National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani):

elections first round held on 26 December 1991 (second round canceled

by the military after President BENDJEDID resigned 11 January 1992,

effectively suspending the Assembly); results - percent of vote by

party NA; seats - (281 total); the fundamentalist FIS won 188 of the

231 seats contested in the first round; note - elections (municipal

and wilaya) were held in June 1990, the first in Algerian history;

results - FIS 55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65% of the voters

participating

Judicial branch: 

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) 

Political parties and leaders: 

Islamic Salvation Front (FIS, outlawed April 1992), Ali BELHADJ, Dr.

Abassi MADANI, Abdelkader HACHANI (all under arrest), Rabeh KEBIR

(self-exile in Germany); National Liberation Front (FLN), Abdelhamid

MEHRI, Secretary General; Socialist Forces Front (FFS), Hocine Ait

AHMED, Secretary General

note: 

the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and,

as of 31 December 1990, over 50 legal parties existed

Member of: 

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24,

G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,

INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer),

OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTAC,

UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO 

Diplomatic representation in US: 

chief of mission: 

Ambassador Nourredine Yazid ZERHOUNI 

chancery: 

2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 

telephone: 

(202) 265-2800 

US diplomatic representation: 

chief of mission: 

Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY 

embassy: 

4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers 

mailing address: 

B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers 

telephone: 

[213] (2) 601-425, 255, 186 

FAX: 

[213] (2) 603979 

consulate(s): 

Oran 

Flag: 

two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red

five-pointed star within a red crescent; the crescent, star, and color

green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)

@Algeria, Economy

Overview: 

The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for

roughly 57% of government revenues, 25% of GDP, and almost all export

earnings; Algeria has the fifth largest reserves of natural gas in the

world and ranks fourteenth for oil. Algiers' efforts to reform one of

the most centrally planned economies in the Arab world began after the

1986 collapse of world oil prices plunged the country into a severe

recession. In 1989, the government launched a comprehensive,

IMF-supported program to achieve macroeconomic stabilization and to

introduce market mechanisms into the economy. Despite substantial

progress toward macroeconomic adjustment, in 1992 the reform drive

stalled as Algiers became embroiled in political turmoil. In September

1993, a new government was formed, one of whose priorities was the

resumption and acceleration of the structural adjustment process.

Buffeted by the slump in world oil prices and burdened with a heavy

foreign debt, Algiers in 1993 resumed negotiations with the IMF and is

on track to conclude a standby arrangement with the Fund in 1994.

National product: 

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $89 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 

1% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: 

$3,300 (1992 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 

22% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 

22% (1993 est.)

Budget: 

revenues: 

$14.4 billion 

expenditures: 

$14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.5 billion (1992

est.)

Exports: 

$11.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities: 

petroleum and natural gas 97%

partners: 

Italy 21%, France 16%, US 14%, Germany 13%, Spain 9%

Imports: 

$9 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities: 

capital goods 39.7%, food and beverages 21.7%, consumer goods 11.8%

(1990)

partners: 

France 29%, Italy 14%, Spain 9%, US 9%, Germany 7%

External debt: 

$26 billion (1994)

Industrial production: 

growth rate NA%

Electricity: 

capacity: 

6,380,000 kW

production: 

16.384 billion kWh 

consumption per capita: 

630 kWh (1992)

Industries: 

petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining, electrical,

petrochemical, food processing

Agriculture: 

accounts for 12.8% of GDP (1993 est.) and employs 22% of labor force;

products- wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep,

cattle; net importer of food - grain, vegetable oil, sugar

Economic aid: 

recipient: 

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $1.4 billion; Western

(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $925

million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.8 billion; Communist

countries (1970-89), $2.7 billion; net official disbursements

(1985-89), $375 million 

Currency: 

1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: 

Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1 - 36.008 (April 1994), 23.345 (1993),

21.836 (1992), 18.473 (1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989)

Fiscal year: 

calendar year

@Algeria, Communications

Railroads: 

4,060 km total; 2,616 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,188 km

1.055-meter gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge; 300 km electrified; 215

km double track

Highways: 

total: 

90,031 km 

paved: 

concrete, bituminous 58,868 km 

unpaved: 

gravel, crushed stone, earth 31,163 km (1990)

Pipelines: 

crude oil 6,612 km; petroleum products 298 km; natural gas 2,948 km 

Ports: 

Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Ghazaouet, Jijel, Mers el

Kebir, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

Merchant marine: 

75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,064,211 DWT, bulk

9, cargo 27, chemical tanker 7, liquefied gas 9, oil tanker 5,

roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 5, specialized tanker 1

Airports: 

total: 

140 

usable: 

124 

with permanent-surface runways: 

53 

with runways over 3,659 m: 

2 

with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 

32 

with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 

65 

Telecommunications: 

excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in

the south; 822,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 26 AM, no FM, 18

TV; 1,600,000 TV sets; 5,200,000 radios; 5 submarine cables; microwave

radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial

cable to Morocco and Tunisia; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic

Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, l ARABSAT,

and 12 domestic; 20 additional satellite earth stations are planned

@Algeria, Defense Forces

Branches: 

National Popular Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air Defense 

Manpower availability: 

males age 15-49 6,863,378; fit for military service 4,215,767; reach

military age (19) annually 301,945 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures: 

exchange rate conversion - $1.36 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1993 est.)

@American Samoa

Header

Affiliation: 

(territory of the US) 

@American Samoa, Geography

Location: 

Oceania, Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km

south-southwest of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and New

Zealand

Map references: 

Oceania 

Area: 

total area: 

199 sq km 

land area: 

199 sq km 

comparative area: 

slightly larger than Washington, DC

note: 

includes Rose Island and Swains Island

Land boundaries: 

0 km 

Coastline: 

116 km 

Maritime claims: 

contiguous zone: 

24 nm

continental shelf: 

200-m depth or to depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 

200 nm

territorial sea: 

12 nm

International disputes: 

none

Climate: 

tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall

averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season

from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: 

five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains,

two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Natural resources: 

pumice, pumicite 

Land use: 

arable land: 

10% 

permanent crops: 

5% 

meadows and pastures: 

0% 

forest and woodland: 

75% 

other: 

10% 

Irrigated land: 

NA sq km 

Environment: 

rent issues: 

NA 

ural hazards: 

typhoons common from December to March

ernational agreements: 

NA 

Note: 

Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South

Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by

peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South

Pacific Ocean

@American Samoa, People

Population: 

55,223 (July 1994 est.) 

Population growth rate: 

3.86% (1994 est.) 

Birth rate: 

36.63 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Death rate: 

4.01 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Net migration rate: 

6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) 

Infant mortality rate: 

18.78 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) 

Life expectancy at birth: 

Total population: 

72.91 years 

male: 

71.03 years 

female: 

74.85 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 

4.36 children born/woman (1994 est.) 

Nationality: 

noun: