Country Profiles
(Honduras thru Japan)
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- People: Population Density - 148 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Mestizo (90%); Amerindian (7%)
- Languages - Spanish - official
- Religions - Roman Catholic (97%)
- Geography: Area - 43,100 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua
- Government: Type - Republic
- Head of Government - President Carlos Roberto Flores Facusse (since Jan. 27, 1998)
- Capital - Tegucigalpa
- Local Divisions - 18 departments
- Spending - (Defense) $35 mil/$850 mil.
- Economy: Industries - Textiles, wood products
- Minerals and Other Resources - Gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron, antimony, coal, timber, fish
- Arable Land - 15%
- Labor - 60% serv.; 29% agric.; 21% ind.
- Per Capita GNP - $2,050
- Imports and Exports - $2.7 bil. and $1.6 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - US
- Communications: Telephones - 298,700 main lines
- Radios - 337 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 29 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 30.88 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 67.51 - male; 71.28 - female
- Natural Population Increase - 2.64%
- Literacy - 73%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO,WHO, WTrO), OAS
- National Website
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- People: Population Density - 139 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Arab (75- 80%); Kurd (15- 20%); Turkoman
- Languages - Arabic - official; Kurdish
- Religions - Muslim (97%) - Shi'a 60- 65%, Sunni 32- 37%
- Geography: Area - 167,400 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
- Government: Type - Republic
- Head of Government - President Saddam Hussein (since July 16, 1979)
- Capital - Baghdad (4,797,000)
- Local Divisions - 18 governorates (3 in Kurdish Autonomous Region)
- Spending - (Defense) $1.4 bil/NA
- Economy: Industries - Textiles, chemicals, oil refining, cement
- Minerals and Other Resources - Oil, gas
- Arable Land - 12%
- Labor - NA
- Per Capita GNP - $2,700
- Imports and Exports - $8.9 bil. and $12.7 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - Russia, France, China, Egypt
- Communications: Telephones - 675,000 main lines
- Radios - 167 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 48 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 60.05 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 65.92 - male; 68.03 - female
- Natural Population Increase - 2.84%
- Literacy - 58%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, WHO), AL, OPEC
- National Website
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- People: Population Density - 284 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Hungarian (90%); Gysy (4%); German (3%)
- Languages - Hungarian (Magyar - official)
- Religions - Roman Catholic (68%); Calvinist (20%); Lutheran (5%)
- Geography: Area - 35,600 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Slovakia, Ukraine, Austria, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Romania
- Government: Type - Parliamentary Democracy
- Head of Government - Prime Minister Viktor Orban (since July 8, 1998)
- Capital - Budapest (1,825,000)
- Local Divisions - 19 counties, 20 urban counties, 1 capital
- Spending - (Defense) $791 mil./$13.2 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, pharmaceticals, vehicles
- Minerals and Other Resources - Bauxite, coal, gas
- Arable Land - 51%
- Labor - 65% serv.; 27% ind.; 8% agric.
- Per Capita GNP - $7,800
- Imports and Exports - $25.1 bil. and $22.6 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - Germany, Austria, Italy
- Communications: Telephones - 3,725,800 main lines
- Radios - 689 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 438 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 8.96 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 67.28 - male; 76.3 - female
- Natural Population Increase - -.39%
- Literacy - 99%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, WHO, WTrO), NATO, OECD, OSCE
- National Website
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- People: Population Density - 145 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Principally Celtic, English minority
- Languages - English predominantes, Irish (Gaelic) spoken by a minority - both official
- Religions - Roman Catholic (93%); Anglican (3%)
- Geography: Area - 26,600 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)
- Government: Type - Parliamentary republic
- Head of Government - Prime Minister Bertle Ahem (since June 26, 1997)
- Capital - Dublin (985,000)
- Local Divisions - 26 counties
- Spending - (Defense) $725 mil./$20.6 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Food processing, textiles, chemicals, brewing, machinery, crystal
- Minerals and Other Resources - Zinc, lead, gas, barite, copper, gypsum
- Arable Land - 13%
- Labor - 63% servi.; 28% ind.; 9% agric., forestry, fishing
- Per Capita GNP - $20,300
- Imports and Exports - $44 bil. and $66 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - UK, Germany, US
- Communications: Telephones - 1,590,000 main lines
- Radios - 580 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 487 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 5.53 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 74.23 - male; 79.93 - female
- Natural Population Increase - .65%
- Literacy - 100%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, WHO, WTrO), EU, OECD, OSCE
- National Website
- United Kingdom Website
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- People: Population Density - 7 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Homogenous descendants of Norweigians, Celts
- Languages - Icelandic (Islenska - official)
- Religions - Evangelical Lutheran (98%)
- Geography: Area - 38,700 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Greenland
- Government: Type - Constitutional Republic
- Head of Government - Prime Minister David Oddsson (since April 20, 1991)
- Capital - Reykyavik (109,763)
- Local Divisions - 23 counties, 14 independent towns
- Spending - (Defense) provided by the US
- Economy: Industries - Fish products, aluminum smelting
- Minerals and Other Resources - NA
- Arable Land - NA
- Labor - 60% commerce and services; 13% manuf.; 12% fishing
- Per Capita GNP - $23,500
- Imports and Exports - $2.4 bil. and $1.9 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - UK, Germany, Norway
- Communications: Telephones - 188,800 main lines
- Radios - 733 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 285 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 3.56 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 77.31 - male; 81.92 - female
- Natural Population Increase - .77%
- Literacy - 100%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, WHO, WTrO), EFTA, NATO, OECD, OSCE
- National Website
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- People: Population Density - 757 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Jewish (80%); non - Jewish (mostly Arab) (20%)
- Languages - Hebrew - official; Arab - used officially for Arab minority); English
- Religions - Judaism (80%); Muslim - mostly Sunni (15%)
- Geography: Area - 7,800 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Lebanon, Syria, Palestine (West Bank, Gaza Strip), Jordan, Egypt
- Government: Type - Republic
- Head of Government - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (since Mar. 7, 2001)
- Capital - Jerusalem (591, 000) Most embassies in Tel Aviv (2,181,000)
- Local Divisions - 6 districts
- Spending - (Defense) $7 bil./$58 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Diamond cutting, textiles, electronics, food processing
- Minerals and Other Resources - Copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay
- Arable Land - 17%
- Labor - 31% public service; 20% mfg.; 13% commerce
- Per Capita GNP - $18,300
- Imports and Exports - $30.6 bil. and $23.5 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - US
- Communications: Telephones - 2,900,000 main lines
- Radios - 530 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 335 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 7.72 per 1,000 people
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 76.69 - male; 80.84 - female
- Natural Population Increase - 1.29%
- Literacy - 96%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO< IMF, IMO, WHO, WTrO)
- National Website
- Occupied Territories
- Palestine - Gaza Strip: Extends NE from the Sinai Pennisula for 40km, with the Mediteranean Sea to the W and Israel to the E. The Palestinian Authority is responsible for the civil government, but Israel retains control over security. Nearly all the inhabitants are Palestinian Arabs, more than 35% of whom live in refugee camps.
(Area: 140 sq. mi.; Pop: 1,178,119)
- Palestine - West Bank: W of the Jordan River and Dead Sea, the West Bank is bounded by Jordan on the E, and Israel on the N, W and S. The Palestinian Authority administers several major cities, but Israel retains control over much of the land, including Jewish settlements.
Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 War. An accord between Israel and the PLO expanding Palestinian self- rule in the West Bank was signed Sept. 28, 1995. Later agreements gave Palestinians full or shared control of 40% of WestBank territory but the region is now in the middle of a 18 month civil war.
(Area: 2,200 dq. mi.; Pop: 2,090,713)
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- People: Population Density - 898 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Indo- Aryan (72%); Dravidian (25%)
- Languages - Hindi - official; English - associate official; 14 regional official languages
- Religions - Hindu (80%); Muslim (14%)
- Geography: Area - 1,146,600 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhuta, Myanmar, Bangladesh
- Government: Type - Federal Republic
- Head of Government - Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (since Mar. 19, 1998)
- Capital - New Delhi (11,695,000)
- Local Divisions - 28 states, 6 union territories, 1 national capital territory
- Spending - (Defense) $15.9 bil./$63.79 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Textiles, steel, processed foods, cement, machinery, chemicals, mining
- Minerals and Other Resources - Coal, iron, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium, chromite, diamonds, gas, oil, timber
- Arable Land - 56%
- Labor - 67% agric.; 18% services; 15% industry
- Per Capita GNP - $1,800
- Imports and Exports - $50.2 bil. and $36.2 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - US, Belgium, UK, Japan
- Communications: Telephones - 32,436,100 main lines
- Radios - 117 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 68 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 63.19
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 62.22 - male; 63.53 - female
- Natural Population Increase - 1.55%
- Literacy - 52%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, WHO, WTrO), the Commonwealth
- National Website
- Indian Embassy
- National Tourism Council
- Protectorates and Disputed Territories:
- Sikkim: Bordered by Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal, this state became a protectorate of India in 1950. In Sept. 1974, the Indian Parliament voted to make Sikkim an associated Indian state, absorbing it into India.
(Area: 2,740 sq. mi.; Pop: 444,000; Capital: Gangtok)
- Jammu and Kashmir: A predominantly Muslim region in the NW, has been in dispute between Pakistan and India since 1947. A cease- fire in 1949 gave Pakistan control of one- third of the area in the north and northwest while India remained in control of the other two- third, which enjoys internal autonomy. However, recent clashes have increased and the two countries' borders are fully militarized.
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- People: Population Density - 509 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Italian, small minorities of German, French, Slovene, Albanian
- Languages - Italian - official; German, French, Slovene
- Religions - Roman Catholic (98%)
- Geography: Area - 113,400 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - France, Switzerland, Austria
- Government: Type - Republic
- Head of Government - Prime Minister Slivio Berfusconi
- Capital - Rome (2,646,000)
- Local Divisions - 20 regions divided into 94 provinces
- Spending - (Defense) 2.0% of GDP
- Economy: Industries - Tourism, steel, machinery, autos, textiles, shoes, clothin, chemicals
- Minerals and Other Resources - Mercury, potash, marble, sulphur
- Arable Land - 31%
- Labor - 61% services; 32% ind.; 7% agric.
- Per Capita GNP - $21,400
- Imports and Exports - $206.9 bil. and $242.6 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - Germany, France, UK, US
- Communications: Telephones - 27,153,000 main lines
- Radios - 874 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 483 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 5.84 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 75.97 - mle; 82.52 - female
- Natural Population Increase - -.1%
- Literacy - 97%
- International Organization Memberships: UN and all of its specialized agencies, EU, NATO, OECD, OSCE
- National Website
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- People: Population Density - 324 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Javanese (45%); Sundanese (14%); Madurese (8%); Malay (8%)
- Languages - Bahasa Indonesian - official; English; Dutch; Javanese
- Religions - Muslim (87%); Protestant (6%)
- Geography: Area - 704,400 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Malaysia, Papua New Guinea
- Government: Type - Republic
- Head of Government - Megawati Sukamoputri (since July 23, 2001)
- Capital - Jakarta (11,018,000)
- Local Divisions - 24 provinces, 2 special regions, 1 capital district
- Spending - (Defense) $2,271 bil./$35 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Oil, gas, food processing, textiles, cement, mining
- Minerals and Other Resources - Nickel, tin, oil, bauxite, copper, gas, timber
- Arable Land - 10%
- Labor - 45% agric.; 19% trade, rest., hotels; 11% manuf.
- Per Capita GNP - $2,800
- Imports and Exports - $24 bil and $48 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - Japan, US, EU
- Communications: Telephones - 6,662,600 main lines
- Radios - 128 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 134 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 40.91 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 65.9 - male; 70.75 - female
- Natural Population Increase - 1.6%
- Literacy - 84%
- International Organization Memberships: UN and all of its specialized agencies, APEC, ASEAN, OPEC
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- People: Population Density - 638 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Black (90%)
- Languages - English - official; Jamaican Creole
- Religions - Protestant (61%); Roman Catholic (4%); spiritual cults and other (3%)
- Geography: Area - 4,200 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Cuba, Haiti
- Government: Type - Parliamentary democracy
- Head of Government - Prime Minister Percival J. Patterson (since Mar. 30, 1992)
- Capital - Kingston (655,000)
- Local Divisions - 14 parishes
- Spending - (Defense) $50 mil./$1.27 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Bauxite mining, tourism
- Minerals and Other Resources - Bauxite, limestone, gypsum
- Arable Land - 14%
- Labor - 60% services; 21%agric.; 19% industry
- Per Capita GNP - $3,500
- Imports and Exports - $2.7 bil. and $1.4 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - US
- Communications: Telephones - 511,700 main lines
- Radios - 739 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 306 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 14.16 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 73.45 - male; 77.49 - female
- Natural Population Increase - 1.26%
- Literacy - 85%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, WHO, WTrO), Caricom, the Commonwealth, OAS
- National Website
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- People: Population Density - 105 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Persian (51%); Azerbaijani (24%); Kurd (7%)
- Languages - Persian (farsi - official); Turkic, Kurdish, Luri
- Religions - Shi'a Muslim (89%); Sunni Muslim (10%)
- Geography: Area - 630,900 sq. mi.
- Neighbors -Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan
- Government: Type - Islamic Republic
- Head of Government - President Mohammad Khatami (since Aug. 3, 1997)
- Capital - Tehran (7,225,000)
- Local Divisions - 25 provinces
- Spending - (Defense) $7.5 bil/$34.9 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Oil, petrochemicals, cement, sugar refining, carpets
- Minerals and Other Resources - Chromium, coal, oil, gas
- Arable Land - 10%
- Labor - 42% services; 25% ind.; 33% agric.
- Per Capita GNP - $5,300
- Imports and Exports - $13.8 bil. and $12.2 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - Germany, Italy, Japan
- Communications: Telephones - 9,486,300 main lines
- Radios - 273 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 148 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 29.04 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 68.61 - male; 71.37 - female
- Natural Population Increase - 1.17%
- Literacy - 79%
- International Organization Memberships: UN (FAO, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, WHO), OPEC
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- People: Population Density - 867 per sq. mi.
- Ethnic Groups - Japanese (99.4%)
- Languages - Japanese - official
- Religions - Buddhism, Shintoism - shared by 84%
- Geography: Area - 152,200 sq. mi.
- Neighbors - Russia, South Korea
- Government: Type - Parliamentary democracy
- Head of Government - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
- Capital - Tokyo (26,444,000)
- Local Divisions - 47 prefectures
- Spending - (Defense) $45.6 bil./$711 bil.
- Economy: Industries - Electrical and electronic equip., vehicles, machinery, steel, metallurgy, chemcials, fishing
- Minerals and Other Resources - fish
- Arable Land - 11%
- Labor - 65% services and trade; 30% ind.; 5% agric., forestry, fishing
- Per Capita GNP - $23,400
- Imports and Exports - $306 bil. and $413 bil.
- Major Trading Partners - US, China, Taiwan
- Communications: Telephones - 82,916,000 main lines
- Radios - 957 per 1,000 people
- Televisions - 708 per 1,000 people
- Social Services: Infant Mortality - 3.88 per 1,000
- Life Expectancy at Birth - 77.62 - male; 84.15 - female
- Natural Population Increase - .17%
- Literacy - 100%
- International Organization Memberships: UN and all its specialized agencies, APEC, OECD
- National Website
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