THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1990
ELECTRONIC VERSION
The World Factbook is produced annually by the Central Intelligence
Agency for the use of United States Government officials, and the style,
format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific
requirements. Comments and queries are welcome and may be addressed to:
Central Intelligence Agency
Attn: Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20505
(703) 351-2053
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Table of Contents
Text (249 nations, dependent areas, and other entities)
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Arctic Ocean
Argentina
Aruba
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Austria
Bahamas, The
Bahrain
Baker Island
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bassas da India
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina
Burma
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China (also see separate Taiwan entry)
Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Europa Island
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Gabon
Gambia, The
Gaza Strip
German Democratic Republic
(East Germany)
Germany, Federal Republic of
(West Germany)
Ghana
Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Howland Island
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone
Ireland
Israel (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries)
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jan Mayen
Japan
Jarvis Island
Jersey
Johnston Atoll
Jordan (also see separate West Bank entry)
Juan de Nova Island
Kenya
Kingman Reef
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Macau
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Man, Isle of
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Midway Islands
Monaco
Mongolia
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Navassa Island
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the
(Palau)
Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Palmyra Atoll
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Rwanda
St. Helena
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Pierre and Miquelon
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Soviet Union
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan entry follows Zimbabwe
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tromelin Island
Tunisia
Turkey
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
Wake Island
Wallis and Futuna
West Bank
Western Sahara
Western Samoa
World
Yemen Arab Republic
{Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen}
Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of
{Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen}
Yugoslavia
Zaire
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Taiwan
Appendix A: The United Nations System
Appendix B: International Organizations
Appendix C: Country Membership in International Organizations
Appendix D: Weights and Measures
Appendix E: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names
Note: all maps will be available only in the printed version for the
foreseeable future
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Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations
There have been some significant changes in this edition. In the
Government section the former Branches entry has been replaced by
three entries - Executive branch, Legislative branch, and Judicial
branch. The Leaders entry now has subentries for Chief of State,
Head of Government, and their deputies. The Elections entry has
been completely redone with information for each branch of the
national government, including the date for the last election, the
date for the next election, results (percent of vote by candidate or
party), and current distribution of seats by party. In the Economy
section there is a new entry on Illicit drugs.
Abbreviations: (see Appendix B for international organizations)
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)
FY fiscal year
GDP gross domestic product
GDR German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
GNP gross national product
GRT gross register ton
km kilometer
km2 square 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}
UAE United Arab Emirates
UK United Kingdom
US United States
USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union)
YAR Yemen Arab Republic {Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen}
Administrative divisions: The numbers, designatory terms, and
first-order administrative divisions are generally those approved by the
United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as of 5 April 1990. Changes
that have been reported but not yet acted upon 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 km2, 69 miles2) or
The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 km2, 0.23 miles2, 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.
Contributors: Information was provided by the Bureau of the
Census (Department of Commerce), Central Intelligence Agency,
Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of
State, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Navy Operational
Intelligence Center and Maritime Administration (merchant marine data),
Office of Territorial and International Affairs (Department of the
Interior), United States Board on Geographic Names, United States
Coast Guard, and others.
Dates of information: In general, information available as of 1
January 1990 was used in the preparation of this edition. Population
figures are estimates for 1 July 1990, with population growth rates
estimated for mid-1990 through mid-1991. Major political events have
been updated through 30 March 1990. Military age figures are average
annual estimates for 1990-94.
Death rate: The average annual number of deaths during a year
per l,000 population at midyear. Also known as crude death rate.
Diplomatic representation: The US Government has diplomatic
relations with 162 nations. There are only 144 US embassies, since some
nations have US ambassadors accredited to them, but no physical US
mission exists. The US has diplomatic relations with 149 of the 159 UN
members - the exceptions are Albania, Angola, Byelorussia (constituent
republic of the Soviet Union), Cambodia, Cuba, Iran, Vietnam, People's
Democratic Republic of Yemen {Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen}, Ukraine
(constituent republic of the Soviet Union) and, obviously, the US itself.
In addition, the US has diplomatic relations with 13 nations that are not
in the UN - Andorra, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati,
Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, South Korea,
Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Vatican City. North Korea is not in
the UN and the US does not have diplomatic relations with that nation.
The US has not recognized the incorporation of Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania into the Soviet Union and continues to accredit the diplomatic
representatives of their last free governments.
Disputes: This category includes a wide variety of situations
that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral
claims of one sort or another. Every international land boundary
dispute in the "Guide to International Boundaries," a map published
by the Department of State, is included. References to other situations
may also be included that are border- or frontier-relevant, such as
maritime disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues.
However, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance
or recognition by the US Government.
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. The
long-form name is included in the Government section and an entry
of "none" indicates a long-form name does not exist. In some
instances, no short-form name exists - then the long-form name must
serve for all usages.
There are 249 entities in the Factbook that may be categorized as
follows:
NATIONS
157 UN members (there are 159 members in the UN, but only 157 are
included in The World Factbook because Byelorussia and Ukraine are
constituent republics of the Soviet Union)
15 nations that are not members of the UN - Andorra, Federated States of
Micronesia, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Monaco,
Namibia, Nauru, North Korea, San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland,
Tonga, Tuvalu, Vatican City
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, St. 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, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat,
Pitcairn Islands, St. 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, Palmyra Atoll,
Puerto Rico, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau),
Virgin Islands, Wake Island
MISCELLANEOUS
7 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone,
Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, Western Sahara
OTHER ENTITIES
4 oceans - Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean
1 World
===
249 total
Notes: The US Government has not recognized the incorporation of
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union as constituent
republics during World War II. Those Baltic states are not members of the
UN and are not included in the list of nations. The US Government does
not recognize the four so-called "independent" homelands of
Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda in South Africa.
Gross domestic product (GDP): The value of all goods and
services produced domestically.
Gross national product (GNP): The value of all goods and
services produced domestically, plus income earned abroad, minus
income earned by foreigners from domestic production.
GNP/GDP methodology: GNP/GDP dollar estimates for the OECD
countries, the USSR, Eastern Europe, and a portion of the developing
countries, are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP)
calculations rather than from conversions at official currency exchange
rates. The PPP methods involve the use of average price weights,
which lie between the weights of the domestic and foreign price systems;
using these weights, US $100 converted into German marks by a PPP
method will buy an equal amount of goods and services in both the US
and Germany. One caution: the proportion of, say, military expenditures
as a percent of GNP/GDP in local currency accounts may differ
substantially from the proportion when GNP/GDP is expressed in PPP dollar
terms, as, for example, when an observer estimates the dollar level of
Soviet or Japanese military expenditures. Similarly, dollar figures for
exports and imports reflect the price patterns of international
markets rather than PPP price patterns.
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, 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.
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 w/codeine, Empirin w/codeine, Robitussan A-C), 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 of age in a given year per l,000 live births occurring in the same
year.
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 - land under
dense or open stands of trees; and other - any land type not
specifically mentioned above (urban areas, roads, desert). The
percentage figure for irrigated refers to the portion of the entire
amount of land area that is artificially supplied with water.
Leaders: The chief of state is the titular leader of the country
who represents the state at official and ceremonial funcions 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.
Maritime claims: The proximity of neighboring states may prevent
some national claims from being fully extended.
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 are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars
unless otherwise indicated.
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 registration
systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past, and on
assumptions about future trends.
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).
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THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1990
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Country: Afghanistan
- Geography
Total area: 647,500 km2; land area: 647,500 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: 5,826 km total; China 76 km, Iran 936 km,
Pakistan 2,430 km, USSR 2,384 km
Coastline: none - landlocked
Maritime claims: none - landlocked
Disputes: Pashtun question with Pakistan; Baloch question with Iran
and Pakistan; periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights;
insurgency with Iranian and Pakistani involvement; traditional tribal
rivalries
Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barites,
sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Land use: 12% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 46% meadows and
pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 39% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains;
soil degradation, desertification, overgrazing, deforestation, pollution
Note: landlocked
- People
Population: 15,862,293 (July 1990), growth rate 7.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 51 migrants/1,000 population (1990);
note - there are flows across the border in both directions, but data are
fragmentary and unreliable
Infant mortality rate: 154 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 47 years male, 46 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun - Afghan(s); adjective - Afghan
Ethnic divisions: 50% Pashtun, 25% Tajik, 9% Uzbek, 12-15% Hazara; minor
ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others
Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim, 15% Shia Muslim, 11% other
Language: 50% Pashtu, 35% Afghan Persian (Dari), 11% Turkic languages
(primarily Uzbek and Turkmen), 4% thirty minor languages (primarily
Balochi and Pashai); much bilingualism
Literacy: 12%
Labor force: 4,980,000; 67.8% agriculture and animal husbandry,
10.2% industry, 6.3% construction, 5.0% commerce, 10.7% services and other
(1980 est.)
Organized labor: some small government-controlled unions
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Afghanistan
Type: authoritarian
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)
Constitution: adopted 30 November 1987
Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur Revolution, 27 April (1978)
Executive branch: president, four vice presidents, prime minister,
deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Meli Shura) consists of
an upper house or Senate (Sena) and a lower house or House of Representatives
(Wolasi Jirgah)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government - President (Mohammad)
NAJIBULLAH (Ahmadzai) (since 30 November 1987); Chairman of the Council
of Ministers Executive Committee Soltan Ali KESHTMAND (since 21
February 1989); Prime Minister Fazil Haq KHALIQYAR (since 21 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party - the People's Democratic
Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) has two factions - the Parchami faction
has been in power since December 1979 and members of the deposed Khalqi
faction continue to hold some important posts mostly in the military and
Ministry of Interior; nonparty figures hold some posts
Suffrage: universal, male ages 15-50
Elections:
Senate - last held NA April 1988 (next to be held April 1991);
results - PDPA is the only party;
seats - (192 total, 115 elected) PDPA 115;
House of Representatives - last held NA April 1988 (next to be held
April 1993);
results - PDPA is the only party;
seats - (234 total) PDPA 184, 50 seats reserved for opposition
Communists: the PDPA claims 200,000 members (1988)
Other political or pressure groups: the military and other branches of
internal security have been rebuilt by the USSR; insurgency continues
throughout the country; widespread anti-Soviet and antiregime sentiment
and opposition on religious and political grounds
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IDB - Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, ITU, NAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG; suspended from OIC in January 1980
Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires MIAGOL;
Chancery at 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 234-3770 or 3771; US - Charge d'Affaires (vacant);
Embassy at Ansari Wat, Wazir Akbar Khan Mina, Kabul; telephone 62230 through
62235 or 62436; note - US Embassy in Kabul was closed in January 1989
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with the
national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands;
similar to the flag of Malawi which is shorter and bears a radiant, rising, red
sun centered in the black band
- Economy
Overview: Fundamentally, Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked
country, highly dependent on farming (wheat especially) and livestock
raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations, however, have played
second fiddle to political and military upheavals, including the nine-year
Soviet military occupation (ended 15 February 1989) and the continuing
bloody civil war. Over the past decade, one-third of the population has
fled the country, with Pakistan sheltering some 3 million refugees
and Iran perhaps 2 million. Another 1 million have probably
moved into and around urban areas within Afghanistan. Large numbers
of bridges, buildings, and factories have been destroyed or
damaged by military action or sabotage. Government claims
to the contrary, gross domestic product almost certainly is
lower than 10 years ago because of the loss of labor and capital
and the disruption of trade and transport. Official claims indicate
that agriculture grew by 0.7% and industry by 3.5% in 1988.
GDP: $3 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate 0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): over 50% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues NA; expenditures $646.7 million, including capital
expenditures of $370.2 million (FY87 est.)
Exports: $512 million (f.o.b., FY88);
commodities - natural gas 55%, fruits and nuts 24%, handwoven carpets,
wool, cotton, hides, and pelts;
partners - mostly USSR and Eastern Europe
Imports: $996 million (c.i.f., FY88);
commodities - food and petroleum products;
partners - mostly USSR and Eastern Europe
External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.2% (FY89 plan)
Electricity: 480,000 kW capacity; 1,470 million kWh produced,
100 kWh per capita (1989)
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 producer of opium poppy and cannabis
for the international drug trade; world's second largest opium producer
(after Burma) and a major source of hashish
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $265 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $419 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $57 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
$4.1 billion
Currency: afghani (plural - afghanis); 1 afghani (Af) = 100 puls
Exchange rates: afghanis (Af) per US$1 - 50.6 (fixed rate since
1982)
Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March
- Communications
Railroads: 9.6 km (single track) 1.524-meter gauge from Kushka (USSR) to
Towraghondi and 15.0 km from Termez (USSR) to Kheyrabad transshipment
point on south bank of Amu Darya
Highways: 21,000 km total (1984); 2,800 km hard surface, 1,650 km
bituminous-treated gravel and improved earth, 16,550 km unimproved earth and
tracks
Inland waterways: total navigability 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which
handles steamers up to about 500 metric tons
Pipelines: petroleum, oil, and lubricants pipelines - USSR
to Bagram and USSR to Shindand; natural gas, 180 km
Ports: Shir Khan and Kheyrabad (river ports)
Civil air: 2 TU-154, 2 Boeing 727, assorted smaller transports
Airports: 38 total, 34 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast
services; television introduced in 1980; 31,200 telephones; stations - 5 AM,
no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Armed Forces (Army; Air and Air Defense Forces); Border
Guard Forces; National Police Force (Sarandoi); Ministry of
State Security (WAD); Tribal Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49, 3,880,124; 2,080,725 fit for
military service; 168,021 reach military age (22) annually
Defense expenditures: 9.1% of GDP (1984)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Country: Albania
- Geography
Total area: 28,750 km2; land area: 27,400 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: 768 km total; Greece 282 km, Yugoslavia 486 km
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 15 nm
Disputes: Kosovo question with Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question
with Greece
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: crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium,
copper, timber, nickel
Land use: 21% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures;
38% forest and woodland; 22% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along
southwestern coast; deforestation seems to be slowing
Note: strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links
Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
- People
Population: 3,273,131 (July 1990), growth rate 1.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 52 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun - Albanian(s); adjective - Albanian
Ethnic divisions: Albanian 90%, Greeks 8%, other 2% (Vlachs,
Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
Religion: Albania claims to be the world's first atheist state; all
churches and mosques were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited;
pre-1967 estimates of religious affiliation - 70% Muslim, 20% Albanian Orthodox,
10% Roman Catholic
Language: Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 1,500,000 (1987); about 60% agriculture, 40% industry and
commerce (1986)
Organized labor: Central Council of Albanian Trade Unions, 610,000
members
- Government
Long-form name: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Type: Communist state (Stalinist)
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 Turkey); People's Socialist
Republic of Albania declared 11 January 1946
Constitution: 27 December 1976
Legal system: judicial review of legislative acts only in the Presidium
of the People's Assembly, which is not a true court; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)
Executive branch: president of the Presidium of the People's Assembly,
three vice presidents, Presidium of the People's Assembly; chairman of the
Council of Ministers, three deputy chairmen, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State - President of the Presidium of the People's Assembly Ramiz
ALIA (since 22 November 1982);
Head of Government - Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adil CARCANI
(since 14 January 1982)
Political parties and leaders: only party - Albanian Workers Party,
Ramiz Alia, first secretary
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
President - last held 19 February 1987 (next to be held
February 1991);
results - President Ramiz Alia was reelected without opposition;
People's Assembly - last held 1 February 1987 (next to be held
February 1991);
results - Albanian Workers Party is the only party;
seats - (250 total) Albanian Workers Party 250
Communists: 147,000 party members (November 1986)
Member of: CCC, CEMA (has not participated since rift with USSR
in 1961), FAO, IAEA, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: none - the US does not recognize the Albanian
Government and has no diplomatic or consular relations with Albania; there is
no third-power representation of Albanian interests in the US or of US
interests in Albania
Flag: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center below a red
five-pointed star outlined in yellow
- Economy
Overview: As the poorest country in Europe, Albania's development
lags behind even the least favored areas of the Yugoslav economy.
The Stalinist-type economy operates on the principles of central
planning and state ownership of the means of production. In recent years