$NA
Exchange rates:
Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar - 0.5302 (2008 est.), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004)
note: the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
Communications ::Isle of Man
Telephones - main lines in use:
51,000 (1999) country comparison to the world: 161
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)
Internet country code:
.im
Internet hosts:
478 (2009) country comparison to the world: 174
Transportation ::Isle of Man
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 229
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Railways:
total: 63 km country comparison to the world: 129 narrow gauge: 6 km 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified); 57 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)
note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2008)
Roadways:
total: 500 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 191
Merchant marine:
total: 273 country comparison to the world: 31 by type: bulk carrier 31, cargo 50, chemical tanker 48, container 12, liquefied gas 41, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 73, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 181 (Chile 6, Denmark 29, France 1, Germany 56, Greece 50, Ireland 1, Japan 6, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 20, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Turkey 2, US 4)
registered in other countries: 7 (Bahamas 1, Liberia 5, Marshall Islands 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Douglas, Ramsey
Military ::Isle of Man
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 14,691
females age 16-49: 14,338 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 466
female: 446 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Isle of Man
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Israel (Middle East)
Introduction ::Israel
Background:
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories Israel occupied since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between September 2003 and February 2005. An Israeli-Palestinian agreement reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005, along with an internally-brokered Palestinian cease-fire, significantly reduced the violence. In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS in January 2006 to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March 2006; he shelved plans to unilaterally evacuate from most of the West Bank following an Israeli military operation in Gaza in June-July 2006 and a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006. OLMERT in June 2007 resumed talks with the PA after HAMAS seized control of the Gaza Strip and PA President Mahmoud ABBAS formed a new government without HAMAS. OLMERT in September 2008 resigned in the wake of several corruption allegations, but remained prime minister until the new coalition government under former Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU was completed in late March 2009, following the February general election.
Geography ::Israel
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
Lebanon
Geographic coordinates:
31 30 N, 34 45 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 22,072 sq km country comparison to the world: 152 land: 21,642 sq km
water: 430 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Coastline:
273 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrain:
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
Jordan Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Natural resources:
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Land use:
arable land: 15.45%
permanent crops: 3.88%
other: 80.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,940 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
1.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.05 cu km/yr (31%/7%/62%)
per capita: 305 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites - including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank - as well as 42 sites in the Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.); Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source
People ::Israel
Population:
7,233,701 country comparison to the world: 97 note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.9% (male 1,031,629/female 984,230)
15-64 years: 62.3% (male 2,283,034/female 2,221,301)
65 years and over: 9.9% (male 311,218/female 402,289) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.1 years
male: 28.4 years
female: 29.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.671% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Birth rate:
19.77 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Death rate:
5.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
Net migration rate:
2.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 207 male: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.73 years country comparison to the world: 13 male: 78.62 years
female: 82.95 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.75 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Nationality:
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
Ethnic groups:
Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab) (2004)
Religions:
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Languages:
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.1%
male: 98.5%
female: 95.9% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.9% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 25
Government ::Israel
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form: Yisra'el
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Jerusalem
geographic coordinates: 31 46 N, 35 14 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence:
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Constitution:
no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law; note - since May 2003 the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee of the Knesset has been working on a draft constitution
Legal system:
mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Shimon PERES (since 15 July 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Binjamin NETANYAHU (since 31 March 2009); Vice Prime Minister Silvan SHALOM (since 31 March 2009); Vice Prime Minister Moshe YAALON (since 31 March 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset
elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term (one-term limit); election last held 13 June 2007 (next to be held in 2014 but can be called earlier); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition
election results: Shimon PERES elected president; number of votes in first round - Shimon PERES 58, Reuven RIVLIN 37, Colette AVITAL 21; PERES elected president in second round with 86 votes (unopposed)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 February 2009 (next scheduled election to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kadima 23.2%, Likud-Ahi 22.3%, YB 12.1%, Labor 10.2%, SHAS 8.8%, United Torah Judaism 4.5%, United Arab List 3.5%, NU 3.4%, Hadash 3.4%, The Jewish Home 3%, The New Movement-Meretz 3%, Balad 2.6%; seats by party - Kadima 28, Likud-Ahi 27, YB 15, Labor 13, SHAS 11, United Torah Judaism 5, United Arab List 4, NU 4, HADASH 4, The Jewish Home 3, The New Movement-Meretz 3, Balad 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)
Political parties and leaders:
Balad [Azmi BISHARA]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality
(HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKEH]; Kadima [Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI]; Labor
Party [Ehud BARAK]; Likud [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; National Union
[Yaakov KATZ]; The Jewish Home (HaBayit HaYehudi) [Daniel
HERSCHKOWITZ]; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; The New Movement-Meretz [Haim
ORON]; United Arab List-Ta'al [Ibrahim SARSUR]; United Torah Judaism
or UTJ [Yaakov LITZMAN]; Yisrael Beiteinu or YB [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
B'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director] monitors human rights abuses; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General] supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; YESHA Council of Settlements [Danny DAYAN, Chairman] promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise
International organization participation:
BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael OREN
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James B. CUNNINGHAM
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903
mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830
telephone: [972] (3) 519-7575
FAX: [972] (3) 516-4390
consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
Flag description:
white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
Economy ::Israel
Economy - overview:
Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial, though diminishing, government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports substantial quantities of grain but is largely self-sufficient in other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable trade deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, its major source of economic and military aid. Israel's GDP, after contracting slightly in 2001 and 2002 due to the Palestinian conflict and troubles in the high-technology sector, has grown by about 5% per year since 2003. The economy grew an estimated 3.9% in 2008, slowed by the global financial crisis. The government's prudent fiscal policy and structural reforms over the past few years have helped to induce strong foreign investment, tax revenues, and private consumption, setting the economy on a solid growth path.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$203.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $195.2 billion (2007 est.)
$185.6 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$202.1 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 5.2% (2007 est.)
5.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$28,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 $27,900 (2007 est.)
$27,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.6%
industry: 32.4%
services: 65% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.957 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 16%
services: 82% (30 September 2008)
Unemployment rate:
6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 7.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
21.6%
note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.2% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
38.6 (2005) country comparison to the world: 71 35.5 (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Budget:
revenues: $59.98 billion
expenditures: $64.21 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
76.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 104.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 0.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
2.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 124 4% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.06% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 129 6.27% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$15.36 billion (31 December 2006)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$154.3 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$113.4 billion (31 December 2006)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$134.5 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 33 $236.4 billion (31 December 2007)
$173.3 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Industries:
high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles, footwear
Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Electricity - production:
50.41 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Electricity - consumption:
46.15 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Electricity - exports:
2.081 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
5,246 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Oil - consumption:
235,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Oil - exports:
69,580 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Oil - imports:
318,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Oil - proved reserves:
1.94 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - production:
1.19 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Natural gas - consumption:
1.19 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 169
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - proved reserves:
30.44 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Current account balance:
$2.213 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $4.185 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$57.16 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $50.07 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners:
US 32.5%, Belgium 7.5%, Hong Kong 6.7% (2008)
Imports:
$64.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $55.93 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 12.3%, Belgium 6.5%, China 6.5%, Switzerland 6.1%, Germany 6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$42.51 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 $28.52 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$86.08 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 39 $89.58 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$56.93 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 $55.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$54.55 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 $48.47 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
Communications ::Israel
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.9 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 51
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.902 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 64
Telephone system:
general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest
domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital; four privately-owned mobile-cellular service providers with countrywide coverage
international: country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
17 (plus 36 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.il
Internet hosts:
1.544 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 35
Internet users:
2.106 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 69
Transportation ::Israel
Airports:
47 (2009) country comparison to the world: 92
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 30
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 6 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 14 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 176 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 913 km country comparison to the world: 93 standard gauge: 913 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 17,870 km country comparison to the world: 118 paved: 17,870 km (includes 146 km of expressways) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 11 country comparison to the world: 112 by type: cargo 2, container 9
registered in other countries: 60 (Bermuda 3, Cyprus 4, Georgia 2, Honduras 1, Liberia 23, Malta 18, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Slovakia 4) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa
Military ::Israel
Military branches:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Forces (INF), Israel Air
Force (IAF) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months for officers; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,717,362
females age 16-49: 1,636,574 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,474,966
females age 16-49: 1,404,712 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 61,223
female: 58,219 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
7.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 6
Transnational Issues ::Israel
Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 150,000-420,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern Israel) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Italy (Europe)
Introduction ::Italy
Background:
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.
Geography ::Italy
Location:
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Geographic coordinates:
42 50 N, 12 50 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 301,340 sq km country comparison to the world: 71 land: 294,140 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
total: 1,899.2 km
border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km
Coastline:
7,600 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
Natural resources:
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 26.41%
permanent crops: 9.09%
other: 64.5% (2005)
Irrigated land:
27,500 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
175 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 41.98 cu km/yr (18%/37%/45%)
per capita: 723 cu m/yr (1998)
Natural hazards:
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
People ::Italy
Population:
58,126,212 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 4,056,156/female 3,814,070)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 19,530,696/female 18,981,084)
65 years and over: 20.2% (male 4,903,762/female 6,840,444) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 43.3 years
male: 41.8 years
female: 44.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.047% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Birth rate:
8.18 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 221
Death rate:
10.72 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Net migration rate:
2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.51 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 183 male: 6.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.2 years country comparison to the world: 19 male: 77.26 years
female: 83.33 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.31 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
150,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Nationality:
noun: Italian(s)
adjective: Italian
Ethnic groups:
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and
Greek-Italians in the south)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages:
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 98.8%
female: 98% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 88
Government ::Italy
Country name:
conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Rome
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma)
regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna,
Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte
(Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto
(Venetia)
autonomous regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Sardegna (Sardinia); Sicilia (Sicily); Trentino-South Tyrol, also known as Trentino-Alto Adige (Italian), Trentino-Suedtirol (German); Aosta Valley, also known as Valle d'Aosta (Italian), Vallee d'Aoste (French)
Independence:
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
Constitution:
passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times
Legal system:
based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 8 May 2008) note - in Italy the prime minister is referred to as the president of the Council of Ministers
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2013); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament
election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the fourth round of voting; electoral college vote - 543
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held April 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held April 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 174 (PdL 147, LN 25, MpA 2), W. VELTRONI coalition 132 (PD 118, IdV 3), UdC 3, other 6; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 344 (PdL 276, LN 60, MpA 8), W. VELTRONI coalition 246 (PD 217, IdV 29), UdC 36, other 4
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts)
Political parties and leaders:
Silvio BERLUSCONI coalition: People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Lega Nord or LN [Umberto BOSSI]; Movement for Autonomy or MpA [Raffaele LOMBARDO]
Walter VELTRONI coalition: Democratic Party or PD [Walter VELTRONI];
Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]
other non-allied parties: Union of the Center or UdC [Savino PEZZOTTA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio;
Confindustria; organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori;
Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union
confederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL
[Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana dei
Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNO], which is Roman
Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi
ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council
(observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer),
CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-20, G-7,
G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA,
Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Giulio TERZI di Sant'Agata
chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400
FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
consulate(s): Detroit
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth DIBBLE
embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 46741
FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356
consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797
Economy ::Italy
Economy - overview:
Italy has a diversified industrial economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with high unemployment. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises. Italy also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 15% of GDP. These activities are most common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors. Italy has moved slowly on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and over-generous pension system and these conditions will be exacerbated by the recent global financial crisis. The Italian government is seeking to rein in government spending, but the leadership faces a severe economic constraint: Italy's official debt remains above 100% of GDP, and the fiscal deficit - 1.5% of GDP in 2007 - could approach 3% in 2009 as political pressure to stimulate the economy and the costs of servicing Italy's debt rise. The economy will continue to contract through 2009 as the global demand for exports drop.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.827 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.845 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.818 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.314 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 207 1.5% (2007 est.)
2.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$31,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $31,700 (2007 est.)
$31,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 27%
services: 71% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
25.11 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 30.7%
services: 65.1% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
6.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 6.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 26.8% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32 (2006) country comparison to the world: 104 27.3 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Budget:
revenues: $1.068 trillion
expenditures: $1.132 trillion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
105.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 105.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 1.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 108 5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.34% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 10.93% (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.046 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 8 $2.932 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 17 $1.073 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.027 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish
Industries:
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - production:
289.7 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Electricity - consumption:
315 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Electricity - exports:
3.431 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
43 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
162,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Oil - consumption:
1.639 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Oil - exports:
667,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Oil - imports:
2.205 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Oil - proved reserves:
406.5 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Natural gas - production:
9.255 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - consumption:
84.88 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - exports:
210 million cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 40
Natural gas - imports:
76.86 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - proved reserves:
94.15 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Current account balance:
-$78.03 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 -$51.03 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$546.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $502.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
Exports - partners:
Germany 12.8%, France 11.2%, Spain 6.6%, US 6.3%, UK 5.3% (2008)
Imports:
$546.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $498.1 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco
Imports - partners:
Germany 16%, France 8.6%, China 6.2%, Netherlands 5.3%, Libya 4.6%,
Russia 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$105.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $94.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.328 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 7 $2.5 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$376.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $364.8 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$565.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $520.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Italy
Telephones - main lines in use:
20.031 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 16
Telephones - mobile cellular:
88.58 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 10
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: country code - 39; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.it
Internet hosts:
22.152 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 4
Internet users:
24.992 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 14
Transportation ::Italy
Airports:
132 (2009) country comparison to the world: 43
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 101
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 13 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 19 (2009)
Heliports:
6 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 17,544 km; oil 1,241 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 19,729 km country comparison to the world: 15 standard gauge: 18,317 km 1.435-m gauge (12,458 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,058 km 0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 487,700 km country comparison to the world: 12 paved: 487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2005)
Waterways:
2,400 km country comparison to the world: 38 note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 609 country comparison to the world: 20 by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 47, carrier 2, chemical tanker 159, combination ore/oil 1, container 25, liquefied gas 27, passenger 22, passenger/cargo 154, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 27
foreign-owned: 64 (Denmark 3, France 2, Greece 6, Japan 1, Lebanon 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 2, Portugal 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 8, Taiwan 13, Turkey 1, UK 7, US 17)
registered in other countries: 208 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 4, Belize 3, Cayman Islands 4, Cyprus 7, France 2, Liberia 41, Malta 50, Marshall Islands 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Panama 28, Portugal 12, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Singapore 5, Slovakia 2, Spain 2, Sweden 9, Turkey 3, UK 5) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Sarroch, Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Military ::Italy
Military branches:
Italian Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Italian Navy (Marina Militare
Italiana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana,
AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 year of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2005; women may serve in any military branch; 10-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 45 (Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy) (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,884,079
females age 16-49: 13,158,378 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,197,487
females age 16-49: 10,574,250 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 287,845
female: 270,384 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.8% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Transnational Issues ::Italy
Disputes - international:
Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa
Illicit drugs:
important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Jamaica (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Jamaica
Background:
The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
Geography ::Jamaica
Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 77 30 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 10,991 sq km country comparison to the world: 167 land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,022 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain:
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 15.83%
permanent crops: 10.01%
other: 74.16% (2005)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (2002)
Total renewable water resources:
9.4 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.41 cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%)
per capita: 155 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes (especially July to November)
Environment - current issues:
heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
People ::Jamaica
Population:
2,825,928 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.4% (male 451,310/female 436,466)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 851,372/female 875,132)
65 years and over: 7.5% (male 94,833/female 116,815) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.7 years
male: 23.1 years
female: 24.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.755% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Birth rate:
19.68 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Death rate:
6.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Net migration rate:
-5.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Urbanization:
urban population: 53% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.22 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 126 male: 15.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.53 years country comparison to the world: 104 male: 71.83 years
female: 75.3 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.25 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
27,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Nationality:
noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican
Ethnic groups:
black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
Religions:
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
Languages:
English, English patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 56
Government ::Jamaica
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation
Independence:
6 August 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 August (1962)
Constitution:
6 August 1962
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dr. Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Bruce GOLDING (since 11 September 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated 8 seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 September 2007 (next to be held no later than October 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.8%; seats by party - JLP 33, PNP 27
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
Political parties and leaders:
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony JOHNSON
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON
embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5
telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000
FAX: [1] (876) 702-6001
Flag description:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side); green represents hope, vegetation, and agriculture, black reflects hardships overcome and to be faced, and yellow recalls golden sunshine and the island's natural resources
Economy ::Jamaica
Economy - overview:
The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for more than 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Remittances account for nearly 20% of GDP and are equivalent to tourism revenues. Jamaica's economy, already saddled with the lowest economic growth in Latin America, will face increasing difficulties as the global economy slows. The economy faces serious long-term problems: a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of almost 130%. Jamaica's onerous debt burden - the fourth highest per capita - is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. It hinders government spending on infrastructure and social programs as debt servicing accounts for nearly half of government expenditures. Inflation rose sharply in 2008 as a result of high prices for imported food and oil and should fall in 2009 with the decline in international oil prices. High unemployment exacerbates the serious crime problem, including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade. The GOLDING administration faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$24.04 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 $24.19 billion (2007 est.)
$23.85 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.03 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203 1.4% (2007 est.)
2.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 $8,700 (2007 est.)
$8,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.2%
industry: 32.6%
services: 62.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.304 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 19%
services: 64% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
11% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 9.9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.8% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45.5 (2004) country comparison to the world: 42 37.9 (2000)
Investment (gross fixed):
26.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Budget:
revenues: $3.794 billion
expenditures: $4.829 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
116.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 146.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 207 9.5% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.83% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 28 17.2% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.253 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 83 $1.369 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.244 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 74 $4.54 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.175 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 78 $6.609 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$7.513 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 72 $12.33 billion (31 December 2007)
$12.28 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks
Industries:
tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Electricity - production:
7.324 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Electricity - consumption:
6.345 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Oil - consumption:
78,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Oil - imports:
77,720 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 165
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Current account balance:
-$2.745 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144 -$1.744 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.602 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $2.226 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners:
US 40.3%, Canada 10.6%, UK 9.2%, Netherlands 7.9%, France 5.4%,
Russia 5.2% (2008)
Imports:
$7.185 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 $5.789 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 39.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.5%, Venezuela 11.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.767 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 $1.879 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$10.65 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 $9.657 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - 72.236 (2008 est.), 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004)
Communications ::Jamaica
Telephones - main lines in use:
316,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 112
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.723 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 112
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines in use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity now roughly 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
7 (1997)
Internet country code:
.jm
Internet hosts:
3,961 (2009) country comparison to the world: 137
Internet users:
1.54 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 73
Transportation ::Jamaica
Airports:
27 (2009) country comparison to the world: 123
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 15
under 914 m: 15 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 21,552 km country comparison to the world: 108 paved: 15,937 km (includes 33 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,615 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 20 country comparison to the world: 99 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 6, carrier 1, container 4, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 17 (Denmark 2, Germany 4, Greece 6, Hong Kong 1, Latvia 1, Russia 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Kingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, Rocky Point
Military ::Jamaica
Military branches:
Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 688,480
females age 16-49: 709,548 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 573,520
females age 16-49: 586,426 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 31,833
female: 31,257 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Transnational Issues ::Jamaica
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Jan Mayen (Europe)
Introduction ::Jan Mayen
Background:
This desolate, arctic, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985. It is the northernmost active volcano on earth.
Geography ::Jan Mayen
Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian
Sea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates:
71 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 377 sq km country comparison to the world: 203 land: 377 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
124.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain:
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
People ::Jan Mayen
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station
Government ::Jan Mayen
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Dependency status:
territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service
Legal system:
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used
Economy ::Jan Mayen
Economy - overview:
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island.
Communications ::Jan Mayen
Radio broadcast stations:
NA; note - there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)
Transportation ::Jan Mayen
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 223
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Jan Mayen
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues ::Jan Mayen
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on September 22, 2009
======================================================================
@Japan (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Japan
Background:
In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians - with heavy input from bureaucrats and business executives - wield actual decisionmaking power. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally. In January 2009, Japan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.
Geography ::Japan
Location:
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates:
36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 377,915 sq km country comparison to the world: 61 land: 364,485 sq km
water: 13,430 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29,751 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Natural resources:
negligible mineral resources, fish
note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas as well as the second largest importer of oil
Land use:
arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005)
Irrigated land:
25,920 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
430 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 88.43 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)
per capita: 690 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location in northeast Asia
People ::Japan
Population:
127,078,679 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 8,804,465/female 8,344,800)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 41,187,425/female 40,533,876)
65 years and over: 22.2% (male 11,964,694/female 16,243,419) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 44.2 years
male: 42.4 years
female: 46.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.191% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 218
Birth rate:
7.64 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 222
Death rate:
9.54 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 66% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.79 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 221 male: 2.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 82.12 years country comparison to the world: 3 male: 78.8 years
female: 85.62 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.21 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 217
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Nationality:
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups:
Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%
note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil (2004)
Religions:
Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8%
note: total adherents exceeds 100% because many people belong to both Shintoism and Buddhism (2005)
Languages:
Japanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2002)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 15 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 128
Government ::Japan
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
local short form: Nihon/Nippon
Government type:
a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Tokyo
geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,
Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,
Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,
Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,
Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence:
660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU; first recognized by Emperor Meiji in 1873)
National holiday:
Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
Constitution:
3 May 1947
Legal system:
modeled after German civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Yukio HATOYAMA (since 16 September 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Naoto KAN (since 16 September 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution requires that prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; monarch is hereditary
Legislative branch:
bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for fixed six-year terms; half reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for maximum four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs); the prime minister has the right to dissolve the House of Representatives at any time with the concurrence of the cabinet.
elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2010); House of Representatives - last held 30 August 2009 (next to be held by August 2013)
election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPJ 109, LDP 83, Komeito 20, JCP 7, SDP 5, others 18
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party (in single-seat constituencies) - DPJ 42.4%, LDP 26.7%, Komeito 11.5%, JCP 7.0%, SDP 4.3%, others 8.1%; seats by party - DPJ 308, LDP 119, Komeito 21, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 16 (2009)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Yukio HATOYAMA]; Japan Communist
Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDP [Sadakazu TANIGAKI]; Social Democratic Party
or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: business groups; trade unions
International organization participation:
ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue
partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP,
EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club,
PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ichiro FUJISAKI
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle
consulate(s): Anchorage, Nashville
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James V. ROOS
embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
mailing address: Unit 9800, Box 300, APO AP 96303-0300
telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000
FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862
consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Flag description:
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
Economy ::Japan
Economy - overview:
In the years following World War II, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary speed to the rank of second most technologically powerful economy in the world after the US. Today, measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, Japan is the third-largest economy in the world after the US and China. Two notable characteristic of the post-war economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. Japan's industrial sector is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. A tiny agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self sufficient in rice, Japan imports about 60% of its food on a caloric basis. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades, overall real economic growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the after effects of inefficient investment and an asset price bubble in the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. In October 2007 Japan's longest post-war period of economic expansion ended after 69 months and Japan entered into recession in 2008, with 2009 marking a return to near 0% interest rates. The 10-year privatization of Japan Post, which has functioned not only as the national postal delivery system but also, through its banking and insurance facilities as Japan's largest financial institution, was completed in October 2007, marking a major milestone in the process of structural reform. The Japanese financial sector was not heavily exposed to sub-prime mortgages or their derivative instruments and weathered the initial effect of the global credit crunch, but a sharp downturn in business investment and global demand for Japan's exports in late 2008 pushed Japan further into a recession. Japan's huge government debt, which totals 170% of GDP, and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems. Debate continues on the role of and effects of reform in restructuring the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.34 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $4.37 trillion (2007 est.)
$4.272 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.911 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204 2.3% (2007 est.)
2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$34,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $34,300 (2007 est.)
$33,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 26.3%
services: 72.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
66.5 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 27.9%
services: 66.4% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 3.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.8%
highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
38.1 (2002) country comparison to the world: 74 24.9 (1993)
Investment (gross fixed):
23% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Budget:
revenues: $1.72 trillion
expenditures: $1.788 trillion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
172.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 164.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 0.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 135 0.75% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
1.91% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$5.417 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 2 $4.37 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$6.16 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 2 $4.783 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$12.34 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 3 $9.653 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 4 $4.453 trillion (31 December 2007)
$4.726 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Industries:
among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
Industrial production growth rate:
-2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - production:
1.058 trillion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - consumption:
1.007 trillion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
133,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Oil - consumption:
4.785 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Oil - exports:
268,300 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Oil - imports:
5.263 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Oil - proved reserves:
44.12 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - production:
5.36 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Natural gas - consumption:
101.1 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - imports:
95.39 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Natural gas - proved reserves:
20.9 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Current account balance:
$156.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $210.5 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$746.5 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $678.1 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
Exports - partners:
US 17.8%, China 16%, South Korea 7.6%, Hong Kong 5.1% (2008)
Imports:
$708.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $573.3 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials
Imports - partners:
China 18.9%, US 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.7%, Australia 6.2%, UAE 6.1%,
Indonesia 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.011 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 $954.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.231 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 9 $1.768 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$135.4 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $110.8 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$663.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $533.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
yen (JPY) per US dollar - 103.58 (2008 est.), 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004)
Communications ::Japan
Telephones - main lines in use:
47.579 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 4
Telephones - mobile cellular:
110.395 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 7
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind
international: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 89 (plus 485 repeaters), shortwave 21 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
211 (plus 7,341 repeaters); in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Internet country code:
.jp
Internet hosts:
47.249 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 2
Internet users:
90.91 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 3
Transportation ::Japan
Airports:
176 (2009) country comparison to the world: 34
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 144
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 42
1,524 to 2,437 m: 40
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 27 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 32
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 28 (2009)
Heliports:
15 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 3,862 km; oil 167 km; oil/gas/water 53 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 23,506 km country comparison to the world: 11 standard gauge: 3,437 km 1.435-m gauge (3,319 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 20,059 km 1.067-m gauge (11,842 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 1,196,999 km country comparison to the world: 5 paved: 949,101 km (includes 7,383 km of expressways)
unpaved: 247,898 km (2006)
Waterways:
1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2007) country comparison to the world: 47
Merchant marine:
total: 683 country comparison to the world: 16 by type: bulk carrier 136, cargo 30, carrier 3, chemical tanker 27, container 11, liquefied gas 59, passenger 12, passenger/cargo 135, petroleum tanker 156, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 51, vehicle carrier 61
registered in other countries: 3,074 (Australia 1, Bahamas 87, Belize 8, Bermuda 2, Burma 1, Cambodia 1, Cayman Islands 13, China 2, Cyprus 21, France 1, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 111, Indonesia 6, Isle of Man 6, Italy 1, South Korea 20, Liberia 116, Malaysia 4, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 17, Nigeria 1, Norway 29, Panama 2335, Philippines 81, Portugal 15, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 131, Thailand 4, UK 4, US 7, Vanuatu 29, Vietnam 1, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,
Tomakomai, Yohohama
Military ::Japan
Military branches:
Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD): Ground Self-Defense Force
(Rikujou Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jietai,
MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force (Koku Jieitai, ASDF) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 27,819,804
females age 16-49: 26,863,794 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 22,757,136
females age 16-49: 21,920,703 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 621,254
female: 589,270 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.8% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 150
Transnational Issues ::Japan
Disputes - international:
the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Dokdo) occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Jersey (Europe)
Introduction ::Jersey
Background:
Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.
Geography ::Jersey
Location:
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
49 15 N, 2 10 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 116 sq km country comparison to the world: 224 land: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
70 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain:
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m
Natural resources:
arable land
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
People ::Jersey
Population:
91,626 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 7,623/female 7,087)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 30,914/female 31,081)
65 years and over: 16.3% (male 6,614/female 8,307) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.9 years
male: 42.1 years
female: 43.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.211% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Birth rate:
8.63 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 218
Death rate:
9.26 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Net migration rate:
2.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Urbanization:
urban population: 31% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 197 male: 5.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.75 years country comparison to the world: 25 male: 77.23 years
female: 82.46 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.57 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 183
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups:
Jersey 51.1%, Britons 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%,
Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)
Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian
Languages:
English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)
Literacy:
NA
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Jersey
Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Saint Helier
geographic coordinates: 49 11 N, 2 06 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 12 parishes including Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Ouen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, and Trinity
Independence:
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14 June 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Terry LE SUEUR (12 December 2008); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet (since December 2005)
elections: ministers of the Cabinet including the chief minister are elected by the Assembly of States; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (58 seats; 55 are voting members, of which 12 are senators elected for six-year terms, 12 are constables or heads of parishes elected for three-year terms, 29 are deputies elected for three-year terms, the bailiff and the deputy bailiff, and 3 non-voting members includes the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held 15 October 2008 for senators and 26 November 2008 for deputies (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55
Judicial branch:
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)
Political parties and leaders:
two declared parties: Centre Party; Jersey Democratic Alliance
note: all senators and deputies elected in 2008 were independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Institute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides business support);
Jersey Hospitality Association [Robert JONES] (trade association);
Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM] (human rights); La
Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group); Progress
Jersey [Darius J. PEARCE, Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI] (human
rights); Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or
RJA&HS (development and management of the Jersey breed of cattle);
Save Jersey's Heritage (protects heritage through building
preservation)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Flag description:
white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with the three lions of England in yellow
Economy ::Jersey
Economy - overview:
Jersey's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. In 2005 the finance sector accounted for about 50% of the island's output. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. Tourism accounts for one-quarter of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed, displacing more traditional industries. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven. Living standards come close to those of the UK.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.1 billion (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$57,000 (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 2%
services: 97% (2005)
Labor force:
53,560 (June 2006) country comparison to the world: 181
Unemployment rate:
2.2% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $829 million
expenditures: $851 million (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.7% (December 2006) country comparison to the world: 55
Market value of publicly traded shares: