$NA
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Mayotte
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 205
Telephones - mobile cellular:
48,100 (2005) country comparison to the world: 195
Telephone system:
general assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (2001)
Internet country code:
.yt
Internet hosts:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 229
Transportation ::Mayotte
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 220
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
Dzaoudzi
Military ::Mayotte
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 35,849
females age 16-49: 34,456 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,517
female: 2,511 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France; a small contingent of French forces is stationed on the island
Transnational Issues ::Mayotte
Disputes - international:
claimed by Comoros
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Mexico (North America)
Introduction ::Mexico
Background:
The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation had been making an impressive recovery until the global financial crisis hit in late 2008. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. The elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON. In January 2009, Mexico assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.
Geography ::Mexico
Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States
Geographic coordinates:
23 00 N, 102 00 W
Map references:
North America
Area:
total: 1,964,375 sq km country comparison to the world: 15 land: 1,943,945 sq km
water: 20,430 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,353 km
border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km
Coastline:
9,330 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
varies from tropical to desert
Terrain:
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m
highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land: 12.66%
permanent crops: 1.28%
other: 86.06% (2005)
Irrigated land:
63,200 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
457.2 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 78.22 cu km/yr (17%/5%/77%)
per capita: 731 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts
Environment - current issues:
scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion
note: the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues
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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico
People ::Mexico
Population:
111,211,789 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 16,544,223/female 15,861,141)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 34,734,571/female 37,129,793)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 3,130,518/female 3,811,543) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 26.3 years
male: 25.3 years
female: 27.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.13% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Birth rate:
19.71 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Death rate:
4.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Net migration rate:
-3.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Urbanization:
urban population: 77% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.42 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 113 male: 20.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.06 years country comparison to the world: 71 male: 73.25 years
female: 79 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.34 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
200,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Mexican(s)
adjective: Mexican
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)
Languages:
Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note - indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91%
male: 92.4%
female: 89.6% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 14 years
female: 13 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 49
Government ::Mexico
Country name:
conventional long form: United Mexican States
conventional short form: Mexico
local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos
local short form: Mexico
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Mexico City (Distrito Federal)
geographic coordinates: 19 26 N, 99 08 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
note: Mexico is divided into three time zones
Administrative divisions:
31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district*
(distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California
Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima,
Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco,
Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca,
Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi,
Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave,
Yucatan, Zacatecas
Independence:
16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
Constitution:
5 February 1917
Legal system:
mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of attorney general requires consent of the Senate
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 2 July 2006 (next to be held 1 July 2012)
election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president; percent of vote - Felipe CALDERON 35.89%, Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR 35.31%, Roberto MADRAZO 22.26%, other 6.54%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 seats are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are elected by popular vote; remaining 200 members are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote; to serve three-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 July 2006 for all of the seats (next to be held 1 July 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2 July 2006 (next to be held 5 July 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAN 52, PRI 33, PRD 26, PVEM 6, CD 5, PT 5, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAN 207, PRD 127, PRI 106, PVEM 17, CD 17, PT 11, other 15
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion (justices or ministros are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate)
Political parties and leaders:
Convergence for Democracy or CD [Luis MALDONADO Venegas];
Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI [Beatriz PAREDES]; Labor
Party or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]; Mexican Green Ecological
Party or PVEM [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Martinez]; National Action
Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [German MARTINEZ Cazares];
New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA [Jorge Antonio
KAHWAGI Macari]; Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la
Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Leonel COTA Montano]; Social
Democratic and Peasant Alternative Party (Partido Alternativa
Socialdemocrata y Campesina) or Alternativa [Alberto BEGNE Guerra]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Broad Progressive Front or FAP; Businessmen's Coordinating Council
or CCE; Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or
COPARMEX; Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN;
Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of National
Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign Trade
Business Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing
Goods and Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of Transformation
Industries or CANACINTRA; National Peasant Confederation or CNC;
National Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE; National Syndicate of
Education Workers or SNTE; National Union of Workers or UNT; Popular
Assembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO; Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation:
APEC, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CDB, CE
(observer), CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, G-20, G-3, G-15, G-24, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES,
LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, RG, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arturo SARUKHAN Casamitjana
chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600
FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas,
Denver, El Paso, Houston, Laredo (Texas), Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, Nogales (Arizona), Phoenix, Sacramento, Saint Paul
(Minnesota), San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San
Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Albuquerque, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico
(California), Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle
Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Indianapolis (Indiana), Kansas
City (Missouri), Laredo (Texas), Las Vegas, Little Rock (Arkansas),
McAllen (Texas), New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, Oxnard (California),
Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Presidio (Texas), Raleigh, Salt
Lake City, San Bernardino, Santa Ana (California), Seattle, Tucson,
Yuma (Arizona)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio O. GARZA, Jr.
embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal
mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000
telephone: [52] (55) 5080-2000
FAX: [52] (55) 5511-9980
consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana
consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band
Economy ::Mexico
Economy - overview:
Mexico has a free market economy in the trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the US and Canada has nearly tripled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agreements with over 40 countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. In 2007, during its first year in office, the Felipe CALDERON administration was able to garner support from the opposition to successfully pass a pension and a fiscal reform. The administration continues to face many economic challenges including the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize labor laws, and allow private investment in the energy sector. CALDERON has stated that his top economic priorities remain reducing poverty and creating jobs.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.567 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 $1.547 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.498 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.088 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 3.3% (2007 est.)
5.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $14,200 (2007 est.)
$13,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 35.2%
services: 61% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
45.32 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 15.1%
industry: 25.7%
services: 59% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 3.7% (2007 est.)
note: underemployment is perhaps 25%
Population below poverty line:
13.8% using food-based definition of poverty; asset based poverty amounted to more than 40% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 37.9% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
47.9 (2006) country comparison to the world: 32 53.1 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Budget:
revenues: $257.1 billion
expenditures: $258.1 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
35.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 65 23.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.71% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 114 7.56% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$92.34 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13 $103.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$147.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 16 $168.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$287 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 25 $349.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$232.6 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 24 $397.7 billion (31 December 2007)
$348.3 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products
Industries:
food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Electricity - production:
245 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Electricity - consumption:
200.9 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Electricity - exports:
1.288 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
584 million kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
3.186 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Oil - consumption:
2.128 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Oil - exports:
1.986 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Oil - imports:
479,600 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Oil - proved reserves:
10.5 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Natural gas - production:
52.15 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Natural gas - consumption:
66.88 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Natural gas - exports:
1.136 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 33
Natural gas - imports:
12.61 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Natural gas - proved reserves:
372.7 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Current account balance:
-$15.81 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 176 -$8.331 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$291.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 $271.9 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton
Exports - partners:
US 80.2%, Canada 2.4%, Germany 1.7% (2008)
Imports:
$308.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 $281.9 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts
Imports - partners:
US 49%, China 11.2%, Japan 5.3%, South Korea 4.4%, Germany 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$95.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 $87.19 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$200.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 31 $193.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$289.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 $267.8 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$45.39 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 $44.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - 11.016 (2008 est.), 10.8 (2007), 10.899 (2006), 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004)
Communications ::Mexico
Telephones - main lines in use:
20.539 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 14
Telephones - mobile cellular:
75.304 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 12
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate telephone service for business and government, but the population is poorly served; mobile subscribers far outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
domestic: low telephone density with about 19 fixed lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; despite the opening to competition in January 1997, Telmex remains dominant; legal challenges to Telmex's alleged anti-competitive behavior in the mobile and fixed-line markets culminated in a World Trade Organization ruling in 2004 against Mexico prompting some strengthening of the powers granted Mexico's telecom regulator; mobile cellular teledensity approaching 70 per 100 persons
international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 850, FM 545, shortwave 15 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
236 (plus repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.mx
Internet hosts:
12.716 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 8
Internet users:
23.26 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 16
Transportation ::Mexico
Airports:
1,744 (2009) country comparison to the world: 3
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 246
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 85
914 to 1,523 m: 82
under 914 m: 38 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,498
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 426
under 914 m: 1,005 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 22,705 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,875 km; oil 8,688 km; oil/gas/water 228 km; refined products 6,520 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 17,516 km country comparison to the world: 16 standard gauge: 17,516 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 356,945 km country comparison to the world: 19 paved: 178,473 km (includes 6,279 km of expressways)
unpaved: 178,472 km (2006)
Waterways:
2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals) (2008) country comparison to the world: 34
Merchant marine:
total: 55 country comparison to the world: 67 by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 11, petroleum tanker 23, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 20 (Brazil 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 4, Panama 2, Portugal 1, Spain 3, Venezuela 5, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, Salina Cruz,
Tampico, Veracruz
Military ::Mexico
Military branches:
Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional,
Sedena): Army (Ejercito, includes Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
Mexicana, FAM)); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina,
Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico, ARM, includes Naval Air
Force (FAN) and naval infantry) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 27,774,688
females age 16-49: 29,376,791 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 22,541,654
females age 16-49: 25,149,027 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,109,981
female: 1,072,094 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Transnational Issues ::Mexico
Disputes - international:
abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; the US has intensified security measures to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across its border with Mexico; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 5,500-10,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in 2007 rose to 6,900 hectares yielding a potential production of 18 metric tons of pure heroin, or 50 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation increased to 8,900 hectares in 2007 and yielded a potential production of 15,800 metric tons; government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 90% of annual cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico; major drug syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market (2007)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Micronesia, Federated States of (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Background:
In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.
Geography ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Location:
Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
6 55 N, 158 15 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 702 sq km country comparison to the world: 191 land: 702 sq km
water: 0 sq km (fresh water only)
note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)
Area - comparative:
four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only)
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
6,112 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage
Terrain:
islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m
Natural resources:
forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate
Land use:
arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 45.71%
other: 48.58% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
typhoons (June to December)
Environment - current issues:
overfishing, climate change, pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
four major island groups totaling 607 islands
People ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Population:
107,434 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.8% (male 19,010/female 18,411)
15-64 years: 62.3% (male 33,286/female 33,629)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 1,317/female 1,781) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 22 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 22.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.238% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 219
Birth rate:
23.1 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Death rate:
4.46 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Net migration rate:
-21.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
Urbanization:
urban population: 22% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% 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: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 26.1 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 82 male: 28.79 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.94 years country comparison to the world: 134 male: 69.06 years
female: 72.93 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.89 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Micronesian(s)
adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese
Ethnic groups:
Chuukese 48.8%, Pohnpeian 24.2%, Kosraean 6.2%, Yapese 5.2%, Yap outer islands 4.5%, Asian 1.8%, Polynesian 1.5%, other 6.4%, unknown 1.4% (2000 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other 3%
Languages:
English (official and common language), Chuukese, Kosrean,
Pohnpeian, Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89%
male: 91%
female: 88% (1980 est.)
Education expenditures:
7.3% of GDP (2000) country comparison to the world: 18
Government ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Country name:
conventional long form: Federated States of Micronesia
conventional short form: none
local long form: Federated States of Micronesia
local short form: none
former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts
abbreviation: FSM
Government type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force May 2004
Capital:
name: Palikir
geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 158 09 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae (Kosaie), Pohnpei (Ponape), Yap
Independence:
3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 10 May (1979)
Constitution:
10 May 1979
Legal system:
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emanuel MORI (since 11 May 2007); Vice President Alik L. ALIK (since 11 May 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Emanuel MORI (since 11 May 2007); Vice President Alik L. ALIK (since 11 May 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the 8 executive departments
elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators at large for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 May 2007 (next to be held May 2011); note - a proposed constitutional amendment to establish popular elections for president and vice president failed
election results: Emanuel MORI elected president; percent of Congress vote - NA; Alik L. ALIK elected vice president; percent of Congress vote - NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress (14 seats; 4 - one elected from each state to serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts delineated by population to serve two-year terms; members elected by popular vote)
elections: last held 3 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2011)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
no formal parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC,
ITSO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yosiwo GEORGE
chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383
FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391
consulate(s) general: Honolulu, Tamuning (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Miriam K. HUGHES
embassy: 101 Upper Pics Road, Kolonia
mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, 96941
telephone: [691] 320-2187
FAX: [691] 320-2186
Flag description:
light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern
Economy ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Economy - overview:
Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remote location, a lack of adequate facilities, and limited air connections hinder development. Under the original terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US provided $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001; the level of aid has been subsequently reduced. The Amended Compact of Free Association with the US guarantees the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) millions of dollars in annual aid through 2023, and establishes a Trust Fund into which the US and the FSM make annual contributions in order to provide annual payouts to the FSM in perpetuity after 2023. The country's medium-term economic outlook appears fragile due not only to the reduction in US assistance but also to the current slow growth of the private sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$238.1 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 214 $277 million (2002 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually
GDP (official exchange rate):
$238.1 million (2008)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA
0.3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 $2,300 (2005 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 28.9%
industry: 15.2%
services: 55.9% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
16,360 (2008) country comparison to the world: 204
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 0.9%
industry: 34.4%
services: 64.7%
note: two-thirds are government employees (FY05 est.)
Unemployment rate:
22% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Population below poverty line:
26.7% (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $166 million ($69 million less grants)
expenditures: $152.7 million (FY07 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2005) country comparison to the world: 20
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.38% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 53 14.03% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$22.45 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$72.49 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca), sakau (kava), betel nuts, sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens; fish; Kosraen citrus
Industries:
tourism, construction; fish processing, specialized aquaculture; craft items (from shell, wood, and pearls)
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
192 million kWh (2002) country comparison to the world: 177
Electricity - consumption:
178.6 million kWh (2002) country comparison to the world: 179
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Current account balance:
-$34.3 million (FY05 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Exports:
$14 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Exports - commodities:
fish, garments, bananas, black pepper, sakau (kava), betel nut
Imports:
$132.7 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 205
Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages
Debt - external:
$60.8 million (FY05 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Telephones - main lines in use:
8,700 (2008) country comparison to the world: 206
Telephones - mobile cellular:
34,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 200
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap
international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (cable TV also available) (2004)
Internet country code:
.fm
Internet hosts:
1,050 (2009) country comparison to the world: 159
Internet users:
16,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 194
Transportation ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Airports:
6 (2009) country comparison to the world: 170
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 240 km country comparison to the world: 204 paved: 42 km
unpaved: 198 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 3 country comparison to the world: 137 by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Tomil Harbor
Military ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Military branches:
no regular military forces; defense is the responsibility of the US (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 26,686 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 21,845
females age 16-49: 23,401 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,273
female: 1,212 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues ::Micronesia, Federated States of
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major consumer of cannabis
page last updated on November 3, 2009
======================================================================
@Moldova (Europe)
Introduction ::Moldova
Background:
Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.
Geography ::Moldova
Location:
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 29 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 33,851 sq km country comparison to the world: 139 land: 32,891 sq km
water: 960 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 1,390 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 940 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
moderate winters, warm summers
Terrain:
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
Natural resources:
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 54.52%
permanent crops: 8.81%
other: 36.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
3,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
11.7 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.31 cu km/yr (10%/58%/33%)
per capita: 549 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
landslides
Environment - current issues:
heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
People ::Moldova
Population:
4,320,748 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.9% (male 353,495/female 334,592)
15-64 years: 73.3% (male 1,536,263/female 1,629,882)
65 years and over: 10.8% (male 172,070/female 294,446) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 34.6 years
male: 32.7 years
female: 36.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.079% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 212
Birth rate:
11.12 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Death rate:
10.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Net migration rate:
-1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Urbanization:
urban population: 42% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -1.5% 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: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.13 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 137 male: 14.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.8 years country comparison to the world: 136 male: 67.1 years
female: 74.71 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.27 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Nationality:
noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan
Ethnic groups:
Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%,
Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region
Religions:
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
Languages:
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language),
Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.1%
male: 99.7%
female: 98.6% (2005 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
7.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 17
Government ::Moldova
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
conventional short form: Moldova
local long form: Republica Moldova
local short form: Moldova
former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Chisinau (Kishinev)
note: pronounced kee-shee-now
geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 51 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir,
Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari,
Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova,
Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti,
Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau
autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia
territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)
Independence:
27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 29 July 1994; effective 27 August 1994; note - replaced 1979 Soviet constitution
Legal system:
based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Acting President Mihai GHIMPU (since 11 September 2009)
note: Vladimir VORONIN, president since 4 April 2001, resigned on 11 September 2009; Mihai GHIMPU, the Parliamentary Speaker, replaced him until new elections can be held
head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir FILAT (since 25 September 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Iurie LEANCA (since 25 September 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next to have been held 5 April 2009); note - prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated 17 September 2009; cabinet received a vote of confidence 25 September 2009
election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Vladimir FILAT designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 53 of 101
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 July 2009 (next to be held in 2013); note - this was the second parliamentary election in less than four months; the earlier parliament (elected 5 April 2009) could not agree on a presidential candidate
election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 44.7%, PLDM 16.6%, PL 14.7%, PD 12.5%, AMN 7.4%; seats by party - PCRM 48, PLDM 18, PL 15, PD 13, AMN 7
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)
Political parties and leaders:
Centrist Union or UCM [Vasile TARLEV]; Christian Democratic People's
Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the Republic of
Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]; Democratic Party or PD [Dumitru
DIACOV]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLDM [Vladmir FILAT]; Liberal
Party or PL [Mihai GHIMPU]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia
PAVLICENKO]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN [Serafim URECHEAN]; Party
for Social Democracy or PDSM [Dumitru BRAGHIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF,
OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina,
UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Asif CHAUDHRY
embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300
FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow; same color scheme as Romania
Economy ::Moldova
Economy - overview:
Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import almost all of its energy supplies. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy was underscored at the end of 2005, when a Russian-owned electrical station in Moldova's separatist Transnistria region cut off power to Moldova and Russia's Gazprom cut off natural gas in disputes over pricing, and again in January 2009, during a similar dispute. Russia's decision to ban Moldovan wine and agricultural products, coupled with its decision to double the price Moldova paid for Russian natural gas, slowed GDP growth in 2006-07. However, in 2008 growth exceeded the 6% level Moldova had achieved in 2000-05, boosted by Russia's partial removal of the bans, solid fixed capital investment, and strong domestic demand driven by remittances from abroad. Economic reforms have been slow because of corruption and strong political forces backing government controls. Nevertheless, the government's primary goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. The granting of EU trade preferences and increased exports to Russia will encourage higher growth rates, but the agreements are unlikely to serve as a panacea, given the extent to which export success depends on higher quality standards and other factors. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors. Also, the presence of an illegal separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region continues to be a drag on the Moldovan economy. The deteriorating global economic crisis did not seriously effect the Moldovan economy in 2008 due to its low exposure to the international financial system, but a global economic slowdown, particularly in the EU and Russia, could hurt the economy in 2009 as Moldova relies heavily on remittances from Moldovans abroad.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.8 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 $10.07 billion (2007 est.)
$9.684 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.047 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 4% (2007 est.)
4.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 $2,300 (2007 est.)
$2,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 19.4%
industry: 20%
services: 60.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.327 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40.6%
industry: 16%
services: 43.3% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
1.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Population below poverty line:
29.5% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 28.2% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.2 (2003) country comparison to the world: 95 40.6 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
32.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Budget:
revenues: $2.453 billion
expenditures: $2.513 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
22.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 63.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 177 12.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
21.06% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 22 18.83% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.116 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 85 $965 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.928 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 83 $1.449 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.406 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 90 $1.896 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 102 $573.9 million (2004)
Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk
Industries:
sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
-1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Electricity - production:
3.617 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Electricity - consumption:
4.37 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Electricity - exports:
240 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.931 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Oil - consumption:
17,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Oil - exports:
36.49 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Oil - imports:
14,230 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Natural gas - production:
50 million cu m (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Natural gas - consumption:
2.52 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 157
Natural gas - imports:
2.52 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Current account balance:
-$1.015 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 -$695.5 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.641 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 137 $1.368 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
Exports - partners:
Morocco 48.3%, Russia 15.2%, Romania 8.1%, Italy 5% (2008)
Imports:
$4.87 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 $3.676 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles
Imports - partners:
Ukraine 20.6%, Russia 19.5%, Romania 14.6%, Germany 8.1%, Italy 5.1%, Belarus 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.672 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 $1.334 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$4.125 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 110 $3.326 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.813 billion (2008) country comparison to the world: 94
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: