$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Puerto Rico
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.038 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 78
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.354 million (2005) country comparison to the world: 102
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
international: country code - 1-787, 939; submarine cables provide connectivity to the US, Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 74, FM 53, shortwave 0 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
34 (2008)
Internet country code:
.pr
Internet hosts:
700 (2009) country comparison to the world: 167
Internet users:
1 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 89
Transportation ::Puerto Rico
Airports:
29 (2009) country comparison to the world: 117
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 5 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 26,186 km country comparison to the world: 102 paved: 24,877 km (includes 427 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,309 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 3 country comparison to the world: 140 by type: roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 3 (US 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Guayanilla, Mayaguez, San Juan
Military ::Puerto Rico
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 699,784
females age 16-49: 790,482 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 30,422
female: 29,396 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues ::Puerto Rico
Disputes - international:
increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Qatar (Middle East)
Introduction ::Qatar
Background:
Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the second-highest per capita income in the world.
Geography ::Qatar
Location:
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
25 30 N, 51 15 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 11,586 sq km country comparison to the world: 165 land: 11,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
Coastline:
563 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish
Land use:
arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0.27%
other: 98.09% (2005)
Irrigated land:
130 sq km (2002)
Total renewable water resources:
0.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.29 cu km/yr (24%/3%/72%)
per capita: 358 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
People ::Qatar
Population:
833,285 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.8% (male 93,805/female 88,040)
15-64 years: 76.8% (male 454,714/female 185,004)
65 years and over: 1.4% (male 6,792/female 4,930) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.8 years
male: 32.8 years
female: 25.4 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.957% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Birth rate:
15.61 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Death rate:
2.46 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 219
Net migration rate:
-3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Urbanization:
urban population: 96% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% 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: 2.46 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.38 male(s)/female
total population: 2 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.66 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 140 male: 13.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.35 years country comparison to the world: 80 male: 73.66 years
female: 77.14 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.45 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.09% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari
Ethnic groups:
Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions:
Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)
Languages:
Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89%
male: 89.1%
female: 88.6% (2004 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 136
Government ::Qatar
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar
local long form: Dawlat Qatar
local short form: Qatar
note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar
Government type:
emirate
Capital:
name: Doha
geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal
Independence:
3 September 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 3 September (1971); also observed is National Day, 18 December
Constitution:
ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the Amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
Legal system:
based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as heir apparent, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Heir Apparent TAMIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
head of government: Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani (since 3 April 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 3 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarch is hereditary
note: in April 2007, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has limited consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999
Legislative branch:
unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)
note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every year since the new constitution came into force on 9 June 2005; the constitution provides for a new 45-member Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the Amir would appoint the remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to the Majlis al-Shura
Judicial branch:
Courts of First Instance, Appeal, and Cassation; an Administrative Court and a Constitutional Court were established in 2007; note - all judges are appointed by Amiri Decree based on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council for renewable three-year terms
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC,
IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC,
OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Fahad al-Shahwany al-HAJRI
chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603
FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061
consulate(s) general: Houston
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LEBARON
embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha
mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha
telephone: [974] 488 4161
FAX: [974] 488 4150
Flag description:
maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
Economy ::Qatar
Economy - overview:
Qatar has experienced rapid economic growth over the last several years on the back of high oil prices, and in 2008 posted its eighth consecutive budget surplus. Economic policy is focused on developing Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors, but oil and gas still account for more than 50% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar the second highest per-capita income country - following Liechtenstein - and one of the world's fastest growing. Proved oil reserves of 15 billion barrels should enable continued output at current levels for 37 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are nearly 26 trillion cubic meters, about 14% of the world total and third largest in the world. The drop in oil prices in late 2008 and the global financial crisis will reduce Qatar's budget surplus and may slow the pace of investment and development projects in 2009.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$91.55 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $80.73 billion (2007 est.)
$68.82 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$102.3 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
13.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 17.3% (2007 est.)
12.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$111,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 $99,100 (2007 est.)
$85,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 74.9%
services: 25.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.119 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Unemployment rate:
0.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 0.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
32.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Budget:
revenues: $36.59 billion
expenditures: $27.14 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
5.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 121 11% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 191 13.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 79 5.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.84% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 115 7.43% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$13.98 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 41 $9.718 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$36.58 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 32 $22.6 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$59.43 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 45 $30.52 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$76.31 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 49 $95.49 billion (31 December 2007)
$61.56 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
Industries:
crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
13% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Electricity - production:
15.11 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Electricity - consumption:
13.73 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
1.208 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Oil - consumption:
129,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Oil - exports:
1.043 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - proved reserves:
15.21 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Natural gas - production:
76.98 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - consumption:
20.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Natural gas - exports:
56.78 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 6
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Natural gas - proved reserves:
25.26 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Current account balance:
$15.07 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $10.45 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$55.73 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $42.02 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
Exports - partners:
Japan 38.5%, South Korea 20.9%, Singapore 11.1%, India 4.5%,
Thailand 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$25.11 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $19.82 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
US 12.1%, Germany 9%, Italy 8.9%, Japan 8%, South Korea 7.5%, France 6.2%, UAE 5.5%, UK 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, Turkey 4.2%, China 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.998 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66 $9.752 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$57.37 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 $33.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$3.627 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 $2.601 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$5.363 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $6.993 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar - 3.64 (2008 est.), 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004)
Communications ::Qatar
Telephones - main lines in use:
263,400 (2008) country comparison to the world: 117
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.683 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 128
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 200 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code:
.qa
Internet hosts:
722 (2009) country comparison to the world: 166
Internet users:
436,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 111
Transportation ::Qatar
Airports:
5 (2009) country comparison to the world: 178
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 145 km; condensate/gas 132 km; gas 978 km; liquid petroleum gas 90 km; oil 382 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 7,790 km (2006) country comparison to the world: 143
Merchant marine:
total: 22 country comparison to the world: 96 by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 4
foreign-owned: 7 (Kuwait 7)
registered in other countries: 5 (Liberia 4, Panama 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Doha, Ra's Laffan
Military ::Qatar
Military branches:
Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari
Amiri Air Force (QAAF) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 320,383
females age 16-49: 167,475 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 318,388
females age 16-49: 136,841 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,337
female: 5,059 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
10% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Transnational Issues ::Qatar
Disputes - international:
none
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers, and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation; the most common offense was forcing workers to accept worse contract terms than those under which they were recruited; other conditions include bonded labor, withholding of pay, restrictions on movement, arbitrary detention, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse
tier rating: Tier 3 - Qatar failed, for the second consecutive year, to enforce criminal laws against traffickers, or to provide an effective mechanism to identify and protect victims; it continues to detain and deport victims rather than providing them protection; the government made little progress to increase prosecutions for trafficking in a meaningful way in 2007; workers complaining of working conditions or non-payment of wages were sometimes penalized (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Romania (Europe)
Introduction ::Romania
Background:
The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Geography ::Romania
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and
Ukraine
Geographic coordinates:
46 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 238,391 sq km country comparison to the world: 82 land: 229,891 sq km
water: 8,500 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,508 km
border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km
Coastline:
225 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
Terrain:
central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m
Natural resources:
petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 39.49%
permanent crops: 1.92%
other: 58.59% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30,770 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
42.3 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.5 cu km/yr (9%/34%/57%)
per capita: 299 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
People ::Romania
Population:
22,215,421 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.5% (male 1,772,583/female 1,681,539)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 7,711,062/female 7,784,041)
65 years and over: 14.7% (male 1,332,120/female 1,934,076) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.7 years
male: 36.3 years
female: 39.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.147% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 216
Birth rate:
10.53 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Death rate:
11.88 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Net migration rate:
-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Urbanization:
urban population: 54% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.9 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 95 male: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.45 years country comparison to the world: 117 male: 68.95 years
female: 76.16 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.39 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 197
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
15,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
350 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Nationality:
noun: Romanian(s)
adjective: Romanian
Ethnic groups:
Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002 census)
Religions:
Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)
Languages:
Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.3%
male: 98.4%
female: 96.3% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 129
Government ::Romania
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Romania
local long form: none
local short form: Romania
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Bucharest
geographic coordinates: 44 26 N, 26 06 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:
41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
Independence:
9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)
National holiday:
Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)
Constitution:
8 December 1991; revised 29 October 2003
Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004); note - President Traian BASESCU was suspended by vote of parliament on 19 April 2007, but resumed his duties on 23 May 2007 after a popular referendum confirmed that his impeachment should not stand
head of government: Prime Minister Emil BOC (since 22 December 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004 with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004 (next to be held in November-December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament
election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian NASTASE 48.77%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote in a mixed electoral system to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (334 seats; members are elected by popular vote in a mixed electoral system to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 30 November 2008 (next expected to be held in November 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 30 November 2008 (next expected to be held November 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PC 34.2%, PDL 33.6%, PNL 18.7%, UDMR 6.4%, other 7.1%; seats by alliance/party - PSD-PC 49, PDL 51, PNL 28, UDMR 9; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PC 33.1%, PDL 32.4%, PNL 18.6%, UDMR 6.2%, ethnic minorities 3.6%, other 6.1%; seats by alliance/party - PSD-PC 114, PDL 115, PNL 65, UDMR 22, ethnic minorities 18
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for three-year terms by the president in consultation with the Superior Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister of justice, the prosecutor general, two civil society representatives appointed by the Senate, and 14 judges and prosecutors elected by their peers); a separate body, the Constitutional Court, validates elections and makes decisions regarding the constitutionality of laws, treaties, ordinances, and internal rules of the Parliament; it is comprised of nine members serving nine-year terms, with three members each appointed by the president, the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party or PC [Daniela POPA] (formerly Humanist Party or
PUR); Democratic Liberal Party or PDL [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union
of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal
Party or PNL [Calin Popescu-TARICEANU]; Social Democratic Party or
PSD [Mircea Dan GEOANA] (formerly Party of Social Democracy in
Romania or PDSR)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: various human rights and professional associations
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA
(cooperating state), EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC,
NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,
UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Adrian Cosmin VIERITA
chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851, 4852
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affaires Jeri GUTHRIE-CORN
embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Bucharest, US Department of State, 5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)
telephone: [40] (21) 200-3300
FAX: [40] (21) 200-3442
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova
Economy ::Romania
Economy - overview:
Romania, which joined the European Union on 1 January 2007, began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets. Domestic consumption and investment have fueled strong GDP growth in recent years, but have led to large current account imbalances. Romania's macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a middle class and address Romania's widespread poverty. Corruption and red tape continue to handicap its business environment. Inflation rose in 2007-08, driven in part by strong consumer demand and high wage growth, rising energy costs, a nation-wide drought affecting food prices, and a relaxation of fiscal discipline. Romania's strong GDP growth moderated markedly in the last quarter of 2008 as the country began to feel the effects of a global downturn in financial markets and trade, and growth is expected to be much weaker in 2009. Romania hopes to adopt the euro by 2014.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$272 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $254 billion (2007 est.)
$239.2 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$200.1 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 6.2% (2007 est.)
7.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 $11,400 (2007 est.)
$10,700 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.1%
industry: 36%
services: 55.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
9.32 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 29.7%
industry: 23.2%
services: 47.1% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
4.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 4.1% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
25% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 20.8% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32 (2008) country comparison to the world: 103 28.8 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
33.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Budget:
revenues: $65.29 billion
expenditures: $74.99 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
14.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 23.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 4.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.99% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 55 13.35% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$25.3 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 33 $25.17 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$36.09 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 33 $34.96 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$72.85 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 43 $58.76 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$19.92 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 59 $44.93 billion (31 December 2007)
$32.78 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep
Industries:
electric machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate:
7.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Electricity - production:
58.28 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Electricity - consumption:
49.44 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Electricity - exports:
5.169 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
921 million kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
115,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Oil - consumption:
219,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Oil - exports:
115,600 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Oil - imports:
217,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Natural gas - production:
11.42 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Natural gas - consumption:
16.92 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 128
Natural gas - imports:
5.5 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Natural gas - proved reserves:
63 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Current account balance:
-$24.81 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 178 -$23.02 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$49.41 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 $40.32 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products
Exports - partners:
Germany 16.5%, Italy 15.6%, France 7.4%, Turkey 6.6%, Hungary 5.1%,
Bulgaria 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$76.17 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $64.54 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and products, metals, agricultural products
Imports - partners:
Germany 16.3%, Italy 11.4%, Hungary 7.4%, Russia 6%, France 5.7%,
Turkey 4.9%, Austria 4.9%, Kazakhstan 4.6%, China 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$39.47 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $39.96 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$102.2 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 36 $NA (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$72.61 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $62.86 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$921 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 74 $1.238 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
lei (RON) per US dollar - 2.5 (2008 est.), 2.43 (2007), 2.809 (2006), 3 (2005), 3 (2004)
Communications ::Romania
Telephones - main lines in use:
5.036 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 31
Telephones - mobile cellular:
24.467 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 34
Telephone system:
general assessment: the telecommunications sector is being expanded and modernized; domestic and international service improving rapidly, especially mobile-cellular services
domestic: more than 90 percent of telephone network is automatic; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity, expanding rapidly, roughly 110 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 40; the Black Sea Fiber Optic System provides connectivity to Bulgaria and Turkey; satellite earth stations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
698 (station frequency type NA) (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
623 (plus 200 repeaters) (2006)
Internet country code:
.ro
Internet hosts:
2.188 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 31
Internet users:
6.132 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 37
Transportation ::Romania
Airports:
53 (2009) country comparison to the world: 89
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 25
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 21 (2009)
Heliports:
2 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 3,588 km; oil 2,424 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 10,788 km country comparison to the world: 21 broad gauge: 57 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 10,731 km 1.435-m gauge (3,965 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 198,817 km country comparison to the world: 26 paved: 60,043 km (includes 228 km of expressways)
unpaved: 138,774 km (2004)
Waterways:
1,731 km country comparison to the world: 48 note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and 132 km on canals (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 17 country comparison to the world: 103 by type: cargo 11, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 49 (Cambodia 1, Georgia 16, North Korea 4, Liberia 2, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 3, Panama 7, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 3, Syria 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Braila, Constanta, Galati, Tulcea
Military ::Romania
Military branches:
Land Forces, Naval Forces, Romanian Air Force (Fortele Aeriene
Romane, FAR), Special Operations (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-35 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription officially ended October 2006; all military inductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term of service, with subsequent successive contracts for 3-year terms until age 36 (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,682,299
females age 16-49: 5,557,098 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,542,720
females age 16-49: 4,604,484 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 124,356
female: 118,430 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.9% of GDP (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Transnational Issues ::Romania
Disputes - international:
the ICJ gave Ukraine until December 2006 to reply, and Romania until June 2007 to issue a rejoinder, in their dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitation; Romania also opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Illicit drugs:
major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering, which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Russia (Central Asia)
Introduction ::Russia
Background:
Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 contributed to the Revolution of 1905, which resulted in the formation of a parliament and other reforms. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened Communist rule and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics. Since then, Russia has shifted its post-Soviet democratic ambitions in favor of a centralized semi-authoritarian state whose legitimacy is buttressed, in part, by carefully managed national elections, former President PUTIN's genuine popularity, and the prudent management of Russia's windfall energy wealth. Russia has severely disabled a Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the North Caucasus.
Geography ::Russia
Location:
Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of
Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North
Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
60 00 N, 100 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 17,098,242 sq km country comparison to the world: 1 land: 16,377,742 sq km
water: 720,500 sq km
Area - comparative:
approximately 1.8 times the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 20,241.5 km
border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 290 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 17.5 km, Latvia 292 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
Coastline:
37,653 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Terrain:
broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m
Natural resources:
wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber
note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources
Land use:
arable land: 7.17%
permanent crops: 0.11%
other: 92.72% (2005)
Irrigated land:
46,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
4,498 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 76.68 cu km/yr (19%/63%/18%)
per capita: 535 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, 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, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
Geography - note:
largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak
People ::Russia
Population:
140,041,247 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.8% (male 10,644,833/female 10,095,011)
15-64 years: 71.5% (male 48,004,040/female 52,142,313)
65 years and over: 13.7% (male 5,880,877/female 13,274,173) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 38.4 years
male: 35.2 years
female: 41.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.467% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 226
Birth rate:
11.1 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Death rate:
16.06 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Net migration rate:
0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Urbanization:
urban population: 73% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.44 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 10.56 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 152 male: 12.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.03 years country comparison to the world: 162 male: 59.33 years
female: 73.14 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.41 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
940,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
40,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Russian(s)
adjective: Russian
Ethnic groups:
Russian 79.8%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 2%, Bashkir 1.2%, Chuvash 1.1%, other or unspecified 12.1% (2002 census)
Religions:
Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.)
note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule
Languages:
Russian, many minority languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 117
Government ::Russia
Country name:
conventional long form: Russian Federation
conventional short form: Russia
local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
local short form: Rossiya
former: Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Government type:
federation
Capital:
name: Moscow
geographic coordinates: 55 45 N, 37 35 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
note: Russia is divided into 11 time zones
Administrative divisions:
46 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast), 21 republics (respublik, singular - respublika), 4 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnykh okrugov, singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 9 krays (krayev, singular - kray), 2 federal cities (goroda, singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast (avtonomnaya oblast')
oblasts: Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Belgorod,
Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga,
Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad, Lipetsk,
Magadan, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk,
Omsk, Orenburg, Orel, Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan', Sakhalin
(Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara, Saratov, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk
(Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula, Tver', Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk,
Vladimir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh, Yaroslavl'
republics: Adygeya (Maykop), Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Bashkortostan
(Ufa), Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude), Chechnya (Groznyy), Chuvashiya
(Cheboksary), Dagestan (Makhachkala), Ingushetiya (Magas),
Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik), Kalmykiya (Elista),
Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk), Kareliya (Petrozavodsk),
Khakasiya (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola),
Mordoviya (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz), Sakha [Yakutiya]
(Yakutsk), Tatarstan (Kazan'), Tyva (Kyzyl), Udmurtiya (Izhevsk)
autonomous okrugs: Chukotka (Anadyr'), Khanty-Mansi (Khanty-Mansiysk), Nenets (Nar'yan-Mar), Yamalo-Nenets (Salekhard)
krays: Altay (Barnaul), Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Perm', Primorskiy [Maritime] (Vladivostok), Stavropol', Zabaykal'sk (Chita)
federal cities: Moscow [Moskva], Saint Petersburg [Sankt-Peterburg]
autonomous oblast: Yevrey [Jewish] (Birobidzhan)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Russia Day, 12 June (1990)
Constitution:
adopted 12 December 1993
Legal system:
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (since 7 May 2008)
head of government: Premier Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 8
May 2008); First Deputy Premiers Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV and Viktor
Alekseyevich ZUBKOV (since 12 May 2008); Deputy Premiers Sergey
Borisovich IVANOV (since 12 May 2008), Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK
(since 14 October 2008), Aleksey Leonidovich KUDRIN (since 24
September 2007), Igor Ivanovich SECHIN (since 12 May 2008), Sergey
Semenovich SOBYANIN (since 12 May 2008), Aleksandr Dmitriyevich
ZHUKOV (since 9 March 2004), and Dmitry Nikolayevich KOZAK (since 14
October 2008)
cabinet: Ministries of the Government or "Government" composed of the premier and his deputies, ministers, and selected other individuals; all are appointed by the president
note: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 2 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); note - no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns, the premier serves as acting president until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the Duma
election results: Dmitriy MEDVEDEV elected president; percent of vote - Dmitry MEDVEDEV 70.2%, Gennady ZYUGANOV 17.7%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKY 9.4%, Andrey BOGDANOV 1.3%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of an upper house, the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (168 seats; as of July 2000, members appointed by the top executive and legislative officials in each of the 84 federal administrative units - oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg; serve four-year terms) and a lower house, the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats; as of 2007, all members elected by proportional representation from party lists winning at least 7% of the vote; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: State Duma - last held 2 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2011)
election results: State Duma - United Russia 64.3%, CPRF 11.5%, LDPR 8.1%, Just Russia 7.7%, other 8.4%; total seats by party - United Russia 315, CPRF 57, LDPR 40, Just Russia 38
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Supreme Arbitration Court; judges for all courts are appointed for life by the Federation Council on the recommendation of the president
Political parties and leaders:
A Just Russia [Sergey MIRONOV]; Communist Party of the Russian
Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy Andreyevich ZYUGANOV]; Liberal
Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir Volfovich
ZHIRINOVSKIY]; Patriots of Russia [Gennadiy SEMIGIN]; People's Union
[Sergey BABURIN]; Right Cause [Leonid Yakovlevich GOZMAN, Boris
Yuriyevich TITOV, and Georgiy Georgiyevich BOVT] (registration
pending; formed from merger of Union of Right Forces, Democratic
Party of Russia, and Civic Force); United Russia [Vladimir
Vladimirovich PUTIN]; Yabloko Party [Sergey Sergeyevich MITROKHIN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
All-Russian Confederation of Labor; Baikal Environmental Wave;
Federation of Independent Labor Unions of Russia; Freedom of Choice
Interregional Organization of Automobilists; Glasnost Defense
Foundation; Golos Association in Defense of Voters' Rights;
Greenpeace Russia; Human Rights Watch (Russian chapter); Institute
for Collective Action; Memorial (human rights group); Movement
Against Illegal Migration; Pamjat (preservation of historical
monuments and recording of history); Russian Orthodox Church;
Russian-Chechen Friendship Society; SOVA Analytical-Information
Center; Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers; World Wildlife
Fund (Russian chapter)
International organization participation:
APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BSEC, CBSS, CE, CERN (observer), CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, G-20, G-8, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sergey Ivanovich KISLYAK
chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708
FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735
consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John R. BEYRLE
embassy: Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow
mailing address: PSC-77, APO AE 09721
telephone: [7] (495) 728-5000
FAX: [7] (495) 728-5090
consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
Economy ::Russia
Economy - overview:
Russia ended 2008 with GDP growth of 5.6%, following 10 straight years of growth averaging 7% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Over the last six years, fixed capital investment growth and personal income growth have averaged above 10%, but both grew at slower rates in 2008. Growth in 2008 was driven largely by non-tradable services and domestic manufacturing, rather than exports. During the past decade, poverty and unemployment declined steadily and the middle class continued to expand. Russia also improved its international financial position, running balance of payments surpluses since 2000. Foreign exchange reserves grew from $12 billion in 1999 to almost $600 billion by end July 2008, which include $200 billion in two sovereign wealth funds: a reserve fund to support budgetary expenditures in case of a fall in the price of oil and a national welfare fund to help fund pensions and infrastructure development. Total foreign debt is almost one-third of GDP. The state component of foreign debt has declined, but commercial short-term debt to foreigners has risen strongly. These positive trends began to reverse in the second half of 2008. Investor concerns over the Russia-Georgia conflict, corporate governance issues, and the global credit crunch in September caused the Russian stock market to fall by roughly 70%, primarily due to margin calls that were difficult for many Russian companies to meet. The global crisis also affected Russia's banking system, which faced liquidity problems. Moscow responded quickly in early October 2008, initiating a rescue plan of over $200 billion that was designed to increase liquidity in the financial sector, to help firms refinance foreign debt, and to support the stock market. The government also unveiled a $20 billion tax cut plan and other safety nets for society and industry. Meanwhile, a 70% drop in the price of oil since mid-July further exacerbated imbalances in external accounts and the federal budget. In mid-November, mini-devaluations of the currency by the Central Bank caused increased capital flight and froze domestic credit markets, resulting in growing unemployment, wage arrears, and a severe drop in production. Foreign exchange reserves dropped to around $435 billion by end 2008, as the Central Bank defended an overvalued ruble. In the first year of his term, President MEDVEDEV outlined a number of economic priorities for Russia including improving infrastructure, innovation, investment, and institutions; reducing the state's role in the economy; reforming the tax system and banking sector; developing one of the biggest financial centers in the world, combating corruption, and improving the judiciary. The Russian government needs to diversify the economy further, as energy and other raw materials still dominate Russian export earnings and federal budget receipts. Russia's infrastructure requires large investments and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to achieve broad-based economic growth. Corruption, lack of trust in institutions, and more recently, exchange rate uncertainty and the global economic crisis continue to dampen domestic and foreign investor sentiment. Russia has made some progress in building the rule of law, the bedrock of a modern market economy, but much work remains on judicial reform. Moscow continues to seek accession to the WTO and has made some progress, but its timeline for entry into the organization continues to slip, and the negotiating atmosphere has soured in the wake of the Georgia and global economic crises.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.271 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $2.151 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.99 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.677 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 8.1% (2007 est.)
7.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$16,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73 $15,200 (2007 est.)
$14,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.7%
industry: 37.6%
services: 57.7% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
75.7 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 27.4%
services: 62.4% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82 6.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
15.8% (November 2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 30.4% (September 2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.5 (September 2008) country comparison to the world: 56 39.9 (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Budget:
revenues: $364.6 billion
expenditures: $304.6 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
6.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 28.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 186 9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
13% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 38 10% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.23% (31 December 2008)
NA% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$252.5 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 6 $303.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$318.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 11 $292.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$367.2 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 23 $339.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$397.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.503 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.057 trillion (31 December 2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk
Industries:
complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries including radar, missile production, and advanced electronic components, shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Electricity - production:
958 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Electricity - consumption:
840.4 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Electricity - exports:
18.6 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.105 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
9.79 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Oil - consumption:
2.9 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Oil - exports:
6.845 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Oil - imports:
47,360 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - proved reserves:
60 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - production:
662.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Natural gas - consumption:
475.7 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Natural gas - exports:
243.4 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 1
Natural gas - imports:
56.9 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Natural gas - proved reserves:
47.57 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Current account balance:
$102.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $77.01 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$471.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $354.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures
Exports - partners:
Netherlands 11.2%, Italy 8.1%, Germany 8%, Turkey 6%, Ukraine 5.1%,
Poland 4.5%, China 4.3% (2008)
Imports:
$291.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $223.5 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
vehicles, machinery and equipment, plastics, medicines, iron and steel, consumer goods, meat, fruits and nuts, semifinished metal products
Imports - partners:
Germany 13.5%, China 13.2%, Japan 6.5%, Ukraine 6%, US 4.5%, Italy 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$427.1 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $476.4 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$483.5 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 21 $471 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$491.2 billion (2007) country comparison to the world: 10 $271.6 billion (2006)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$176.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 $209.6 billion (2006)
Exchange rates:
Russian rubles (RUB) per US dollar - 24.3 (2008 est.), 25.659 (2007), 27.19 (2006), 28.284 (2005), 28.814 (2004)
Communications ::Russia
Telephones - main lines in use:
44.2 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 5
Telephones - mobile cellular:
187.5 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 4
Telephone system:
general assessment: the telephone system is experiencing significant changes; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1 million in 1998 to nearly 188 million in 2008; a large demand for main line service remains unsatisfied
domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density
international: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally by undersea fiber optic cables; digital switches in several cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 323, FM 1,500 est., shortwave 62 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
7,306 (1998)
Internet country code:
.ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain ".su" that was allocated to the Soviet Union and is being phased out
Internet hosts:
7.663 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 13
Internet users:
45.25 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 8
Transportation ::Russia
Airports:
1,216 (2009) country comparison to the world: 5
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 595
over 3,047 m: 52
2,438 to 3,047 m: 198
1,524 to 2,437 m: 129
914 to 1,523 m: 99
under 914 m: 117 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 621
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
914 to 1,523 m: 84
under 914 m: 453 (2009)
Heliports:
48 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 122 km; gas 158,767 km; liquid petroleum gas 127 km; oil 74,285 km; refined products 13,658 km; water 23 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 87,157 km country comparison to the world: 2 broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries (2006)
Roadways:
total: 933,000 km country comparison to the world: 8 paved: 754,984 km (includes 30,000 km of expressways)
unpaved: 178,016 km
note: includes public, local, and departmental roads (2006)
Waterways:
102,000 km (including 33,000 km with guaranteed depth) country comparison to the world: 2 note: 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,074 country comparison to the world: 9 by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 663, carrier 2, chemical tanker 27, combination ore/oil 34, container 11, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 217, refrigerated cargo 59, roll on/roll off 10, specialized tanker 5
foreign-owned: 112 (Belgium 4, Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Italy 4, South Korea 1, Latvia 2, Norway 2, Switzerland 3, Turkey 80, Ukraine 11, US 1)
registered in other countries: 486 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas 4, Belize 31, Bulgaria 1, Cambodia 83, Comoros 12, Cyprus 50, Dominica 3, Georgia 12, Hong Kong 2, Jamaica 3, Liberia 94, Malaysia 2, Malta 58, Marshall Islands 9, Moldova 3, Mongolia 9, Panama 18, Saint Kitts and Nevis 19, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 21, Sierra Leone 11, Slovakia 1, Tuvalu 2, Ukraine 1, Vanuatu 2, unknown 31) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Azov, Kaliningrad, Kavkaz, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Saint
Petersburg, Vostochnyy
Military ::Russia
Military branches:
Ground Forces (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Air Forces (Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily, VVS); Airborne Troops (VDV), Strategic Rocket Forces (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN), and Space Troops (Kosmicheskiye Voyska, KV) are independent "combat arms," not subordinate to any of the three branches; Russian Ground Forces include the following combat arms: motorized-rifle troops, tank troops, missile and artillery troops, air defense of ground troops (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; service obligation - 1 year; reserve obligation to age 50; as of July 2008, a draft military strategy called for the draft to continue up to the year 2030 (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 36,219,908
females age 16-49: 37,019,853 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 21,098,306
females age 16-49: 27,968,883 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 741,692
female: 706,081 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 30
Transnational Issues ::Russia
Disputes - international:
China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with the 2004 Agreement, ending their centuries-long border disputes; the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kurils," 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; Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting all but small, strategic segments of the land boundary and the maritime boundary; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia signed equidistance boundaries in the Caspian seabed but the littoral states have no consensus on dividing the water column; Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone; various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia (Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following the Second World War but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands; in May 2005, Russia recalled its signatures to the 1996 border agreements with Estonia (1996) and Latvia (1997), when the two Baltic states announced issuance of unilateral declarations referencing Soviet occupation and ensuing territorial losses; Russia demands better treatment of ethnic Russians in Estonia and Latvia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as an EU member state with an EU external border, where strict Schengen border rules apply; preparations for the demarcation delimitation of land boundary with Ukraine have commenced; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and on-going expert-level discussions; Kazakhstan and Russia boundary delimitation was ratified on November 2005 and field demarcation should commence in 2007; Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Bering Sea Maritime Boundary Agreement with the US
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 18,000-160,000 (displacement from Chechnya and North Ossetia) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Russia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for various purposes; it remains a significant source of women trafficked to over 50 countries for commercial sexual exploitation; Russia is also a transit and destination country for men and women trafficked from Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Korea to Central and Western Europe and the Middle East for purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; internal trafficking remains a problem in Russia with women trafficked from rural areas to urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation, and men trafficked internally and from Central Asia for forced labor in the construction and agricultural industries; debt bondage is common among trafficking victims, and child sex tourism remains a concern
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Russia is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a fifth consecutive year for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking over the previous year, particularly in providing assistance to victims of trafficking; comprehensive trafficking victim assistance legislation, which would address key deficiencies, has been pending before the Duma since 2003 and was neither passed nor enacted in 2007 (2008)
Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are key concerns; major consumer of opiates
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Rwanda (Africa)
Introduction ::Rwanda
Background:
In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire. Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but several thousand remained in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC; the former Zaire) and formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried in 1990. Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms - including Rwanda's first local elections in March 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in August and September 2003 - the country continues to struggle to boost investment and agricultural output, and ethnic reconciliation is complicated by the real and perceived Tutsi political dominance. Kigali's increasing centralization and intolerance of dissent, the nagging Hutu extremist insurgency across the border, and Rwandan involvement in two wars in recent years in the neighboring DRC continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts to escape its bloody legacy.
Geography ::Rwanda
Location:
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates:
2 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 26,338 sq km country comparison to the world: 148 land: 24,668 sq km
water: 1,670 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Terrain:
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Natural resources:
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 45.56%
permanent crops: 10.25%
other: 44.19% (2005)
Irrigated land:
90 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
5.2 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.15 cu km/yr (24%/8%/68%)
per capita: 17 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo
Environment - current issues:
deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural
People ::Rwanda
Population:
10,473,282 country comparison to the world: 77 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.1% (male 2,216,352/female 2,196,327)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 2,897,003/female 2,909,994)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 100,920/female 152,686) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.7 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 18.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.782% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Birth rate:
39.67 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Death rate:
14.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Net migration rate:
2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Urbanization:
urban population: 18% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 81.61 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 17 male: 86.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 76.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.52 years country comparison to the world: 206 male: 49.25 years
female: 51.83 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.25 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
150,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
7,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan
Ethnic groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)
Languages:
Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.4%
male: 76.3%
female: 64.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 8 years
female: 9 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 115
People - note:
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Government ::Rwanda
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda
conventional short form: Rwanda
local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
local short form: Rwanda
former: Ruanda, German East Africa
Government type:
republic; presidential, multiparty system
Capital:
name: Kigali
geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 04 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
4 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - province; in Kinyarwanda - intara for singular and plural) and 1 city* (in French - ville; in Kinyarwanda - umujyi); Est (Eastern), Kigali*, Nord (Northern), Ouest (Western), Sud (Southern)
Independence:
1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:
new constitution passed by referendum 26 May 2003
Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 25 August 2003 (next to be held in September 2010)
election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%, Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members elected by local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 by the Political Organizations Forum, 2 represent institutions of higher learning; to serve eight-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies (80 seats; 53 members elected by popular vote, 24 women elected by local bodies, 3 selected by youth and disability organizations; serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - members appointed as part of the transitional government (next to be held in 2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held 15 September 2008 (next to be held September 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - RPF 78.8%, PSD 13.1%, PL 7.5%; seats by party - RPF 42, PSD 7, PL 4, additional 27 members indirectly elected
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial Courts;
District Courts; mediation committees
Political parties and leaders:
Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; Democratic
Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA]; Democratic
Republican Movement or MDR [Celestin KABANDA] (officially banned);
Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL
[Protais MITALI]; Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned);
Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
IBUKA (association of genocide survivors)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM, OIF, OPCW,
UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James KOMONYO
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador W. Stuart SYMINGTON
embassy: 2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie, Kigali
mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
telephone: [250] 596-400
FAX: [250] 596-591
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue band
Economy ::Rwanda
Economy - overview:
Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa and is landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded the country's ability to attract private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels, although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded and inflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aid money and obtained IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005-06. Rwanda also received Millennium Challenge Account Threshold status in 2006. The government has embraced an expansionary fiscal policy to reduce poverty by improving education, infrastructure, and foreign and domestic investment and pursuing market-oriented reforms, although energy shortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.729 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 $8.749 billion (2007 est.)
$8.108 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.459 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 7.9% (2007 est.)
7.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 218 $900 (2007 est.)
$800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 43.2%
industry: 22.3%
services: 34.5% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.446 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 81
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2000)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
60% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 38.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
46.8 (2000) country comparison to the world: 37 28.9 (1985)
Investment (gross fixed):
22% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Budget:
revenues: $930.4 million
expenditures: $1.023 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 193 9.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
11.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 23 12.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.51% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 38 15.84% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$233.6 million (31 December 2005) country comparison to the world: 104
Stock of quasi money:
$227.4 million (31 December 2005) country comparison to the world: 115
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$209.2 million (31 December 2005)
Market value of publicly traded shares: