$NA
Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
839 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Electricity - consumption:
1.01 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Oil - imports:
4,404 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 206
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Natural gas - proved reserves:
49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Current account balance:
-$67 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Exports:
$327 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 173 $274 million (2006); note - not including illicit exports or reexports
Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners:
India 20.5%, Pakistan 18.5%, US 17.2%, Tajikistan 13.3%, Netherlands 7.2% (2008)
Imports:
$4.85 billion (2007) country comparison to the world: 116 $3.823 billion (2006)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Pakistan 36.9%, US 9.5%, Germany 7.7%, India 5.2% (2008)
Debt - external:
$8 billion (2004) country comparison to the world: 90
Exchange rates:
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003)
Communications ::Afghanistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
460,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 100
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.45 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 69
Telephone system:
general assessment: limited landline telephone service; an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks in major cities
domestic: aided by the presence of multiple providers, mobile-cellular telephone service is improving rapidly
international: country code - 93; five VSAT's installed in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Jalalabad provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 21, FM 5, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashto, Dari (Afghan
Persian), Urdu, and English) (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
at least 7 (1 government-run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in 6 of the 34 provinces) (2006)
Internet country code:
.af
Internet hosts:
47 (2009) country comparison to the world: 208
Internet users:
500,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 107
Communications - note:
Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as well as public "telekiosks" in Kabul (2005)
Transportation ::Afghanistan
Airports:
51 (2009) country comparison to the world: 90
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 35
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 9 (2009)
Heliports:
11 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 466 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 42,150 km country comparison to the world: 87 paved: 12,350 km
unpaved: 29,800 km (2006)
Waterways:
1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2008) country comparison to the world: 59
Ports and terminals:
Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Military ::Afghanistan
Military branches:
Afghan Armed Forces: Afghan National Army (ANA, includes Afghan
National Army Air Corps) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
22 years of age; inductees are contracted into service for a 4-year term (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 7,431,147
females age 16-49: 7,004,819 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,371,193
females age 16-49: 4,072,945 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 382,720
female: 361,733 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.9% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Transnational Issues ::Afghanistan
Disputes - international:
Pakistan has built fences in some portions of its border with Afghanistan which remains open in some areas to foreign terrorists and other illegal activities
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 132,246 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in south and west due to drought and instability) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation decreased 22% to 157,000 hectares in 2008 but remains at a historically high level; less favorable growing conditions in 2008 reduced potential opium production to 5,500 metric tons, down 31 percent from 2007; if the entire opium crop were processed, 648 metric tons of pure heroin potentially could be produced; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; regional source of hashish (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Akrotiri (Europe)
Introduction ::Akrotiri
Background:
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.
Geography ::Akrotiri
Location:
Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
Geographic coordinates:
34 37 N, 32 58 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 123 sq km country comparison to the world: 223 note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km
Coastline:
56.3 km
Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Environment - current issues:
hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base
Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small
off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area
(SBA) land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the
Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
People ::Akrotiri
Population:
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK-based contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents country comparison to the world: 218
Languages:
English, Greek
Government ::Akrotiri
Country name:
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri
Dependency status:
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
Capital:
name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia)
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Legal system:
the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Major General Jamie GORDON (since October 2008); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used
Economy ::Akrotiri
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827
note: on 1 January 2008 Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopted the euro along with the rest of Cyprus
Communications ::Akrotiri
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 1, shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)
Military ::Akrotiri
Military - note:
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces
Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit
page last updated on July 2, 2009
======================================================================
@Albania (Europe)
Introduction ::Albania
Background:
Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, there have been claims of electoral fraud in every one of Albania's post-communist elections. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges to reduce crime and corruption, promote economic growth, and decrease the size of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an important step forward. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure.
Geography ::Albania
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 28,748 sq km country comparison to the world: 144 land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 717 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Kosovo 112 km
Coastline:
362 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 20.1%
permanent crops: 4.21%
other: 75.69% (2005)
Irrigated land:
3,530 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
41.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.71 cu km/yr (27%/11%/62%)
per capita: 546 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
People ::Albania
Population:
3,639,453 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.1% (male 440,528/female 400,816)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,251,001/female 1,190,841)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 165,557/female 190,710) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.9 years
male: 29.3 years
female: 30.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.546% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Birth rate:
15.29 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Death rate:
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Net migration rate:
-4.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.62 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 110 male: 19.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.96 years country comparison to the world: 51 male: 75.28 years
female: 80.89 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.01 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian
Ethnic groups:
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb,
Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Religions:
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Languages:
Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach,
Romani, Slavic dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7%
male: 99.2%
female: 98.3% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2002) country comparison to the world: 147
Government ::Albania
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Government type:
emerging democracy
Capital:
name: Tirana (Tirane)
geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore
Independence:
28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Constitution:
approved by parliament on 21 October 1998; adopted by popular referendum on 22 November 1998; promulgated 28 November 1998
Legal system:
has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Bamir TOPI (since 24 July 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by parliament
elections: president elected by the Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); four election rounds held between 8 and 20 July 2007 (next election to be held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Bamir TOPI elected president; Assembly vote, fourth round (three-fifths majority (84 votes) required): Bamir TOPI 85 votes, Neritan CEKA 5 votes
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 members elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19
note: Parliament in November 2008 approved an electoral reform package that will transform the electoral system from a majority system to a regional proportional system; the code will also establish an electoral threshold limiting smaller party representation
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term) and multiple appeals and district courts
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian
Democratic Party or PDK [Nard NDOKA]; Communist Party of Albania or
PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or AD [Neritan
CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; G99 Political Movement
[Erion VELIAJ]; Liberal Union Party or BLD [Arjan STAROVA]; National
Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Artur ROSHI]; New Democratic
Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU];
Social Democracy Party of Albania or PDSSh [Paskal MILO]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for
Integration or LSI [Ilir META]; Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA];
Socialist Party 1991 [Petro KOCI]; Union for Human Rights Party or
PBDNj [Vangjel DULE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade
Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian
National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement; Omonia
[Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH
[Gezim KALAJA]
International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, SECI,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John L. WITHERS, II
embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510
telephone: [355] (4) 2247285
FAX: [355] (4) 2232222
Flag description:
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Castriota SKANDERBERG, who led a successful uprising against the Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-1478)
Economy ::Albania
Economy - overview:
Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. Macroeconomic growth has averaged around 5% over the last five years and inflation is low and stable. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime, and recently adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the large gray economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad representing about 15% of GDP, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. The agricultural sector, which accounts for over half of employment but only about one-fifth of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Energy shortages because of a reliance on hydropower, and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment and lack of success in attracting new foreign investment. The completion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore has helped diversify generation capacity, and plans to upgrade transmission lines between Albania and Montenegro and Kosovo would help relieve the energy shortages. Also, with help from EU funds, the government is taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$21.86 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $20.61 billion (2007 est.)
$19.44 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
Albania has an informal, and unreported, sector that may be as large as 50% of official GDP
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.96 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 6% (2007 est.)
5.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 $5,700 (2007 est.)
$5,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.5%
industry: 19.8%
services: 59.7% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.103 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 58%
industry: 15%
services: 27% (September 2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
12.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 13.2% (2007 est.)
note: these are official rates, but actual rates may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming
Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 25.9% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.7 (2005) country comparison to the world: 124
Investment (gross fixed):
23.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Budget:
revenues: $3.458 billion
expenditures: $4.175 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
51.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 51.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 2.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 69 6.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13.02% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 52 14.1% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$3.028 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 64 $2.707 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$6.251 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 60 $6.433 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$8.176 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 74 $7.247 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares: