$NA
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications ::Cote d'Ivoire
Telephones - main lines in use:
356,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 107
Telephones - mobile cellular:
10.449 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 60
Telephone system:
general assessment: well developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational fixed-lines have more than quadrupled since that time; with multiple cellular service providers competing in the market, cellular usage has increased sharply to roughly 55 per 100 persons
domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized
international: country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
14 (1998)
Internet country code:
.ci
Internet hosts:
9,822 (2009) country comparison to the world: 116
Internet users:
660,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 101
Transportation ::Cote d'Ivoire
Airports:
28 (2009) country comparison to the world: 122
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 86 km; gas 180 km; oil 92 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 660 km country comparison to the world: 108 narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2008)
Roadways:
total: 80,000 km country comparison to the world: 59 paved: 6,500 km
unpaved: 73,500 km
note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable (2006)
Waterways:
980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2008) country comparison to the world: 67
Ports and terminals:
Abidjan, Espoir, San-Pedro
Military ::Cote d'Ivoire
Military branches:
Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSCI): Army, Navy, Air
Force (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,369,735
females age 16-49: 4,287,042 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,122,106
females age 16-49: 2,936,391 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 236,159
female: 232,617 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Transnational Issues ::Cote d'Ivoire
Disputes - international:
despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict still leaves displaced hundreds of thousands of Ivorians in and out of the country as well as driven out migrants from neighboring states who worked in Ivorian cocoa plantations; the March 2007 peace deal between Ivorian rebels and the government brought significant numbers of rebels out of hiding in neighboring states
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 25,615 (Liberia)
IDPs: 709,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
Cote d'Ivoire is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; trafficking within the country is more prevalent than international trafficking and the majority of victims are children; women and girls are trafficked from northern areas to southern cities for domestic servitude, restaurant labor, and sexual exploitation; boys are trafficked internally for agricultural and service labor and transnationally for forced labor in agriculture, mining, construction, and in the fishing industry; women and girls are trafficked to and from other West and Central African countries for domestic servitude and forced street vending
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cote d'Ivoire is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking in 2007, particularly with regard to its law enforcement efforts and protection of sex trafficking victims; in addition, Ivoirian law does not prohibit all forms of trafficking, and Cote d'Ivoire has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Croatia (Europe)
Introduction ::Croatia
Background:
The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. In January 2008, Croatia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term, and in April 2008 it joined NATO. Croatia is a candidate for eventual EU accession.
Geography ::Croatia
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:
45 10 N, 15 30 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 56,594 sq km country comparison to the world: 126 land: 55,974 sq km
water: 620 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,982 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 455 km
Coastline:
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Terrain:
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Dinara 1,830 m
Natural resources:
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 25.82%
permanent crops: 2.19%
other: 71.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:
110 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
105.5 cu km (1998)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94,
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks
People ::Croatia
Population:
4,489,409 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.6% (male 358,360/female 340,098)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,506,364/female 1,522,789)
65 years and over: 17% (male 295,960/female 465,838) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 41 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 42.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.052% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Birth rate:
9.64 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Death rate:
11.75 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Net migration rate:
1.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Urbanization:
urban population: 57% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.4% 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: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.37 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 178 male: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.35 years country comparison to the world: 79 male: 71.72 years
female: 79.18 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.42 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 10 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: 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: Croat(s), Croatian(s)
adjective: Croatian
Ethnic groups:
Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other 5.9% (including Bosniak, Hungarian,
Slovene, Czech, and Roma) (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)
Languages:
Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including
Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 99.3%
female: 97.1% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 89
Government ::Croatia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
conventional short form: Croatia
local long form: Republika Hrvatska
local short form: Hrvatska
former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia
Government type:
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Zagreb
geographic coordinates: 45 48 N, 16 00 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:
20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad -
singular); Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska, Brodsko-Posavska,
Dubrovacko-Neretvanska (Dubrovnik-Neretva), Istarska (Istria),
Karlovacka, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka, Krapinsko-Zagorska,
Licko-Senjska (Lika-Senj), Medimurska, Osjecko-Baranjska,
Pozesko-Slavonska (Pozega-Slavonia), Primorsko-Goranska,
Sibensko-Kninska, Sisacko-Moslavacka, Splitsko-Dalmatinska
(Split-Dalmatia), Varazdinska, Viroviticko-Podravska,
Vukovarsko-Srijemska, Zadarska, Zagreb*, Zagrebacka
Independence:
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 8 October (1991); note - 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, Parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia
Constitution:
adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001
Legal system:
based on Austro-Hungarian law system with Communist law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Jadranka KOSOR (since 6 July 2009); Deputy Prime Ministers Bozidar PANKRETIC (since 6 July 2009), Damir POLANCEC (since 15 February 2005), Djurdja ADLESIC (since 12 January 2008), Slobodan UZELAC (since 12 January 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the parliamentary assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 January 2005 (next to be held in January 2010); the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the assembly
election results: Stjepan MESIC reelected president; percent of vote in the second round - Stjepan MESIC 66%, Jadranka KOSOR 34%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly or Sabor (153 seats; members elected from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 November 2007 (next to be held in November 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by party - HDZ 66, SDP 57, HNS 6, HSS 6, HDSSB 3, IDS 3, SDSS 3, other 9
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts are appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the Assembly
Political parties and leaders:
Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB
[Vladimir SISLJAGIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo
SANADER]; Croatian Party of the Right or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian
Peasant Party or HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner Party or
HSU [Silvano HRELJA]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Radimir
CACIC]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Djurdja ADLESIC];
Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC];
Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Social
Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Zoran MILANOVIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: human rights groups
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI,
EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NATO, NSG,
OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI,
UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC
chancery: Suite F13, 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899
FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert A. BRADTKE
embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb
mailing address: use street address
telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200
FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue, superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)
Economy ::Croatia
Economy - overview:
Once one of the wealthiest of the Yugoslav republics, Croatia's economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war as output collapsed and the country missed the early waves of investment in Central and Eastern Europe that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Between 2000 and 2007, however, Croatia's economic fortunes began to improve slowly, with moderate but steady GDP growth between 4% and 6% led by a rebound in tourism and credit-driven consumer spending. Inflation over the same period has remained tame and the currency, the kuna, stable. Nevertheless, difficult problems still remain, including a stubbornly high unemployment rate, a growing trade deficit and uneven regional development. The state retains a large role in the economy, as privatization efforts often meet stiff public and political resistance. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform. While long term growth prospects for the economy remain strong, Croatia will face significant pressure as a result of the global financial crisis. Croatia's high foreign debt, anemic export sector, strained state budget, and over-reliance on tourism revenue will result in higher risk to economic stability over the medium term.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$82.58 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73 $80.65 billion (2007 est.)
$76.44 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$69.36 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 5.5% (2007 est.)
4.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$18,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 $17,900 (2007 est.)
$17,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 27.7%
services: 66.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.731 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 31.3%
services: 63.6% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
13.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 11.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
11% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 23.1% (2005 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29 (2008) country comparison to the world: 119 29 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
31.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Budget:
revenues: $26.86 billion
expenditures: $28.54 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
42.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 41.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 4.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
9% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 49 9% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.07% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$10.71 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 43 $11.61 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$33.17 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 35 $31.86 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$49.79 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 48 $45.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$26.79 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 55 $65.98 billion (31 December 2007)
$29.01 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products
Industries:
chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
1.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Electricity - production:
11.47 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Electricity - consumption:
15.42 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Electricity - exports:
2.14 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
8.249 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
22,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Oil - consumption:
105,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Oil - exports:
43,750 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Oil - imports:
122,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Oil - proved reserves:
79.3 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Natural gas - production:
1.58 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Natural gas - consumption:
2.84 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Natural gas - exports:
310 million cu m (2007) country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - imports:
1.26 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Natural gas - proved reserves:
30.58 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Current account balance:
-$6.397 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 -$4.447 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$14.36 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 $12.62 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, machinery, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels
Exports - partners:
Italy 18.9%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 15.3%, Germany 10.7%, Slovenia 7.7%, Austria 5.7% (2008)
Imports:
$30.42 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $25.56 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, transport and electrical equipment; chemicals, fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Italy 17.1%, Germany 13.4%, Russia 10.5%, China 6.1%, Slovenia 5.6%,
Austria 4.9% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$12.96 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $13.67 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$54.79 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 50 $48.93 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$27.17 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $23.17 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$3.343 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $3.124 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
kuna (HRK) per US dollar - 4.98 (2008 est.), 5.3735 (2007), 5.8625 (2006), 5.9473 (2005), 6.0358 (2004)
Communications ::Croatia
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.851 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 60
Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.924 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 80
Telephone system:
general assessment: the telecommunications network has improved steadily since the mid-1990s; the number of fixed telephone lines holding steady at about 40 per 100 persons; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions exceeds the population
domestic: more than 90 percent of local lines are digital
international: country code - 385; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of 2 fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable provides connectivity to Albania and Greece (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
36 (plus 321 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.hr
Internet hosts:
1.23 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 38
Internet users:
1.88 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 71
Transportation ::Croatia
Airports:
68 (2009) country comparison to the world: 73
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 23
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 9 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 45
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 37 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 1,327 km; oil 583 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,722 km country comparison to the world: 62 standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (980 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 28,788 km (includes 877 km of expressways) (2006) country comparison to the world: 99
Waterways:
785 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 74
Merchant marine:
total: 80 country comparison to the world: 54 by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 11, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 30, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2
registered in other countries: 30 (Bahamas 1, Belize 2, Liberia 2, Malta 9, Marshall Islands 6, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Omisalj, Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Vukovar (on Danube River)
Military ::Croatia
Military branches:
Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH), consists of five major commands directly subordinate to a General Staff: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM; includes coast guard), Air Force and Air Defense Command, Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service; 6-month conscript service obligation; full conversion to voluntary military service by 2010 (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,035,712
females age 16-49: 1,037,896 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 770,798
females age 16-49: 849,957 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,620
female: 26,154 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.39% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Transnational Issues ::Croatia
Disputes - international:
dispute remains with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains unratified and in dispute; Slovenia also protests Croatia's 2003 claim to an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic; as a European Union peripheral state, Slovenia imposed a hard border Schengen regime with non-member Croatia in December 2007
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 2,900-7,000 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-95 war) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Cuba (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Cuba
Background:
The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule eventually provoked an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from the US in 1902 after which the island experienced a string of governments mostly dominated by the military and corrupt politicians. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He stepped down as president in February 2008 in favor of his younger brother Raul CASTRO. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country faced a severe economic downturn in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,656 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2007.
Geography ::Cuba
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Geographic coordinates:
21 30 N, 80 00 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 110,860 sq km country comparison to the world: 105 land: 109,820 sq km
water: 1,040 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total: 29 km
border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km
note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba
Coastline:
3,735 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Natural resources:
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 27.63%
permanent crops: 6.54%
other: 65.83% (2005)
Irrigated land:
8,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
38.1 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.2 cu km/yr (19%/12%/69%)
per capita: 728 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
People ::Cuba
Population:
11,451,652 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.3% (male 1,077,745/female 1,020,393)
15-64 years: 70.4% (male 4,035,691/female 4,030,103)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 584,478/female 703,242) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.3 years
male: 36.6 years
female: 38 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.233% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
Birth rate:
11.13 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Death rate:
7.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Net migration rate:
-1.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Urbanization:
urban population: 76% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 181 male: 6.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.45 years country comparison to the world: 55 male: 75.19 years
female: 79.85 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.61 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban
Ethnic groups:
white 65.1%, mulatto and mestizo 24.8%, black 10.1% (2002 census)
Religions:
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
9.1% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 9
People - note:
illicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border
Government ::Cuba
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba
local long form: Republica de Cuba
local short form: Cuba
Government type:
Communist state
Capital:
name: Havana
geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara
Independence:
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as a day of independence
National holiday:
Triumph of the Revolution, 1 January (1959)
Constitution:
24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session
elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 24 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz elected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (number of seats in the National Assembly is based on population; 614 seats; members elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2013)
election results: Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed
Judicial branch:
People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights Watch; National Association of Small Farmers
International organization participation:
ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES,
LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962),
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Jorge BOLANOS Suarez; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Chief of Mission Jonathan D. FARRAR; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-1653; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland
Flag description:
five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center
Economy ::Cuba
Economy - overview:
The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms, and it currently supplies about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela including some 30,000 medical professionals.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$108.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $103.9 billion (2007 est.)
$96.9 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$54.71 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 100 7.3% (2007 est.)
12.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$9,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 $9,100 (2007 est.)
$8,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 22.8%
services: 72.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.962 million country comparison to the world: 74 note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 19.4%
services: 60.6% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
1.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 1.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
10.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Budget:
revenues: $45.42 billion
expenditures: $49.96 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
34.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66 36.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 3.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA%
Stock of money: