Dates of information: In general, information available as of 1 January 1992 was used in the preparation of this edition. Population figures are estimates for 1 July 1992, with population growth rates estimated for mid-1992 through mid-1993. Major political events have been updated through 30 June 1992. Military age figures are for 1992.
Death rate: The average annual number of deaths during a year per l,000 population at midyear; also known as crude death rate.
Diplomatic representation: The US Government has diplomatic relations with 176 nations (the US has not yet established full diplomatic relations with Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia). The US has diplomatic relations with 167 of the 178 UN members - the exceptions are Angola, Bhutan, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Slovenia, and Vietnam. In addition, the US has diplomatic relations with 9 nations that are not in the UN - Andorra, Kiribati, Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vatican City.
Disputes: This category includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Every international land boundary dispute in the ``Guide to Interna- tional Boundaries,'' a map published by the Department of State, is included. References to other situations may also be included that are border or frontier relevant, such as maritime disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues. However, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
Economic aid: This entry refers to bilateral commitments of official develop- ment assistance (ODA), which is defined as government grants that are administered with the promotion of economic development and welfare of LDCs as their main objective and are concessional in character and contain a grant element of at least 25%, and other official flows (OOF) or transactions by the official sector whose main objective is other than development motivated or whose grant element is below the 25% threshold for ODA. OOF transactions include official export credits (such as Eximbank credits), official equity and portfolio investment, and debt reorganization by the official sector that does not meet concessional terms. Aid is considered to have been committed when agreements are initialed by the parties involved and constitute a formal declaration of intent.
Entities: Some of the nations, dependent areas, areas of special sovereignty, and governments included in this publication are not independent, and others are not officially recognized by the US Government. ``Nation'' refers to a people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory. ``Dependent'' area refers to a broad category of political entities that are associated in some way with a nation. Names used for page headings are usually the short-form names as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names. The long-form name is included in the ``Government'' section, and an entry of ``none'' indicates a long-form name does not exist. In some instances, no short-form name exists - then the long-form name must serve for all usages. There are 264 entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows:
NATIONS
177 UN members (excluding Yugoslavia)
11 nations that are not members of the UN - Andorra, Georgia, Kiribati, Macedonia, Monaco, Nauru, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vatican City (Holy See)