Afghanistan

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
National name: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan
President: Hamid Karzai (2002)
Total and land area: 250,000 sq mi (647,500 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 31,056,997 (growth rate: 2.7%); birth rate: 46.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 160.2/1000; life expectancy: 43.3; density per sq mi: 124
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Kabul, 2,206,300
Other large cities: Kandahar, 349,300; Mazar-i-Sharif, 246,900; Charikar, 202,600; Herat, 171,500
Monetary unit: Afghani
Languages: Pashtu, Dari Persian, other Turkic and minor languages
Ethnicity/race: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9% minor ethnic groups (Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)
Religion: Islam (Sunni 80%, Shiite 19%), other 1%
Literacy rate: 36% (1999 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2003 est.): $21.5 billion; per capita $800. Real growth rate: 7.5%. Inflation: 10.3%. Unemployment: n.a. Arable land: 12%. Agriculture: opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins. Labor force (2001 est): 11.8 million; agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10%. Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones. Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper. Exports: $446 million (FY03–04): opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semiprecious gems. Imports: $3.759 billion (FY03–04)): capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products. Major trading partners: U.S., France, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Turkmenistan, Kenya (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 33,100 (2002); mobile cellular: 15,000 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 21, FM 23, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (2003). Television broadcast stations: at least 10 (one government run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 30 provinces; the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan provinces) (1998). Internet users: 1,000 (2002).

Transportation: Highways: total: 21,000 km; paved: 2,793 km; unpaved: 18,207 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to about 500 DWT (2004). Ports and harbors: Kheyrabad, Shir Khan. Airports: 47 (2004 est.).

International disputes: The UN has been able to repatriate over two million Afghan refugees but several million more continue to reside in Iran and Pakistan in camps and elsewhere, many at their own choosing; Coalition and Pakistani forces continue to patrol remote tribal areas to control the borders and stem organized terrorist and other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings between Pakistani and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary encroachments; occasional conflicts over water-sharing arrangements with Amu Darya and Helmand River states
Geography

Afghanistan, approximately the size of Texas, is bordered on the north by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, on the extreme northeast by China, on the east and south by Pakistan, and by Iran on the west. The country is split east to west by the Hindu Kush mountain range, rising in the east to heights of 24,000 ft (7,315 m). With the exception of the southwest, most of the country is covered by high snow-capped mountains and is traversed by deep valleys.

GovernmentIn June 2002 a multiparty republic replaced an interim government that had been established in Dec. 2001, following the fall of the Islamic Taliban government.

Albania

Republic of Albania
National name: Republika e Shqiperise
President: Alfred Moisiu (2002)
Prime Minister: Sali Berisha (2005)
Land area: 10,579 sq mi (27,400 sq km); total area: 11,100 sq mi (28,748 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 3,581,655 (growth rate: 0.5%); birth rate: 15.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 20.8/1000; life expectancy: 77.4; density per sq mi: 339
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Tirana, 353,400
Other large cities: Durres, 113,900; Elbasan, 97,000
Monetary unit: Lek
Languages: Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Ethnicity/race: Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, other 2%: Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians (1989 est.)
Religions: Islam 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% (est.)
Literacy rate: 87% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $17.46 billion; per capita $4,900. Real growth rate: 5.6%. Inflation: 3.2%. Unemployment: 14.8% officially; may be as high as 30% (2001 est.). Arable land: 21%. Agriculture: wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products. Labor force: 1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers); agriculture 57%, nonagricultural private sector 20%, public sector 23%. Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower. Exports: $552.4 million (f.o.b., 2004 est.): textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco. Imports: $2.076 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals. Major trading partners: Italy, Greece, Germany, Turkey (2003).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 255,000 (2003); mobile cellular: 1.1 million (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001). Internet hosts: 455 (2004). Internet users: 30,000 (2003).
Transportation: Railways: total: 447 km 2004). Highways: total: 18,000 km; paved: 5,400 km; unpaved: 12,600 km (2002). Waterways: 43 km (2004). Ports and harbors: Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore. Airports: 11 (2004 est.).

International disputes: Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the peaceful resolution of interethnic disputes; some ethnic Albanian groups in neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania," but the idea has little appeal among Albanian nationals; thousands of unemployed Albanians emigrate annually to nearby Italy and other developed countries.

Geography
Albania is situated on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, with Montenegro and Serbia to the north, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south. Slightly larger than Maryland, Albania is composed of two major regions: a mountainous highland region (north, east, and south) constituting 70% of the land area, and a western coastal lowland region that contains nearly all of the country's agricultural land and is the most densely populated part of Albania.

Government
Emerging democracy.

Algeria

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
National name: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah
President: Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika (1999)
Prime Minister: Ahmed Ouyahia (2003)
Total and land area: 919,590 sq mi (2,381,741 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 32,930,091 (growth rate: 1.2%); birth rate: 17.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 29.9/1000; life expectancy: 73.3; density per sq mi: 36
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Algiers, 3,917,000 (metro. area), 1,742,800 (city proper)
Other large cities: Oran, 752,200; Constantine, 530,100; Batna, 278,100; Annaba, 246,700
Monetary unit: Dinar
Languages: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Ethnicity/race: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Religion: Islam (Sunni) 99% (state religion), Christian and Jewish 1%
Literacy rate: 70%
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $212.3 billion; per capita $6,600. Real growth rate: 6.1%. Inflation: 3.1%. Unemployment: 25.4%. Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle. Labor force: 9.91 million; agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.). Industries: petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc. Exports: $32.16 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%. Imports: $15.25 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est): capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods. Major trading partners: Italy, U.S., France, Spain, Canada, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, China, Turkey (2003).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 2,199,600 (2003); mobile cellular: 1,447,310 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999). Television broadcast stations: 46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995). Internet hosts: 897 (2004). Internet users: 500,000 (2002).
Transportation: Railways: total: 3,973 km (2004). Highways: total: 104,000 km; paved: 71,656 km (including 640 km of expressways); unpaved: 32,344 km (1999). Ports and harbors: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda. Airports: 137 (2004 est.).

International disputes: Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation has accused the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; in an attempt to improve relations after unilaterally imposing a visa requirement on Algerians in the early 1990s, Morocco lifted the requirement in mid-2004 - a gesture not reciprocated by Algeria; Algeria remains concerned about armed bandits operating throughout the Sahel who sometimes destabilize southern Algerian towns; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco.

Geography

Nearly four times the size of Texas, Algeria is bordered on the west by Morocco and Western Sahara and on the east by Tunisia and Libya. The Mediterranean Sea is to the north, and to the south are Mauritania, Mali, and Niger. The Saharan region, which is 85% of the country, is almost completely uninhabited. The highest point is Mount Tahat in the Sahara, which rises 9,850 ft (3,000 m).

Government
Parliamentary republic.

Angola

Republic of Angola
National name: Republica de Angola
President: José Eduardo dos Santos (1979)
Prime Minister: Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos (2003)
Total and land area: 481,350 sq mi (1,246,699 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 12,127,071 (growth rate: 2.4%); birth rate: 45.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 185.4/1000; life expectancy: 38.6; density per sq mi: 25
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Luanda, 2,297,200
Other large cities: Huambo, 171,000; Lubango, 136,000
Monetary unit: New Kwanza
Languages: Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Ethnicity/race: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and Native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%
Religions: Indigenous 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)
Literacy rate: 42% (1998 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $23.17 billion; per capita $2,100. Real growth rate: 11.7%. Inflation: 43.8%. Unemployment: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (2001 est.). Arable land: 2%. Agriculture: bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish. Labor force: 5.41 million; agriculture 85%, industry and services 15% (2003 est.). Industries: petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing; brewing; tobacco products; sugar; textiles, ship repair. Natural resources: petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium. Exports: $12.76 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton. Imports: $4.896 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods. Major trading partners: U.S., China, Taiwan, France, Portugal, South Africa, Netherlands, Brazil, UK (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 96,300 (2003); mobile cellular: 130,000 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 36, FM 7, shortwave 9 (2000). Television broadcast stations: 6 (2000). Internet hosts: 17 (2003). Internet users: 41,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 2,771 km (2004). Highways: total: 51,429 km; paved: 5,328 km; unpaved: 46,101 km (2001). Waterways: 1,300 km (2004). Ports and harbors: Cabinda, Luanda, Soyo. Airports: 243 (2004 est.).
International disputes: 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004, the remaining refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia are expected to return in 2005; many Cabinda exclave secessionists have sought shelter in neighboring states.

GeographyAngola, more than three times the size of California, extends for more than 1,000 mi (1,609 km) along the South Atlantic in southwest Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Congo are to the north and east, Zambia is to the east, and Namibia is to the south. A plateau averaging 6,000 ft (1,829 m) above sea level rises abruptly from the coastal lowlands. Nearly all the land is desert or savanna, with hardwood forests in the northeast.

Government
Angola underwent a transition from a one-party socialist state to a nominally multiparty democracy in 1992.

Antigua and Barbuda

Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
Governor-General: James Beethoven Carlisle (1993)
Prime Minister: Baldwin Spencer (2004)
Total and land area: 170 sq mi (440 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 69,108 (growth rate: 0.6%); birth rate: 16.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 18.9/1000; life expectancy: 72.2; density per sq mi: 407
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): St. John's, 23,500
Other large cities: English Harbour, 2,900; Codrington (capital of Barbuda), est. pop. 870
Monetary unit: East Caribbean dollar
Languages: English (official), local dialects
Ethnicity/race: black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Religions: Christian (predominantly Anglican and other Protestant; some Roman Catholic)
Literacy rate: 89% (1960 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2002 est.): $750 million; per capita $11,000. Real growth rate: 3%. Inflation: 0.4% (2000 est.). Unemployment: 11% (2001 est.). Arable land: 18%. Agriculture: cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock. Labor force: 30,000; commerce and services 82%, industry 11%, agriculture 7% (1983). Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances). Natural resources: negl.; pleasant climate fosters tourism. Exports: $689 million (2002): petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%. Imports: $692 million (2002 est.): food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil. Major trading partners: Germany, UK, U.S., Singapore, Poland, UK, Trinidad and Tobago (2003).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 38,000 (2002); mobile cellular: 38,200 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997). Internet hosts: 1,665 (2003). Internet users: 10,000 (2002).
Transportation: Highways: total: 250 km (1999 est.). Ports and harbors: Saint John's. Airports: 3 (2004 est.).

International disputes: none.

Geography
Antigua, the larger of the two main islands, is 108 sq mi (280 sq km). The island dependencies of Redonda (an uninhabited rocky islet) and Barbuda (a coral island formerly known as Dulcina) are 0.5 sq mi (1.30 sq km) and 62 sq mi (161 sq km), respectively.

GovernmentConstitutional monarchy.

Argentina

Argentine Republic

National name: República Argentina
President: Néstor Kirchner (2003)
Land area: 1,056,636 sq mi (2,736,690 sq km); total area: 1,068,302 sq mi (2,766,890 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 39,921,833 (growth rate: 1.0%); birth rate: 16.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 14.7/1000; life expectancy: 76.1; density per sq mi: 38
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Buenos Aires, 13,076,300 (metro. area), 12,116,400 (city proper)
Other large cities: Córdoba, 1,486,200; Rosario, 1,276,900; Mendoza, 988,600; Mar del Plata, 683,700
Monetary unit: Peso
Languages: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Ethnicity/race: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%; mestizo, Amerindian, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Literacy rate: 96.2% (1995 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $483.5 billion; per capita $12,400. Real growth rate: 8.3%. Inflation: 6.1%. Unemployment: 14.8%. Arable land: 12%. Agriculture: sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock. Labor force: 15.04 million; agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Industries: food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel. Natural resources: fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium. Exports: $33.78 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles. Imports: $22.06 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal manufactures, plastics. Major trading partners: Brazil, Chile, U.S., China, Spain, Germany (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 8,009,400 (2002); mobile cellular: 6.5 million (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM n.a. (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997). Internet hosts: 742,358 (2003). Internet users: 4.1 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 34,091 km (167 km electrified) (2004). Highways: total: 215,471 km; paved: 63,348 km (including 734 km of expressways); unpaved: 152,123 km (1999). Waterways: 11,000 km (2004). Ports and harbors: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin, San Nicolas. Airports: 1,334 (2004 est.).

International disputes: Argentina claims the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution; it briefly occupied the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed no longer to seek settlement by force; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question,

Geography:

Second in South America only to Brazil in size and population, Argentina is a plain, rising from the Atlantic to the Chilean border and the towering Andes peaks. Aconcagua (22,834 ft, 6,960 m) is the highest peak in the world outside Asia. Argentina is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, and by Uruguay and Brazil on the east. The northern area is the swampy and partly wooded Gran Chaco, bordering on Bolivia and Paraguay. South of that are the rolling, fertile Pampas, which are rich in agriculture and sheep- and cattle-grazing and support most of the population. Next southward is Patagonia, a region of cool, arid steppes with some wooded and fertile sections.

Government
Republic.

Armenia

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
National Name: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
President: Robert Kocharian (1998)
Prime Minister: Andranik Markarian (2000)
Land area: 10,965 sq mi (28,400 sq km); total area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km);
Population (2006 est.): 2,976,372 (growth rate: –0.2%); (Armenian, 93%; others, Kurds, Ukrainians, and Russians); birth rate: 12.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 22.5/1000; life expectancy: 71.8; density per sq mi: 271
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Yerevan, 1,462,700 (metro. area), 1,267,600 (city proper)
Other large cities: Vanadzor, 147,400; Gyumri (Leninakan), 125,300; Abovian, 59,300
Monetary unit: Dram
Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Ethnicity/race: Armenian 93%, Russian 2%, Azeri 1%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4% (2002). Note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from Armenia
Religion: Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi 2%
Literacy rate: 99% (1989 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $13.65 billion; per capita $4,600. Real growth rate: 9%. Inflation: 3.5%. Unemployment: 30%. Note: official rate is 10.9% for 2000. Arable land: 18%. Agriculture: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock. Labor force: 1.4 million (2001); agriculture 45%, industry 25%, services 30% (2002 est). Industries: diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy. Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina. Exports: $850 million (f.o.b., 2004 est.): diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy. Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds. Major trading partners: Belgium, UK, Israel, Russia, Iran, U.S., Germany, UAE, Italy, Ukraine (2003).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 562,600 (2003); mobile cellular: 114,400 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus an unknown number of repeaters) (1998). Internet hosts: 2,206 (2004). Internet users: 150,000 (2003).
Transportation: Railways: total: 845 km (2004). Highways: total: 8,431 km; paved: 8,161 km (includes 7,567 km of expressways); unpaved: 270 km (2002). Waterways: n.a. Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 16 (2004 est.).

International disputes: Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan—Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; tens of thousands of Armenians emigrate, primarily to Russia, to seek employment.

Geography

Armenia is located in the southern Caucasus and is the smallest of the former Soviet republics. It is bounded by Georgia on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, Iran on the south, and Turkey on the west. Contemporary Armenia is a fraction of the size of ancient Armenia. A land of rugged mountains and extinct volcanoes, its highest point is Mount Aragats, 13,435 ft (4,095 m).
Government
Republic.

Australia

Commonwealth of Australia
Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
Governor-General: Michael Jeffery (2003)
Prime Minister: John Howard (1996)
Land area: 2,941,283 sq mi (7,617,931 sq km); total area: 2,967,909 sq mi (7,686,850 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 20,264,082 (growth rate: 0.9%); birth rate: 12.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.6/1000; life expectancy: 80.5; density per sq mi: 7
Capital (2003 est.): Canberra, 327,700
Largest cities: Sydney, 4,250,100; Melbourne, 3,610,800; Brisbane, 1,545,700; Perth, 1,375,200; Adelaide, 1,087,600
Monetary unit: Australian dollar
Languages: English, native languages
Ethnicity/race: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal (353,000) and other 1%
Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%
Literacy rate: 100% (1980 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $611.7 billion; per capita $30,700. Real growth rate: 3.5%. Inflation: 2.3%. Unemployment: 5.1% (Dec. 2004 est.). Arable land: 7%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry. Labor force: 10.35 million; agriculture 3.6%, industry 26.4%, services 70%. Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel. Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum. Exports: $86.89 billion (2004 est.): coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment. Imports: $98.1 billion (2004 est.): machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products. Major trading partners: Japan, U.S., China, South Korea, New Zealand, UK, Germany (2003).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 10.815 million (2003); mobile cellular: 14.347 million (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 104 (1997). Internet hosts: 2,847,763 (2003). Internet users: 9.472 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 54,439 km (3,859 km electrified) (2004). Highways: total: 811,603 km; paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways); unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2004). Ports and harbors: Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney. Airports: 448 (2004 est.).

International disputes: East Timor and Australia continue to meet but disagree over how to delimit a permanent maritime boundary and share unexploited petroleum resources that fall outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia (see also Ashmore and Cartier Islands dispute); regional states express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime indentification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted claims to UNCLOS to extend its continental margin from both its mainland and Antarctic claims.

Geography

The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.
Government

Democracy. Symbolic executive power is vested in the British monarch, who is represented throughout Australia by the governor-general.

Austria

Republic of Austria

National name: Republik Österreich
President: Heinz Fischer (2004)
Chancellor: Wolfgang Schüssel (2000)
Land area: 31,942 sq mi (82,730 sq km); total area: 32,382 sq mi (83,870 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 8,192,880 (growth rate: 0.1%); birth rate 8.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.6/1000; life expectancy: 79.1; density per sq mi: 256
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Vienna, 2,041,300 (metro area), 1,523,600 (city proper)
Other large cities: Graz, 219,500; Linz, 185,300; Salzburg, 145,500; Innsbruck, 115,600
Monetary units: Euro (formerly schilling)
Languages: German 98% (official nationwide); Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian (each official in one region)
Ethnicity/race: German 88.5%, recent immigrant groups 10% (includes Turks, Bosnians, Serbians, Croatians), indigenous minorities 1.5% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma) (2001)
Religions: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 5%, Islam 4%, other 17%
Literacy rate: 98%

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $255.9 billion; per capita $31,300. Real growth rate: 1.9%. Inflation: 1.8%. Unemployment: 4.4%. Arable land: 17%. Agriculture: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber. Labor force: 3.45 million; services 67%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 4%. Industries: construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism. Natural resources: oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower. Exports: $102.7 billion (f.o.b., 2004): machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuffs. Imports: $101.2 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs. Major trading partners: Germany, Italy, Switzerland, U.S., UK, France, Hungary, Netherlands (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 3.881 million (2003); mobile cellular: 7,094,500 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 65 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 10 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters) (2001). Internet hosts: 387,006 (2004). Internet users: 3.73 million (2003).
Transportation: Railways: total: 6,021 km (3,552 km electrified) (2004). Highways: 200,000 km; paved: 200,000 km (including 1,645 km of expressways); unpaved: 0 km (2002). Waterways: 358 km (2003). Ports and harbors: Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna. Airports: 55 (2004 est.).

International disputes: none

GeographySlightly smaller than Maine, Austria includes much of the mountainous territory of the eastern Alps (about 75% of the area). The country contains many snowfields, glaciers, and snowcapped peaks, the highest being the Grossglockner (12,530 ft; 3,819 m). The Danube is the principal river. Forests and woodlands cover about 40% of the land.
GovernmentFederal republic.

BahamasCommonwealth of the Bahamas
Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
Governor-General: Ivy Dumont (2001)
Prime Minister: Perry Christie (2002)
Land area: 3,888 sq mi (10,070 sq km); total area: 5,382 sq mi 13,940 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 303,770 (growth rate: 0.6%); birth rate: 17.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 24.7/1000; life expectancy: 65.6; density per sq mi: 78
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Nassau, 222,200
Monetary unit: Bahamian dollar
Languages: English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Ethnicity/race: black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%
Literacy rate: 98.2% (1995 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $5.295 billion; per capita $17,700. Real growth rate: 3%. Inflation: 1.2%. Unemployment: 10.2%. Arable land: 1%. Agriculture: citrus, vegetables; poultry. Labor force: 156,000 (1999); tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.). Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe. Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber, arable land. Exports: $636 million (2003 est.): mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals; fruit and vegetables. Imports: $1.63 billion (2003): machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals. Major trading partners: U.S., Spain, Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland, Peru, Paraguay, South Korea, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Venezuela (2003).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 131,700 (2003); mobile cellular: 121,800 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004). Television broadcast stations: 2 (2004). Internet hosts: 302 (2003). Internet users: 84,000 (2003).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 2,693 km; paved: 1,546 km; unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.). Ports and harbors: Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point. Airports: 63 (2004 est.).
International disputes: have not been able to agree on the alignment of a maritime boundary with the US; continues to monitor and interdict Haitian refugees fleeing economic privation and political instability.
Geography

The Bahamas are an archipelago of about 700 islands and 2,400 uninhabited islets and cays lying 50 mi off the east coast of Florida. They extend for about 760 mi (1,223 km). Only about 30 of the islands are inhabited; the most important is New Providence (80 sq mi; 207 sq km), on which the capital, Nassau, is situated. Other islands include Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Andros, Cat Island, and San Salvador (or Watling's Island).

Government
Parliamentary democracy.

Bahrain

Kingdom of Bahrain

National Name: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
King: Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah (1999)
Prime Minister: Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah (1970)
Total and land area: 257 sq mi (665 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 698,585 (growth rate: 1.5%); birth rate: 17.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 16.8/1000; life expectancy: 74.5; density per sq mi: 2,721
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Al-Manámah, 527,000 (metro area), 149,900 (city proper)
Monetary unit: Bahrain dinar
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Ethnicity/race: Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
Religion: Islam (Shiite 70%, Sunni 30%)
Literacy rate: 89% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est): $13.01 billion; per capita $19,200. Real growth rate: 5.6%. Inflation: 2.1%. Unemployment: 15% (1998 est.). Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish. Labor force: 370,000; note: 44% of the population in the 15–64 age group is non-national; industry, commerce, and service 79%, government 20%, agriculture 1% (1997 est.). Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism. Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls. Exports: $8.205 billion (2004 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles. Imports: $5.87 billion (2004 est.): crude oil, machinery, chemicals. Major trading partners: U.S., South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan, UK, Germany (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 185,800 (2003); mobile cellular: 443,100 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997). Internet hosts: 1,334 (2003). Internet users: 195,700 (2003).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 3,459 km; paved: 2,653 km; unpaved: 806 km (2002). Ports and harbors: Mina' Salman, Sitrah. Airports: 4 (2004 est.).
International disputes: none.

GeographyBahrain, which means “two seas,” is an archipelago in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The islands for the most part are level expanses of sand and rock. A causeway connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy.

Bangladesh

People's Republic of Bangladesh
President: Iajuddin Ahmed (2002)
Prime Minister: Khaleda Zia (2001)
Land area: 51,703 sq mi (133,911 sq km); total area: 55,599 sq mi (144,000 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 147,365,352 (growth rate: 2.1%); birth rate: 29.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 60.8/1000; life expectancy: 62.5; density per sq mi: 2,850
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Dhaka, 10,356,500 (metro.area), 8,942,300 (city proper)
Other large cities: Chittagong, 2,592,400; Khulna, 1,211,500
Monetary unit: Taka
Principal languages: Bangla (official), English
Ethnicity/race: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)
Religions: Islam 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1%
Literacy rate: 43% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $275.7 billion; per capita $2,000. Real growth rate: 4.9%. Inflation: 6%. Unemployment: 40% (includes underemployment). Arable land: 62%. Agriculture: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry. Labor force: 65.49 million; note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; agriculture 63%, services 26%, industry 11% (FY95/96). Industries: cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar. Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber, coal. Exports: $7.478 billion (2004 est.): garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001). Imports: $10.03 billion (2004 est.): machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000). Major trading partners: U.S., Germany, UK, France, India, China, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong (2003).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 740,000 (2003); mobile cellular: 1.365 million (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (1999) Television broadcast stations: 15 (1999). Internet hosts: 1 (2003). Internet users: 243,000 (2003).

Transportation: Railways: total: 2,706 km (2004). Highways: total: 207,486 km; paved: 19,773 km; unpaved: 187,713 km (1999). Waterways: 8,372 km; note: includes 2,575 km main cargo routes (2004). Ports and harbors: Chittagong, Mongla Port. Airports: 16 (2004 est.).
International disputes: discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources.

Geography
Bangladesh, on the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal, is surrounded by India, with a small common border with Myanmar in the southeast. The country is low-lying riverine land traversed by the many branches and tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers. Tropical monsoons and frequent floods and cyclones inflict heavy damage in the delta region.
Government
Parliamentary democracy.

Barbados

Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
Governor-General: Sir Clifford Husbands (1996)
Prime Minister: Owen Arthur (1994)
Total and land area: 166 sq mi (430 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 279,912 (growth rate: 0.4%); birth rate: 12.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 11.8/1000; life expectancy: 72.8; density per sq mi: 1,686
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Bridgetown, 98,900
Monetary unit: Barbados dollar
Language: English
Ethnicity/race: black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Literacy rate: 97% (1995 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $4.569 billion; per capita: $16,400. Real growth rate: 2.3%. Inflation: –0.5%. Unemployment: 10.7% (2003 est.). Arable land: 37%. Agriculture: sugarcane, vegetables, cotton. Labor force: 128,500 (2001 est.); services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.). Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export. Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas. Exports: $206 million (2002): sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components. Imports: $1.039 billion (2002): consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components. Major trading partners: U.S., Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Japan (2003).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 134,000 (2003); mobile cellular: 140,000 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004). Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus two cable channels) (2004). Internet hosts: 204 (2003). Internet users: 100,000 (2003).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 1,600 km; paved: 1,578 km; unpaved: 22 km (2002). Ports and harbors: Bridgetown. Airports: 1 (2004 est.).
International disputes: in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration that will result in a binding award challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters and the southern limit of Barbadian traditional fishing; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea.

Geography
An island in the Atlantic about 300 mi (483 km) north of Venezuela, Barbados is only 21 mi long (34 km) and 14 mi across (23 km) at its widest point. It is circled by fine beaches and narrow coastal plains. The highest point is Mount Hillaby (1,105 ft; 337 m) in the north-central area.
Government
Parliamentary democracy.

Belarus

Republic of Belarus
National Name: Respublika Byelarus'
President: Alyaksandr Lukashenka (1994)
Prime Minister: Syarhey Sidorski (2003)
Total and land area: 80,154 sq mi (207,600 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 10,293,011 (growth rate: –0.1%); birth rate: 11.2/1000; infant mortality rate: 13.0/1000; life expectancy: 69.1; density per sq mi: 128
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Mensk (Minsk), 1,769,500
Other large cities: Gomel, 502,200; Mogilyov, 374,000; Vitebsk, 355,800; Grodno, 314,100; Brest, 306,300; Bobruysk, 228,100
Monetary unit: Belorussian ruble
Languages: Belorussian (White Russian), Russian, other
Ethnicity/race: Belorussian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%
Religion: Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Literacy rate: 100% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $70.5 billion; per capita $6,800. Real growth rate: 6.4%. Inflation: 17.4%. Unemployment: 2% officially registered unemployed (2004); large number of underemployed workers. Arable land: 30%. Agriculture: grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk. Labor force: 4.305 million (Dec. 31, 2003); agriculture 14%, industry 34.7%, services 51.3% (2003 est.). Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators. Natural resources: forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay. Exports: $11.47 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals; textiles, foodstuffs. Imports: $13.57 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals. Major trading partners: Russia, UK, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Ukraine (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 3,071,300 (2003); mobile cellular: 1.118 million (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995). Internet hosts: 5,308 (2004). Internet users: 1,391,900 (2003).
Transportation: Railways: total: 5,512 km (2004). Highways: total: 79,990 km; paved: 69,351 km; unpaved: 10,639 km (2004). Waterways: 2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003). Ports and harbors: Mazyr. Airports: 133 (2004 est.).
International disputes: 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security; boundary with Latvia remains undemarcated but a third of the border with Lithuania was demarcated in 2004.

Geography
Much of Belarus (formerly the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR, and then Byelorussia) is a hilly lowland with forests, swamps, and numerous rivers and lakes. There are wide rivers emptying into the Baltic and Black Seas. Its forests cover over one-third of the land and its peat marshes are a valuable natural resource. The largest lake is Narach, 31 sq mi (79.6 sq km).
Government
Republic.

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