Background:
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, ‘Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra’s al Khaymah. The UAE’s per capita GDP is not far below those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.

Geography
United Arab Emirates

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
24 00 N, 54 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 82,880 sq km
land: 82,880 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:
total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline:
1,318 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain:
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.49%
other: 99.03% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
720 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms

Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

People
United Arab Emirates

Population:
2,523,915
note: includes an estimated 1,606,079 non-nationals; the 17 December 1995 census presents a total population figure of 2,377,453, and there are estimates of 3.44 million for 2002 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 333,661; female 320,368)
15-64 years: 70.9% (male 1,103,385; female 685,281)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 58,862; female 22,358) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.7 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 22.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
18.65 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.61 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.63 male(s)/female
total population: 1.46 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 17.71 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.99 years
male: 72.51 years
female: 77.6 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.18% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati

Ethnic groups:
Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Religions:
Muslim 96% (Shi’a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

Languages:
Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9%
male: 76.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Government
United Arab Emirates

Country name:
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
abbreviation: UAE
former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
local short form: none

Government type:
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates

Capital:
Abu Dhabi

Administrative divisions:
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), ‘Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra’s al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Independence:
2 December 1971 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 December (1971)

Constitution:
2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)

Legal system:
federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra’s al Khaymah are not fully integrated into the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts

Suffrage:
none

Executive branch:
chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
head of government: Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai); Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC (a group of seven electors) for five-year terms; election last held 2 December 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan reelected president; percent of FSC vote - NA%, but believed to be unanimous; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum elected vice president; percent of FSC vote - NA%, but believed to be unanimous

Legislative branch:
unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms)
elections: none
note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

Judicial branch:
Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Al Asri Said Ahmad al-DHAHRI
FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432
telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20037

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marcelle M. WAHBA
embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
FAX: [971] (2) 414-2469
consulate(s) general: Dubai

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side

Economy
United Arab Emirates

Economy - overview:
The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 33% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for more than 100 years. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private sector involvement.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $57.7 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 58.5%
services: 37.5% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
2.1 million
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 78%, industry 15%, agriculture 7% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.4% (2001)

Budget:
revenues: $15.6 billion
expenditures: $23.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.4 billion (2002 est.)

Industries:
petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling

Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2000)

Electricity - production:
37.74 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
35.1 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
2.566 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
310,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
80.31 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
44.94 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
37.86 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
7.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.892 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Agriculture - products:
dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish

Exports:
$56.73 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates

Exports - partners:
Japan 27.3%, South Korea 9.9%, Iran 4.3% (2002)

Imports:
$37.16 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food

Imports - partners:
Japan 8.7%, China 8.2%, US 7.7%, UK 7.4%, Germany 7.1%, India 6.7%, France 6.6%, South Korea 5.3%, Italy 5.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$20.7 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
$NA

Currency:
Emirati dirham (AED)

Currency code:
AED

Exchange rates:
Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.67 (2003), 3.67 (2002), 3.67 (2001), 3.67 (2000), 3.67 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications
United Arab Emirates

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,093,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,428,100 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 13, FM 7, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
820,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
15 (1997)

Televisions:
310,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ae

Internet hosts:
52,332 (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
1,175,600 (2002)

Transportation
United Arab Emirates

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 1,088 km
paved: 1,088 km (including 253 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
condensate 383 km; gas 1,765 km; liquid petroleum gas 186 km; oil 1,266 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
‘Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina’ Jabal ‘Ali, Mina’ Khalid, Mina’ Rashid, Mina’ Saqr, Mina’ Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn

Merchant marine:
total: 59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 578,477 GRT/739,823 DWT
by type: cargo 12, chemical tanker 5, container 7, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 21, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 4, specialized tanker 1 (2003 est.)

Airports:
35 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
under 914 m: 4 (2003 est.)
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

Heliports:
2 (2003 est.)

Military
United Arab Emirates

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense Force, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force)

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2004 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 751,707
note: includes non-nationals (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 412,490 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 29,183 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.6 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.1% (FY00)

Transnational Issues
United Arab Emirates

Disputes - international:
because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with Saudi Arabia is still unknown and labeled approximate; boundary agreement signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman’s Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves; UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran’s occupation of Lesser and Greater Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island

Illicit drugs:
the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE’s position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving

Background:
Present-day Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter, the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN, and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots and prevent a Greek takeover of the island; the northern 37 percent of the island remains under Turkish Cypriot control. Relations between the Turkey and Greece have improved greatly over the past few years. In 1984, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Marxist-Leninist, separatist group, initiated an insurgency in southeast Turkey, often using terrorist tactics to try to attain its goal of an independent Kurdistan. The group - whose leader, Abdullah OCALAN, was captured in Kenya in February 1999 - has largely ceased violent attacks since it declared a unilateral cease-fire in September 1999. Nonetheless, occasional clashes have occurred between Turkish security forces and armed PKK militants, many of whom remain in northern Iraq. In April 2002, the PKK changed its name to the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK). In November 2003, the group changed names again, becoming the Kurdistan People’s Congress (KHK).

Geography
Turkey

Location:
southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 780,580 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Coastline:
7,200 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
territorial sea: 6 NM in the Aegean Sea; 12 NM in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea
exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR

Climate:
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Terrain:
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 34.53%
permanent crops: 3.36%
other: 62.11% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
42,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah’s Ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country

People
Turkey

Population:
68,893,918 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.6% (male 9,328,108; female 8,990,742)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 23,394,465; female 22,650,532)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 2,078,881; female 2,451,190) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.3 years
male: 27.1 years
female: 27.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.13% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
17.22 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.95 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 38.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.08 years
male: 69.68 years
female: 74.61 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups:
Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions:
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Languages:
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Government
Turkey

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye

Government type:
republican parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Ankara

Administrative divisions:
81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

Independence:
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 29 October (1923)

Constitution:
7 November 1982

Legal system:
derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2007); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
note: a National Security Council serves as an advisory body to the government composed of top military and cabinet officials and presided over by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March 2003)
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third ballot

Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); note - a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister on 13 March 2003
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%, DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, ANAP 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and others; seats by party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; seats by party as of 15 October 2003 - AKP 368, CHP 175, DYP 3, LDP 1, independents 3

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeals and Council of State (judges are elected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Bulent ECEVIT]; Democratic People’s Party or DEHAP [Tuncer BAKIRHAN]; Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayip ERDOGAN]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Emin SIRIN]; Motherland Party or ANAP [Nesrin NAS]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; New Turkey Party or YTP [Ismail CEM]; Republican People’s Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL]; Saadet Party (sometimes translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin ERBEKAN]; Social Democratic People’s Party or SHP [Murat KARAYALCIN]; True Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way Party) or DYP [Mehmet AGAR]; Young Party or GP [Cem UZAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association or MUSIAD [Ali BAYRAMOGLU]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association or TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Unions or TISK [Refik BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation:
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osman Faruk LOGOGLU
FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eric S. EDELMAN
embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555
FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
consulate(s) general: Istanbul
consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description:
red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

Economy
Turkey

Economy - overview:
Turkey’s dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that in 2001 still accounted for 40% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The most important industry - and largest exporter - is textiles and clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands. In recent years the economic situation has been marked by erratic economic growth and serious imbalances. Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. Meanwhile, the public sector fiscal deficit has regularly exceeded 10% of GDP - due in large part to the huge burden of interest payments, which accounted for more than 40% of central government spending in 2003. Inflation, in recent years in the high double-digit range, fell to 18.4% in 2003. Perhaps because of these problems, foreign direct investment in Turkey remains low - less than $1 billion annually. In late 2000 and early 2001 a growing trade deficit and serious weaknesses in the banking sector plunged the economy into crisis - forcing Turkey to float the lira and pushing the country into recession. Results in 2002-03 were much better, because of strong financial support from the IMF and tighter fiscal policy. Healthy growth is likely to continue through at least the first half of 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $455.3 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.9%
industry: 29.6%
services: 58.5% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
18% (2001)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 32.3% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
18.4% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
23.8 million
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2001 3rd quarter)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 39.7%, services 37.9%, industry 22.4% (3rd quarter, 2001)

Unemployment rate:
11.3% (plus underemployment of 6.1%) (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $42.4 billion
expenditures: $69.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Industries:
textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Industrial production growth rate:
6.7% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
116.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 79.3%
hydro: 20.4%
other: 0.3% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
112.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
433 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
4.579 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
48,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
619,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
46,110 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
616,500 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
288.4 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
312 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
15.94 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
8.685 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock

Exports:
$49.12 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment

Exports - partners:
Germany 16.6%, US 9.2%, UK 8.5%, Italy 6.4%, France 6% (2002)

Imports:
$62.43 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.7%, Italy 8%, Russia 7.5%, US 6%, France 6%, UK 4.7%, Switzerland 4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$141.3 billion (Yearend 2003)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $300 million (2000)

Currency:
Turkish lira (TRL)

Currency code:
TRL

Exchange rates:
Turkish liras per US dollar - NA (2003), 1,507,230 (2002), 1,225,590 (2001), 625,218 (2000), 418,783 (1999), 151,865 (1997)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications
Turkey

Telephones - main lines in use:
18,914,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
23,374,400 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion, especially with cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: country code - 90; international service is provided by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios:
11.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
20.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.tr

Internet hosts:
154,585 (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2001)

Internet users:
4.9 million (2002)

Transportation
Turkey

Railways:
total: 8,607 km
standard gauge: 8,607 km 1.435-m gauge (2,131 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 385,960 km
paved: 131,226 km (including 1,749 km of expressways)
unpaved: 254,734 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,200 km (approximately)

Pipelines:
gas 3,177 km; oil 3,562 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel (Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon

Merchant marine:
total: 508 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,666,895 GRT/7,311,504 DWT
by type: bulk 111, cargo 229, chemical tanker 46, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 2, container 34, liquefied gas 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 26, short-sea/passenger 8, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: Belize 1, Cambodia 1, China 1, Cyprus 4, Greece 1, Italy 3, Liberia 1, Monaco 1, Switzerland 1, Thailand 1, United Kingdom 9
registered in other countries: 243 (2003 est.)

Airports:
120 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 87
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 4 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 33
under 914 m: 21 (2003 est.)
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

Heliports:
14 (2003 est.)

Military
Turkey

Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces Command (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard Command, Gendarmerie (Jandarma)

Military manpower - military age:
20 years of age (2004 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 19,828,702 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 11,965,262 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 680,673 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$12.155 billion (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.3% (2003)

Transnational Issues
Turkey

Disputes - international:
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question remains with Greece; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh

Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and - to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate

Background:
A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict.

Geography
Thailand

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 100 00 E

Area:
total: 514,000 sq km
water: 2,230 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries:
total: 4,863 km
border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km

Coastline:
3,219 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid

Terrain:
central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m

Natural resources:
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 32.88%
permanent crops: 7%
other: 60.12% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
47,490 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

People
Thailand

Population:
64,865,523
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.1% (male 7,985,724; female 7,631,337)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 21,998,552; female 22,538,765)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 2,167,421; female 2,543,724) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 30.5 years
male: 29.7 years
female: 31.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.91% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
16.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 22.49 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.41 years
male: 69.23 years
female: 73.71 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.8% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
670,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
55,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Thai (singular and plural)
adjective: Thai

Ethnic groups:
Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%

Religions:
Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)

Languages:
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 97.5%
female: 94.6% (2003 est.)

Government
Thailand

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
conventional short form: Thailand
former: Siam

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Bangkok

Administrative divisions:
76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon

Independence:
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

National holiday:
Birthday of King PHUMIPHON, 5 December (1927)

Constitution:
new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997

Legal system:
based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
note: there is also a Privy Council
head of government: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since 9 February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut, Gen. (Ret.); PHOKIN Phalakun; SUWIT Khunkitti; CHATURON Chaisaeng; VISHANU Krua-ngam; PURACHAI Piamsombun; SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak (since 8 November 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister is designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following national elections for the House of Representatives, the leader of the party that can organize a majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by the king

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consists of the Senate or Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 4 March, 29 April, 4 June, 9 July, and 22 July 2000 (next to be held by March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 6 January 2001 (next to be held January 2005)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - TRT 248, DP 128, TNP 41, NDP 29, other 54

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [BANTADTAN Banyat]; National Development Party or NDP (Chat Phattana) [SUWAT Lipataphanlop]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BANHAN Sinlapa-acha]; Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT [THAKSIN Chinnawat]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador SAKTHIP Krairiksh
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611
telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600
chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Darryl N. JOHNSON
embassy: 120/22 Wireless Road, Bangkok
mailing address: APO AP 96546
telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000
FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131
consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai

Flag description:
five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red

Economy
Thailand

Economy - overview:
Thailand has a free-enterprise economy and welcomes foreign investment. Exports feature textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances. Thailand has recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis and was one of East Asia’s best performers in 2002. Increased consumption and investment spending and strong export growth pushed GDP growth up to 6.3% in 2003 despite a sluggish global economy. The highly popular government has pushed an expansionist policy, including major support of village economic development.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $475.7 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 42%
services: 49% (2002)

Population below poverty line:
10.4% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
33.4 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 49%, industry 14%, services 37% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.2% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $21 billion
expenditures: $22 billion, including capital expenditures of $5 billion (2000 est.)

Industries:
tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry, electric appliances and components, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, world’s second-largest tungsten producer, and third-largest tin producer

Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
97.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 91.3%
hydro: 6.4%
other: 2.4% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
90.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
200 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
350 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
173,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
785,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2003)

Natural gas - production:
18.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
23.93 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
5.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
368.2 billion cu m (1 January 2003)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans

Exports:
$75.99 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
computers, office machine parts, transistors, rubber, vehicles (cars and trucks), plastic, seafood (2002)

Exports - partners:
US 19.6%, Japan 14.5%, Singapore 8.1%, Hong Kong 5.4%, China 5.2%, Malaysia 4.1% (2002)

Imports:
$65.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels (2000)

Imports - partners:
Japan 23%, US 9.6%, China 7.6%, Malaysia 5.6%, Singapore 4.5%, Taiwan 4.4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$62.5 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$131.5 million (1998 est.)

Currency:
baht (THB)

Currency code:
THB

Exchange rates:
baht per US dollar - 41.48 (2003), 42.96 (2002), 44.43 (2001), 40.11 (2000), 37.81 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications
Thailand

Telephones - main lines in use:
6,499,800 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
16.117 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service to general public adequate, but investment in technological upgrades reduced by recession; bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and microwave radio relay network
domestic: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic satellite system being developed
international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 204, FM 334, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios:
13.96 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
5 (all in Bangkok; plus 131 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
15.19 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.th

Internet hosts:
100,132 (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
15 (2000)

Internet users:
4.8 million (2002)

Transportation
Thailand

Railways:
total: 4,071 km
narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 64,600 km
paved: 62,985 km
unpaved: 1,615 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
4,000 km
note: 3,701 km are navigable throughout the year by boats with drafts up to 0.9 meters; numerous minor waterways serve shallow-draft native craft

Pipelines:
gas 3,066 km; refined products 265 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla

Merchant marine:
total: 339 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,038,597 GRT/3,104,712 DWT
foreign-owned: Egypt 1, Germany 3, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, Norway 38, Panama 2, Singapore 3
registered in other countries: 43 (2003 est.)
by type: bulk 40, cargo 135, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1, container 19, liquefied gas 22, multi-functional large load carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 79, refrigerated cargo 22, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea/passenger 2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 1

Airports:
109 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 65
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 6 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 44
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 28 (2003 est.)

Heliports:
3 (2003 est.)

Military
Thailand

Military branches:
Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (including Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force

Military manpower - military age:
20 years of age; males are registered at 18 years of age (2004 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 17,944,151 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 10,735,354 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 531,511 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.775 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (2003)

Transnational Issues
Thailand

Disputes - international:
a 1 kilometer segment at the mouth of the Golok River remains in dispute with Malaysia; demarcation with Laos complete except for certain Mekong River islets and complaints of Thai squatters; despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia accuses Thailand of moving boundary markers and obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; 2003 anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh resulted in the destruction of the Thai Embassy and damage to 17 Thai-owned businesses and disputes over payments of full compensation persist; groups in Burma and Thailand express concern over China’s construction of 13 hydroelectric dams on the Salween River in Yunnan Province

Illicit drugs:
a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; illicit transit point for heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in amphetamine production for regional consumption; increasing indigenous abuse of methamphetamine

Background:
In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia’s economic “Tigers.” The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Geography
Taiwan

Location:
Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China

Geographic coordinates:
23 30 N, 121 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 35,980 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
water: 3,720 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,566.3 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

Terrain:
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

Natural resources:
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 75%

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
earthquakes and typhoons

Environment - current issues:
air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan’s international status
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan’s international status

Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait

People
Taiwan

Population:
22,749,838 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.9% (male 2,359,467; female 2,167,438)
15-64 years: 70.7% (male 8,149,231; female 7,924,774)
65 years and over: 9.4% (male 1,091,473; female 1,057,455) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.7 years
male: 33.3 years
female: 34.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.64% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
12.7 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.21 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.06 years
male: 74.31 years
female: 80.08 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.57 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Chinese/Taiwanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese/Taiwanese

Ethnic groups:
Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

Religions:
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%

Languages:
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86%
male: 93%
female: 79%
note: literacy for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998)

Government
Taiwan

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local short form: T’ai-wan
local long form: none
former: Formosa

Government type:
multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly-elected president and unicameral legislature

Capital:
Taipei

Administrative divisions:
the central administrative divisions include the provinces of Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu) and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); Taiwan is further subdivided into 16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t’ou, P’eng-hu, P’ing-tung, T’ai-chung, T’ai-chung*, T’ai-nan, T’ai-nan*, T’ai-pei, T’ai-pei**, T’ai-tung, T’ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at Chung-hsing-hsin-ts’un
note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization

National holiday:
Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)

Constitution:
25 December 1946, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2000

Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 March 2004) and Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 March 2004)
election results: CHEN Shui-bian elected president; percent of vote - CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 51.1%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 49.9%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 20 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2008); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) YU Shyi-kun (since 1 February 2002) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) LIN Hsin-yi (since 1 February 2002)
cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the proportion of island-wide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation within three months of a Legislative Yuan call to amend the Constitution, impeach the president, or change national borders)
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 8 December 2001 (next to be held in December 2004)
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 39%, KMT 30%, PFP 20%, TSU 6%, independents and other parties 5%; seats by party (2003) - DPP 88, KMT 66, PFP 46, TSU 12, independents and other parties 13

Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [CHEN Shui-bian, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu), chairman]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [HUANG Chu-wen, chairman]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or CNP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmental groups
note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan’s legislature have opened public debate on the island’s national identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan’s people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation Building

International organization participation:
APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office located at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices located at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2702-7675; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX: [886] (7) 223-8237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162

Flag description:
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

Economy
Taiwan

Economy - overview:
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world’s third largest. Agriculture contributes 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. While Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia, China has become the largest destination for investment and has overtaken the US to become Taiwan’s largest export market. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn, combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment also reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence, and bad bank loans. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant long-term factor. Exports to China - mainly parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries - drove Taiwan’s economic recovery in 2002. Although the SARS epidemic, Typhoon Maemi, corporate scandals, and a drop in consumer spending caused GDP growth to contract to 3.2% in 2003, increasingly strong export performance kept Taiwan’s economy on track, and the government expects Taiwan’s economy to grow 4.1% in 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $528.6 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $23,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 31%
services: 67% (2002)

Population below poverty line:
1% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 6.7%
highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
10 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 57%, industry 35%, agriculture 8% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
5.1% (September 2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $52.5 billion
expenditures: $63 billion, including capital expenditures of $14.4 billion $NA (2002 est.)

Industries:
electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2002)

Electricity - production:
151.1 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 71.4%
hydro: 6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 22.6%

Electricity - consumption:
140.5 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
1,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
2 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
750 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
410 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
38.23 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk, fish

Exports:
$143 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)

Exports - partners:
China 25.3%, US 20.5%, Japan 9.2% (2002)

Imports:
$119.6 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002)

Imports - partners:
Japan 24.2%, US 16.1%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.9% (2002)

Debt - external:
$45 billion (2002)

Currency:
new Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Currency code:
TWD

Exchange rates:
new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 34.42 (2003), 34.58 (2002), 33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000), 31.6 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Communications
Taiwan

Telephones - main lines in use:
13,099,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
23,905,400 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)

Radios:
16 million (1994)

Television broadcast stations:
29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
8.8 million (1998)

Internet country code:
.tw

Internet hosts:
2,170,233 (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)

Internet users:
8.59 million (2002)

Transportation
Taiwan

Railways:
total: 1,108 km
narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)
note: there also are 1,255 km of 1.067-m gauge routes belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2002)

Highways:
total: 35,931 km
paved: 31,583 km (including 608 km of expressways)
unpaved: 4,348 km (2000)

Waterways:
NA

Pipelines:
condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T’ai-chung

Merchant marine:
total: 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,417,768 GRT/5,617,318 DWT
foreign-owned: Cuba 1, Hong Kong 4
registered in other countries: 457 (2003 est.)
by type: bulk 36, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 3, container 37, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2

Airports:
40 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.)

Heliports:
3 (2003 est.)

Military
Taiwan

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command

Military manpower - military age:
19 years of age; 22-month active service obligation (2004 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,556,484 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,992,737 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 182,677 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$7,611.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.7% (2003)

Transnational Issues
Taiwan

Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002 “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding “code of conduct” desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands are occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003, China and Taiwan asserted claims to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) with increased media coverage and protest actions

Illicit drugs:
regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; renewal of domestic methamphetamine production is a problem

Background:
Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world’s most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is the world’s busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.

Geography
Singapore

Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
1 22 N, 103 48 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 692.7 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
193 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
territorial sea: 3 NM
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon from December to March and Southwestern monsoon from June to September; inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms

Terrain:
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m

Natural resources:
fish, deepwater ports

Land use:
arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 98.36% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

People
Singapore

Population:
4,353,893 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.5% (male 370,660; female 345,713)
15-64 years: 75.8% (male 1,611,502; female 1,687,048)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 149,452; female 189,518) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 36.2 years
male: 35.9 years
female: 36.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.71% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
9.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
11.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 2.49 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.53 years
male: 78.96 years
female: 84.29 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,400 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
140 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore

Ethnic groups:
Chinese 76.7%, Malay 14%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4%

Religions:
Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist

Languages:
Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.2%
male: 96.7%
female: 89.7% (2003 est.)

Government
Singapore

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore

Government type:
parliamentary republic

Capital:
Singapore

Administrative divisions:
none

Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 August (1965)

Constitution:
3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)

Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers Brig. Gen. (Ret.) LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1999 (next to be held by August 2005); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN elected president unopposed

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest to winning a seat may be appointed as a “nonconstituency” member
elections: last held 3 November 2001 (next to be held not later than 25 June 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 75.3% (in contested constituencies), other 24.7%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders:
governing party: People’s Action Party or PAP [GOH Chok Tong]; opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [LING How Dong]; National Solidarity Party or NSP [vacant] (SDA group); Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong] (includes SPP, PKMS, NSP, SJP); Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Singapore Justice Party or SJP [Desmond LIM] (SDA group); Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS [Muhammad ALI Aman] (SDA group); Singapore People’s Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong] (SDA group); Workers’ Party or WP [LOW Thia Kiang]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
consulate(s): New York
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876
telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100
chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin L. LAVIN
embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001
telephone: [65] 6476-9100
FAX: [65] 6476-9340

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle

Economy
Singapore

Economy - overview:
Singapore, a highly developed and successful free market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a high per capita GDP. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in 2001-2003 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle but is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia’s financial and high-tech hub. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, and global economic recovery should lead to much improved growth in 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $109.1 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.8% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $23,700 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: negligible
industry: 30%
services: 70% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
2 million (June 2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
financial, business, and other services 49%, manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and communication 11%, other 16% (2003)

Unemployment rate:
5% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $17.4 billion
expenditures: $17.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.6 billion (FY03/04 est.)

Industries:
electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade

Industrial production growth rate:
7.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
30.48 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
28.35 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
700,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
2.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
2.5 billion cu m
: Note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables, poultry, eggs, fish, ornamental fish

Exports:
$142.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels

Exports - partners:
Malaysia 17.4%, US 15.3%, Hong Kong 9.2%, Japan 7.1%, China 5.5%, Taiwan 4.9%, Thailand 4.6%, South Korea 4.2% (2002)

Imports:
$121.6 billion (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Malaysia 18.2%, US 14.3%, Japan 12.5%, China 7.6%, Thailand 4.6%, Taiwan 4.6% (2002)

Debt - external:
$9.1 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
Singapore dollar (SGD)

Currency code:
SGD

Exchange rates:
Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.74 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.72 (2000), 1.69 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications
Singapore

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,896,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,521,800 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities
international: country code - 65; submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003)

Radios:
2.6 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (2003)

Televisions:
1.33 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sg

Internet hosts:
338,349 (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)

Internet users:
2.31 million (2002)

Transportation
Singapore

Railways:
total: 38.6 km
narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge
note: there is also an 83 km mass transit system with 48 stations

Highways:
total: 3,066 km
paved: 3,066 km (including 150 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
gas 139 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Singapore

Merchant marine:
total: 900 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 23,065,290 GRT/36,393,317 DWT
by type: bulk 136, cargo 84, chemical tanker 96, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 8, container 186, liquefied gas 41, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large load carrier 2, petroleum tanker 290, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 32
registered in other countries: 383 (2003 est.)
foreign-owned: Australia 6, China 15, Denmark 32, Germany 18, Greece 12, Hong Kong 31, India 3, Indonesia 33, Japan 58, South Korea 13, Malaysia 31, Monaco 19, Norway 53, Papua New Guinea 1, Philippines 9, Russia 2, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 44, Tanzania 1, Thailand 16, United Kingdom 15, United States 1

Airports:
9 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)

Military
Singapore

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, People’s Defense Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,292,471 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 934,317 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.47 billion (FY01 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.9% (FY01)

Transnational Issues
Singapore

Disputes - international:
disputes with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore’s land reclamation works, bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years

Illicit drugs:
as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, to be used as a transit point for Golden Triangle heroin and as a venue for money