_@_France Geography

Total area:
    547,030 km2
Land area:
    545,630 km2; includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but
    excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Comparative area:
    slightly more than twice the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
    2,892.4 km; Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km,
    Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
Coastline:
    3,427 km; mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    12-24 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de
    Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims
    Tromelin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin Island; Suriname claims part of
    French Guiana; Mexico claims Clipperton Island; territorial claim in
    Antarctica (Adelie Land)
Climate:
    generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers
    along the Mediterranean
Terrain:
    mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is
    mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Natural resources:
    coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash
Land use:
    arable land 32%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and
    woodland 27%; other 16%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
    most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine,
    or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
Note:
    largest West European nation

:France People

Population:
    57,287,258 (July 1992), growth rate 0.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 82 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective - French
Ethnic divisions:
    Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, and
    Basque minorities
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers)
    1%, unaffiliated 6%
Languages:
    French (100% of population); rapidly declining regional dialects (Provencal,
    Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy:
    99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force:
    24,170,000; services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.3% (1987)
Organized labor:
    20% of labor force (est.)

:France Government

Long-form name:
    French Republic
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Paris
Administrative divisions:
    metropolitan France - 22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace,
    Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre,
    Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France,
    Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais,
    Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur,
    Rhone-Alpes; note - the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see
    separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
    Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint
    Pierre and Miquelon)
Independence:
    unified by Clovis in 486, First Republic proclaimed in 1792
Constitution:
    28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962
Dependent areas:
    Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French
    Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New
    Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna
  note:
    the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Legal system:
    civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not
    legislative acts
National holiday:
    Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate
    (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
    Constitutional Court (Cour Constitutionnelle)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Pierre BEREGOVOY (since 2 April 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques CHIRAC; Union for French
    Democracy (UDF, federation of PR, CDS, and RAD), Valery Giscard d'ESTAING;
    Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET; Center for Social Democrats (CDS),
    Pierre MEHAIGNERIE; Radical (RAD), Yves GALLAND; Socialist Party (PS),
    Laurent FABIUS; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Emile ZUCCARELLI; Communist
    Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS; National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  National Assembly:
    last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results - Second
    Ballot PS-MRG 48. 7%, RPR 23.1%, UDF 21%, PCF 3.4%, other 3.8%; seats - (577
    total) PS 272, RPR 127, UDF 91, UDC 40, PCF 26, independents 21

:France Government

  President:
    last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results - Second Ballot
    Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%
Elections:
  Senate:
    last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (321 total; 296 metropolitan France, 13
    for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals
    abroad) RPR 91, UDF 143 (PR 52, CDS 68, RAD 23), PS 66, PCF 16, independents
    2, unknown 3
Communists:
    700,000 claimed but probably closer to 150,000; Communist voters, 2.8
    million in 1988 election
Other political or pressure groups:
    Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) nearly
    2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation
    Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members est.;
    independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members (est.);
    independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) 340,000
    members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du
    Patronat Francais - CNPF or Patronat)
Member of:
    ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB, CE,
    CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ, GATT,
    G-5, G-7, G-10, IABD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
    IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
    LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, SPC, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UN
    Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington,
    DC 20007; telephone (202) 944-6000; there are French Consulates General in
    Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, New
    York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
  US:
    Ambassador Walter J. P. CURLEY; Embassy at 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris
    Cedex 08, Unit 21551 (mailing address is APO AE 09777); telephone [33] (1)
    42-96-12-02 or 42-61-80-75; FAX [33] (1) 42-66-97-83; there are US
    Consulates General in Bordeaux, Marseille, and Strasbourg
Flag:
    three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as
    the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and colors have been the basis
    for a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland,
    Ivory Coast, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent
    areas

:France Economy

Overview:
    One of the world's most developed economies, France has substantial
    agricultural resources and a highly diversified modern industrial sector.
    Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and
    subsidies have combined to make it the leading agricultural producer in
    Western Europe. France is largely self-sufficient in agricultural products
    and is a major exporter of wheat and dairy products. The industrial sector
    generates about one-quarter of GDP, and the growing services sector has
    become crucial to the economy. After expanding at a rapid 3.8% pace during
    the period 1988-89, the economy slowed down in 1990, with growth of 1.5% in
    1990 and 1.4% in 1991; growth in 1992 is expected to be about 2%. The
    economy has had difficulty generating enough jobs for new entrants into the
    labor force, resulting in a high unemployment rate, which rose to almost 10%
    in 1991. The steadily advancing economic integration within the European
    Community is a major force affecting the fortunes of the various economic
    sectors.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $1,033.7 billion, per capita $18,300; real
    growth rate 1.4% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.3% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    9.8% (end 1991)
Budget:
    revenues $229.8 billion; expenditures $246.4 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $36 billion (1992 budget)
Exports:
    $209.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural
    products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing
  partners:
    FRG 17.3%, Italy 11.4%, UK 9.2%, Spain 10.3%, Netherlands 9.0%,
    Belgium-Luxembourg 9.4%, US 6.1%, Japan 1.9%, former USSR 0.7% (1989 est.)
Imports:
    $232.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron
    and steel products
  partners:
    FRG 18.9%, Italy 11.6%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.8%, Netherlands 8.6%, US 8.0%,
    Spain 7.9%, UK 7.2%, Japan 4.0%, former USSR 1.4% (1989 est.)
External debt:
    $59.3 billion (December 1987)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.2% (1990); accounts for 26% of GDP
Electricity:
    109,972,000 kW capacity; 399,318 million kWh produced, 7,200 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics,
    mining, textiles, food processing, and tourism
Agriculture:
    accounts for 4% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); one of the world's
    top five wheat producers; other principal products - beef, dairy products,
    cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; self-sufficient for most
    temperate-zone foods; shortages include fats and oils and tropical produce,
    but overall net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons
    ranks among world's top 20 countries and is all used domestically

:France Economy

Economic aid:
    donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.1 billion
Currency:
    French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 (January 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
    (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:France Communications

Railroads:
    French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,568 km 1.435-meter standard
    gauge; 11,674 km electrified, 15,132 km double or multiple track; 2,138 km
    of various gauges (1.000-meter to 1.440-meter), privately owned and operated
Highways:
    1,551,400 km total; 33,400 km national highway; 347,000 km departmental
    highway; 421,000 km community roads; 750,000 km rural roads; 5,401 km of
    controlled-access divided autoroutes; about 803,000 km paved
Inland waterways:
    14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled
Pipelines:
    crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural gas 24,746 km
Ports:
    maritime - Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque, Fos-Sur-Mer, Le
    Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Sete, Toulon; inland - 42
Merchant marine:
    128 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,222,539 GRT/5,117,091 DWT; includes
    6 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 18 container, 1 multifunction large-load
    carrier, 30 roll-on/roll-off, 34 petroleum tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 6
    liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 11 bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo; note -
    France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the
    Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia
Civil air:
    195 major transport aircraft (1989 est.)
Airports:
    472 total, 460 usable; 251 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 36 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 136 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    highly developed; extensive cable and radio relay networks; large-scale
    introduction of optical-fiber systems; satellite systems for domestic
    traffic; 39,200,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 41 AM, 800 (mostly
    repeaters) FM, 846 (mostly repeaters) TV; 24 submarine coaxial cables; 2
    INTELSAT earth stations (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for the Indian Ocean
    INTELSAT and 3 for the Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT); HF radio communications
    with more than 20 countries; INMARSAT service; EUTELSAT TV service

:France Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy (including Naval Air), Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 14,599,636; 12,225,969 fit for military service; 411,211 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $33.1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991)

_@_French Guiana Geography

Total area:
    91,000 km2
Land area:
    89,150 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
    1,183 km; Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline:
    378 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both
    headwaters of the Lawa)
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
    low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Natural resources:
    bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest
    and woodland 82%; other 18%
Environment:
    mostly an unsettled wilderness

:French Guiana People

Population:
    127,505 (July 1992), growth rate 4.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    24 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    71 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - French Guianese (singular and plural); adjective - French Guianese;
    note - they are a colony/department; they hold French passports
Ethnic divisions:
    black or mulatto 66%; Caucasian 12%; East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%;
    other 10%
Religions:
    predominantly Roman Catholic
Languages:
    French
Literacy:
    82% (male 81%, female 83%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Labor force:
    23,265; services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%,
    agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Organized labor:
    7% of labor force

:French Guiana Government

Long-form name:
    Department of Guiana
Type:
    overseas department of France
Capital:
    Cayenne
Administrative divisions:
    none (overseas department of France)
Independence:
    none (overseas department of France)
Constitution:
    28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
    French legal system
National holiday:
    Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch:
    French president, commissioner of the republic
Legislative branch:
    unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch:
    highest local court is the Court of Appeals based in Martinique with
    jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
  Head of Government:
    Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Francois DICHIARA (since NA 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Gerard HOLDER; Rally for the Republic (RPR),
    Paulin BRUNE; Guianese Democratic Action (ADG), Andre LECANTE; Union for
    French Democracy (UDF), Claude Ho A CHUCK; National Front (FN), Guy MALON;
    Popular and National Party of Guiana (PNPG), Claude ROBO; National
    Anti-Colonist Guianese Party (PANGA), Michel KAPEL
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  French National Assembly:
    last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) PSG 1, RPR 1
  French Senate:
    last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) PSG 1
  Regional Council:
    last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held NA 1991); results - PSG 43%, RPR
    27.7%, ADG 12.2%, UDF 8. 9%, FN 3.7%, PNPG 1.4%, other 3.1%; seats - (31
    total) PSG 15, RPR 9, ADG 4, UDF 3
Member of:
    FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation:
    as an overseas department of France, the interests of French Guiana are
    represented in the US by France
Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:French Guiana Economy

Overview:
    The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports.
    Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most
    important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products
    (mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1987. The
    large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an
    expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation
    of crops - rice, cassava, bananas, and sugarcane - are limited to the
    coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is
    heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious
    problem, particularly among younger workers.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $186 million, per capita $2,240; real growth rate
    NA% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.1% (1987)
Unemployment rate:
    15% (1987)
Budget:
    revenues $735 million; expenditures $735 million, including capital
    expenditures of NA (1987)
Exports:
    $54.0 million (f.o.b., 1987)
  commodities:
    shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence
  partners:
    France 31%, US 22%, Japan 10% (1987)
Imports:
    $394.0 million (c.i.f., 1987)
  commodities:
    food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods,
    petroleum
  partners:
    France 62%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, US 4%, FRG 3% (1987)
External debt:
    $1.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    92,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 1,821 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Agriculture:
    some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas,
    sugar; livestock - cattle, pigs, poultry
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $1.51 billion
Currency:
    French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 (January 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
    (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:French Guiana Communications

Highways:
    680 km total; 510 km paved, 170 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
    460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal
    steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft
Ports:
    Cayenne
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    10 total, 10 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    fair open-wire and radio relay system; 18,100 telephones; broadcast stations
    - 5 AM, 7 FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:French Guiana Defense Forces

Branches:
    French Forces, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49 37,467; 24,534 fit for military service
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

_@_French Polynesia Geography

Total area:
    3,941 km2
Land area:
    3,660 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    2,525 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical, but moderate
Terrain:
    mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Natural resources:
    timber, fish, cobalt
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 19%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and
    woodland 31%; other 44%
Environment:
    occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes
Note:
    Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands
    in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
    Nauru

:French Polynesia People

Population:
    205,620 (July 1992), growth rate 2.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    15 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    68 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - French Polynesian(s); adjective - French Polynesian
Ethnic divisions:
    Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Religions:
    mainly Christian; Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Languages:
    French and Tahitian (both official)
Literacy:
    98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 14 and over but definition of literacy not
    available (1977)
Labor force:
    76,630 employed (1988)
Organized labor:
    NA

:French Polynesia Government

Long-form name:
    Territory of French Polynesia
Type:
    overseas territory of France since 1946
Capital:
    Papeete
Administrative divisions:
    none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative
    divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagic
    divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des
    Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent; note - Clipperton Island is
    administered by France from French Polynesia
Independence:
    none (overseas territory of France)
Constitution:
    28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
    based on French system
National holiday:
    Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch:
    French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the
    Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of
    Ministers
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Territorial Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Court of Appeal
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the
    Republic Jean MONTPEZAT (since November 1987)
  Head of Government:
    President of the Council of Ministers Gaston FLOSSE (since 10 May 1991);
    Vice President of the Council of Ministers Joel BUILLARD (since 12 September
    1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    People's Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira; Gaullist), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian
    Union Party (Te Tiarama; centrist), Alexandre LEONTIEFF; New Fatherland
    Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini
    Huiraatira), Oscar TEMARU; other small parties
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
    National Assembly last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993);
    results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) People's Rally
    (Gaullist) 1, New Fatherland Party 1
  French Senate:
    last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) party NA
  Territorial Assembly:
    last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results - percent of
    vote by party NA; seats - (41 total) People's Rally (Gaullist) 18,
    Polynesian Union Party 14, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4
Member of:
    FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are
    represented in the US by France

:French Polynesia Government

Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:French Polynesia Economy

Overview:
    Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French
    Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high
    proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports
    the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for about 20% of GDP and is a primary
    source of hard currency earnings.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.2 billion, per capita $6,000; real growth rate
    NA% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    2.9% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
    14.9% (1988 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $614 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1988)
Exports:
    $88.9 million (f.o.b., 1989)
  commodities:
    coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat
  partners:
    France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%
Imports:
    $765 million (c.i.f., 1989)
  commodities:
    fuels, foodstuffs, equipment
  partners:
    France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    72,000 kW capacity; 265 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Agriculture:
    coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy
    products
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88),
    $3.95 billion
Currency:
    Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural - francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF)
    = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 97.81 (January
    1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27
    (1987); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:French Polynesia Communications

Highways:
    600 km (1982)
Ports:
    Papeete, Bora-bora
Merchant marine:
    3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,128 GRT/6,710 DWT; includes 2
    passenger-cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note - a captive subset of the French
    register
Civil air:
    about 6 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    43 total, 41 usable; 23 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    33,200 telephones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets; broadcast
    stations - 5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:French Polynesia Defense Forces

Branches:
    French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 50,844; NA fit for military service
Note:
    defense is responsibility of France

_@_French Southern and Antarctic Lands Geography

Total area:
    7,781 km2
Land area:
    7,781 km2; includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles
    Crozet; excludes Terre Adelie claim of about 500,000 km2 in Antarctica that
    is not recognized by the US
Comparative area:
    slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    1,232 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm (Iles Kerguelen only)
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Climate:
    antarctic
Terrain:
    volcanic
Natural resources:
    fish, crayfish
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
    Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Note:
    located in the southern Indian Ocean about equidistant between Africa,
    Antarctica, and Australia

:French Southern and Antarctic Lands People

Population:
    summer (January 1991) - 200, winter (July 1992) - 150, growth rate 0.0%
    (1992); note - mostly researchers

:French Southern and Antarctic Lands Government

Long-form name:
    Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Type:
    overseas territory of France since 1955; governed by High Administrator
    Bernard de GOUTTES (since May 1990), who is assisted by a 7-member
    Consultative Council and a 12-member Scientific Council
Capital:
    none; administered from Paris, France
Administrative divisions:
    none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative
    divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts named
    Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes Terre
    Adelie claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:French Southern and Antarctic Lands Economy

Overview:
    Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical
    research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fishing catches
    landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and
    Reunion.
Budget:
    $33.6 million (1990)

:French Southern and Antarctic Lands Communications

Ports:
    none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine:
    12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 192,752 GRT/334,400 DWT; includes 1
    cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum tanker, 1
    liquefied gas, 2 bulk, 1 multifunction large load carrier; note - a captive
    subset of the French register
Telecommunications:
    NA

:French Southern and Antarctic Lands Defense Forces

Branches:
    French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force)
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

_@_Gabon Geography

Total area:
    267,670 km2
Land area:
    257,670 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries:
    2,551 km; Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Coastline:
    885 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed
    sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
Climate:
    tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain:
    narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Natural resources:
    crude oil, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and
    woodland 78%; other 2%
Environment:
    deforestation

:Gabon People

Population:
    1,106,355 (July 1992), growth rate 1.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    100 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    51 years male, 56 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Gabonese (singular and plural); adjective - Gabonese
Ethnic divisions:
    about 40 Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira,
    Bapounou, Bateke); about 100,000 expatriate Africans and Europeans,
    including 27,000 French
Religions:
    Christian 55-75%, Muslim less than 1%, remainder animist
Languages:
    French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy:
    61% (male 74%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    120,000 salaried; agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services
    2.5%, government 2.5%; 58% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor:
    there are 38,000 members of the national trade union, the Gabonese Trade
    Union Confederation (COSYGA)

:Gabon Government

Long-form name:
    Gabonese Republic
Type:
    republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)
Capital:
    Libreville
Administrative divisions:
    9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga,
    Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Independence:
    17 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
    21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975
Legal system:
    based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of
    legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory
    ICJ jurisdiction not accepted
National holiday:
    Renovation Day (Gabonese Democratic Party established), 12 March (1968)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Casimir OYE-MBA (since 3 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party), El Hadj Omar BONGO,
    president; National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons);
    Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP); National Recovery Movement
    (Morena-Original); Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG); Gabonese
    Socialist Union (USG); Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP); Union for
    Democracy and Development (UDD)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  National Assembly:
    last held on 28 October 1990 (next to be held by NA); results - percent of
    vote NA; seats - (120 total, 111 elected) PDG 62, National Recovery Movement
    - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons) 19, PGP 18, National Recovery Movement
    (Morena-Original) 7, APSG 6, USG 4, CRP 1, independents 3
  President:
    last held on 9 November 1986 (next to be held December 1993); results -
    President Omar BONGO was reelected without opposition
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
    IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
    INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador-designate Alexandre SAMBAT; Chancery at 2034 20th Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 797-1000

:Gabon Government

  US:
    Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE; Embassy at Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville
    (mailing address is B. P. 4000, Libreville); telephone (241) 762003/4, or
    743492
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue

:Gabon Economy

Overview:
    The economy, dependent on timber and manganese until the early 1970s, is now
    dominated by the oil sector. During the period 1981-85, oil accounted for
    about 46% of GDP, 83% of export earnings, and 65% of government revenues on
    average. The high oil prices of the early 1980s contributed to a substantial
    increase in per capita income, stimulated domestic demand, reinforced
    migration from rural to urban areas, and raised the level of real wages to
    among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The three-year slide of Gabon's
    economy, which began with falling oil prices in 1985, was reversed in 1989
    because of a near doubling of oil prices over their 1988 lows. In 1990 the
    economy posted strong growth despite serious strikes, but debt servicing
    problems are hindering economic advancement. The agricultural and industrial
    sectors are relatively underdeveloped, except for oil.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $3.3 billion, per capita $3,090; real growth rate
    13% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $277 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
    $1.16 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
  commodities:
    crude oil 70%, manganese 11%, wood 12%, uranium 6%
  partners:
    France 53%, US 22%, FRG, Japan
Imports:
    $0.78 billion (c.i.f., 1989)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials,
    manufactures, machinery
  partners:
    France 48%, US 2.6%, FRG, Japan, UK
External debt:
    $3.4 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -10% (1988 est.)
Electricity:
    315,000 kW capacity; 995 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    petroleum, food and beverages, timber, cement, plywood, textiles, mining -
    manganese, uranium, gold
Agriculture:
    accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cash crops -
    cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock not developed; importer of food; small
    fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a
    tropical softwood) is the most important timber product
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $66 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2,225 million;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $27 million
Currency:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)
    = 100 centimes

:Gabon Economy

Exchange rates:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January
    1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54
    (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Gabon Communications

Railroads:
    649 km 1.437-meter standard-gauge single track (Transgabonese Railroad)
Highways:
    7,500 km total; 560 km paved, 960 km laterite, 5,980 km earth
Inland waterways:
    1,600 km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km
Ports:
    Owendo, Port-Gentil, Libreville
Merchant marine:
    2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,563 GRT/25,330 DWT
Civil air:
    15 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    70 total, 59 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    adequate system of cable, radio relay, tropospheric scatter links and
    radiocommunication stations; 15,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6
    FM, 3 (5 repeaters) TV; satellite earth stations - 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
    and 12 domestic satellite

:Gabon Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, National
    Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 267,580; 134,665 fit for military service; 9,262 reach military
    age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $102 million, 3.2% of GDP (1990 est.)

_@_The Gambia Geography

Total area:
    11,300 km2
Land area:
    10,000 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundaries:
    740 km; Senegal 740 km
Coastline:
    80 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    18 nm
  Continental shelf:
    not specific
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
Climate:
    tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November
    to May)
Terrain:
    flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Natural resources:
    fish
Land use:
    arable land 16%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and
    woodland 20%; other 55%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
    deforestation
Note:
    almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa

:The Gambia People

Population:
    902,089 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    47 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    129 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    47 years male, 51 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Gambian(s); adjective - Gambian
Ethnic divisions:
    African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other
    4%); non-Gambian 1%
Religions:
    Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
    English (official); Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Literacy:
    27% (male 39%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    400,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services
    18.9%, government 6.1%; 55% population of working age (1983)
Organized labor:
    25-30% of wage labor force

:The Gambia Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of The Gambia
Type:
    republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital:
    Banjul
Administrative divisions:
    5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank,
    Upper River, Western
Independence:
    18 February 1965 (from UK); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12
    December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of a
    loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was
    dissolved on 30 September 1989
Constitution:
    24 April 1970
Legal system:
    based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law;
    accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba JAWARA (since 24 April 1970); Vice
    President Bakary Bunja DARBO (since 12 May 1982)
Political parties and leaders:
    People's Progressive Party (PPP), Dawda K. JAWARA, secretary general;
    National Convention Party (NCP), Sheriff DIBBA; Gambian People's Party
    (GPP), Hassan Musa CAMARA; United Party (UP), leader NA; People's Democratic
    Organization of Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), leader NA; People's
    Democratic Party (PDP), Jabel SALLAH
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  House of Representatives:
    last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held by March 1992); results - PPP
    56.6%, NCP 27.6%, GPP 14.7%, PDOIS 1%; seats - (43 total, 36 elected) PPP
    31, NCP 5
  President:
    last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results - Sir Dawda
    JAWARA (PPP) 61.1%, Sherif Mustapha DIBBA (NCP) 25.2%, Assan Musa CAMARA
    (GPP) 13.7%
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
    IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Ousman A. SALLAH; Chancery at Suite 720, 1030 15th Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20005; telephone (202) 842-1356 or 842-1359
  US:
    Ambassador Arlene RENDER; Embassy at Pipeline Road (Kairaba Avenue), Fajara,
    Banjul (mailing address is P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul); telephone Serrekunda
    [220] 92856 or 92858, 91970, 91971

:The Gambia Government

Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green

:The Gambia Economy

Overview:
    The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a
    limited agricultural base. It is one of the world's poorest countries with a
    per capita income of about $230. About 75% of the population is engaged in
    crop production and livestock raising, which contribute 30% to GDP.
    Small-scale manufacturing activity - processing peanuts, fish, and hides -
    accounts for less than 10% of GDP. Tourism is a growing industry. The Gambia
    imports one-third of its food, all fuel, and most manufactured goods.
    Exports are concentrated on peanut products (about 75% of total value).
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $207 million, per capita $235; real growth rate
    3% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    6.0% (FY91)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $79 million; expenditures $84 million, including capital
    expenditures of $21 million (FY90)
Exports:
    $116 million (f.o.b., FY90)
  commodities:
    peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels
  partners:
    Japan 60%, Europe 29%, Africa 5%, US 1, other 5% (1989)
Imports:
    $147 million (f.o.b., FY90)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport
    equipment
  partners:
    Europe 57%, Asia 25%, USSR/EE 9%, US 6%, other 3% (1989)
External debt:
    $336 million (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 6.7%; accounts for 5.8% of GDP (FY90)
Electricity:
    30,000 kW capacity; 65 million kWh produced, 75 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    peanut processing, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly,
    woodworking, metalworking, clothing
Agriculture:
    accounts for 30% of GDP and employs about 75% of the population; imports
    one-third of food requirements; major export crop is peanuts; the other
    principal crops - millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava, palm kernels;
    livestock - cattle, sheep, and goats; forestry and fishing resources not
    fully exploited
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $93 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $535 million;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $39 million
Currency:
    dalasi (plural - dalasi); 1 dalasi (D) = 100 bututs
Exchange rates:
    dalasi (D) per US$1 - 8.790 (March 1992), 8.803 (1991), 7.883 (1990), 7.5846
    (1989), 6.7086 (1988), 7.0744 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:The Gambia Communications

Highways:
    3,083 km total; 431 km paved, 501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151 km
    unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
    400 km
Ports:
    Banjul
Civil air:
    4 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications:
    adequate network of radio relay and wire; 3,500 telephones; broadcast
    stations - 3 AM, 2 FM; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:The Gambia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, National Gendarmerie, National Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 194,480; 98,271 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - more than $1 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989)
\

_@_Gaza Strip Geography

Total area:
    380 km2
Land area:
    380 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    62 km; Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline:
    40 km
Maritime claims:
    Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Disputes:
    Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Climate:
    temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain:
    flat to rolling, sand- and dune- covered coastal plain
Natural resources:
    negligible
Land use:
    arable land 13%, permanent crops 32%, meadows and pastures 0%, forest and
    woodland 0%, other 55%
Environment:
    desertification
Note:
    The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in
    control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan
    Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp David accords and reaffirmed by
    President Bush's post - Gulf crisis peace initiative, the final status of
    the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors,
    and a peace treaty be-tween Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the
    concerned parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will
    resolve the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process,
    it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
    has yet to be determined. In the US view, the term West Bank describes all
    of the area west of the Jordan River under Jordanian administration before
    the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. With respect to negotiations envisaged in the
    framework agreement, however, it is US policy that a distinction must be
    made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank because of the city's
    special status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the
    final status of Jerusalem could be different in character from that of the
    rest of the West Bank.
    The Gaza Strip is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and
    Israeli civil administration; it is US policy that the final status of the
    Gaza Strip will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties;
    these negotiations will determine how this area is to be governed.
    There are 18 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.

:Gaza Strip People

Population:
    681,026 (July 1992), growth rate 3.6% (1992); in addition, there are 4,000
    Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (1992 est.)
Birth rate:
    46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    41 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    NA
Ethnic divisions:
    Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions:
    Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
Languages:
    Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew; English widely understood
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    (excluding Israeli Jewish settlers) small industry, commerce and business
    32.0%, construction 24.4%, service and other 25.5%, and agriculture 18.1%
    (1984)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Gaza Strip Government

Long-form name:
    none

:Gaza Strip Economy

Overview:
    In 1990 roughly 40% of Gaza Strip workers were employed across the border by
    Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker
    remittances accounting for about one-third of GNP. The construction,
    agricultural, and industrial sectors account for about 15%, 12%, and 8% of
    GNP, respectively. Gaza depends upon Israel for some 90% of its external
    trade. Unrest in the territory in 1988-92 (intifadah) has raised
    unemployment and substantially lowered the standard of living of Gazans. The
    Persian Gulf crisis and its aftershocks also have dealt severe blows to Gaza
    since August 1990. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have plunged,
    unemployment has increased, and exports have fallen dramatically. The area's
    economic outlook remains bleak.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $380 million, per capita $590; real growth rate -
    30% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    9% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    20% (1990 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $33.3 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports:
    $30 million (f.o.b., 1989)
  commodities:
    citrus
  partners:
    Israel, Egypt
Imports:
    $255 million (c.i.f., 1989)
  commodities:
    food, consumer goods, construction materials
  partners:
    Israel, Egypt
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate 10% (1989); accounts for about 8% of GNP
Electricity:
    power supplied by Israel
Industries:
    generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood
    carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some
    small-scale modern industries in an industrial center
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 12% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables,
    beef, dairy products
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    new Israeli shekel (plural - shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new
    agorot
Exchange rates:
    new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.2984 (January 1992), 2.2792 (1991),
    2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    previously 1 April - 31 March; FY91 was 1 April - 3l December, and since 1
    January 1992 the fiscal year has conformed to the calendar year

:Gaza Strip Communications

Railroads:
    one line, abandoned and in disrepair, some trackage remains
Highways:
    small, poorly developed indigenous road network
Ports:
    facilities for small boats to service the city of Gaza
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m
Telecommunications:
    broadcast stations - no AM, no FM, no TV

:Gaza Strip Defense Forces

Branches:
    NA
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 136,311; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP