Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 115 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports—commodities: petroleum 50%, lumber, plywood, sugar,
cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports—partners: US 37%, Belgium-Luxembourg 34%, Taiwan, China
(1997 est.)
Imports: $803 million (f.o.b. 1997)
Imports—commodities: intermediate manufactures, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, petroleum products
Imports—partners: France 22%, Italy 16%, US 9%, UK 6% (1997 est.)
Debt—external: $6 billion (1996)
Economic aid—recipient: $159.1 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—550 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 18,000 (1983 est.)
Telephone system: services barely adequate for government use;
key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo;
inter-city lines frequently out-of-order
domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable
international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 8,500 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 795 km (includes 285 km private track)
narrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (1995 est.)
Highways: total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only
Pipelines: crude oil 25 km
Ports and harbors: Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo,
Pointe-Noire
Airports: 36 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 32 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: NA
Military manpower—military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15–49: 641,543 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 326,834 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 28,976 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $110 million (1993)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 3.8% (1993)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: most of the Congo River boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)
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@Cook Islands——————
Introduction
Background: Named after Captain Cook, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand. Residents chose self-government with free association with New Zealand in 1965. The emigration of Cook Islanders to New Zealand in large numbers and resulting loss of skilled labor and government deficits are continuing problems.
Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 21 14 S, 159 46 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 240 sq km
land: 240 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area—comparative: 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain: low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Te Manga 652 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 78% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons (November to March)
Environment—current issues: NA
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertication, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
People
Population: 20,200 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: NA 15–64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 1.04% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.35 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: −6.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.14 years male: 69.2 years female: 73.1 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.17 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Cook Islander(s)
adjective: Cook Islander
Ethnic groups: Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and
European 7.7%, Polynesian and non-European 7.7%, European 2.4%,