1981 Edition

Area

2,771,300 km8; 57% agricultural (11% crops, improved pasture and fallow, 46% natural grazing land), 25% forested, 18% mountain, urban, or waste

7,692,300 km2; 6% arable, 58% pasture, 2% forested, 34% other

Colony — 12,168 km2; area consists of some 200 small islands and two principal islands, East Falkland (6,680 km2) and West Falkland (5,276 km2); dependencies— South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia, and the Shag and Clerke Rocks

1,340 km2; less than 5% arable, of which only a fraction cultivated; archipelago consisting of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets

Coastline

4,989 km

about 25,760 km

1,288 km

764 km

Government leader

Governor and Commander in Chief J. R. W. PARKER (also High Commissioner for British Antarctic Colony)

Land boundaries

9,414 km

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

200 nm (continental shelf, including sovereignty over superjacent waters)

3 nm (fishing 200 nm; prawn and crayfish on continental shelf)

3 nm

3 nm; fishing 200 nm

Suffrage

universal

Ethnic divisions

approximately 85% white, 15% mestizo, Indian, or other nonwhite groups

99% Caucasian, 1% Asian and aborigine

almost totally British

homogeneous white population

Labor force

10.8 million; 19% agriculture, 25% manufacturing, 20% services, 11% commerce, 6% transport and communications, 19% other; 2.2% estimated unemployment (1978 est.)

6.5 million; 14% agriculture, 32% industry, 37% services, 15% commerce, 2% other; 6.2% unemployment

1,100 (est); est. over 95% in agriculture, mostly sheepherding

15,000; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce

Language

Spanish

English

English

Languages

Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Literacy

85% (90% in Buenos Aires)

98.5%

compulsory education up to age 14

99%

Nationality

noun — Argentines); adjective — Argentine

noun — Australian(s); adjective — Australian

noun — Falkland Islander(s); adjective — Falkland Island

noun — Faroese (sing., pi.); adjective — Faroese

Organized labor

25% of labor force (est.)

44% of labor force

Population

28,593,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.6%

15,011,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.3%

2,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate -0.7%

45,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.2% (current)

Religion

90% nominally Roman Catholic (less than 20% practicing), 2% Protestant, 2% Jewish, 6% other

98% Christian

predominantly Church of England

Evangelical Lutheran

Branches

presidency; national judiciary

Parliament (House of Representatives and Senate); Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to House; independent judiciary AUSTRALIA (Continued)

Governor, Executive Council, Legislative Council 1 The possession of the Falkland Islands has been disputed by the UK and Argentina (which refers to them as the Islas Malvinas) since 1833. On 1 April 1982 Argentine military forces invaded the islands. The British responded by sending warships to the South Atlantic.

legislative authority rests jointly with Crown, acting through appointed High Commissioner,' and 32member provincial parliament (Lagting) in matters of strictly Faroese concern; executive power vested in Crown, acting through High Commissioner, but exercised by provincial cabinet responsible to provincial parliament FIJI FAROE ISLANDS (Continued)

Capital

Buenos Aires

Canberra

Stanley

Torshavn on the island of Streymoy

Communists

some 70,000 members in various party organizations, including a small nucleus of activists

5,000 members (est.)

insignificant number

Elections

held at three-year intervals or sooner if Parliament is dissolved by Prime Minister; last election October Political parties and leaders: government — Liberal Party (Malcolm Fraser) and National Country Party (Douglas Anthony); opposition — Labor Party (William J. Hayden) Voting strength (1980 parliamentary election): lower house — Liberal-Country coalition, 74 seats; Labor Party, 51 seats; Senate — Liberal-Country coalition, 31 seats; Labor, 27 seats; Australian Democrats, 5 seats; Independents, 1 seat

held every four years; most recent, 8 November 1980 Political parties and leaders: Coalition, Pauli Effefsen; Peoples, Jogvan Sundstein; Republican, Erlendur Patursson; Home Rule, Tobj0rn Poulsen; Progressive and Fishermen's, Adolf Hansen; Social Democratic, Atli Dam Voting strength (1980 election): Coalition, 23.8%; Social Democratic, 21.7%; Republican, 17.0%; Peoples, 17.9%; Home Rule, 8.4%; Progressive and Fishermen's, 8.2%

Government leader

President, Lt. Gen. Leopoldo Fortunato GALTIERI, chosen in December 1981 by the military junta that took power on 24 March 1976

Government leaders

Governor General Sir Zelman COWEN; Prime Minister J. Malcolm FRASER

Queen MARGRETHE II; Lagmand (Chairman) Pauli ELLEFSEN; Danish Governor Leif GROTH

Government structure

the President and the junta, composed of the chiefs of the three armed services, retain supreme authority; active duty or retired officers fill three Cabinet posts and administer all provincial and many local governments; in addition, the military now oversees the nation's principal labor confederation and unions, as well as other civilian pressure groups; Congress has been disbanded and all political activity suspended; a five-man Legislative Council, composed of senior officers, advises the junta on lawmaking

Legal system

based on Spanish and French civil codes; constitution adopted 1853 partially superseded in 1966 by the Statute of the Revolution, which takes precedence over the constitution when the two are in conflict; further changes may be made by new government; judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at University of Buenos Aires and other public and private universities; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

based on English common law; constitution adopted 1900; High Court has jurisdiction over cases involving interpretation of the constitution; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

English common law

based on Danish law; Home Rule Act enacted 1948

Member of

FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, IFAD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IOOC, ISO, ITU, IWC— International Whaling Commission, IWC — International Wheat Council, LAFTA, NAM, OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG

ADB, AIOEC, ANZUS, CIPEC (associate), Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, DAC, ELDO, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IOOC, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC — International Whaling Commission, IWC — International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Nordic Council

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 May

26 January

Official name

Argentine Republic

Commonwealth of Australia

Colony of the Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Other political or pressure groups

Peronist-dominated labor movement, General Economic Confederation (Peronistleaning association of small businessmen), Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association), Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association), business organizations, students, and the Catholic Church

Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group)

Political parties

several civilian political groupings remain potentially influential, despite the suspension of all partisan activity; these include Justicialist Party (Peronist coalition that formerly governed) and the Radical Civic Union, center-left party providing the chief civilian opposition to the Peronists; the Moscow-oriented Communist Party remains legal, but extreme leftist splinter groups have been outlawed

Political subdivisions

22 provinces, 1 district (Federal Capital), and 1 territory

6 states and 2 territories — Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) and Northern Territory

local government is confined to capital

7 districts, 49 communes, 1 town

Suffrage

universal over age 18

universal, but not compulsory, over age 21

Type

republic; under military rule since 1976

federal parliamentary state recognizing Elizabeth II as sovereign or head of state

British crown colony

self-governing province within the Kingdom of Denmark; 2 representatives in Danish parliament

Agriculture

main products — cereals, oilseed, livestock products; Argentina is a major world exporter of temperate zone foodstuffs AUSTRALIA ARGENTINA (Continued)

large areas devoted to livestock grazing; 60% of area used for crops is planted in wheat; major products — wool, livestock, wheat, fruits, sugarcane; self-sufficient in food; caloric intake, 3,300 calories per day per capita

Colony — predominantly sheep farming

sheep and cattle grazing

Aid

economic — Australian aid abroad in Australian dollars, $662 million (FY81-82); for Papua New Guinea in US dollars, $290 million per year 1981-86

economic — (1970-79) Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF, $24 million

Budget

(1980) approximately $20 billion at exchange rate of first quarter 1980

expenditures, A$40.86 billion; receipts A$40.72 billion (FY81-82)

(FY78) expenditures $73.3 million, revenues $73.3 million

Crude steel

3.2 million metric tons produced (1979), 120 kg per capita

7.8 million metric tons produced (FY76), 560 kg per capita

Electric power

10,500,000 kW capacity (1981); 40.0 billion kWh produced (1981), 1,454 kWh per capita

26,358,140 kW capacity (1980); 98.843 billion kWh produced (1980), 6,728 kWh per capita

1,250 kW capacity (1980); 2.5 million kWh produced (1980), 1,150 kWh per capita

48,000 kW capacity (1980); 90 million kWh produced (1980), 2,140 kWh per capita

Exports

$8.0 billion (f.o.b., 1980); meat, corn, wheat, wool, hides, oilseed

$18.7 billion (f.o.b., 1979); principal products (1979) — 44% agricultural products, 14% metalliferous ores, 10% wool, 10% coal

Colony— $5.8 million (1978); wool, hides and skins, and other; dependencies — no exports in 1968 or 1969

$150.7 million (f.o.b., 1979); mostly fish and fish products

Fiscal year

calendar year

1 July-30 June

calendar year beginning 1 January 1979

Fishing

catch 537,323 metric tons (1978); exports $42 million (1976 est.)

catch 122,947 metric tons (1978); exports $94.5 million (FY75), imports $86.2 million (FY75)

catch 261,800 metric tons (1979); exports, $131.6 million (1979 est.)

GDP

$420.8 million (1979), about $8,280 per capita

GNP

$143 billion (1980), $5,257 per capita; 69% consumption, 26% investment, 6% net foreign demand (1979); real GDP growth rate 1980, -0.3%

$120.4 billion (1979), $8,360 per capita; 60% private consumption, 16% government current expenditure, 24% investment (1975); 2.8% real average annual growth (1979)

Government budget

Colony — revenues, $5.1 million (FY68); expenditures, $5.3 million (1980-81)

Imports

$9.4 billion (f.o.b., 1980); machinery, fuel and lubricating oils, iron and steel, intermediate industrial products Major trade partners (1980): exports— 9% Brazil, 9% Netherlands, 8% Italy, 9% US, 6% FRG, 5% USSR, Japan, and Spain; imports— 26% US, 10% Brazil, 11% FRG, 4% Italy, 11% Japan, 3% Chile

$18.3 billion (c.i.f., 1979); principal products (1977) — 41% manufactured raw materials, 28% capital equipment, 25% consumer goods

Colony — $3.4 million (1978); food, clothing, fuels, and machinery; dependencies — $8,368 (1969); mineral fuels and lubricants, food, and machinery

$205.8 million (c.i.f., 1979); machinery and transport equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, food products

Major industries

food processing (especially meatpacking), motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals, printing, and metallurgy

mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals

Colony — wool processing

Major industry

fishing

Major trade partners

(1979) exports — 28% Japan, 12% US, 5% New Zealand, 4% UK; imports— 23% US, 11% UK, 18% Japan

nearly all exports to the UK, also some to the Netherlands and to Japan; imports from Curacao, Japan, and the UK

48.1% Denmark, 8.9% US, 8.6% Norway, 8.1% UK (1978)

Monetary conversion rate

1,930 pesos=US$l (midSeptember 1980)

1.0 Australian dollar=US$1.08 (February 1982)

1 Falkland Island pound = US$2.3263

5.261 Danish Kroner=US$l

Airfields

2,446 total, 2,147 usable; 108 with permanentsurface runways; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 311 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

1,584 total, 1,526 usable; 207 with permanentsurface runways, 2 with runways over 3,660 m; 16 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 570 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

2 total, 2 usable, 1 with permanent surface runways; 1 with runways 1,200-2,439 m

1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439

Civil air

67 major transport aircraft including 2 leased in

around 150 major transport aircraft

no major transport aircraft

no major transport aircraft

Highways

208,100 km total, of which 47,550 km paved, 39,500 km gravel, 101,000 km improved earth, 20,300 km unimproved earth

837,872 km total (1980); 207,650 km paved, 205,454 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface, 424,768 km unimproved earth

510 km total; 30 km paved, 80 km gravel, and 400 km unimproved earth

200 km

Inland waterways

11,000 km navigable

8,368 km; mainly by small, shallowdraft craft

Military budget

proposed for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, $3,426,600; about 16.6% of total central government budget

for fiscal year ending 30 June 1982, $4.7 billion; about 10.1% of total central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 7,040,000; 5,715,000 fit for military service; 236,000 reach military age (20) annually

males 15-49, 3,907,000; 3,334,000 fit for military service; 131,000 reach military age (17) annually

males 15-49 included with Denmark nN PAPUA ^ &f GUfflEA

Pipelines

4,090 km crude oil; 2,200 km refined products; 8,172 km natural gas

crude oil, 740 km; refined products, 340 km; natural gas, 6,947 km

Ports

7 major, 21 minor

12 major, numerous minor

1 major (Port Stanley), 4 minor

1 minor

Railroads

39,738 km total; 3,086 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 22,788 km broad gauge (1.676 m), 13,461 km meter gauge (1.000 m), 403 km 0.750-meter gauge; of total in country, 260 km are electrified

42,855 km total (1980); 9,689 km 1.60-meter gauge, 15,783 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 17,383 km 1.067-meter gauge; 800 km electrified (June 1962); government owned (except for few hundred kilometers of privately owned track)

none

none

Telecommunications

extensive modern system; telephone network has 2.76 million sets (10.3 per 100 popl.), radio relay widely used; 1 satellite station with 2 Atlantic Ocean antennas; 160 AM, 12 FM, and 74 TV stations DEFENSE FORCES

very good international and domestic service; 7.4 million telephones (52 per 100 popl.); 223 AM, 5 FM, and 111 TV stations; 3 earth satellite stations; submarine cables to New Zealand, New Guinea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Guam DEFENSE FORCES

government-operated radiotelephone networks providing effective service to almost all points on both islands; approximately 530 telephones (est. 29.2 per 100 popl.); 1 AM station

good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 15,000 telephones (35 per 100 popl.); 1 AM and 3 FM stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables DEFENSE FORCES