1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates
Coastline
359,000 km
Comparative area
land area about 16 times the size of the US
Contiguous zone
generally 24 nm, but varies from 4 nm to 24 nm;
Continental shelf
generally 200 nm, but some are 200 meters in depth;
Disputes
13 international land boundary disputes--Argentina-Uruguay, Bangladesh-India, Brazil-Paraguay, Brazil-Uruguay, Cambodia-Vietnam, China-India, China-USSR, Ecuador-Peru, El Salvador-Honduras, French Guiana-Suriname, Guyana-Suriname, Guyana-Venezuela, Qatar-UAE
Environment
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions), industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife resources, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion
Exclusive fishing zone
most are 200 nm, but varies from 12 nm to 200 nm;
Extended economic zone
200 nm, only Madagascar claims 150 nm;
Land boundaries
442,000 km
Land use
10% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 24% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 34% other; includes 1.6% irrigated
Natural resources
the oceans represent the last major frontier for the discovery and development of natural resources
Terrain
highest elevation is Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters and lowest elevation is the Dead Sea at 392 meters below sea level; greatest ocean depth is the Marianas Trench at 10,924 meters
Territorial sea
generally 12 nm, but varies from 3 nm to 200 nm
Total area
510,072,000 km2; 361,132,000 km2 (70.8%) is water and 148,940,000 km2 (29.2%) is land
People and Society
Birth rate
27 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate
70 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
1,939,000,000 (1984)
Life expectancy at birth
60 years male, 64 years female (1990)
Literacy
77% men; 66% women (1980)
Organized labor
NA
Population
5,316,644,000 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)
Total fertility rate
3.4 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
248 nations, dependent areas, and other entities
Diplomatic representation
there are 159 members of the UN
Legal system
varies among each of the entities; 162 are parties to the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court
Economy
Agriculture
cereals (wheat, maize, rice), sugar, livestock products, tropical crops, fruit, vegetables, fish
Aid
NA
Electricity
2,838,680,000 kW capacity; 11,222,029 million kWh produced, 2,140 kWh per capita (1989)
Exports
$2,694 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--NA; partners--in value, about 70% of exports from industrial countries
External debt
$1,008 billion for less developed countries (1988 est.)
GWP (gross world product)
$20.3 trillion, per capita $3,870; real growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.)
Imports
$2,750 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--NA; partners--in value, about 75% of imports by the industrial countries
Industrial production
growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
Industries
chemicals, energy, machinery, electronics, metals, mining, textiles, food processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5%, developed countries; 100%, developing countries with wide variations (1989 est.)
Overview
In 1989 the World economy grew at an estimated 3.0%, somewhat lower than the estimated 3.4% for 1988. The technologically advanced areas--North America, Japan, and Western Europe--together account for 65% of the gross world product (GWP) of $20.3 trillion; these developed areas grew in the aggregate at 3.5%. In contrast, the Communist (Second World) countries typically grew at between 0% and 2%, accounting for 23% of GWP. Experience in the developing countries continued mixed, with the newly industrializing countries generally maintaining their rapid growth, and many others struggling with debt, inflation, and inadequate investment. The year 1989 ended with remarkable political upheavals in the Communist countries, which presumably will dislocate economic production still further. The addition of nearly 100 million people a year to an already overcrowded globe will exacerbate the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, and poverty throughout the 1990s.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Ports
Mina al Ahmadi (Kuwait), Chiba, Houston, Kawasaki, Kobe, Marseille, New Orleans, New York, Rotterdam, Yokohama
Military and Security
Branches
ground, maritime, and air forces at all levels of technology
Defense expenditures
5.4% of GWP, or $1.1 trillion (1989 est.)
Military manpower
29.15 million persons in the defense forces of the World (1987)