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Information on the Arab States - compiled for the CIA as of 2/28/
Combat Arms BBS
P.O. Box 913
Portland, Oregon 97207-0913
Voice: (503) 223-3160
BBS: (503) 221-1777
Fido 1:105/68
THE ARAB STATES
Demographics and other statistics
Compiled by
Richard Bash
for
Dr. Grant Farr
February 28, 1994
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MOROCCO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
ALGERIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
TUNISIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
LIBYA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
EGYPT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
ISRAEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
GAZA STRIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
WEST BANK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
JORDAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
LEBANON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
SYRIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
IRAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
IRAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
AFGHANISTAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
KUWAIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
BAHRAIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
QATAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
SAUDI ARABIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
YEMEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
OMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
INTRODUCTION
The material in this document was taken from the
United States Central Intelligence Agency's document on
the Internet, entitled The World Factbook, 1992
edition. The benefit to the reader is that this
material provides a great deal of demographic data not
otherwise readily obtainable. This material is
minimally "political" (everything is political).
Together with the lecture materials, class handouts and
assigned reading, this information will heighten your
understanding of the region and people.
Naturally I am aware that putting the state of
Israel in a document entitled "The Arab States" is
tantamount to either heresy or a scholarly faux pas.
The inclusion of Israel is deliberate: the geographical
position of Israel, and the thousands of Arabs (Jewish
and Muslim alike) within her borders, demands her
inclusion in such a document. Additionally, the
political instability in the Middle East requires that
any student be cognizant of the demographics of one of
the major parties to the peace/war process there.
Additionally, this compilation is hardly
"complete." Many countries of Arab heritage, such as
Sudan, have been deliberately left out, both for the
sake of focusing the attention on the Middle East and
because they are insignificant players in the Middle
East drama. As the time passes, it may prove fruitful
to include other countries in this compilation.
This material has been compiled for the use of the
students in Dr. Grant Farr's class, Religion and
Politics of the Middle East (SOC 510). An ASCII version
of this material is available for download from the
bulletin board number listed below. The filename is
ARABSTAT.ZIP.
Richard Bash Graduate student
Combat Arms BBS Ph.D. program in Public Admin. & Policy
P.O. Box 913 School of Urban and Public Affairs
Portland, Oregon 97207-0913 Portland State University
Voice: (503) 223-3160 Portland, Oregon
BBS: (503) 221-1777
Fido 1:105/68
Internet: richard.bash@f68.n105.z1.fidonet.org
Also: dickbash@rigel.cs.pdx.edu
MOROCCO
Morocco Geography
Total area:
446,550 km2
Land area:
446,300 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
2,002 km; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
Coastline:
1,835 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is
unresolved; the UN is attempting to hold a referendum; the
UN-administered cease-fire has been currently in effect
since September 1991 Spain controls five places of
sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of
Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla which
Morocco contests as well as the islands of Penon de
Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Climate:
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Terrain:
mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
Natural resources:
phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use:
arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
28%; forest and woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated
1%
Environment:
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to
earthquakes; desertification
Note:
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
Morocco People
Population:
26,708,587 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
56 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
63 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Moroccan(s); adjective - Moroccan
Ethnic divisions:
Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions:
Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Languages:
Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is often
the language of business, government, and diplomacy
Literacy:
50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%,
other 9% (1985)
Organized labor:
about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan
Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor
(CDT)
Morocco Government
Long-form name:
Kingdom of Morocco
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Rabat
Administrative divisions:
37 provinces and 5 municipalities* (wilayas, singular -
wilaya); Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben
Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El
Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Fes*,
Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra,
Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech, Marrakech*, Meknes,
Meknes*, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi,
Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt,
Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
Independence:
2 March 1956 (from France)
Constitution:
10 March 1972
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law
system; judicial review of legislative acts in
Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
National holiday:
National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to
the throne), 3 March (1961)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
Morocco has 15 political parties; the major ones are
Istiqlal, M'Hamed BOUCETTA; Socialist Union of Popular
Forces (USFP); Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General;
National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN;
National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI;
Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS); Constitutional Union
(UC), Maati BOUABID
Suffrage:
universal at age 21
Elections:
Chamber of Representatives:
last held on 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September
1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (306 total, 206 elected) CU 83,
RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, other 14
Communists:
about 2,000
Member of:
ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC,
EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Morocco Government
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT; Chancery at 1601 21st Street
NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-7979; there is
a Moroccan Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador Frederick VREELAND; Embassy at 2 Avenue de
Marrakech, Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat,
or PSC 74, APO AE 09718; telephone [212] (7) 76-22-65; FAX
[212] (7) 76-56-61; there is a US Consulate General in
Casablanca
Flag:
red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known
as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the
traditional color of Islam
Morocco Economy
Overview:
The economy had recovered moderately in 1990 because of: the
resolution of a trade dispute with India over phosphoric
acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, lower
prices for food imports, a sharp increase in worker
remittances, increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt
rescheduling agreements. Economic performance in 1991 was
mixed. A record harvest helped real GDP advance by 4.2%,
although nonagricultural output grew by less than 1%.
Inflation accelerated slightly as easier financial policies
triggered rapid credit and monetary growth. Despite recovery
of domestic demand, import volume growth slowed while export
volume was adversely affected by phosphate marketing
difficulties. In January 1992, Morocco reached a new
12-month standby arrangement for $129 million with the IMF.
In February 1992, the Paris Club rescheduled $1.4 billion of
Morocco's commercial debt. This is thought to be Morocco's
last rescheduling. By 1993 the Moroccan authorities hope to
be in a position to meet all debt service obligations
without additional rescheduling. Servicing this large debt,
high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external
economic forces remain severe long-term problems.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $27.3 billion, per capita $1,060;
real growth rate 4.2% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.1% (1991 )
Unemployment rate:
16% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures $7.7 billion, including
capital expenditures of $1.9 billion (1992)
Exports:
$4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer
goods 21%, phosphates 17%
partners:
EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
Imports:
$6.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials
16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%,
consumer goods 9%
partners:
EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
External debt:
$20 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4% (1989 est.); accounts for an estimated 20% of
GDP
Electricity:
2,270,000 kW capacity; 8,170 million kWh produced, 310 kWh
per capita (1991)
Industries:
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing,
leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
Agriculture:
50% of employment and 30% of export value; not
self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock
raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine,
vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in
1987
Morocco Economy
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of hashish; trafficking on the increase for
both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of
hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional
transit point for cocaine from South America destined for
Western Europe.
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $7.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid
(1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5
billion; $2.8 billion debt canceled by Saudi Arabia (1991);
IMF standby agreement worth $13 million; World Bank, $450
million (1991)
Currency:
Moroccan dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) =
100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 8.889 (March 1992), 8.707
(1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359
(1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Morocco Communications
Railroads:
1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track,
974 km electrified)
Highways:
59,198 km total; 27,740 km paved, 31,458 km gravel, crushed
stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth
Pipelines:
crude oil 362 km; petroleum products (abandoned) 491 km;
natural gas 241 km
Ports:
Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia,
Nador, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and
Melilla
Merchant marine:
51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,249 GRT/487,479
DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo,
6 roll-on/roll-off, 3 petroleum tanker, 11 chemical tanker,
4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
Civil air:
28 major transport aircraft
Airports:
75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2
with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
good system composed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay
links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat; secondary
centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan;
280,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 20 AM, 7 FM, 26 TV
and 26 additional rebroadcast sites; 5 submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1
ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western
Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave to Algeria; microwave
network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia,
Algeria, and Morocco
Morocco Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air
Force, Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 6,604,712; 4,196,449 fit for military service;
293,204 reach military age (18) annually; limited
conscription
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 4.2% of GDP (1992
budget)
ALGERIA
Algeria Geography
Total area:
2,381,740 km2
Land area:
2,381,740 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
6,343 km total; Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463
km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western
Sahara 42 km
Coastline:
998 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria; land
boundary disputes with Tunisia under discussion
Climate:
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers
along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high
plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially
common in summer
Terrain:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain
Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead,
zinc
Land use:
arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures
13%; forest and woodland 2%; other 82%; includes irrigated
NEGL%
Environment:
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes;
desertification
Note:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
Algeria People
Population:
26,666,921 (July 1992), growth rate 2.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
31 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
56 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Algerian(s); adjective - Algerian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%
Languages:
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Literacy:
50% (male 63%, female 36%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1987)
Labor force:
3,700,000; industry and commerce 40%, agriculture 24%,
government 17%, services 10% (1984)
Organized labor:
16-19% of labor force claimed; General Union of Algerian
Workers (UGTA) is the only labor organization and is
subordinate to the National Liberation Front
Algeria Government
Long-form name:
Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
Type:
republic
Capital:
Algiers
Administrative divisions:
48 provinces (wilayast, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain
Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna,
Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira,
Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El
Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel,
Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila,
Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi,
Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes,
Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf,
Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
Independence:
5 July 1962 (from France)
Constitution:
19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised
February 1989
Legal system:
socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review
of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council
composed of various public officials, including several
Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi
Al-Watani)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Mohamed BOUDIAF; assassinated 29 June 1992
Head of Government:
Interim Prime Minister Sid Ahmed GHOZALI (since 6 June 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
National Liberation Front (FLN); Socialist Forces Front
(FFS), Hocine Ait AHMED, Secretary General; the government
established a multiparty system in September 1989, and, as
of 31 December 1990, over 30 legal parties existed
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
National People's Assembly:
first round held on 26 December 1991 (second round canceled
by the military after President BENJEDID resigned 11 January
1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (281
total); the fundamentalist FIS won 188 of the 231 seats
contested in the first round; note - elections (municipal
and wilaya) were held in June 1990, the first in Algerian
history; results - FIS 55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65%
of the voters participating
President:
next election to be held December 1993
Communists:
400 (est.); Communist party banned 1962
Member of:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-24,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Algeria Government
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Abderrahmane BENSID; Chancery at 2118 Kalorama
Road NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-2800
US:
Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY; Embassy at 4 Chemin Cheich Bachir
El-Ibrahimi, Algiers (mailing address is B. P. Box 549,
Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers); telephone [213] (2) 601-425 or
255, 186; FAX [213] (2) 603979; there is a US Consulate in
Oran
Flag:
two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white
with a red five-pointed star within a red crescent; the
crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of
Islam (the state religion)
Algeria Economy
Overview:
The oil and natural gas sector forms the backbone of the
economy. Algeria depends on hydrocarbons for nearly all of
its export receipts, about 30% of government revenues, and
nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973-74 the sharp increase in oil
prices led to a booming economy and helped to finance an
ambitious program of industrialization. Plunging oil and gas
prices, combined with the mismanagement of Algeria's highly
centralized economy, has brought the nation to its most
serious social and economic crisis since independence in
1988. The government has promised far-reaching reforms,
including privatization of some public- sector companies,
encouraging private-sector activity, boosting gas and
nonhydrocarbon exports, and proposing a major overhaul of
the banking and financial systems, but to date it has made
only limited progress.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $54 billion, per capita $2,130;
real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $16.7 billion; expenditures $17.3 billion,
including capital expenditures of $6.6 billion (1990 est.)
Exports:
$11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
petroleum and natural gas 97%
partners:
Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Italy, France, US
Imports:
$9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
capital goods 29%, consumer goods 30%
partners:
France 25%, Italy 8%, FRG 8%, US 6-7%
External debt:
$26.4 billion
Industrial production:
growth rate --3% (1989 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP,
including petroleum
Electricity:
6,380,000 kW capacity; 16,700 million kWh produced, 640 kWh
per capita (1991)
Industries:
petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining,
electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Agriculture:
accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 24% of labor force; net
importer of food - grain, vegetable oil, and sugar; farm
production includes wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives,
citrus, fruits, sheep, and cattle
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $1.4 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $925 million; OPEC bilateral aid
(1979-89), $1.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.7
billion; net official disbursements (1985-89), --$375
million
Currency:
Algerian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Algerian dinar (DA) =
100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1 - 21.862 (January 1992),
18.473 (1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988),
4.8497 (1987)
Algeria Economy
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Algeria Communications
Railroads:
4,060 km total; 2,616 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,188 km
1.055-meter gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge; 300 km
electrified; 215 km double track
Highways:
80,000 km total; 60,000 km concrete or bituminous, 20,000 km
gravel, crushed stone, unimproved earth
Pipelines:
crude oil 6,612 km; petroleum products 298 km; natural gas
2,948 km
Ports:
Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Ghazaouet, Jijel,
Mers el Kebir, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda
Merchant marine:
75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,064,246
DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 27 cargo, 12
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum tanker, 9 liquefied gas,
7 chemical tanker, 9 bulk, 1 specialized tanker
Civil air:
42 major transport aircraft
Airports:
141 total, 124 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 2
with runways over 3,659 m; 32 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 65
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent domestic and international service in the north,
sparse in the south; 822,000 telephones; broadcast stations
- 26 AM, no FM, 18 TV; 1,600,000 TV sets; 5,200,000 radios;
5 submarine cables; radio relay to Italy, France, Spain,
Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, l ARABSAT, and 15
domestic
Algeria Defense Forces
Branches:
National Popular Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air
Defense, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 6,386,157; 3,928,029 fit for military service;
283,068 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $867 million, approximately 1.8%
of GDP (1992)
TUNISIA
Tunisia Geography
Total area:
163,610 km2
Land area:
155,360 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline:
1,148 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary disputes
with Algeria under discussion
Climate:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry
summers; desert in south
Terrain:
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south
merges into the Sahara
Natural resources:
crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use:
arable land 20%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures
19%; forest and woodland 4%; other 47%; includes irrigated
1%
Environment:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; only 144 km
from Italy across the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on
east
Tunisia People
Population:
8,445,656 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
25 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:
38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Tunisian(s); adjective - Tunisian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Religions:
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Languages:
Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)
Literacy:
65% (male 74%, female 56%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
2,250,000; agriculture 32%; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor:
about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force;
General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent
of Constitutional Democratic Party
Tunisia Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Tunisia; note - may be changed to Tunisian
Republic
Type:
republic
Capital:
Tunis
Administrative divisions:
23 governorates; Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa,
Jendouba, Kairouan, Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef,
Mahdia, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid,
Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine, Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan
Independence:
20 March 1956 (from France)
Constitution:
1 June 1959
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in
joint session
National holiday:
National Day, 20 March (1956)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN
ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic
Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political
parties are legal, including the Communist Party
Suffrage:
universal at age 20
Elections:
President:
last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994);
results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without
opposition
Chamber of Deputies:
last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994);
results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%,
other 2.4%; seats - (141 total) RCD 141
Member of:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Ismail KHELIL; Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 862-1850
US:
Ambassador John T. McCARTHY; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la
Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere; telephone [216] (1) 782-566;
FAX [216] (1) 789-719
Flag:
red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent
nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and
star are traditional symbols of Islam
Tunisia Economy
Overview:
The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates,
tourism, and exports of light manufactures. Following two
years of drought-induced economic decline, the economy made
a strong recovery in 1990 as a result of a bountiful
harvest, continued export growth, and higher domestic
investment. Continued high inflation and unemployment have
eroded popular support for the government, however, and
forced Tunis to slow the pace of economic reform.
Nonetheless, the government appears committed to
implementing its IMF-supported structural adjustment program
and to servicing its foreign debt.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $10.9 billion, per capita $1,320;
real growth rate 3.5% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.2% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
15% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $5.4 billion, including
capital expenditures of $970 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and
chemicals
partners:
EC 74%, Middle East 11%, US 2%, Turkey, USSR
Imports:
$4.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food
12%, consumer goods
partners:
EC 67%, US 6%, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, Algeria
External debt:
$8.6 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP,
including petroleum
Electricity:
1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries:
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore),
tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages
Agriculture:
accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output
subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts;
export crops - olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other
products - grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef,
dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 99,200
metric tons (1987)
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $5.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid
(1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410
million
Currency:
Tunisian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) =
1,000 millimes
Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9272 (March 1992), 0.9246
(1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287
(1987)
Tunisia Economy
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Tunisia Communications
Railroads:
2,115 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge; 1,650
km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways:
17,700 km total; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and
unimproved earth
Pipelines:
crude oil 797 km, petroleum products 86 km, natural gas 742
km
Ports:
Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
Merchant marine:
21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 160,069 GRT/218,791
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum tanker, 6 chemical
tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air:
19 major transport aircraft
Airports:
29 total, 26 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
the system is above the African average; facilities consist
of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and radio relay; key
centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000
telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 8 FM, 19 TV; 5
submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station;
coaxial cable to Algeria and Libya; radio relay to Algeria,
and Libya
Tunisia Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,117,864; 1,217,819 fit for military service;
88,619 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $520 million, 5% of GDP (1992
budget)
LIBYA
Libya Geography
Total area:
1,759,540 km2
Land area:
1,759,540 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
4,383 km; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km,
Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline:
1,770 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Gulf of Sidra closing line:
32 degrees 30 minutes N
Disputes:
claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in northern
Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims
about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims about
19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
Climate:
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus,
depressions
Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%;
forest and woodland 0%; other 91%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one
to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse
natural surface-water resources
Note:
the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water
development scheme in the world, is being built to bring
water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
Libya People
Population:
4,484,795 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
36 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
60 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Libyan(s); adjective - Libyan
Ethnic divisions:
Berber and Arab 97%; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians,
Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages:
Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major
cities
Literacy:
64% (male 75%, female 50%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners;
industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%
Organized labor:
National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members; General
Union for Oil and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of
Petroleum Energy and Allied Workers
Libya Government
Long-form name:
Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Digraph:
Tripoli Administration divisions *** 25 municipalities
(baladiyah, singular - baladiyat; Ajdabiya, Al `Aziziyah, Al
Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah,
An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi,
Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha,
Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan
Type:
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, governed by
the populace through local councils; in fact, a military
dictatorship
Capital:
Tripoli Administration divisions
Administrative divisions:
25 municipalities (baladiyah, singular - baladiyat;
Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al
Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati',
Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan,
Misratah, Murzuq Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus,
Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan
Independence:
24 December 1951 (from Italy)
Constitution:
11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
Legal system:
based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate
religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Executive branch:
revolutionary leader, chairman of the General People's
Committee (premier), General People's Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral General People's Congress
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Revolutionary Leader Col. Mu`ammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI
(since 1 September 1969)
Head of Government:
Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier) Abu
Zayd `umar DURDA (since 7 October 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
none
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of
peoples' committees
Other political or pressure groups:
various Arab nationalist movements and the Arab Socialist
Resurrection (Ba'th) party with almost negligible
memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as
some Islamic elements
Member of:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC,
OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Libya Government
Diplomatic representation:
none
Flag:
plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the
state religion)
Libya Economy
Overview:
The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon
revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically
all export earnings and about one-third of GDP. Since 1980,
however, the sharp drop in oil prices and the resulting
decline in export revenues have adversely affected economic
development. In 1988 per capita GDP was the highest in
Africa at $5,410, but GDP growth rates have slowed and
fluctuate sharply in response to changes in the world oil
market. Import restrictions and inefficient resource
allocations have led to shortages of basic goods and
foodstuffs, although the reopening of the Libyan-Tunisian
border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian border in
December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages. Austerity
budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined
the government's ability to implement a number of planned
infrastructure development projects. Windfall revenues from
the hike in world oil prices in late 1990 improved the
foreign payments position and resulted in a current account
surplus for the first time in five years. The nonoil
manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for
about 22% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly
agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron,
steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for about
5% of GDP, it employs about 20% of the labor force. Climatic
conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, and
Libya imports about 75% of its food requirements.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $28.9 billion, per capita $6,800;
real growth rate 9% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2% (1988 est.)
Budget:
revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $9.8 billion, including
capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exports:
$11 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
petroleum, peanuts, hides
partners:
Italy, USSR, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg,
Turkey
Imports:
$7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
partners:
Italy, USSR, Germany, UK, Japan
External debt:
$3.5 billion, excluding military debt (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 4%; accounts for 22% of GDP (not including
oil) (1989)
Electricity:
4,700,000 kW capacity; 13,700 million kWh produced, 3,100
kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Agriculture:
5% of GNP; cash crops - wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus
fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $242 million; no longer a recipient
Libya Economy
Currency:
Libyan dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000
dirhams
Exchange rates:
Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.2743 (March 1992), 0.2669
(1991), 0.2699 (1990), 0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988), 0.2706
(1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Libya Communications
Pipelines:
crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; petroleum products
443 km (includes liquid petroleum gas 256 km)
Ports:
Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's
Lanuf
Merchant marine:
30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 684,969 GRT/1,209,084
DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 4
roll-on/roll-off, 10 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1
liquefied gas
Civil air:
59 major transport aircraft
Airports:
133 total, 120 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 9
with runways over 3,659 m; 28 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 46
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial
cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite
stations; 370,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 17 AM, 3
FM, 12 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic;
submarine cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia
and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT
and Intersputnik satellite stations
Libya Defense Forces
Branches:
Armed Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (including Army,
Navy, Air and Air Defense Command), National Police
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 1,056,686; 624,027 fit for military service;
50,916 reach military age (17) annually; conscription now
being implemented
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, 11.1% of GDP (1987)
EGYPT
Egypt Geography
Total area:
1,001,450 km2
Land area:
995,450 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries:
2,689 km; Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255 km, Libya 1,150 km,
Sudan 1,273 km
Coastline:
2,450 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone:
undefined
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
Administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with
international boundary
Climate:
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Terrain:
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese,
limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Land use:
arable land 3%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 0%;
forest and woodland NEGL%; other
95%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
Nile is only perennial water source; increasing soil
salinization below Aswan High Dam; hot, driving windstorm
called khamsin occurs in spring; water pollution;
desertification
Note:
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa
and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal,
shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean;
size and juxtaposition to Israel establish its major role in
Middle Eastern geopolitics
Egypt People
Population:
56,368,950 (July 1992), growth rate 2.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
33 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
80 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
58 years male, 62 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Egyptian(s); adjective - Egyptian
Ethnic divisions:
Eastern Hamitic stock 90%; Greek, Italian, Syro-Lebanese 10%
Religions:
(official estimate) Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%; Coptic
Christian and other 6%
Languages:
Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by
educated classes
Literacy:
48% (male 63%, female 34%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
15,000,000 (1989 est.); government, public sector
enterprises, and armed forces 36%; agriculture 34%;
privately owned service and manufacturing enterprises 20%
(1984); shortage of skilled labor; 2,500,000 Egyptians work
abroad, mostly in Iraq and the Gulf Arab states (1988 est.)
Organized labor:
2,500,000 (est.)
Egypt Government
Long-form name:
Arab Republic of Egypt
Type:
republic
Capital:
Cairo
Administrative divisions:
26 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazah); Ad
Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buchayrah, Al Fayyum, Al
Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma`iliyah, Al Jizah, Al
Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al
Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyu`t, Bani Suwayf,
Bur Sa`id, Dumyat, Janub Sina, Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh,
Qina, Shamal Sina, Suhaj
Independence:
28 February 1922 (from UK); formerly United Arab Republic
Constitution:
11 September 1971
Legal system:
based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic
codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State
(oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Revolution, 23 July (1952)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly (Majlis al-Cha'b); note - there
is an Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura) that functions in a
consultative role
Judicial branch:
Supreme Constitutional Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (was made acting President
on 6 October 1981 upon the assassination of President SADAT
and sworn in as President on 14 October 1981)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Atef Mohammed Najib SEDKY (since 12 November
1986)
Political parties and leaders:
formation of political parties must be approved by
government; National Democratic Party (NDP), President
Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK, leader, is the dominant party; legal
opposition parties are Socialist Liberal Party (SLP), Kamal
MURAD; Socialist Labor Party, Ibrahim SHUKRI; National
Progressive Unionist Grouping (NPUG), Khalid MUHYI-AL-DIN;
Umma Party, Ahmad al-SABAHI; New Wafd Party (NWP), Fu'd
SIRAJ AL-DIN; Misr al-Fatah Party (Young Egypt Party), Ali
al-Din SALIH; The Greens Party, Hasan RAJAB; Nasserist Arab
Democratic Party, Dia' AL-DIN DAWOUD
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
Advisory Council:
last held 8 June 1989 (next to be held June 1995); results -
NDP 100%; seats - (258 total, 172 elected) NDP 172
People's Assembly:
last held 29 November 1990 (next to be held November 1995);
results - NDP 78.4%, NPUG 1.4%, independents 18.7%; seats -
(437 total, 444 elected) - including NDP 348, NPUG 6,
independents 83; note - most opposition parties boycotted
Egypt Government
President:
last held 5 October 1987 (next to be held October 1993);
results - President Hosni MUBARAK was reelected
Communists:
about 500 party members
Other political or pressure groups:
Islamic groups are illegal, but the largest one, the Muslim
Brotherhood, is tolerated by the government; trade unions
and professional associations are officially sanctioned
Member of:
ACC, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AG (observer), AL, AMF,
CAEU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, ESCWA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador El Sayed Abdel Raouf EL REEDY; Chancery at 2310
Decatur Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202)
232-5400; there are Egyptian Consulates General in Chicago,
Houston, New York, and San Francisco
US:
Ambassador Robert PELLETREAU; Embassy at Lazougi Street,
Garden City, Cairo (mailing address is APO AE 09839);
telephone [20] (2) 355-7371; FAX [20] (2) 355-7375; there is
a US Consulate General in Alexandria
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black
with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden
eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name
of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band;
similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band;
also similar to the flag of Syria that has two green stars
and to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus
an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the
white band
Egypt Economy
Overview:
Egypt has one of the largest public sectors of all the Third
World economies, most industrial plants being owned by the
government. Overregulation holds back technical
modernization and foreign investment. Even so, the economy
grew rapidly during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but in
1986 the collapse of world oil prices and an increasingly
heavy burden of debt servicing led Egypt to begin
negotiations with the IMF for balance-of-payments support.
As part of the 1987 agreement with the IMF, the government
agreed to institute a reform program to reduce inflation,
promote economic growth, and improve its external position.
The reforms have been slow in coming, however, and the
economy has been largely stagnant for the past four years.
The addition of 1 million people every seven months to
Egypt's population exerts enormous pressure on the 5% of the
total land area available for agriculture.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $39.2 billion, per capita $720;
real growth rate 2% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $9.4 billion; expenditures $15.9 billion, including
capital expenditures of $6 billion (FY90 est.)
Exports:
$4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, cotton yarn, raw cotton,
textiles, metal products, chemicals
partners:
EC, Eastern Europe, US, Japan
Imports:
$11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery and equipment, foods, fertilizers, wood products,
durable consumer goods, capital goods
partners:
EC, US, Japan, Eastern Europe
External debt:
$38 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 7.3% (FY89 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
Electricity:
13,500,000 kW capacity; 45,000 million kWh produced, 820 kWh
per capita (1991)
Industries:
textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum,
construction, cement, metals
Agriculture:
accounts for 20% of GDP and employs more than one-third of
labor force; dependent on irrigation water from the Nile;
world's sixth-largest cotton exporter; other crops produced
include rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruit, vegetables; not
self-sufficient in food; livestock - cattle, water buffalo,
sheep, and goats; annual fish catch about 140,000 metric
tons
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15.7 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $10.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid
(1979-89), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.4
billion
Egypt Economy
Currency:
Egyptian pound (plural - pounds); 1 Egyptian pound (#E) =
100 piasters
Exchange rates:
Egyptian pounds (#E) per US$1 - 3.3310 (January 1992),
2.7072 (1990), 2.5171 (1989), 2.2233 (1988), 1.5183 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Egypt Communications
Railroads:
5,110 km total; 4,763 km 1,435-meter standard gauge, 347 km
0.750-meter gauge; 951 km double track; 25 km electrified
Highways:
51,925 km total; 17,900 km paved, 2,500 km gravel, 13,500 km
improved earth, 18,025 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo
Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta); Suez
Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), used by
oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 meters of water
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,171 km; petroleum products 596 km; natural gas
460 km
Ports:
Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, Bur Safajah, Damietta
Merchant marine:
150 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,019,182
GRT/1,499,880 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 5 short-sea
passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 86 cargo, 3 refrigerated
cargo, 15 roll-on/roll-off, 12 petroleum tanker, 15 bulk, 1
container
Civil air:
50 major transport aircraft
Airports:
92 total, 82 usable; 66 with permanent-surface runways; 2
with runways over 3,659 m; 44 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 24
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
system is large but still inadequate for needs; principal
centers are Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez
and Tanta; intercity connections by coaxial cable and
microwave; extensive upgrading in progress; 600,000
telephones (est.); broadcast stations - 39 AM, 6 FM, 41 TV;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; 5 submarine
coaxial cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; radio relay
to Libya, Israel, and Jordan
Egypt Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 13,911,006; 9,044,425 fit for military service;
563,321 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 6.4% of GDP (1991)
ISRAEL
Israel Header
Note:
The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war
are not included in the data below. 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 Gaza Strip, their relationship with their
neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are
to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David
Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve
the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the
completion of this process, it is US policy that the final
status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be
determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On 25
April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to
Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are
included in the Syria entry.
Israel Geography
Total area:
20,770 km2
Land area:
20,330 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
1,006 km; Egypt 255 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria
76 km, West Bank 307, Gaza Strip 51 km
Coastline:
273 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea:
6 nm
Disputes:
separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949
Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of
the 1949 Armistice Line that separates the two countries;
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to
be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli
troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing
issues with Jordan
Climate:
temperate; hot and dry in desert areas
Terrain:
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central
mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Natural resources:
copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur,
asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude
oil
Land use:
arable land 17%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures
40%; forest and woodland 6%; other 32%; includes irrigated
11%
Environment:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited
arable land and natural water resources pose serious
constraints; deforestation
Note:
there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 38 in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14
Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
Israel People
Population:
4,748,059 (July 1992), growth rate 4.0% (1992); includes
95,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,000 in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,000 in the Gaza Strip, and
132,000 in East Jerusalem (1992 est.)
Birth rate:
21 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
26 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
9 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
76 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Israeli(s); adjective - Israeli
Ethnic divisions:
Jewish 83%, non-Jewish (mostly Arab) 17%
Religions:
Judaism 82%, Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim) 14%, Christian 2%,
Druze and other 2%
Languages:
Hebrew (official); Arabic used officially for Arab minority;
English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:
92% (male 95%, female 89%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1983)
Labor force:
1,400,000 (1984 est.); public services 29.3%; industry,
mining, and manufacturing 22.8%; commerce 12.8%; finance and
business 9.5%; transport, storage, and communications 6.8%;
construction and public works 6.5%; personal and other
services 5.8%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.5%;
electricity and water 1.0% (1983)
Organized labor:
90% of labor force
Israel Government
Long-form name:
State of Israel
Type:
republic
Capital:
Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US,
like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in
Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa,
Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence:
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
Constitution:
no formal constitution; some of the functions of a
constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment
(1948), the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the
Israeli citizenship law
Legal system:
mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations,
and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim
legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN
Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day; Israel declared independence on 14 May
1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may
occur in April or May
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament (Knesset)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Chaim HERZOG (since 5 May 1983)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR (since 20 October 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 12
parties that hold 66 of the Knesset's 120 seats; currently
in state of flux; election held 23 June 1992
Members of the government:
Likud bloc, Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR; Sephardic Torah
Guardians (SHAS), Minister of Interior Arieh DER'I; National
Religious Party, Minister of Education Shulamit ALONI;
Agudat Israel, Avraham SHAPIRA; Degel HaTorah, Avraham
RAVITZ; Moriya, Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Yair
TZABAN; Ge'ulat Israel, Eliezer MIZRAHI; New Liberal Party,
Minister of Finance, Avraham SHOCHAT; Tehiya Party, Minister
of Science Technology, Yuval NEEMAN; Tzomet Party Unity for
Peace and Aliyah, Rafael EITAN; Moledet Party, Rehavam ZEEVI
Opposition parties:
Labor Party, Shimon PERES; Citizens' Rights Movement,
Shulamit ALONI; United Workers' Party (MAPAM), Yair TZABAN;
Center Movement-Shinui, Amnon RUBENSTEIN; New Israeli
Communist Party (MAKI), Meir WILNER; Progressive List for
Peace, Muhammad MI'ARI; Arab Democratic Party, `Abd Al Wahab
DARAWSHAH; Black Panthers, Charlie BITON
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Israel Government
Elections:
President:
last held 23 February 1988 (next to be held February 1994);
results - Chaim HERZOG reelected by Knesset
Knesset:
last held June 1992 (next to be held by NA; results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Labor Party
44, Likud bloc 12, SHAS 6, National Religious Party 6,
Meretz 12, Agudat Yisrael 4, PAZI 3, MAKI 3, Tehiya Party 3,
Tzomet Party 8, Moledet Party 3, Degel HaTorah 4, Center
Movement Progressive List for Peace 1, Arab Democratic Party
2; Black Panthers 1, Moriya 1, Ge'ulat Yisrael 1, Unity for
Peace and Aliyah 1
Communists:
Hadash (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership)
has some 1,500 members
Other political or pressure groups:
Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish
settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now,
critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon
policies
Member of:
AG (observer), CCC, EBRD, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Zalman SHOVAL; Chancery at 3514 International
Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 364-5500;
there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
Philadelphia, and San Francisco
US:
Ambassador William HARROP; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street,
Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO AE 09830; telephone [972]
(3) 654338; FAX [972] (3) 663449; there is a US Consulate
General in Jerusalem
Flag:
white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known
as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two
equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of
the flag
Israel Economy
Overview:
Israel has a market economy with substantial government
participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains,
raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited
natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its
agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years.
Industry employs about 20% of Israeli workers, agriculture
5%, and services most of the rest. Diamonds, high-technology
equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables)
are leading exports. Israel usually posts
balance-of-payments deficits, which are covered by large
transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly
half of the government's $17 billion external debt is owed
to the United States, which is its major source of economic
and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel
has been targeting high-technology niches in international
markets, such as medical scanning equipment. Iraq's invasion
of Kuwait in August 1990 dealt a blow to Israel's economy.
Higher world oil prices added an estimated $300 million to
the oil import bill that year and helped keep annual
inflation at 18%. Regional tension and the continuing
Palestinian uprising (intifadah) have contributed to a sharp
drop in tourism - a key foreign exchange earner - to the
lowest level since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The influx of
Jewish immigrants from the former USSR, which topped 330,000
during the period 1990-91, will increase unemployment,
intensify housing problems, widen the government budget
deficit, and fuel inflation.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $54.6 billion, per capita
$12,000; real growth rate 5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
18% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
11% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $41.7 billion; expenditures $47.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)
Exports:
$12.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and
clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products,
military hardware, electronics
partners:
US, EC, Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland
Imports:
$18.1 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals,
machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles,
ships, aircraft
partners:
US, EC, Switzerland, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Hong Kong
External debt:
$24 billion, of which government debt is $17 billion
(December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 7% (1991 est.); accounts for about 20% of GDP
Electricity:
5,300,000 kWh capacity; 21,000 million kWh produced, 4,800
kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles,
clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment,
transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous
machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics,
tourism
Israel Economy
Agriculture:
accounts for about 3% of GDP; largely self-sufficient in
food production, except for grains; principal products -
citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock
products - beef, dairy, and poultry
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $18.2 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $2.8 billion
Currency:
new Israeli shekel (plural - shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel
(NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.4019 (March 1992),
2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988),
1.5946 (1987)
Fiscal year:
previously 1 April - 31 March; FY91 was 1 April - 31
December, and since 1 January 1992 the fiscal year has
conformed to the calendar year
Israel Communications
Railroads:
600 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated
Highways:
4,750 km; majority is bituminous surfaced
Pipelines:
crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89
km
Ports:
Ashdod, Haifa
Merchant marine:
34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 629,966 GRT/721,106
DWT; includes 8 cargo, 23 container, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1
roll-on/roll-off; note - Israel also maintains a significant
flag of convenience fleet, which is normally at least as
large as the Israeli flag fleet; the Israeli flag of
convenience fleet typically includes all of its petroleum
tankers
Civil air:
32 major transport aircraft
Airports:
51 total, 44 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
most highly developed in the Middle East although not the
largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio relay;
1,800,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 14 AM, 21 FM, 20
TV; 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
Israel Defense Forces
Branches:
Israel Defense Forces, including ground, naval, and air
components; historically, there have been no separate
Israeli military services
Manpower availability:
eligible 15-49, 2,357,195; of the 1,189,275 males 15-49,
977,332 are fit for military service; of the 1,167,920
females 15-49, 955,928 are fit for military service; 44,624
males and 42,705 females reach military age (18) annually;
both sexes are liable for military service; Nahal or Pioneer
Fighting Youth, Frontier Guard, Chen
Defense expenditures:
$7.5 billion, 12.1% of GNP (1992 budget); note - does not
include pay for reserve soldiers and other defense-related
categories; actual outlays would therefore be higher
GAZA STRIP
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
WEST BANK
West Bank Header
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 between 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
view of the US, the term West Bank describes all of the area
west of the Jordan River under Jordanian administration
before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. However, with respect to
negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, 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
West Bank Geography
Total area:
5,860 km2
Land area:
5,640 km2; includes West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun
Salient, Jerusalem No Man's Land, and the northwest quarter
of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Delaware
Land boundaries:
404 km total; Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Climate:
temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude,
warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but
barren in east
Natural resources:
negligible
Land use:
arable land 27%, permanent crops 0%, meadows and pastures
32%, forest and woodland 1%, other 40%
Environment:
highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal
aquifers
Note:
landlocked; there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West
Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East
Jerusalem
West Bank People
Population:
1,362,464 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992); in addition,
there are 95,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and
132,000 in East Jerusalem (1992 est.)
Birth rate:
35 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
37 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
68 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
NA
Ethnic divisions:
Palestinian Arab and other 88%, Jewish 12%
Religions:
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 80%, Jewish 12%, Christian and
other 8%
Languages:
Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely
understood
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
NA; excluding Israeli Jewish settlers - small industry,
commerce, and business 29.8%, construction 24.2%,
agriculture 22.4%, service and other 23.6% (1984)
Organized labor:
NA
West Bank Government
Long-form name:
none
Note:
The West Bank is currently governed by Israeli military
authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US
policy that the final status of the West Bank will be
determined by negotiations among the concerned parties.
These negotiations will determine how the area is to
governed.
West Bank Economy
Overview:
Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by
Israeli military administration and the effects of the
Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Industries using advanced
technology or requiring sizable investment have been
discouraged by a lack of local capital and restrictive
Israeli policies. Capital investment consists largely of
residential housing, not productive assets that would enable
local firms to compete with Israeli industry. A major share
of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in
Israel and Persian Gulf states, but such transfers from the
Gulf dropped dramatically after Iraq invaded Kuwait in
August 1990. In the wake of the Persian Gulf crisis, many
Palestinians have returned to the West Bank, increasing
unemployment, and export revenues have plunged because of
the loss of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states. Israeli
measures to curtail the intifadah also have pushed
unemployment up and lowered living standards. The area's
economic outlook remains bleak.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, per capita $1,200;
real growth rate -10% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% (1990 est.)
Budget:
revenues $31.0 million; expenditures $36.1 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports:
$150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
commodities:
NA
partners:
Jordan, Israel
Imports:
$410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.)
commodities:
NA
partners:
Jordan, Israel
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate 1% (1989); accounts for about 4% of GNP
Electricity:
power supplied by Israel
Industries:
generally small family businesses that produce cement,
textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl
souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale
modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
Agriculture:
accounts for about 15% of GNP; olives, citrus and other
fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
new Israeli shekel (plural - shekels) and Jordanian dinar
(plural - dinars); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new
agorot and 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
West Bank Economy
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.4019 (March 1992),
2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988),
1.5946 (1987); Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6760
(January 1992), 0.6810 (1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989),
0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987)
Fiscal year:
previously 1 April - 31 March; FY91 was 1 April - 31
December, and since 1 January 1992 the fiscal year has
conformed to the calendar year
West Bank Communications
Highways:
small road network, Israelis developing east-west axial
highways to service new settlements
Airports:
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
open-wire telephone system currently being upgraded;
broadcast stations - no AM, no FM, no TV
West Bank Defense Forces
Branches:
NA
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
JORDAN
Jordan Geography
Total area:
91,880 km2
Land area:
91,540 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
1,586 km; Iraq 134 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 742 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline:
26 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
differences with Israel over the location of the 1949
Armistice Line that separates the two countries
Climate:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great
Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan
River
Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use:
arable land 4%; permanent crops 0.5%; meadows and pastures
1%; forest and woodland 0.5%; other 94%; includes irrigated
0.5%
Environment:
lack of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification
Note:
The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967
ended with Israel in control of the West Bank. 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 Gaza Strip, their relationship with
their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and
Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The
Camp David accords also specify that these negotiations will
resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending
the completion of this process, it is US policy that the
final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be
determined.
Jordan People
Population:
3,557,304 (July 1992), growth rate 4.1% (1992); Palestinians
now constitute roughly two-thirds of the population; most
are Jordanian citizens
Birth rate:
45 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Jordanian(s); adjective - Jordanian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%
Languages:
Arabic (official); English widely understood among upper and
middle classes
Literacy:
80% (male 89%, female 70%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
572,000 (1988); agriculture 20%, manufacturing and mining
20% (1987 est.)
Organized labor:
about 10% of labor force
Jordan Government
Long-form name:
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Amman
Administrative divisions:
8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa',
Al Karak, Al Mafraq, `Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid,
Ma`an
Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration; formerly Transjordan)
Constitution:
8 January 1952
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of
legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-`Umma) consists of an
upper house or House of Notables (Majlis al-A`ayan) and a
lower house or House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwaab);
note - the House of Representatives has been convened and
dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in
November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years
were held
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal Al Hashemi (since 11 August 1952)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Zayd bin SHAKIR (since 21 November 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
approximately 24 parties have been formed since the National
Charter, but the number fluctuates; after the 1989
parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow the
formation of political parties; a national charter that sets
forth the ground rules for democracy in Jordan - including
the creation of political parties - was approved in
principle by the special National Conference on 9 June 1991,
but its specific provisions have yet to be passed by
National Assembly
Suffrage:
universal at age 20
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (80 total)
Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 22, Independent Islamic
bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Democratic bloc (mostly
leftist) 9, Constitutionalist bloc (traditionalist) 17,
Nationalist bloc (traditionalist) 16, independent 10
Member of:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS,
NAM, OIC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Jordan Government
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Hussein A. HAMMAMI; Chancery at 3504
International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone
(202) 966-2664
US:
Ambassador Roger Gram HARRISON; Embassy on Jebel Amman,
Amman (mailing address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO AE
09892); telephone [962] (6) 644-371
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and
green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points
on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the
Koran
Jordan Economy
Overview:
Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom
of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual GNP
growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the
1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker
remittances slowed economic growth to an average of roughly
2% per year. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer
durables, and food - have been outstripping exports, with
the difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing.
In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government began
debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an
IMF program designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit
and implement badly needed structural reforms. The Persian
Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated
Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the
government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt
payments, and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from
Gulf Arab states and worker remittances have plunged, and
refugees have flooded the country, straining government
resources. Economic recovery is unlikely without substantial
foreign aid, debt relief, and economic reform.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $3.6 billion, per capita $1,100;
real growth rate 3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
40% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products,
manufactures
partners:
India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, UAE, China
Imports:
$2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live
animals, manufactured goods
partners:
EC, US, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey
External debt:
$9 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
1,025,000 kW capacity; 3,900 million kWh produced, 1,150 kWh
per capita (1991)
Industries:
phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light
manufacturing
Agriculture:
accounts for about 7% of GDP; principal products are wheat,
barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; livestock -
sheep, goats, poultry; large net importer of food
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid
(1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $44
million
Currency:
Jordanian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) =
1,000 fils
Jordan Economy
Exchange rates:
Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.6861 (March 1992), 0.6807
1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387
(1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Jordan Communications
Railroads:
619 km 1.050-meter gauge, single track
Highways:
7,500 km; 5,500 km asphalt, 2,000 km gravel and crushed
stone
Pipelines:
crude oil 209 km
Ports:
Al `Aqabah
Merchant marine:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 60,378 GRT/113,557 DWT;
includes 1 cargo and 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
23 major transport aircraft
Airports:
19 total, 15 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; 1
with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
adequate telephone system of microwave, cable, and radio
links; 81,500 telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 7 FM, 8
TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV
receive-only; coaxial cable and microwave to Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, and Syria; microwave link to Lebanon is inactive;
participates in a microwave network linking Syria, Jordan,
Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco
Jordan Defense Forces
Branches:
Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian
Navy, Public Security Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 808,725; 576,934 fit for military service;
39,310 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $404 million, 9.5% of GDP (1990)
LEBANON
Lebanon Geography
Total area:
10,400 km2
Land area:
10,230 km2
Comparative area:
about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
454 km; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline:
225 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli
troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in
northern Lebanon since October 1976
Climate:
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry
summers
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa` (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Natural resources:
limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a
water-deficit region
Land use:
arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures
1%; forest and woodland 8%; other 61%; includes irrigated 7%
Environment:
rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and
develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan,
ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water
pollution; desertification
Note:
Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an
international boundary
Lebanon People
Population:
3,439,115 (July 1992), growth rate 1.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
43 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Lebanese (singular and plural); adjective - Lebanese
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Religions:
Islam 75%, Christian 25%, Judaism NEGL%; 17 legally
recognized groups - 5 Islam (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze,
Isma`ilite, Shi`a, Sunni); 11 Christian, consisting of 4
Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox,
Nestorean, Syriac Orthodox), 6 Catholic (Armenian Catholic,
Caldean, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Roman Catholic, and
Syrian Catholic) and the Protestants; 1 Jewish
Languages:
Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
Literacy:
80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and
write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
650,000; industry, commerce, and services 79%, agriculture
11%, government 10% (1985)
Organized labor:
250,000 members (est.)
Lebanon Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Lebanon; note - may be changed to Lebanese
Republic
Type:
republic
Capital:
Beirut
Administrative divisions:
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Biqa,
`Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Independence:
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under
French administration)
Constitution:
26 May 1926 (amended)
Legal system:
mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and
civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet; note - by custom, the
president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a
Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi`a
Muslim
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Arabic - Majlis Alnuwab,
French - Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and
commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Rashid SULH (since 13 May 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
political party activity is organized along largely
sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist,
consisting of individual political figures and followers
motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations;
most parties have well-armed militias, which are still
involved in occasional clashes
Suffrage:
compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at
age 21 with elementary education
Elections:
National Assembly:
elections should be held every four years, but security
conditions have prevented elections since May 1972; in June
1991, the Cabinet appointed 40 new deputies to fill
vacancies and balance Christian and Muslim representation;
the legislature's mandate expires in 1994
Communists:
the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members
and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
Member of:
ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Lebanon Government
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador - no ambassador at present; Mission is headed by
Charge; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC
20008; telephone (202) 939-6300; there are Lebanese
Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles
US:
Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER; Embassy at Antelias, Beirut
(mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut, or Box B, FPO
AE 09836); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802, 415803, 402200,
403300
Flag:
three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width),
and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the
white band
Lebanon Government
Note:
Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil
war between its Christians - then aided by Syrian troops -
and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire
established in October 1976 between the domestic political
groups generally held for about six years, despite
occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab
Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon.
Syria's move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims, and the
Palestinians and Israel's growing support for Lebanese
Christians, brought the two sides into rough equilibrium,
but no progress was made toward national reconciliation or
political reforms - the original cause of the war.
Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in
Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982.
Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the
country and mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which
resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from Beirut in
September under the supervision of a multinational force
(MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops. Within days
of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected
president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated; his elder
brother Amin was elected to succeed him. In the immediate
wake of Bashir's death, however, Christian militiamen
massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut
camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the
security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces.
In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew. In 1988,
President Gemayel completed his term of office. Because
parliamentarians failed to elect a presidential successor,
Gemayel appointed then Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander
Gen. Michel Awn acting president. Lebanese parliamentarians
met in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia, in late 1989 and concluded a
national reconciliation pact that codified a new
power-sharing formula, specifying reduced powers for the
Christian president and giving Muslims more authority. Rene
MUAWAD was subsequently elected president on 4 November
1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no
president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. MUAWAD
was assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24
November, Ilyas Harawi was elected to succeed MUAWAD. In
October 1990, the civil war was apparently brought to a
conclusion when Syrian and Lebanese forces ousted renegade
Christian General Awn from his stronghold in East Beirut.
Awn had defied the legitimate government and established a
separate ministate within East Beirut after being appointed
acting Prime Minister by outgoing President Gemayel in 1988.
Awn and his supporters feared Ta'if would diminish Christian
power in Lebanon and increase the influence of Syria. Awn
was granted amnesty and allowed to travel in France in
August 199l. Since the removal of Awn, the Lebanese
Government has made substantial progress in strengthening
the central government, rebuilding government institutions,
and extending its authority throughout the nation. The LAF
has deployed from Beirut north along the coast road to
Tripoli, southeast into the Shuf mountains, and south to
Sidon and Tyre |
