Part 104

Executive branch: chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve four-year terms; election last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000) election results: William Jefferson CLINTON elected president; percent of popular vote - William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 49.2%, Bob DOLE (Republican Party) 40.7%, Ross PEROT (Reform Party) 8.4%, other 1.7%

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100 seats, one-third are renewed every two years; two members are elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 2 November 1998); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 2 November 1998) election results : Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 45; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 227, Democratic Party 205, independent 1, vacant 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed for life by the president with confirmation by the Senate

Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Jim NICHOLSON, national committee chairman; Democratic Party, Steve GROSSMAN, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CP, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTAES, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Flag description: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

Economy

Economy - overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $28,600, the largest among major industrial nations. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and government buys needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy considerably greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, lay off surplus workers, and develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' home markets than the barriers to entry of foreign firms in US markets. In all economic sectors, US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers, and medical, aerospace, and military equipment, although their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. The years 1994-96 witnessed moderate gains in real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment below 6%. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population, sizable budget and trade deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The outlook for 1997 is for continued moderate growth, low inflation, and about the same level of unemployment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.61 trillion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,600 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 23% services: 75% (1996 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3% (1996 est.)

Labor force: total: 133.943 million (includes unemployed) (1996) by occupation: managerial and professional 28.8%, technical, sales and administrative support 29.7%, services 13.6%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.1%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%

Unemployment rate: 5.4% (1996)

Budget: revenues: $1.351 trillion expenditures: $1.514 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Industrial production growth rate: 3.1% (1996)

Electricity - capacity: 702.7 million kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 3.5357 trillion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 11,636 kWh (1994 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish

Exports: total value: $584.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities : capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products partners: Canada 22%, Western Europe 21%, Japan 11%, Mexico 8% (1995)

Imports: total value: $771 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages partners : Canada, 20%, Western Europe 18%, Japan 16.5%, Mexico 8% (1995)

Debt - external: $862 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid: donor : ODA, $9.721 billion (1993)

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: British pounds (£) per US$ - 0.6023 (January 1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992); Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$ - 1.3486 (January 1997), 1.3635 (1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992); French francs (F) per US$ - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992); Italian lire (Lit) per US$ - 1,568.1 (January 1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992); Japanese yen (¥) per US$ - 118.02 (January 1997), 108.78 (1996), 94.06 (1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992); German deutsche marks (DM) per US$ - 1.6043 (January 1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

@United States:Communications

Telephones: 182.558 million (1987 est.)

Telephone system: domestic: large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites international : 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) (1990 est.), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4,987, FM 4,932, shortwave 0

Radios: 540.5 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1,092 (in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV systems)

Televisions: 215 million (1993 est.)

@United States:Transportation

Railways: total: 240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned) standard gauge: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)

Highways: total : 6,261,154 km paved: 3,759,516 km (including 88,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,501,638 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes

Pipelines: petroleum products 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)

Ports and harbors: Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo

Merchant marine: total: 305 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,319,000 GRT/14,454,000 DWT ships by type : bulk 15, cargo 22, chemical tanker 16, intermodal 119, liquefied gas tanker 14, passenger-cargo 3, tanker 104, tanker tug-barge 12 note: in addition, there are 193 government-owned vessels (1996 est.)

Airports: 13,396 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11,677 over 3,047 m: 180 2,438 to 3,047 m: 201 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,217 914 to 1,523 m: 2,354 under 914 m : 7,725 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,719 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m : 152 914 to 1,523 m: 1,559 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 103 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force note: the Coast Guard falls under the Department of Transportation, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49 : 69,414,007 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: NA

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 1,864,580 (1996 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $267.2 billion (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; Republic of Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

Illicit drugs: consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamines from Mexico; consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamines; drug money-laundering center ______________________________________________________________________

URUGUAY

@Uruguay:Geography

Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 S, 56 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 176,220 sq km land: 173,620 sq km water: 2,600 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Washington State

Land boundaries: total: 1,564 km border countries : Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline: 660 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea : 200 nm; overflight and navigation guaranteed beyond 12 nm

Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources: fertile soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals

Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 77% forests and woodland: 5% other : 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,400 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in weather fronts

Environment - current issues: substantial pollution from Brazilian industry along border; one-fifth of country affected by acid rain generated by Brazil; water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified : Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

@Uruguay:People

Population: 3,270,707 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (male 405,016; female 385,863) 15-64 years: 63% (male 1,021,166; female 1,042,401) 65 years and over: 13% (male 173,345; female 242,916) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.7% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 16.98 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.97 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population : 75.23 years male: 72.09 years female : 78.55 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian, specifically, the Charrua, which are practically nonexistent and make up probably less than 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than one-half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%

Languages: Spanish, Portunon, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

Literacy: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.3% male: 96.9% female: 97.7% (1995 est.)

@Uruguay:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay conventional short form: Uruguay local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay local short form : Uruguay

Data code: UY

Government type: republic

National capital: Montevideo

Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres

Independence: 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1828)

Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 7 January 1997

Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: chief of state: President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March 1995) and Vice President Hugo BATALLA (since 1 March 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government as well as the Senate president head of government : President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March 1995) and Vice President Hugo BATALLA (since 1 March 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government as well as the Senate president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections : president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999) election results: Julio Maria SANGUINETTI elected president; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - Colorado 36%, Blanco 34%, Encuentro Progresista 27%, New Sector 3%; seats by party - Colorado 11, Blanco 10, Encuentro Progresista 8, New Sector 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Colorado 32%, Blanco 31%, Encuentro Progresista 31%, New Sector 5%; seats by party - Colorado 32, Blanco 31, Encuentro Progresista 31, New Sector 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly

Political parties and leaders: National (Blanco) Party, Alberto VOLONTE Berro; Herrerista faction of the Blanco Party, Luis LACALLE; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front Coalition, Tabare VAZQUEZ (as of 22 December 1996); New Sector Coalition, Rafael MICHELINI; Party for the Government by the People (PGP), Hugo BATALLA; Progressive Encounter (Encuentro Progresista), Tabare VAZQUEZ

International organization participation: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alvaro DIEZ DE MEDINA SUAREZ chancery : 2715 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 FAX : [1] (202) 331-8147 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. DODD embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo mailing address : APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 23 60 61, 48 77 77 FAX: [598] (2) 48 86 11

Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy

Economy

Economy - overview: Uruguay's small economy benefits from a favorable climate for agriculture and substantial hydropower potential. Economic development has been restrained in recent years by high - though declining - inflation and extensive government regulation. The SANGUINETTI government's conservative monetary and fiscal policies are aimed at continuing to reduce inflation, at 24.3% at yearend 1996; other priorities include extensive reform of the social security system and increased investment in education. Uruguay recovered from recession in 1996 - partly due to the recovery in Argentina - and ended the year with a nearly 5% rise in GDP. Uruguayan trade continued to expand and the potential for new markets continued to open through the negotiations of Mercosur (Southern Cone Common Market) with neighboring countries and the European Union (EU). The economy is expected to continue growing at a healthy rate in 1997 along with other regional economies.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $26 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.9% (1996)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 10.8% industry: 27.4% services: 61.8% (1995)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 24.4% (December 1996)

Labor force: total: 1.436 million (1996 est.) by occupation: government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: 12% (1996 est.)

Budget: revenues: $3.03 billion expenditures : $3.37 billion with capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Industries: meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, petroleum refining, wine

Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (1996)

Electricity - capacity: 2.142 million kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 6.308 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,568 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; livestock; fishing

Exports: total value : $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: wool and textile manufactures, beef and other animal products, leather, rice partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, China, Italy

Imports: total value: $3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals, plastics, oil partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria

Debt - external: $5 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $91 million (1993)

Currency: 1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos

Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1 - 8.6550 (January 1997), 7.9718 (1996), 6.3491 (1995), 5.0529 (1994), 3.9484 (1993), 3.0270 (1992) note: on 1 March 1993 the former new peso (N$Ur) was replaced as Uruguay's unit of currency by the peso which is equal to 1,000 of the new pesos

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Uruguay:Communications

Telephones: 451,000 (1991 est.)

Telephone system: some modern facilities domestic : most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 99, FM 0, shortwave 9

Radios: 1.89 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 26

Televisions: 725,000 (1992 est.)

@Uruguay:Transportation

Railways: total: 2,070 km (461 km closed; additional 460 km only partially operational) standard gauge: 2,070 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways: total: 50,900 km paved: 6,973 km unpaved: 43,927 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft

Ports and harbors: Fray Bentos, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del Este

Merchant marine: total: 2 oil tanker ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,042 GRT/83,684 DWT (1996 est.)

Airports: 60 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 45 2,438 to 3,047 m : 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 31 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total : 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 13 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force, Grenadier Guards, Coracero Guard, Police

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49 : 792,365 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 643,137 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $256 million (1994)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (1994)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute - Arroyo de la Invernada (Arroio Invernada) area of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the Uruguay River ______________________________________________________________________

UZBEKISTAN

@Uzbekistan:Geography

Location: Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 64 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area: total: 447,400 sq km land: 425,400 sq km water: 22,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 6,221 km border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Coastline: 0 km note : Uzbekistan borders the Aral Sea (420 km)

Maritime claims: none (doubly landlocked)

Climate: mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Terrain: mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya and Syr Darya; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Land use: arable land: 9% permanent crops : 1% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 3% other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: drying up of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salinization; soil contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein are the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

@Uzbekistan:People

Population: 23,467,724 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 39% (male 4,609,766; female 4,474,481) 15-64 years: 57% (male 6,593,525; female 6,703,482) 65 years and over : 4% (male 421,609; female 664,861) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.35% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 24.02 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 7.63 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 70.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.31 years male : 60.69 years female: 68.11 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.92 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Uzbekistani(s) adjective: Uzbekistani

Ethnic groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazak 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Languages: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%