United States. Central Intelligence Agency

“ The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2005 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 150 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines. Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. ”

“ Monarchy - a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince - with constitutionally limited authority. ”

“ Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. ”

“ The measure is simple to compute and gives a precise measure of the value of output. Many economists prefer this measure when gauging the economic power an economy maintains vis- à-vis its neighbors, judging that an exchange rate captures the purchasing power a nation enjoys in the international marketplace. Official exchange rates, however, can be artifically fixed and/or subject to manipulation - resulting in claims of the country having an under- or over-valued currency - and are not necessarily the equivalent of a market-determined exchange rate. ”

“ Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or power.
Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according to party strength as expressed in elections; by this system, the government acquires a dual responsibility: to the people as well as to the parliament. ”

“ In 1782, the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians.
In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of
treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a
British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in
1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf
countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign
affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves,
Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has
transformed itself into an international banking center. ”

“ Introduction Dominican Republic
Background:
Explored and claimed by Christopher COLUMBUS on his first voyage in
1492, the island of Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish
conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain
recognized French dominion over the western third of the island,
which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then
known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821,
but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally
attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. ”

“ Through fiscal discipline and
sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the
poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per
capita GDP of $10,000 in 2005. Two major investment services rank
Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has
fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than
one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism,
financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are
other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with
high rates of unemployment and poverty. ”

“ With the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1979, the US Government recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, acknowledging the Chinese position that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China.
The European Union (EU) is not a country, but it has taken on many nation-like attributes and these are likely to be expanded in the future. ”

“ China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. ”

“ World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining,
and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural
economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic
increase in trade and economic integration with the US. Given its
great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital
plant, Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. ”

“ That Brazil
absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the
resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in
place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President LULA
DA SILVA. In 2004, Brazil enjoyed more robust growth that yielded
increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of the
economic program are a floating exchange rate, an
inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, all reinforced
by a series of IMF programs. ”

“ Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs. ”

“ Agriculture consists largely of
subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate
the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure
difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's
through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's
financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically
backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most
development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian
migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for
tourists are key resources. ”

“ Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an
underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on
subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea
exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The
ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather
conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi
minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the
coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the
population. ”

“ Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not actively involved in policy formation or implementation (i.e., the exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity) ; true governmental leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its head - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor - who are drawn from a legislature (parliament) .
Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives) , not the people themselves, vote on legislation. ”

“ Economy - overview:
The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the
post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in
2000-05 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany,
and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic
demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth
as interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards and
mortgages increases. The current account deficit has declined to
around 3% of GDP as demand for Czech products in the European Union
has increased. Inflation is under control. ”

“ The economy is bolstered by annual
remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Greece and
Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture,
which accounts for about one-quarter of GDP, is held back because of
frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment, to clarify
property rights, and to consolidate small plots of land. Energy
shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to
Albania's poor business environment, which make it difficult to
attract and sustain foreign investment. ”

“ Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia,
after Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized area with
a per capita output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average.
The economy emerged from a mild recession in 2000 with tourism,
banking, and public investments leading the way. Unemployment
remains high, at about 18%, with structural factors slowing its
decline. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely been
achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the
part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. ”

“ Why doesn't The World Factbook include pronunciations of country or leader names?
There are too many variations in pronunciation among English-speaking countries, not to mention English renditions of non-English names, for pronunciations to be included. American English pronunciations are included for some countries like Qatar and Kiribati.
Why is the name of the Labour party misspelled?
When American and British spellings of common English words differ, The World Factbook always uses the American spelling, even when these common words form part of a proper name in British English. ”

“ An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56 migrants/1,000 population) ; an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population) . The net migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the overall level of population change. High levels of migration can cause problems such as increasing unemployment and potential ethnic strife (if people are coming in) or a reduction in the labor force, perhaps in certain key sectors (if people are leaving) . ”

“ Why don't you include information on entities such as Tibet,
Kashmir, or Kosovo?
The World Factbook provides information on the administrative divisions of a country as recommended by the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) . The BGN is a component of the US Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic names—domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to have access to uniform names of geographic features. ”