Asia
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Afghanistan
Chief of State: on 27 September 1996, the ruling members of the Afghan Government were displaced by members of the Islamic Taliban movement; the Islamic State of Afghanistan has no functioning government at this time, and the country remains divided among fighting factions. note: the Taliban have declared themselves the legitimate government of Afghanistan; the UN has deferred a decision on credentials and the Organization of the Islamic Conference has left the Afghan seat vacant until the question of legitimacy can be resolved through negotiations among the warring factions; the country is essentially divided along ethnic lines; the Taliban controls the capital of Kabul and approximately two-thirds of the country including the predominately ethnic Pashtun areas in southern Afghanistan; opposing factions have their stonghold in the ethnically diverse north - General Dostam's National Islamic Movement controls several northcentral provinces and Commander Masood controls the ethnic Tajik majority areas of the northeast.
Government type: Transitional Government
National capital: Kabul
Total Area: 647,500 sq km
Population: 23,738,085 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)
Religions: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Languages: Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
GDP: purchasing power parity - $18.1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (1996 est.)
Armenia
Chief of State: President Robert Kocharian
Head of Government: Prime Minister Armen Darbinyan
Government type: Republic
National capital: Yerevan
Total Area: 29,800 sq km
Population: 3,433,629 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 2% (1989) note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from Armenia.
Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94%
Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1996 est.)
Azerbaijan
Chief of State: President Heydar Aliyev
Head of Government: Prime Minister Artur Rasizade
Government type: Republic
National capital: Baku (Baki)
Total Area: 86,600 sq km
Population: 7,797,476 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Azeri 90%, Dagestani Peoples 3.2%, Russian 2.5%, Armenian 2.3%, other 2% (1995 est.) note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.) note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; actual practicing adherents are much lower.
Languages: Azeri 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)
GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.9 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.2% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,550 (1996 est.)
Bahrain
Chief of State: Amir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Head of Government: Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Government type: Traditional Monarchy
National capital: Manama
Total Area: 620 sq km
Population: 603,318 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $13,000 (1996 est.)
Bangladesh
Chief of State: President Mustafizur Rahman
Head of Government: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed
Government type: Republic
National capital: Dhaka
Total Area: 144,000 sq km
Population: 125,340,261 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million
Religions: Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, other 1.2%
Languages: Bangla (official), English
GDP: purchasing power parity - $155.1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (1996)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,260 (1996 est.)
Bhutan
Chief of State and Head of Government: King Jigme Singye Wangchuck
Government type: Monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
National capital: Thimphu
Total Area: 47,000 sq km
Population: 1,865,191 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Religions: Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.9% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $730 (1995 est.)
Brunei
Chief of State and Head of Government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah
Government type: Constitutional Sultanate
National capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Total Area: 5,770 sq km
Population: 307,616 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%
Religions: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)
Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,800 (1995 est.)
Burma
Chief of State and Head of government: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. Than Shwe
Government type: Military Regime
National capital: Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon)
Total Area: 678,500 sq km
Population: 46,821,943 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%,
Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%
Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%),
Muslim 4%, animist beliefs 1%, other 2%
Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
GDP: purchasing power parity - $51.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,120 (1996 est.)
Cambodia
Chief of State: King Norodom Sihanouk
Head of government: power shared between First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Second Prime Minister Hun Sen
Government type: Multiparty Liberal Democracy under a Constitutional Monarchy established in September 1993
National capital: Phnom Penh
Total Area: 181,040 sq km
Population: 11,163,861 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
Religions: Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%
Languages: Khmer (official), French
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $710 (1996 est.)
China, The People's Republic of
Chief of State: President Jiang Zemin
Head of Government: Premier Zhu Rongji
Government type: Communist State
National capital: Beijing
Total Area: 9,596,960 sq km
Population: 1,221,591,778 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao,
Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Religions: Daoism (Taoism), Buddhism, Muslim 2%-3%, Christian 1% (est.) note: officially atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic.
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing
dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan
(Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see
Ethnic divisions entry)
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.39 trillion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1995 with use of official Chinese growth figure for 1996; the result may overstate China's GDP by as much as 25%)
GDP - real growth rate: 9.7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1996 est.)
Cyprus
Chief of State and Head of Government: President Glafcos Clerides
Government type: Republic note: a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began after the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish invasion of the island in July 1974, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), which has been recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution of intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of government.
National capital: Nicosia note: the Turkish area's capital is Lefkosa (Nicosia).
Total Area: 9,250 sq km (note - 3,355 sq km are in the Turkish area)
Population: 752,808 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Greek 78% (99.5% of the Greeks live in the Greek area; 0.5% of the Greeks live in the Turkish area), Turkish 18% (1.3% of the Turks live in the Greek area; 98.7% of the Turks live in the Turkish area), other 4% (99.2% of the other ethnic groups live in the Greek area; 0.8% of the other ethnic groups live in the Turkish area)
Religions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4%
Languages: Greek, Turkish, English
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.8 billion (Greek area: purchasing power parity - $8,300,000,000; Turkish area: purchasing power parity - $536,000,000) (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.4% (Greek area: 4%; Turkish area: 0.5%) (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,800 (Greek area: purchasing power parity - $13,700; Turkish area: purchasing power parity - $3,950) (1996 est.)
Georgia
Chief of State and Head of Government: President Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze
Government type: Republic
National capital: T'bilisi
Total Area: 69,700 sq km
Population: 5,160,042 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Religions: Christian Orthodox 75% (Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%), Muslim 11%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%
Languages: Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.1 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 11% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,350 (1996 est.)
Indonesia
Chief of State and Head of Government: President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
Government type: Republic
National capital: Jakarta
Total Area: 1,919,440 sq km
Population: 209,774,138 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%
Religions: Muslim 87%, Protestant 6%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1985)
Languages: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
GDP: purchasing power parity - $779.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,770 (1996 est.)
Iran
Chief of State: supreme leader (rahbar-e moazam) and functional chief of state - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-Khamenei
Head of government: President Ali Mohammad Hojjat ol-Eslam Khatami-Ardakani
Government type: Theocratic Republic
National capital: Tehran
Total Area: 1.648 million sq km
Population: 67,540,002 (July 1997 est.)note: includes 917,078 non-nationals (July 1997 est.).
Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%
Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $343.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,200 (1996 est.)
Iraq
Chief of State and Head of Government: President/Prime Minister Saddam Husayn
Government type: Republic
National capital: Baghdad
Total Area: 437,072 sq km
Population: 22,219,289 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages: Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
GDP: purchasing power parity - $42 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1996 est.)
Israel
Chief of State: President Ezer Weizman
Head of Government : Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
Government type: Republic
National capital: Jerusalem. note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Total Area: 20,770 sq km
Population: 5,534,672 (July 1997 est.). note: includes 136,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, 15,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and 156,000 in East Jerusalem (August 1996 est.)
Ethnic groups: Jewish 82% (Israel-born 50%, Europe/Americas/Oceania-born 20%, Africa-born 7%, Asia-born 5%), non-Jewish 18% (mostly Arab) (1993 est.)
Religions: Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%, Druze and other 2%
Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
GDP: purchasing power parity - $85.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.6% (1996)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,400 (1996 est.)
Japan
Chief of State: Emperor Akihito
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
Government type: Constitutional Monarchy
National capital: Tokyo
Total Area: 377,835 sq km
Population: 125,732,794 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Languages: Japanese
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.85 trillion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (1996)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,700 (1996 est.)
Jordan
Chief of State: King Hussein bin Talal Al-Hashimi
Head of Government : Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-Majali
Government type: Constitutional Monarchy
National capital: Amman
Total Area: 89,213 sq km
Population: 4,324,638 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
GDP: purchasing power parity - $20.9 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,000 (1996 est.)
Kazakstan
Chief of State: President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev
Head of Government:Prime Minister Nurlan Balgimbayev
Government type:Republic
National capital:Aqmola
Total Area:2,717,300 sq km
Population:16,881,793 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Kazak (Qazaq) 46%, Russian 34.7%, Ukrainian 4.9%, German 3.1%, Uzbek 2.3%, Tatar 1.9%, other 7.1% (1996)
Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Languages: Kazak (Qazaq) official language spoken by over 40% of population, Russian official language spoken by two-thirds of population and used in everyday business
GDP: purchasing power parity - $48.6 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.1% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,880 (1996 est.)
Kuwait
Chief of State: Amir Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah
Head of Government: Prime Minister and Crown Prince Saad al-Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah
Government type: Nominal Constitutional Monarchy
National capital: Kuwait
Total Area: 17,820 sq km
Population: 1,834,269 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 1,381,063 non-nationals (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions: Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken
GDP: purchasing power parity - $32.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,700 (1996 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
Chief of State: President Askar Akayev
Head of Government: Prime Minister Kubanychbeck Jumaliyev
Government type: Republic
National capital: Bishkek
Total Area: 198,500 sq km
Population: 4,512,809 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German 2.4%, other 11.8%
Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language, Russian - official language. note: in March 1996, the Kyrgyzstani legislature amended the constitution to make Russian an official language, along with Kirghiz, in territories and work places where Russian-speaking citizens predominate.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.8 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.6% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,290 (1996 est.)
Laos
Chief of State : President Gen. Khamtai Siphandon
Head of Government : Prime Minister Gen. Sisavat Keobounphan
Government type: Communist State
National capital: Vientiane
Total Area: 236,800 sq km
Population: 5,116,959 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%
Languages: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,150 (1996 est.)
Lebanon
Chief of State: President Ilyas Harawi
Head of Government : Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri
Government type: Republic
National capital: Beirut
Total Area: 10,400 sq km
Population: 3,449,578 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Religions: Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups - Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Christian 30% (11 legally recognized Christian groups - 4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1 Protestant), Judaism NEGL%
Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Armenian, English
GDP: purchasing power parity - $13 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,400 (1996 est.)
Malaysia
Chief of State: Paramount Ruler Tuanku Ja'Afar ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Head of Government : Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
Government type: Constitutional Monarchy. note: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament; Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian Government; powers of state governments are limited by the federal constitution; Sabah - self-governing state, holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak - self-governing state, holds 27 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government.
National capital: Kuala Lumpur
Total Area: 329,750 sq km
Population: 20,491,303 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 26%, Indian 7%, others 9%
Religions: Peninsular Malaysia - Muslim (Malays), Buddhist (Chinese), Hindu (Indians); Sabah - Muslim 38%, Christian 17%, other 45%; Sarawak - tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and Confucianist 24%, Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%
Languages: Peninsular Malaysia - Malay (official), English, Chinese dialects, Tamil; Sabah - English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Chinese (Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate); Sarawak - English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages
GDP: purchasing power parity - $214.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 8.2% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,750 (1996 est.)
Maldives
Chief of State and Head of Government: President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Government type: Republic
National capital: Male (Maale)
Total Area: 300 sq km
Population: 280,391 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, African
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Maldivian Divehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
GDP: purchasing power parity - $423 million (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.8% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,620 (1995 est.)
Mongolia
Chief of State : President Natsagiyn Bagabandi
Head of Government: Prime Minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdori
Government type: Republic
National capital: Ulaanbaatar
Total Area: 1.565 million sq km
Population: 2,538,211 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Mongol 90%, Kazak 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Religions: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4%. note: previously limited religious activity because of communist regime.
Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian, Chinese
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,060 (1996 est.)
Nepal
Chief of State:King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Head of Government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
Government type: Parliamentary Democracy as of 12 May 1991
National capital: Kathmandu
Total Area: 140,800 sq km
Population: 23,107,464 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas
Religions: Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim 3%, other 2% (1981). note: only official Hindu state in the world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu and Buddhist groups.
Languages: Nepali (official), 20 other languages divided into numerous dialects
GDP: purchasing power parity - $26.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.9% (FY95/96 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,200 (1996 est.)
North Korea
Chief of State: Kim Chong-il [de facto]; note - President Kim Il-song
Head of Government : Premier Kang Song-san; note - Acting Premier Hong Song-nam
Government type: Communist State; one-man dictatorship
National capital: P'yongyang
Total Area: 120,540 sq km
Population: 24,317,004 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous
Religions: Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo. note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom.
Languages: Korean
GDP: purchasing power parity - $20.9 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $900 (1996 est.)
Oman
Chief of State and Head of Government: Sultan and Prime Minister Qaboos bin Said Al Said
Government type: Monarchy
National capital: Muscat
Total Area: 212,460 sq km
Population: 2,264,590 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Languages: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
GDP: purchasing power parity - $20.8 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,500 (1996 est.)
Pakistan
Chief of State: (Former)President Sardar Farooq Leghari
Head of Government : Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif
Government type: Federal Republic
National capital: Islamabad
Total Area: 803,940 sq km
Population: 132,185,299 (July 1997 est.). note: no national census has been conducted since 1981.
Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendants)
Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Languages: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $296.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,300 (1996 est.)
Papua New Guinea
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, represented by Governor General Sir Silas Atopare
Head of Government :Prime Minister William Skate
Government type: Parliamentary Democracy
National capital: Port Moresby
Total Area: 462,840 sq km
Population: 4,496,221 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Religions: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects 10%, indigenous beliefs 34%
Languages: English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region. note: 715 indigenous languages.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $10.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,400 (1996 est.)
Philippines
Chief of State and Head of Government: President Joseph Estrada
Government type: Republic
National capital: Manila
Total Area: 300,000 sq km
Population: 76,103,564 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
Languages: Pilipino (official, based on Tagalog), English (official)
GDP: purchasing power parity - $194.2 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,600 (1996 est.)
Qatar
Chief of State:Amir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Head of Government:Prime Minister Abdallah bin Khalifa Al Thani
Government type: Traditional Monarchy
National capital: Doha
Total Area: 11,437 sq km
Population: 670,274 (July 1997 est.). note: includes 516,508 non-nationals (July 1997 est.).
Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions: Muslim 95%
Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,300 (1996 est.)
Russia
Chief of State: President Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin
Head of Government: Premier and Chairman of the Russian Federation Government Sergey Vladilenovich Kiriyenko
Government type: Federation
National capital: Moscow
Total Area: 17,075,200 sq km
Population: 147,305,569 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Byelorussian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%
Religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other
Languages: Russian, other
GDP: purchasing power parity - $767 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: -6% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,200 (1996 est.)
Saudi Arabia
Chief of State and Head of Government: King and Prime Minister Fahd bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
Government type: Monarchy
National capital: Riyadh
Total Area: 1,960,582 sq km
Population: 20,087,965 (July 1997 est.). note: includes 5,164,790 non-nationals (July 1997 est.).
Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Arabic
GDP: purchasing power parity - $205.6 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,600 (1996 est.)
Singapore
Chief of State: President Ong Teng Cheong
Head of Government: Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
Government type: Republic within Commonwealth
National capital: Singapore
Total Area: 647.5 sq km
Population: 3,440,693 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
GDP: purchasing power parity - $72.2 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.5% (1996)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,200 (1996 est.)
South Korea
Chief of State:President Kim Tae-chung
Head of Government:(Acting) Prime Minister Kim Chong-pil
Government type: Republic
National capital: Seoul
Total Area: 98,480 sq km
Population: 45,948,811 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions: Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
Languages: Korean, English widely taught in high school
GDP: purchasing power parity - $647.2 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.9% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,200 (1996 est.)
Sri Lanka
Chief of State and Head of Government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
Government type: Republic
National capital: Colombo
Total Area: 65,610 sq km
Population: 18,721,178 (July 1997 est.). note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of late 1996, 63,068 were housed in refugee camps in south India, another 30,000-40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought political asylum in the West.
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%. note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $69.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,760 (1996 est.)
Syria
Chief of State: President Hafiz al-Asad
Head of Government: Prime Minister Mahmud Zubi
Government type: Republic under military regime since March 1963
National capital: Damascus
Total Area: 185,180 sq km
Population: 16,137,899 (July 1997 est.). note: in addition, there are 32,600 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 17,600 Arabs (16,000 Druze and 1,600 Alawites) and 15,000 Israeli settlers (August 1996 est.).
Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Languages: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French widely understood
GDP: purchasing power parity - $98.3 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.2% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,300 (1996 est.)
Taiwan
Chief of State: President Lee Teng-hui
Head of Government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Vincent Siew
Government type: Multiparty Democratic Regime headed by popularly elected president
National capital: Taipei
Total Area: 35,980 sq km
Population: 21,699,776 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Religions: mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
GDP: purchasing power parity - $315 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (1996)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,700 (1996 est.)
Tajikistan
Chief of State : President Emomali Rahmonov
Head of Government: Prime Minister Yahyo Azimov
Government type: Republic
National capital: Dushanbe
Total Area: 143,100 sq km
Population: 5,945,903 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%
Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.4 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: -17% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $920 (1996 est.)
Thailand
Chief of State: King Phumiphon Adunyadet
Head of Government: Prime Minister Chuan Likphai
Government type: Constitutional Monarchy
National capital: Bangkok
Total Area: 514,000 sq km
Population: 59,450,818 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)
Languages: Thai, English the secondary language of the elite, ethnic and regional dialects
GDP: purchasing power parity - $455.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,700 (1996 est.)
Turkey
Chief of State: President Suleyman Demirel
Head of Government : Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
Government type: Republican Parliamentary Democracy
National capital: Ankara
Total Area: 780,580 sq km
Population: 63,528,225 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%
Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews)
Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic
GDP: purchasing power parity - $379.1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,100 (1996 est.)
Turkmenistan
Chief of State and Head of Government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat Niyazov
Government type: Republic
National capital: Ashgabat
Total Area: 488,100 sq km
Population: 4,229,249 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazak 2%, other 5.1% (1995)
Religions: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.8 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.1% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,840 (1996 est.)
United Arab Emirates
Chief of State: President Zayid bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan
Head of Government: Prime Minister Maktum bin Rashid al-Maktum
Government type: Federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
National capital: Abu Dhabi
Total Area: 82,880 sq km
Population: 2,262,309 (July 1997 est.). note: includes 1,546,547 non-nationals (July 1997 est.).
Ethnic groups: Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982). note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982).
Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
GDP: purchasing power parity - $72.9 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,800 (1996 est.)
Uzbekistan
Chief of State: President Islom Karimov
Head of Government: Prime Minister Otkir Sultonov
Government type: Republic
National capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)
Total Area: 447,400 sq km
Population: 23,467,724 (July 1997 est.)
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%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $57 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.6% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,430 (1996 est.)
Vietnam
Chief of State: President Tran Duc Luong
Head of Government: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai
Government type: Communist State
National capital: Hanoi
Total Area: 329,560 sq km
Population: 75,123,880 (July 1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese 3%, Muong, Tai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham
Religions: Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islam, Protestant, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao
Languages: Vietnamese (official), Chinese, English, French, Khmer, tribal languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
GDP: purchasing power parity - $108.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 9.4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,470 (1996 est.)
Yemen
Chief of State: President Lt. Gen. Ali Abdallah Salih
Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr. Abd al-Karim Iryani
Government type: Republic
National capital: Sanaa
Total Area: 527,970 sq km
Population: 13,972,477 (July 1997 est.). note: other estimates range as high as 16.6 million.
Ethnic groups: predominantly Arab; Afro-Arab concentrations in western coastal locations; South Asians in southern regions; small European communities in major metropolitan areas
Religions: Muslim including Sha'fi (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
Languages: Arabic
GDP: purchasing power parity - $39.1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,900 (1996 est.)
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