North America
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Antigua and Barbuda
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented
by Governor General James B. Carlisle
Head of Government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant
Bird
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Saint John's
Total Area: 440 sq km
Population: 65,647 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: black, British, Portuguese,
Lebanese, Syrian
Religions: Anglican (predominant), other
Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
Languages: English (official), local dialects
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $425 million (1994
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 4.2% (1994 est.)
GDP per capita: $6,600 (1994 est.)
Bahamas,
The
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II a hereditary
monarch, represented by Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest
Head of Government: Prime Minister Hubert
Alexander Ingrahm
Type of Government: Commonwealth
Capital: Nassau
Total Area: 13,940 sq km
Population: 259,367 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: black 85%, white 15%
Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman
Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant
12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Languages: English, Creole (among Haitian
immigrants)
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $4.8 billion (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $18,700 (1995 est.)
Barbados
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth I is a
hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General Sir Clifford
Husbands
Head of Government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour
Arthur
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Bridgetown
Total Area: 430 sq km
Population: 257,030 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: African 80%, European 4%,
other 16%
Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%,
Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none
17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Languages: English
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $2.5 billion (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $9,800 (1995 est.)
Belize
Chief of State: Governor General Sir Colville
Young
Head of Government: Prime Minister Manuel
Esquivel
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Belmopan
Total Area: 22,960 sq km
Population: 219,296 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: mestizo 44%, Creole 30%, Maya
11%, Garifuna 7%, other 8%
Religions: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30%
(Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist
3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%,
other 6% (1980)
Languages: English (official), Spanish, Mayan,
Garifuna (Carib)
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $575 million (1994
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2% (1994 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,750 (1994 est.)
Canada
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II, a hereditary
monarch, is represented by Governor General Romeo LeBlanc
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean Chretien
Type of Government: Confederation with
Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Ottawa
Total Area: 9,976,140 sq km
Population: 28,820,671 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: British Isles origin 40%,
French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous Indian and
Eskimo 1.5%, other, mostly Asian 11.5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 45%, United Church
12%, Anglican 8%, other 35% (1991)
Languages: English (official), French (official)
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $694 billion (1995
est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.1% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $24,400 (1995 est.)
Costa Rica
Chief of state and Head of Government:
President Miguel Angel Rodriguez
Type of Government: Democratic Republic
Capital: San Jose
Total Area: 51,100 sq km
Population: 3,463,083 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: white (including mestizo) 96%,
black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: Spanish (official), English spoken
around Puerto Limon
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $18.4 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $5,400 (1995 est.)
Cuba
Chief of state and Head of Government:
President of the Council of State and President of the Council of
Ministers Fidel Castro Ruz
Type of Government: Communist State
Capital: Havana
Total Area: 110,860 sq km
Population: 10,951,334 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black
11%, Chinese 1%
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 85% prior to
CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews,
and Santeria are also represented
Languages: Spanish
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $14.7 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,300 (1995 est.)
Dominica
Chief of State: President Crispin Anselm
Sorhaindo
Head of Government: Prime Minister Edison C.
James
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Roseau
Total Area: 750 sq km
Population: 82,926 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: black, Carib Indians
Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15%
(Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist
2%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 1%, other 5%
Languages: English (official), French patois
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $200 million (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: -1% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,450 (1995 est.)
Dominican Republic
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Leonel Fernandez Reyna
Type of Government: Republic
Capital: Santo Domingo
Total Area: 48,730 sq km
Population: 8,088,881 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: white 16%, black 11%, mixed
73%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: Spanish
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $26.8 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 3.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,400 (1995 est.)
El
Salvador
Chief of State and Head of Government: President
Armando Calderon Sol
Type of Government: Republic
Capital: San Salvador
Total Area: 21,040 sq km
Population: 5,828,987 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: mestizo 94%, Indian 5%, white
1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 75% note: there is extensive activity by
Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992,
there were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El
Salvador
Languages: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $11.4 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 6.3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,950 (1995 est.)
Grenada
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II, a hereditary
monarch, is represented by Governor General Daniel Williams
Head of Government: Prime Minister Keith
Mitchell
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Saint George's
Total Area: 340 sq km
Population: 94,961 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: black African
Religions: Roman Catholic, Anglican, other
Protestant sects
Languages: English (official), French patois
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $284 million (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,000 (1995 est.)
Guatemala
Chief of state and Head of Government:
President Alvaro Enrique Arzu Irigoyen
Type of Government: Republic
Capital: Guatemala
Total Area: 108,890 sq km
Population: 11,277,614 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: Mestizo - mixed
Amerindian-Spanish ancestry (in local Spanish called Ladino) 56%,
Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 44%
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant,
traditional Mayan
Languages: Spanish 60%, Indian language 40% (23
Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $36.7 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 4.9% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,300 (1995 est.)
Haiti
Chief of State: President Rene Garcia Preval
Head of Government: Prime Minister Rosny Smarth
Type of Government: Republic
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Total Area: 27,750 sq km
Population: 6,731,539 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: black 95%, mulatto and
European 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 80% (of which an
overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), Protestant 16%
(Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%,
other 3% (1982)
Languages: French (official) 10%, Creole
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $6.5 billion (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 4.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,000 (1995 est.)
Honduras
Chief of state and Head of Government:
President Carlos Roberto Reina Idiaquez
Type of Government: Republic
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Total Area: 112,090 sq km
Population: 5,605,193 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and
European) 90%, Indian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant
minority
Languages: Spanish, Indian dialects
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $10.8 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 4% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,980 (1995 est.)
Jamaica
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II, a hereditary
monarch, is represented by Governor General Sir Howard Cooke
Head of Government: Prime Minister Percival
James Patterson
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Kingston
Total Area: 10,990 sq km
Population: 2,595,275 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: African 76.3%, Afro-European
15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3%, white 3.2%, Chinese
and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%
Religions: Protestant 55.9% (Church of God
18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%,
Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other
2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other, including some spiritual cults
39.1% (1982)
Languages: English, Creole
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $8.2 billion (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 0.8% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,200 (1995 est.)
Mexico
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon
Type of Government: Federal Republic operating
under a Centralized Government
Capital: Mexico
Total Area: 1,972,550 sq km
Population: 95,772,462 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%,
Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, Caucasian or
predominantly Caucasian 9%, other 1%
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%,
Protestant 6%
Languages: Spanish, various Mayan dialects
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $721.4 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: -6.9% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $7,700 (1995 est.)
Nicaragua
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo
Type of Government: Republic
Capital: Managua
Total Area: 129,494 sq km
Population: 4,272,352 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and
white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
Languages: Spanish (official) note: English- and
Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $7.1 billion (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 4.2% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,700 (1995 est.)
Panama
Chief of State and Head of
Government: President Ernesto Perez Balladares Gonzalez
Revilla
Type of Government: Constitutional Republic
Capital: Panama
Total Area: 78,200 sq km
Population: 2,655,094 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and
European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages: Spanish (official), English 14% note:
many Panamanians bilingual
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $13.6 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2.8% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $5,100 (1995 est.)
Saint
Kitts and Nevis
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6
February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Governor
General Dr. Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian
Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil
Douglass
Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Basseterre
Total Area: 269 sq km
Population: 41,369 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: black African
Religions: Anglican, other Protestant sects,
Roman Catholic
Languages: English
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $220 million (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $5,380 (1995 est.)
Saint Lucia
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II, a hereditary
monarch, is represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette Louisy
Head of Government: Prime Minister Kenny Anthony
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Castries
Total Area: 620 sq km
Population: 157,862 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: African descent 90.3%, mixed
5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, white 0.8%
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%,
Anglican 3%
Languages: English (official), French patois
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $640 million (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $4,080 (1995 est.)
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II, a hereditary
monarch, represented by Governor General David Jack
Head of Government: Prime Minister James F.
Mitchell
Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Kingstown
Total Area: 340 sq km
Population: 118,344 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: African descent, white, East
Indian, Carib Indian
Religions: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic,
Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages: English, French patois
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $240 million (1995
est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 0.4% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,060 (1995 est.)
Trinidad
and Tobago
Chief of State: President Arthur Napoleon
Raymond Robinson
Head of Government: Prime Minister Basdeo Panday
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Port-of-Spain
Total Area: 5,130 sq km
Population: 1,272,385 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: black 43%, East Indian (a
local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40%, mixed
14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%,
Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown
9.1%
Languages: English (official), Hindi, French,
Spanish
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $16.2 billion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 3.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $12,100 (1995 est.)
United
States of America
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President William Jefferson Clinton
Type of Government: Federal Republic; strong
Democratic tradition
Capital: Washington, DC
Total Area: 9,372,610 sq km
Population: 266,476,278 (July 1996 est.)
Ethnic Divisions: white 83.4%, black 12.4%,
Asian 3.3%, Native American 0.8% (1992)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%,
Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable
minority)
GDP: Purchasing Power Parity: $7.2477 trillion
(1995 est.)
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2.1% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $27,500 (1995 est.)
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