The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
exchange & gold:
$8.191 billion (2003)
Debt - external:
$23.56 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $66 million (2000)
Currency:
kuna (HRK)
Currency code:
HRK
Exchange rates:
kuna per US dollar - 6.7035 (2003), 7.8687 (2002), 8.34 (2001),
8.2766 (2000), 7.1124 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Croatia
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.825 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.553 million (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog
circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be
included in the plan for the main trunk
international: country code - 385; digital international service is
provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in
the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of
two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic
trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also
investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany,
Albania, and Greece (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)
Radios:
1.51 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions:
1.22 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.hr
Internet hosts:
29,644 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)
Internet users:
1.014 million (2003)
Transportation Croatia
Railways: total: 2,726 km standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (984 km electrified) (2003)
Highways:
total: 28,123 km
paved: 23,792 km (including 410 km of expressways)
unpaved: 4,331 km (2000)
Waterways:
785 km (2004)
Pipelines:
gas 1,340 km; oil 583 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Dubrovnik, Dugi Rat, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split,
Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube), Zadar
Merchant marine:
total: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 750,579 GRT/1,178,786 DWT
by type: bulk 16, cargo 14, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 5,
multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker
2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea/passenger 3
registered in other countries: 44 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Hong Kong 3, Russia 1
Airports:
68 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 23 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 37 (2004 est.)
Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)
Military Croatia
Military branches:
Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna
Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces (Hrvatsko Ratno
Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO)
Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 6-month
service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary
service (2004)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 1,100,132 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 873,994 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 30,639 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$520 million (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.39% (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues Croatia
Disputes - international:
discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over disputed
territory around Kostajnica on the Una River and villages at the
base of Mount Pljesevica; the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime
boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and
maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains
controversial, has not been ratified, and has been complicated by
Croatia's declaration of an ecological-fisheries zone in the
Adriatic Sea
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 12,600 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992–1995 war) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to
Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime
shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Cuba
Introduction Cuba
Background:
The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the
European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and
following its development as a Spanish colony during the next
several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to
work the coffee and sugar plantations and Havana became the
launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from
Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule was severe and exploitative