The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

code:

       XAF

      Exchange rates:

       Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29

       (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications Congo, Republic of the

      Telephones - main lines in use:

       7,000 (2003)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

       330,000 (2003)

      Telephone system:

       general assessment: services barely adequate for government use;

       key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo;

       intercity lines frequently out of order

       domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and

       coaxial cable

       international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1

       Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

      Radio broadcast stations:

       AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)

      Radios:

       341,000 (1997)

      Television broadcast stations:

       1 (2002)

      Televisions:

       33,000 (1997)

      Internet country code:

       .cg

      Internet hosts:

       46 (2003)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       1 (2000)

      Internet users:

       15,000 (2003)

      Transportation Congo, Republic of the

      Railways: total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

      Highways: total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1999 est.)

      Waterways:

       4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2004)

      Pipelines:

       gas 53 km; oil 646 km (2004)

      Ports and harbors:

       Brazzaville, Djeno, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire

      Airports:

       32 (2004 est.)

      Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.)

      Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)

      Military Congo, Republic of the

      Military branches:

       Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Air Force (Armee de l'Air

       Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005)

      Military service age and obligation:

       18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

      Manpower available for military service:

       males age 18–49: 686,123 (2005 est.)

      Manpower fit for military service:

       males age 18–49: 360,492 (2005 est.)

      Manpower reaching military service age annually:

       males: 34,281 (2005 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       $126.5 million (2004)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       2.8% (2004)

      Transnational Issues Congo, Republic of the

      Disputes - international:

       about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts

       since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the

       Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with

       the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the

       Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

      Refugees and internally displaced persons:

       IDPs: 60,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992; most IDPs are ethnic

       Lari) (2004)

      This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

      ======================================================================

      @Cook Islands

      Introduction Cook Islands

      Background:

       Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands

       became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative

       control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965 residents chose

       self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration

       of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are

       continuing problems.

      Geography Cook Islands

      Location:

       Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about

       one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

      Geographic coordinates:

       21 14 S, 159 46 W

      Map references:

       Oceania

      Area:

       total: 240 sq km

       land: 240 sq km

       water: 0 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

      Land boundaries:

       0 km

      Coastline:

       120 km

      Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

      Climate:

       tropical; moderated by trade winds

      Terrain:

       low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

       highest point: Te Manga 652 m

      Natural resources:

       NEGL

      Land use:

       arable land: 17.39%

       permanent crops: 13.04%

       other: 69.57% (2001)

      Irrigated land:

       NA

      Natural hazards:

       typhoons (November to March)

      Environment - current issues:

       NA

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto

       Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea

       signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography