Page:The World Factbook (1990).djvu/261

 Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center

Economy

Overview: The GDP contracted an estimated 7.5% in 1989, following a drop of 20% in 1988. Political instability, lack of credit, and the erosion of business confidence prompted declines of 20-70% in the financial, agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, and construction sectors between 1987 and 1989. Transits through the Panama Canal were off slightly, as were toll revenues. Unemployment remained about 23% during 1989. Imports of foodstuffs and crude oil increased during 1989, but capital goods imports continued their slide. Exports were widely promoted by Noriega trade delegations, but sales abroad remained stagnant.

GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $1,648; real growth rate -7.5% (1989 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.1% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate: 23% (1989 est.)

Budget: revenues $598 million; expenditures $750 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Exports: $220 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—bananas 40%, shrimp 27%, coffee 4%, sugar, petroleum products; partners—US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)

Imports: $830 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—foodstuffs 16%, capital goods 9%, crude oil 16%, consumer goods, chemicals; partners—US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)

External debt: $5.2 billion (November 1989 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 4.1% (1989 est.)

Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,270 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products

Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (1989 est.), 26% of labor force (1987); crops—bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $515 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $568 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $4 million

Currency: balboa (plural—balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centésimos

Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1—1.000 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge

Highways: 8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth

Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km

Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahía de Las Minas

Merchant marine: 3,187 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,502,092 GRT/72,961,250 DWT; includes 34 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,087 cargo, 179 refrigerated cargo, 186 container, 71 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 136 vehicle carrier, 7 livestock carrier, 9 multifunction large-load carrier, 315 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 184 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 767 bulk, 58 combination bulk; note—all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 41%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US 7% (China owns at least 144 ships, Yugoslavia 12, Cuba 6, and Vietnam 9)

Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft

Airports: 123 total, 112 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations—91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable

Defense Forces

Branches: the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the forces, with more civilian control, under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF)

Military manpower: males 15-49, 628,327; 433,352 fit for military service; no conscription

Defense expenditures: 2.0% of GDP (1987)  Papua New Guinea



Geography

Total area: 461,690 km²; land area: 451,710 km²

Comparative area: slightly larger than California

Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia Coastline: 5,152km

Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
 * Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
 * Extended economic zone: 200 nm
 * Territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential

Land use: NEGL% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 71% forest and woodland; 28% other

Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes

Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia

People

Population: 3,822,875 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)

Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 56 years female (1990)  245