The 2008 CIA World Factbook, United States. Central Intelligence Agency [primary phonics books .TXT] 📗

smaller
  independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; Trade Union Confederation
  of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.
  other: business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free
  labor unions (authorized in April 1977); university students

Sri Lanka
  Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai
  PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); Tamil
  Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) or Karuna Faction [Vinayagamurthi
  MURALITHARAN] (paramilitary breakaway from LTTE and fighting LTTE)
  other: Buddhist clergy; labor unions; radical chauvinist Sinhalese
  groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese
  Buddhist lay groups

Sudan
  Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP
  [Hassan al-TURABI]

Suriname
  Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE];
  Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE];
  Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]

Svalbard
  NA

Swaziland
  Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; Swaziland and
  Solidarity Network or SSN

Sweden
  Children's Rights in Society; Central Association of
  Salarited Emplyees or TCO; Swedish Federation of Trade Unions or LO
  other: media

Switzerland
  NA

Syria
  Damascus Declaration National Council [Riyad SEIF, secretary
  general] (a broad alliance of opposition groups and individuals
  including: Committee for Revival of Civil Society [Michel KILO,
  Riyad SEIF], Communist Action Party [Fateh JAMOUS], Kurdish
  Democratic Alliance, Kurdish Democratic Front, Liberal Nationalists'
  Movement, National Democratic Front, National Democratic Rally, and
  Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fawed FAWUZ]); National
  Salvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-Halim
  KHADDAM, the SMB, and other small opposition groups); Syrian Muslim
  Brotherhood or SMB [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI] (operates in exile in
  London; endorsed the Damascus Declaration, but is not an official
  member)

Taiwan
  Organization for Taiwan Nation Building; World United
  Formosans for Independence
  other: environmental groups; independence movement; various business
  groups
  note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the
  mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization
  and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's
  legislature have opened public debate on the island's national
  identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that the island
  currently enjoys sovereign independence and - whatever the ultimate
  outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's
  people must have the deciding voice; public opinion polls
  consistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supports
  maintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future;
  advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island
  will eventually unify with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan
  independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on
  Taiwan and entering the UN

Tajikistan
  Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV] (unregistered
  political party); Democratic Party or DPT [Masud SOBIROV]
  (splintered from Iskanderov's DPT); Progressive Party [Sulton
  QUVVATOV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Abdualim GHAFFOROV] (splintered
  from Narziyev's SPT); Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]
  other: splinter parties recognized by the government but not by the
  base of the party; unregistered political parties

Tanzania
  Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF; Free
  Zanzibar; Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA

Thailand
  People's Alliance for Democracy; Campaign for Democracy
  [Pibob THONGCHAI]

Timor-Leste
  NA

Togo
  NA

Tokelau
  none

Tonga
  Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev.
  Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]

Trinidad and Tobago
  Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

Tunisia
  18 October Group [collective leadership]; Tunisian League
  for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]

Turkey
  Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Ismail Hakki
  TOMBUL]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK
  [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's
  Association or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or
  Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or
  TISK [Tugurl KUDATGOBILIK]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or
  Turk-Is [Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and
  Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and
  Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of
  Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat
  HISARCIKLIOGLU]

Turkmenistan
  NA

Turks and Caicos Islands
  NA

Tuvalu
  none

Uganda
  Lord's Resistence Group or LRA [Joseph KONY]; Young
  Parliamentary Association [Henry BANYENZAKI]; Parliamentary Advocacy
  Forum or PAFO; National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda
  or NAWOU [Florence NEKYON]; The Ugandan Coalition for Political
  Accountability to Wormen or COPAW

Ukraine
  Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Ihor POPOV]; Peoples'
  Self-Defense [Yuriy LUTSENKO]

United Arab Emirates
  NA

United Kingdom
  Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of
  British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress

United States
  environmentalists; business groups; labor unions;
  churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PAC; health
  groups; education groups; cuvuc griyos; youth groups; transportation
  groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform
  lobbies

Uruguay
  Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization);
  Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association);
  Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization);
  PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor
  organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association);
  Uruguayan Construction League; Uruguayan Network of Political Women
  other: Catholic Church; students

Uzbekistan
  Agrarian and Entrepreneurs' Party [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Birlik
  (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim POLAT, chairman]; Committee for the
  Protection of Human Rights [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic
  Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] (was banned 9 December 1992);
  Ezgulik Human Rights Society [Vasila INOYATOVA]; Free Farmers' Party
  or Ozod Dehqonlar [Nigora KHIDOYATOVA]; Human Rights Society of
  Uzbekistan [Talib YAKUBOV, chairman]; Independent Human Rights
  Organization of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]; Mazlum;
  Sunshine Coalition [Sanjar UMAROV, chairman]

Vanuatu
  NA

Venezuela
  FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS
  groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor
  organization dominated by the Democratic Action)

Vietnam
  8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People's
  Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy
  note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the
  government

Virgin Islands
  NA

Wallis and Futuna
  NA

Western Sahara
  none

Yemen
  Muslim Brotherhood; Women National Committee
  other: conservative tribal groups

Zambia
  NA

Zimbabwe
  Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition [Xolani ZITHA]; National
  Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Women of Zimbabwe
  Arise or WOZA [Jenny WILLIAMS]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or
  ZCTU [Wellington CHIBEBE]

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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

@2116 Economy - overview

Afghanistan
  Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of
  conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of
  the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of
  international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector,
  and service sector growth. Real GDP growth exceeded 7% in 2007.
  Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely
  poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture,
  and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population
  continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water,
  electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, and
  the Afghan Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts
  of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. It will
  probably take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid
  and attention to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards
  from its current level, among the lowest in the world. International
  pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial
  institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference for Afghan
  reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for 2004-09. While
  the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's
  development, pledging over $24 billion at three donors' conferences
  since 2002, Kabul will need to overcome a number of challenges.
  Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate
  roughly $4 billion in illicit economic activity and looms as one of
  Kabul's most serious policy concerns. Other long-term challenges
  include: budget sustainability, job creation, corruption, government
  capacity, and rebuilding war torn infrastructure.

Akrotiri
  Economic activity is limited to providing services to the
  military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and
  manufactured goods must be imported.

Albania
  Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the
  difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The
  government has taken measures to curb violent crime, and recently
  adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the large gray
  economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered
  by annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from
  Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the
  towering trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for more than
  one-fifth of GDP, is held back because of lack of modern equipment,
  unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient
  plots of land. Energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate
  infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment,
  which make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment.
  The completion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved
  transmission line between Albania and Montenegro will help relieve
  the energy shortages. Also, the government is moving slowly to
  improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing
  barrier to sustained economic growth. On the positive side,
  macroeconomic growth was strong in 2003-07 and inflation is low and
  stable.

Algeria
  The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy,
  accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over
  95% of export earnings. Algeria has the eighth-largest reserves of
  natural gas in the world and is the fourth-largest gas exporter; it
  ranks 14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent
  years have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic
  indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and
  building up record foreign exchange reserves. Algeria has decreased
  its external debt to less than 10% of GDP after repaying its Paris
  Club and London Club debt in 2006. Real GDP has risen due to higher
  oil output and increased government spending. The government's
  continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and
  domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had
  little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living
  standards. Structural reform within the economy, such as development
  of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure, moves
  ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance.

American Samoa
  American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy
  in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic
  activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa
  conducts most of its commerce. Tuna fishing and tuna processing
  plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the
  primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially
  to American Samoa's economic well being. Attempts by the government
  to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's
  remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating
  hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector.
  note: as a territory of the US, American Samoa does not treat the US
  as an external trade partner

Andorra
  Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy,
  accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11.6 million
  tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and
  by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage
  has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain
  have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and
  lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its partial "tax haven"
  status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural
  production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most
  food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep
  raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars,
  and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is
  treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs)
  and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.

Angola Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with record oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about 85% of GDP. Increased oil production supported growth averaging more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2007. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Much of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit, since increased to $7 billion, from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects were completed in 2006. Angola also has large credit lines from Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation. This policy became more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings; it has significantly reduced inflation. Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to under 13% in 2007, the stabilization policy has put pressure on international net liquidity. Angola became a member of OPEC in late 2006 and in late 2007 was assigned a production quota of 1.9 million barrels a day, somewhat less than the 2-2.5 million bbl Angola's government had wanted. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to implement government reforms, increase transparency, and reduce corruption. The government has rejected a formal IMF monitored program, although it continues Article IV consultations and ad hoc cooperation. Corruption, especially in the extractive