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

the labor force contributes to a subsistence
  level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy
  dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture,
  including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 40% to GDP,
  employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports.
  The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the
  main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government -
  which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to
  upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and
  industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports,
  promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate. The
  political problems caused the economy to contract in 2007.
  Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP.

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  The economy of the Democratic
  Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth
  - is slowly recovering from two decades of decline. Conflict, which
  began in August 1998, dramatically reduced national output and
  government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the
  deaths of more than 3.5 million people from violence, famine, and
  disease. Foreign businesses curtailed operations due to uncertainty
  about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the
  difficult operating environment. Conditions began to improve in late
  2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign
  troops. The transitional government reopened relations with
  international financial institutions and international donors, and
  President KABILA has begun implementing reforms, although progress
  is slow and the International Monetary Fund curtailed their program
  for the DRC at the end of March 2006 because of fiscal overruns.
  Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector, and is
  not reflected in GDP data. Renewed activity in the mining sector,
  the source of most export income, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position
  and GDP growth. Government reforms and improved security may lead to
  increased government revenues, outside budget assistance, and
  foreign direct investment, although an uncertain legal framework,
  corruption, and a lack of transparency in government policy are
  continuing long-term problems.

Congo, Republic of the
  The economy is a mixture of subsistence
  agriculture, an industrial sector based largely on oil, and support
  services, and a government characterized by budget problems and
  overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the
  economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports.
  In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the
  government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP
  growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa.
  The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil
  earnings through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing
  debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts
  have been undertaken with the support of international
  organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. However, the
  reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted.
  Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in
  October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on
  economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with
  international financial institutions. Economic progress was badly
  hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in
  December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The
  current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and
  faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and
  reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's
  GDP and near-term prospects. In March 2006, the World Bank and the
  International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor
  Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo.

Cook Islands
  Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook
  Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the
  country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets,
  lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural
  disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing
  about one-third of the working population, provides the economic
  base with major exports made up of copra and citrus fruit. Black
  pearls are the Cook Islands' leading export. Manufacturing
  activities are limited to fruit processing, clothing, and
  handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants
  and by foreign aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s
  and 1990s, the country lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated
  public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent
  reforms, including the sale of state assets, the strengthening of
  economic management, the encouragement of tourism, and a debt
  restructuring agreement, have rekindled investment and growth.

Coral Sea Islands
  no economic activity

Costa Rica
  Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism,
  agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has remained around
  20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had
  been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased
  financial constraints on government expenditures. Immigration from
  Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The
  estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa Rica
  legally and illegally are an important source of (mostly unskilled)
  labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system.
  Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political
  stability and high education levels, as well as the fiscal
  incentives offered in the free-trade zones. Exports have become more
  diversified in the past 10 years due to the growth of the high-tech
  manufacturing sector, which is dominated by the microprocessor
  industry. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa
  Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for
  ecotourism. The government continues to grapple with its large
  internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. Reducing
  inflation remains a difficult problem because of rising import
  prices, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. Tax and public
  expenditure reforms will be necessary to close the budget gap. In
  October 2007, a national referendum voted in favor of the US-Central
  American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

Cote d'Ivoire
  Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and
  exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of
  coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive
  to fluctuations in international prices for these products, and, to
  a lesser extent, in climatic conditions. Despite government attempts
  to diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on
  agriculture and related activities, engaging roughly 68% of the
  population. Since 2006, oil and gas production have become more
  important engines of economic activity than cocoa. According to IMF
  statistics, earnings from oil and refined products were $1.3 billion
  in 2006, while cocoa-related revenues were $1 billion during the
  same period. Cote d'Ivoire's offshore oil and gas production has
  resulted in substantial crude oil exports and provides sufficient
  natural gas to fuel electricity exports to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali
  and Burkina Faso. Oil exploration by a number of consortiums of
  private companies continues offshore, and President GBAGBO has
  expressed hope that daily crude output could reach 200,000 barrels
  per day (b/d) by the end of the decade. Since the end of the civil
  war in 2003, political turmoil has continued to damage the economy,
  resulting in the loss of foreign investment and slow economic
  growth. GDP grew by 1.8% in 2006 and 1.7% in 2007. Per capita income
  has declined by 15% since 1999.

Croatia
  Once one of the wealthiest of the Yugoslav republics,
  Croatia's economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war as output
  collapsed and the country missed the early waves of investment in
  Central and Eastern Europe that followed the fall of the Berlin
  Wall. Since 2000, however, Croatia's economic fortunes have begun to
  improve slowly, with moderate but steady GDP growth between 4% and
  6% led by a rebound in tourism and credit-driven consumer spending.
  Inflation over the same period has remained tame and the currency,
  the kuna, stable. Nevertheless, difficult problems still remain,
  including a stubbornly high unemployment rate, a growing trade
  deficit and uneven regional development. The state retains a large
  role in the economy, as privatization efforts often meet stiff
  public and political resistance. While macroeconomic stabilization
  has largely been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep
  resistance on the part of the public and lack of strong support from
  politicians. The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and
  structural reform.

Cuba
  The government continues to balance the need for economic
  loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled
  back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise
  efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods,
  and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a
  lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused
  by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. Since late
  2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms, and it
  currently supplies about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum
  products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the
  services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela, including some 20,000
  medical professionals. In 2007, high metals prices continued to
  boost Cuban earnings from nickel and cobalt production. Havana
  continued to invest in the country's energy sector to mitigate
  electrical blackouts that had plagued the country since 2004.

Cyprus
  The area of the Republic of Cyprus under government control
  has a market economy dominated by the service sector, which accounts
  for 78% of GDP. Tourism, financial services, and real estate are the
  most important sectors. Erratic growth rates over the past decade
  reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which often fluctuates
  with political instability in the region and economic conditions in
  Western Europe. Nevertheless, the economy in the area under
  government control grew by an average of 3.6% per year during the
  period of 2000-06, well above the EU average. Cyprus joined the
  European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2) in May 2005 and adopted the
  euro as its national currency on 1 January 2008. An aggressive
  austerity program in the preceding years, aimed at paving the way
  for the euro, helped turn a soaring fiscal deficit (6.3% in 2003)
  into a surplus of 1.5% in 2007. As in the area administered by
  Turkish Cypriots, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few
  desalination plants are now on line. After 10 years of drought, the
  country received substantial rainfall from 2001-04 alleviating
  immediate concerns. Rainfall in 2005 and 2006, however, was well
  below average, making water rationing a necessity in 2007.

Czech Republic
  The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and
  prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern
  Europe. Growth in 2000-07 was supported by exports to the EU,
  primarily to Germany, and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic
  investment. Domestic demand is playing an ever more important role
  in underpinning growth as the availability of credit cards and
  mortgages increases. The current account deficit has declined to
  around 3.3% of GDP as demand for automotive and other products from
  the Czech Republic remains strong in the European Union. Rising
  inflation from higher food and energy prices are a risk to balanced
  economic growth. Significant increases in social spending in the
  run-up to June 2006 elections prevented, the government from meeting
  its goal of reducing its budget deficit to 3% of GDP in 2007.
  Negotiations on pension and additional healthcare reforms are
  continuing without clear prospects for agreement and implementation.
  Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in
  the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should
  strengthen output growth. The pro-business Civic Democratic
  Party-led government approved reforms in 2007 designed to cut
  spending on some social welfare benefits and reform the tax system
  with the aim of eventually reducing the budget deficit to 2.3% of
  GDP by 2010. Parliamentary approval for any additional reforms could
  prove difficult, however, because of the parliament's even split.
  The government withdrew a 2010 target date for euro adoption and
  instead aims to meet the eurozone criteria around 2012.

Denmark
  The Danish economy has in recent years undergone strong
  expansion fueled primarily by private consumption growth, but also
  supported by exports and investments. This thoroughly modern market
  economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and
  corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures,
  comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence
  on foreign trade. Unemployment is low and capacity constraints are
  limiting growth potential. Denmark is a net exporter of food and
  energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus.
  Government objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and
  further privatization of state assets. The government has been
  successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the economic convergence
  criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European
  currency) of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), but so
  far Denmark has decided not to join 15 other EU members in the euro.
  Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Economic
  growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn continued through
  2007. The controversy over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad
  printed in a Danish newspaper in September 2005 led to boycotts of
  some Danish exports to the Muslim world, especially exports of dairy
  products, but the boycotts did not have a significant impact on the
  overall Danish economy. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare
  benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish
  living standards are among the highest in the world. A major
  long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to
  retirees.

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

Djibouti
  The economy is