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

based on service activities connected with
  the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in
  the Horn of Africa. Two-thirds of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the
  capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scanty
  rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most
  food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit
  port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling
  center. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia
  represent 85% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal.
  Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation
  is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help
  support its balance of payments and to finance development projects.
  An unemployment rate of nearly 60% continues to be a major problem.
  While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the
  Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value of
  the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of
  payments. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% between
  1999 and 2006 because of recession, civil war, and a high population
  growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced with a
  multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in
  arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet
  the stipulations of foreign aid donors.

Dominica
  The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily
  bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and
  international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the
  government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination.
  In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the
  economy - including elimination of price controls, privatization of
  the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's
  economic and financial crisis of 2001-02 and to meet IMF targets.
  This restructuring paved the way for the current economic recovery -
  real growth for 2006 reached a two-decade high - and will help to
  reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 100% of GDP. In order
  to diversify the island's production base, the government is
  attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is
  researching Dominica's capability to export geothermal energy.

Dominican Republic
  The Dominican Republic has enjoyed strong GDP
  growth since 2005, with double digit growth in 2006. In 2007,
  exports were bolstered by the nearly 50% increase in nickel prices;
  however, prices are expected to fall in 2008, contributing to a
  slowdown in GDP growth for the year. Although the country has long
  been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco,
  in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the
  economy's largest employer due to growth in tourism and free trade
  zones. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the source of
  nearly three-fourths of exports, and remittances represent about a
  tenth of GDP, equivalent to almost half of exports and
  three-quarters of tourism receipts. With the help of strict fiscal
  targets agreed to in the 2004 renegotiation of an IMF standby loan,
  President FERNANDEZ has stabilized the country's financial
  situation, lowering inflation to less than 6%. A fiscal expansion is
  expected for 2008 prior to the elections in May and for Tropical
  Storm Noel reconstruction. Although the economy is growing at a
  respectable rate, high unemployment and underemployment remains an
  important challenge. The country suffers from marked income
  inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than
  one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of
  national income. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade
  Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March 2007, which should
  boost investment and exports and reduce losses to the Asian garment
  industry.

Ecuador
  Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum
  resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's
  export earnings and one-fourth of public sector revenues in recent
  years. In 1999/2000, Ecuador suffered a severe economic crisis, with
  GDP contracted by more than 6%, with a significant increase in
  poverty. The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on
  its external debt later that year. In March 2000, Congress approved
  a series of structural reforms that also provided for the adoption
  of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the
  economy, and positive growth returned in the years that followed,
  helped by high oil prices, remittances, and increased
  non-traditional exports. From 2002-06 the economy grew 5.5%, the
  highest five-year average in 25 years. The poverty rate declined but
  remained high at 38% in 2006. In 2006 the government of Alfredo
  PALACIO (2005-07) seized the assets of Occidental Petroleum for
  alleged contract violations and imposed a windfall revenue tax on
  foreign oil companies, leading to the suspension of free trade
  negotiations with the US. These measures, combined with chronic
  underinvestment in the state oil company, Petroecuador, led to a
  drop in petroleum production in 2007. PALACIO's successor, Rafael
  CORREA, raised the specter of debt default - but Ecuador has paid
  its debt on time. He also decreed a higher windfall revenue tax on
  private oil companies, then sought to renegotiate their contracts to
  overcome the debilitating effect of the tax. This generated economic
  uncertainty; private investment has dropped and economic growth has
  slowed significantly.

Egypt
  Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt
  is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic
  activity takes place. In the last 30 years, the government has
  reformed the highly centralized economy it inherited from President
  Gamel Abdel NASSER. In 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF's government
  reduced personal and corporate tax rates, reduced energy subsidies,
  and privatized several enterprises. The stock market boomed, and GDP
  grew about 5% per year in 2005-06, and topped 7% in 2007. Despite
  these achievements, the government has failed to raise living
  standards for the average Egyptian, and has had to continue
  providing subsidies for basic necessities. The subsidies have
  contributed to a sizeable budget deficit - roughly 7.5% of GDP in
  2007 - and represent a significant drain on the economy. Foreign
  direct investment has increased significantly in the past two years,
  but the NAZIF government will need to continue its aggressive
  pursuit of reforms in order to sustain the spike in investment and
  growth and begin to improve economic conditions for the broader
  population. Egypt's export sectors - particularly natural gas - have
  bright prospects.

El Salvador
  The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has
  the third largest economy, but growth has been modest in recent
  years. Robust growth in non-traditional exports have offset declines
  in the maquila exports, while remittances and external aid offset
  the trade deficit from high oil prices and strong import demand for
  consumer and intermediate goods. El Salvador leads the region in
  remittances per capita with inflows equivalent to nearly all export
  income. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican
  Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which El Salvador was the
  first to ratify, has strengthened an already positive export trend.
  With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency in 2001, El
  Salvador lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on
  maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy. The current government has
  pursued economic diversification, with some success in promoting
  textile production, international port services, and tourism through
  tax incentives. It is committed to opening the economy to trade and
  investment, and has embarked on a wave of privatizations extending
  to telecom, electricity distribution, banking, and pension funds. In
  late 2006, the government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation
  signed a five-year, $461 million compact to stimulate economic
  growth and reduce poverty in the country's northern region through
  investments in education, public services, enterprise development,
  and transportation infrastructure.

Equatorial Guinea
  The discovery and exploitation of large oil
  reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent
  years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of
  GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence
  Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency
  earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes
  has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government
  has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into
  agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank
  and the IMF have been cut off since 1993, because of corruption and
  mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because
  of large oil revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a
  "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF.
  Government officials and their family members own most businesses.
  Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese,
  uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2007, led by
  oil.

Eritrea Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency, limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy is heavily dependent on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have not been able to meet the food needs of the country. The government continues to place its hope for additional revenue on the development of several international mining projects. Despite difficulties for international companies in working with the Eritrean government, a Canadian mining company signed a contract with the GSE in 2007 and plans to begin mineral extraction in 2010. Eritrea also anticipates opening a free trade zone at the port of Massawa in 2008. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy.

Estonia
  Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern
  market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels
  in Central Europe. The economy benefits from strong electronics and
  telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland,
  Sweden, and Germany. The current government has pursued relatively
  sound fiscal policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low public
  debt. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising
  inflation put pressure on Estonia's currency, which is pegged to the
  euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating
  industries.

Ethiopia
  Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on
  agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and
  80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from
  frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical
  to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006,
  but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat
  to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and
  recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee
  production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief
  from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in
  December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body.
  Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides
  long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper
  growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use
  land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002,
  leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns
  helped agricultural and GDP growth recover during 2004-07.

European Union
  Internally, the EU is attempting to lower trade
  barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of
  living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's
  trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the
  great differences in per capita income among member states (from
  $7,000 to $69,000) and historic national animosities, the EU faces
  difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example,
  since 2003 Germany and France have flouted the member states' treaty
  obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than
  a 3% deficit. In 2004 and 2007, the EU admitted 10 and two
  countries, respectively, that are, in general, less advanced
  technologically and economically than the other 15. Eleven
  established EU member