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

states introduced the euro as their common
  currency on 1 January 1999 (Greece did so two years later), but the
  UK, Sweden, and Denmark chose not to participate. Of the 12 most
  recent member states, only Slovenia (1 January 2007) and Cyprus and
  Malta (1 January 2008) have adopted the euro; the remaining nine are
  legally required to adopt the currency upon meeting EU's fiscal and
  monetary convergence criteria.

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987, the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falkland Islands' exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which help support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date, no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost.

Faroe Islands
  The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing, which
  makes the economy vulnerable to price swings. Since 2003 the Faroese
  economy has picked up as a result of higher prices for fish and for
  housing. Unemployment is minimal and government finances are
  relatively sound. Oil finds close to the Islands give hope for
  economically recoverable deposits, which could eventually lay the
  basis for a more diversified economy and lessen dependence on Danish
  economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (about
  15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not
  far below the Danes and other Scandinavians.

Fiji
  Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one
  of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still
  with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports, remittances from
  Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with
  400,000 to 500,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of
  foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union
  markets, but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar
  subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial
  activity but is not efficient. Fiji's tourism industry was damaged
  by the December 2006 coup and is facing an uncertain recovery time.
  The coup has created a difficult business climate. Tourist arrivals
  for 2007 are estimated to be down almost 6%, with substantial job
  losses in the service sector. In July 2007 the Reserve Bank of Fiji
  announced the economy was expected to contract by 3.1% in 2007.
  Fiji's current account deficit reached 23% of GDP in 2006. The EU
  has suspended all aid until the interim government takes steps
  toward new elections. Long-term problems include low investment,
  uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's inability to
  manage its budget. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in
  Kuwait and Iraq have decreased significantly.

Finland
  Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market
  economy with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France,
  Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing -
  principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and
  electronics industries. Trade is important; exports equal nearly
  two-fifths of GDP. Finland excels in high-tech exports, e.g., mobile
  phones. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on
  imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for
  manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development
  is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products.
  Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary
  occupation for the rural population. High unemployment remains a
  persistent problem. In 2007 Russia announced plans to impose high
  tariffs on raw timber exported to Finland. The Finnish pulp and
  paper industry will be threatened if these duties are put into place
  in 2008 and 2009, and the matter is now being handled by the
  European Union.

France
  France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do modern
  economy that has featured extensive government ownership and
  intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The
  government has partially or fully privatized many large companies,
  banks, and insurers, and has ceded stakes in such leading firms as
  Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. It maintains a
  strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public
  transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is
  gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain
  committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by
  means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income
  disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and
  welfare. Widespread opposition to labor reform has in recent years
  hampered the government's ability to revitalize the economy. In
  2007, the government launched divisive labor reform efforts that
  will continue into 2008. France's tax burden remains one of the
  highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). France brought the
  budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit for the first
  time in 2007 and has reduced unemployment to roughly 8%. With at
  least 75 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most
  visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income
  in the world from tourism.

French Polynesia
  Since 1962, when France stationed military
  personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a
  subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion
  of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the
  tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996,
  the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism
  accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard
  currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and
  deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector
  primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits
  substantially from development agreements with France aimed
  principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social
  services.

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  Economic activity is limited to
  servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations, military
  bases, and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed
  on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and
  Reunion.

Gabon
  Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of
  sub-Saharan African nations. but because of high income inequality,
  a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on
  timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early
  1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues
  to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese
  exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal
  management hobbles the economy. The devaluation of the CFA franc -
  its currency - by 50% in January 1994 sparked a one-time
  inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF
  provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year
  Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning
  in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000.
  Those agreements mandated progress in privatization and fiscal
  discipline. France provided additional financial support in January
  1997 after Gabon met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF
  mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on
  off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping
  on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The
  rebound of oil prices since 1999 have helped growth, but drops in
  production have hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains,
  and will continue to temper the gains for most of this decade. In
  December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to
  reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment
  agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Gabon signed a
  14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received
  Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress
  depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments
  in line with IMF policies.

Gambia, The
  The Gambia has no confirmed mineral or natural resource
  deposits and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the
  population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood.
  Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of
  peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a
  major segment of economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed
  preshipment inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi
  (currency) have drawn some of the reexport trade away from The
  Gambia. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made
  it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa. The
  government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta
  eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. Despite an
  announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals, no plans
  have been made public that would indicate that the government
  intends to follow through on its promises. Unemployment and
  underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic
  progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on
  responsible government economic management, on continued technical
  assistance from the IMF and bilateral donors, and on expected growth
  in the construction sector.

Gaza Strip
  High population density, limited land access, and strict
  internal and external security controls have kept economic
  conditions in the Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas under
  the Palestinian Authority (PA)- even more degraded than in the West
  Bank. The beginning of the second intifada in September 2000 sparked
  an economic downturn, largely the result of Israeli closure
  policies; these policies, which were imposed to address security
  concerns in Israel, disrupted labor and trade access to and from the
  Gaza Strip. In 2001, and even more severely in 2003, Israeli
  military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of
  capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread
  business closures. The Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in
  September 2005 offered some medium-term opportunities for economic
  growth, but continued Israeli-imposed crossings closures, which
  became more restrictive after Hamas violently took over the
  territory in June 2007, have resulted in widespread private sector
  layoffs and shortages of most goods.

Georgia Georgia's economy has sustained robust GDP growth of close to 10% in 2006 and 12% in 2007, based on strong inflows of foreign investment and robust government spending. However, a widening trade deficit and higher inflation are emerging risks to the economy. Areas of recent improvement include increasing foreign direct investment as well as growth in the construction, banking services and mining sectors. Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, aircraft and chemicals. The country imports nearly all its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity, a growing component of its energy supplies. Despite the severe damage the economy suffered due to civil strife in the 1990s, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic gains since 2000, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation. Georgia's GDP growth neared 10% in 2006 and 2007 despite restrictions on commerce with Russia. Areas of recent improvement include increased foreign direct investment as well as growth in the construction, banking services, and mining sectors. In addition, the reinvigorated privatization process has met with success. However, a widening trade deficit and higher inflation are emerging risks to the economy. Georgia has suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, the new government is making progress and has reformed the tax code, improved tax administration, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on corruption. Government revenues have increased nearly four fold since 2003. Due to improvements in customs and financial (tax) enforcement, smuggling is a declining problem. Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages of the past by renovating hydropower plants and by bringing newly available natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan. It also has an increased ability to pay for more expensive gas imports from Russia. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on a determined effort to reduce regulation, taxes and corruption in order to