Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Christmas Island (2001) - Belarus (2001)

Compare Christmas Island (2001) z Belarus (2001)

 Christmas Island (2001)Belarus (2001)
 Christmas IslandBelarus
Administrative divisions none (territory of Australia) 6 voblastsi (singular - voblasts') and one municipality* (harady, singular - horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna), Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk); note - when using a place name with the adjectival ending 'skaya' the word voblasts' should be added to the place name

note:
voblasti have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Age structure 0-14 years:
NA%

15-64 years:
NA%

65 years and over:
NA%
0-14 years:
17.93% (male 947,820; female 908,210)

15-64 years:
68.21% (male 3,428,920; female 3,631,290)

65 years and over:
13.86% (male 473,992; female 959,962) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products NA grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk
Airports 1 (2000 est.) 136 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total:
33

over 3,047 m:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
19

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

under 914 m:
11 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
103

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
10

1,524 to 2,437 m:
11

914 to 1,523 m:
14

under 914 m:
65 (2000 est.)
Area total:
135 sq km

land:
135 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total:
207,600 sq km

land:
207,600 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Kansas
Background Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being restored, and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration but, to date, neither side has actively sought to implement the accord.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population 9.57 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues:
$4 billion

expenditures:
$4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1997 est.)
Capital The Settlement Minsk
Climate tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Coastline 138.9 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution Christmas Island Act of 1958 30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996
Country name conventional long form:
Territory of Christmas Island

conventional short form:
Christmas Island
conventional long form:
Republic of Belarus

conventional short form:
Belarus

local long form:
Respublika Byelarus'

local short form:
none

former:
Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency Australian dollar (AUD) Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 13.97 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $NA $1 billion (2000 est.)
Dependency status territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of Australia) chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael KOZAK

embassy:
46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002

mailing address:
use embassy street address

telephone:
[375] (17) 210-12-83

FAX:
[375] (17) 234-7853
Diplomatic representation in the US none (territory of Australia) chief of mission:
Ambassador Valeriy TSEPAKLO

chancery:
1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 986-1604

FAX:
[1] (202) 986-1805

consulate(s) general:
New York
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $194.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened by union workers. With the support of the government, Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $34 million casino on Christmas Island, which opened in 1993. As of yearend 1999, gaming facilities at the casino were temporarily closed but were expected to reopen in early 2000. Another economic prospect is the possible location of a space-launching site on the island. Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprise. In addition to the burdens imposed by extremely high inflation, businesses have been subject to pressure on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, and retroactive application of new business regulations prohibiting practices that had been legal. Further economic problems are two consecutive bad harvests, 1998-99, and persistent trade deficits. Close relations with Russia, possibly leading to reunion, color the pattern of economic developments. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 27.647 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 2.62 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 7.1 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh 24.911 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
NA%

hydro:
NA%

nuclear:
NA%

other:
NA%
fossil fuel:
99.9%

hydro:
0.1%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Murray Hill 361 m
lowest point:
Nyoman River 90 m

highest point:
Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
Environment - current issues NA soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
Environment - international agreements - party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no indigenous population Byelorussian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 1,180 (yearend 2000), 730,000 (15 December 1999), 139,000 (25 January 1999), 46,080 (second quarter 1998), 25,964 (1997), 15,500 (yearend 1996); note - on 1 January 2000, the national currency was redenominated at one new ruble to 2,000 old rubles
Executive branch chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general

head of government:
Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
chief of state:
President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)

head of government:
Prime Minister Vladimir YERMOSHIN (since 18 February 2000); First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey KOBYAKOV (since 13 March 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Mikhail DEMCHUK (since 14 July 2000), Mikhail KHORSTOV (since 27 November 2000), Valeriy KOKOREV (since 23 August 1994), Leonid KOZIK (since 4 February 1997), Gennadiy NOVITSKIY (since 11 February 1997), Aleksandr POPKOV (since 10 November 1998)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via the November 1996 referendum); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

election results:
Aleksandr LUKASHENKO elected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 85%, Vyacheslav KEBICH 15%
Exports $NA $7.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities phosphate machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners Australia, NZ Russia 66%, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Lithuania (1998)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June calendar year
Flag description the flag of Australia is used red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears the Belarusian national ornament in red
GDP purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $78.8 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%
agriculture:
13%

industry:
46%

services:
41% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $7,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 30 S, 105 40 E 53 00 N, 28 00 E
Geography - note located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean landlocked
Highways total:
140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry)

paved:
30 km

unpaved:
110 km (1999)
total:
63,355 km

paved:
60,567 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)

unpaved:
2,788 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1998)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%:
4.9%

highest 10%:
19.4% (1993)
Illicit drugs - limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe
Imports $NA $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities consumer goods mineral products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners principally Australia Russia 54%, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Lithuania (1998)
Independence none (territory of Australia) 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 5% (2000 est.)
Industries tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earth movers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators
Infant mortality rate NA deaths/1,000 live births 14.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 200% (2000 est.)
International organization participation none CCC, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) 4 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 1,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)
Labor force NA 4.8 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) industry and construction NA%, agriculture and forestry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries 0 km total:
3,098 km

border countries:
Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
Land use arable land:
NA%

permanent crops:
NA%

permanent pastures:
NA%

forests and woodland:
NA%

other:
NA%

note:
mainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park
arable land:
29%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
15%

forests and woodland:
34%

other:
21% (1993 est.)
Languages English, Chinese, Malay Byelorussian, Russian, other
Legal system under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law based on civil law system
Legislative branch unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)

elections:
last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001)

election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Pretsaviteley (110 seats)

elections:
last held October 2000 (next to be held NA)

election results:
party affiliation data unavailable; under present political conditions party designations are meaningless
Life expectancy at birth total population:
NA years

male:
NA years

female:
NA years
total population:
68.14 years

male:
62.06 years

female:
74.52 years (2001 est.)
Literacy - definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
98%

male:
99%

female:
97% (1989 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Map references Southeast Asia Commonwealth of Independent States
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
12 NM

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) -
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia -
Military branches - Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $156 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.2% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
2,729,956 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
2,138,743 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
86,396 (2001 est.)
National holiday NA Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union
Nationality noun:
Christmas Islander(s)

adjective:
Christmas Island
noun:
Belarusian(s)

adjective:
Belarusian
Natural hazards the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard NA
Natural resources phosphate forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas
Net migration rate NA migrant(s)/1,000 population 2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 1,470 km; refined products 1,100 km; natural gas 1,980 km (1992)
Political parties and leaders none Agrarian Party or AP [Semyon SHARETSKY, chairman]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB [Viktor CHIKIN, chairman]; Belarusian Ecological Green Party (merger of Belarusian Ecological Party and Green Party of Belarus) [leader NA]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat or SDBP [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Socialist Party [Vyacheslav KUZNETSOV]; Civic Accord Bloc (United Civic Party) or CAB [Stanislav BOGDANKEVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDPB [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH, chairman]; Party of Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Republican Party of Labor and Justice or RPPS [Anatoliy NETYLKIN, chairman]; Social-Democrat Party of Popular Accord or PPA [Leanid SECHKA]; Women's Party Nadezhda [Valentina POLEVIKOVA, chairperson]
Political pressure groups and leaders none NA
Population 2,771 (July 2001 est.) 10,350,194 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 22% (1995 est.)
Population growth rate 7.77% (2001 est.) -0.15% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Flying Fish Cove Mazyr
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)
Radios 1,000 (1997) 3.02 million (1997)
Railways 24 km to serve phosphate mines total:
5,523 km

broad gauge:
5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2000)
Religions Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991) Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Sex ratio - at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.49 male(s)/female

total population:
0.88 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service
general assessment:
the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly

domestic:
local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long; local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity - Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational

international:
Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations
Telephones - main lines in use NA 2.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 8,167 (1997)
Television broadcast stations NA 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau generally flat and contains much marshland
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman 1.28 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number of underemployed workers
Waterways none NA km; note - Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river systems
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.