Switzerland (2001) | East Timor (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich | 13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera, Lautem (Los Palos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
16.97% (male 634,030; female 601,929) 15-64 years: 67.73% (male 2,505,450; female 2,427,408) 65 years and over: 15.3% (male 453,366; female 661,091) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 37.8% (male 196,007; female 189,584)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 308,254; female 295,584) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 14,663; female 15,160) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs | coffee, rice, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla |
Airports | 67 (2000 est.) | 8 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
42 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 15 (2000 est.) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
25 under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.) |
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
41,290 sq km land: 39,770 sq km water: 1,520 sq km |
total: 15,007 sq km
land: NA sq km water: NA sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey | slightly larger than Connecticut |
Background | Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers and Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, may be rendering obsolete the country's concern for neutrality. | The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor during 1942-1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of East Timor. An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. Between the referendum and the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force in late September 1999, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,300 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into West Timor as refugees. The majority of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999 the Australian-led peacekeeping troops of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, East Timor was internationally recognized as an independent state. |
Birth rate | 10.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 27.46 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$32.66 billion expenditures: $34.89 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (1998 est.) |
revenues: $36 million
expenditures: $97 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
Capital | Bern | Dili |
Climate | temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers | tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 706 km |
Constitution | 29 May 1874 | 22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model) |
Country name | conventional long form:
Swiss Confederation conventional short form: Switzerland local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian) local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian) |
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
conventional short form: East Timor local long form: Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste [Portuguese] local short form: Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Timor-Leste [Portuguese] former: Portuguese Timor |
Currency | Swiss franc (CHF) | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | 8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | NA |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador J. Richard FREDERICKS embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3001 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [41] (31) 357 70 11 FAX: [41] (31) 357 73 44 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Grover Joseph REES
embassy: Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Conqueiros, Dili mailing address: Department of State, 8250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20521-8250 telephone: (670) 332-4684 FAX: (670) 331-3206 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Alfred DEFAGO chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900 FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Boston |
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Luis GUTERRES
chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: 202 965-1515 FAX: 202 965-1517 consulate(s) general: New York (the ambassador resides in New York) (2004) |
Disputes - international | none | East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey, and delimit the land boundary, but several sections of the boundary especially around the Oekussi enclave remain unresolved; Indonesia and East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Palau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which may delay decision on the northern maritime boundaries; numbers of East Timor refugees in Indonesia refuse repatriation; East Timor and Australia continue to disagree over the delimitation of a permanent maritime boundary and over the sharing of petroleum resources that fall outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $1.1 billion (1995) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $2.2 billion (1999-2002 est.) |
Economy - overview | Switzerland, a prosperous and stable modern market economy with a per capita GDP 20% above that of the big western European economies, experienced solid growth of 3% in 2000, but growth is expected to fall back to about 2% in 2001. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Although the Swiss are not pursuing full EU membership in the near term, in 1999 Bern and Brussels signed agreements to further liberalize trade ties, and the agreements should come into force in 2001. Switzerland is still considered a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. | In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of East Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence militias, and 260,000 people fled westward. Over the next three years, however, a massive international program, manned by 5,000 peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By mid-2002, all but about 50,000 of the refugees had returned. Growth was held back in 2003 by extensive drought and the gradual winding down of the international presence. The country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure, strengthening the infant civil administration, and generating jobs for young people entering the workforce. One promising long-term project is the planned development of oil and gas resources in nearby waters, but the government faces a substantial financing gap over the next several years before these revenues start flowing into state coffers. |
Electricity - consumption | 51.862 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 31.955 billion kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 21.723 billion kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 66.768 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
3.44% hydro: 59.16% nuclear: 35.43% other: 1.97% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Lake Maggiore 195 m highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m |
lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m
highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity | widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea |
NA |
Ethnic groups | German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% | Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority |
Exchange rates | Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.6303 (January 2001), 1.6888 (2000), 1.5022 (1999), 1.4498 (1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996) | the US dollar is the legal tender |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly from among its own members for a four-year term elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms that run concurrently; election last held 6 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001) election results: Moritz LEUENBERGER elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 76%; Kaspar VILLIGER elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 72% |
chief of state: President Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 20 May 2002); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is able to veto some legislation; he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO
head of government: Prime Minister Mari Bin Amude ALKATIRI (since 20 May 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2007); after the first legislative elections, the leader of the majority party was appointed prime minister by the president, suggesting a precedent for the future election results: Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO elected president; percent of vote - Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO 82.7%, Francisco Xavier do AMARAL 17.3% |
Exports | $91.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $8 million (2001 est.) |
Exports - commodities | machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products | coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - the potential for oil and vanilla exports |
Exports - partners | EU 65.8% (Germany 22.6%, France 9.2%, Italy 8.0%, UK 5.5%, Austria 3.2%), US 12.4%, Japan 4.0% (1999) | NA |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag | red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; there is a white star in the center of the black triangle |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $207 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $440 million (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
2.8% industry: 31.1% services: 66.1% (1995) |
agriculture: 25.4%
industry: 17.2% services: 57.4% (2001) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $28,600 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $500 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2000 est.) | -3% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 47 00 N, 8 00 E | 8 50 S, 125 55 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe | Timor comes from the Malay word for "East;" the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands |
Heliports | - | 1 (2003 est.) |
Highways | total:
71,059 km (including 1,638 km of expressways) paved: 71,059 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
total: 3,800 km
paved: 428 km unpaved: 3,372 km (1995) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1992) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | because of more stringent government regulations, used significantly less as a money-laundering center; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin | NA |
Imports | $91.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $237 million (2001 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles | mainly food (2001) |
Imports - partners | EU 77.7% (Germany 31.0%, France 12.0%, Italy 9.7%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 5.7%), US 7.1%, Japan 2.9% (1999) | NA |
Independence | 1 August 1291 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation) | 28 November 1975 (date of proclamation of independence from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of East Timor's independence from Indonesia |
Industrial production growth rate | 8.6% (2000 est.) | 8.5% |
Industries | machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments | printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth |
Infant mortality rate | 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 48.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 55.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (2000 est.) | 8% NA (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC | ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, MIGA, OPCW, PIF (observer), UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 44 (Switzerland and Liechtenstein) (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 250 sq km (1993 est.) | 1,065 sq km (est.) |
Judicial branch | Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly) | Supreme Court of Justice - constitution calls for one judge to be appointed by National Parliament and rest appointed by Superior Council for Judiciary; note - until Supreme Court is established, Court of Appeals is highest court |
Labor force | 3.9 million (964,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian) (1998 est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | services 69.1%, industry 26.3%, agriculture 4.6% (1998 est.) | NA |
Land boundaries | total:
1,852 km border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km |
total: 228 km
border countries: Indonesia 228 km |
Land use | arable land:
10% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 28% forests and woodland: 32% other: 28% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 4.71%
permanent crops: 0.67% other: 94.62% (2001) |
Languages | German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9% | Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English
note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people |
Legal system | civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but will be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law (2004) |
Legislative branch | bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats - members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of States - last held in 1999 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2003) election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 18, CVP 15, SVP 7, SPS 6; National Council - percent of vote by party - SPS 22.5%, SVP 22.6%, FDP 19.9%, CVP 15.8%, other small parties all under 5%; seats by party - SPS 51, SVP 44, FDP 43, CVP 35, Greens 9, other small parties 18 |
unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary, minimum requirement of 52 and a maximum of 65 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - for its first term of office, the National Parliament is comprised of 88 members on an exceptional basis
elections: (next to be held August 2006); direct elections for national parliament were never held; elected delegates to the national convention named themselves legislators instead of having elections; hence the exceptional numbers for this term of the national parliament. election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 57.37%, PD 8.72%, PSD 8.18%, ASDT 7.84%, UDT 2.36%, PNT 2.21%, KOTA 2.13%, PPT 2.01%, PDC 1.98%, PST 1.78%, independents/other 5.42%; seats by party - FRETILIN 55, PD 7, PSD 6, ASDT 6, PDC 2, UDT 2, KOTA 2, PNT 2, PPT 2, UDC/PDC 1, PST 1, PL 1, independent 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.73 years male: 76.85 years female: 82.76 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 65.56 years
male: 63.31 years female: 67.92 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6% (2002) |
Location | Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy | Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - East Timor includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco |
Map references | Europe | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: NA nm
exclusive economic zone: NA nm continental shelf: NA nm exclusive fishing zone: NA nm extended fishing zone: NA nm |
Merchant marine | total:
24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 435,966 GRT/780,458 DWT ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, petroleum tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: UK 1 (2000 est.) |
none |
Military branches | Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards | East Timor Defense Force (Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, FDTL): Army, Navy |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $3.1 billion (FY98) | $4.4 million (FY03) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (FY98) | NA |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
1,849,034 (2001 est.) |
NA (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
1,570,918 (2001 est.) |
NA (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 20 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
42,597 (2001 est.) |
NA (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291) | Independence Day, 28 November (1975) |
Nationality | noun:
Swiss (singular and plural) adjective: Swiss |
noun: Timorese
adjective: Timorese |
Natural hazards | avalanches, landslides, flash floods | floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones |
Natural resources | hydropower potential, timber, salt | gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble |
Net migration rate | 1.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Adalbert DURRER, president]; Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruedi BAUMANN, president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Franz STEINEGGER, president]; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Christiane BRUNNER, president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and other minor parties | Associacao Social-Democrata Timorense or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do AMARAL]; Christian Democratic Party of Timor or PDC [Antonio XIMENES]; Christian Democratic Union of Timor or UDC [Vicente da Silva GUTERRES]; Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO]; Liberal Party or PL [leader NA]; Maubere Democratic Party or PDM [leader NA]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor or FRETILIN [Lu OLO]; Social Democrat Party of East Timor or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO]; Socialist Party of Timor or PST [leader Avelino COELHO]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes) or KOTA [Clementino dos Reis AMARAL]; Timor Democratic Union or UDT [Joao CARRASCALAO]; Timor Labor Party or PTT [Paulo Freitas DA SILVA]; Timorese Nationalist Party or PNT [Abilio ARAUJO]; Timorese Popular Democratic Association or APODETI [Frederico Almeida-Santos DA COSTA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Popular Council for the Defense of the Democratic Republic of East Timor or CPD-RDTL [leader Antonio-Aitahan MATAK] is largest political pressure group; it rejects current government and claims to be rightful government; Kolimau 2000 [leader Dr. Bruno MAGALHAES] is another opposition group; dissatisfied veterans of struggle against Indonesia, led by one-time government advisor Cornelio GAMA (also known as L-7), also play an important role in pressuring government |
Population | 7,283,274 (July 2001 est.) | 1,019,252
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 42% (2003 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.27% (2001 est.) | 2.11% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Basel | NA |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998) | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA |
Radios | 7.1 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
4,492 km (1,564 km double track) standard gauge: 3,317 km 1.435-m gauge (3,288 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,165 km 1.000-m gauge (1,165 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (1998) |
- |
Religions | Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none 8.9% (1990) | Roman Catholic 90%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 3%, Hindu 0.5%, Buddhist, Animist (1992 est.) |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 17 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
excellent domestic and international services domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) |
NA |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4.82 million (1998) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.967 million (1999) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995) | NA |
Terrain | mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes | mountainous |
Total fertility rate | 1.47 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 3.7 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 1.9% (2000 est.) | 50% (including underemployment) (1992 est.) |
Waterways | 65 km
note: The Rhine carries heavy traffic on the Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee stretches; there are also 12 navigable lakes |
- |