Page images
PDF
EPUB

MAURITIUS/MEXICO

Political parties and leaders: a government coalition consisting of Labor Party (S. Ramgoolam) and Parti Mauricien Social Democrate (G. Duval); opposition partiesMauritius Democratic Union (M. Lesage), Mouvement Militant Mauritian (P. Berenger), Mouvement Militant Mauritian Socialiste Progressist (D. Virahsawmy), and the Mauritian Socialist Party (H. Boodhoo)

Voting strength: the Mauritius Labor Party and the Parti Mauricien Social Democrate have a coalition in the National Assembly of 38 seats; the Movement Militant Mauritian has 32 seats

Communists: may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations; Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women's Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society

Other political or pressure groups: various labor unions Member of: Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, ISO, ITU, IWC-International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, OCAM, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

ECONOMY

GNP: $618.9 million (1977), $680 per capita; real growth (1970-76), 6%

Agriculture: sugar crop is major economic asset; about 40% of land area is planted to sugar; most food importedrice is the staple food-and since cultivation is already intense and expansion of cultivable areas is unlikely, heavy reliance on food imports except sugar and tea will continue Shortage: land

Industries: mainly confined to processing sugarcane, tea; some small-scale, simple manufactures; tobacco fiber; some fishing; tourism, diamond cutting, weaving and textiles, electronics

Electric power: 81,000 kW capacity (1977); 312 million kWh produced (1977), 340 kWh per capita

Exports: $325 million (f.o.b., 1978); $268 million sugar, $4 million tea, $5 million molasses

Imports: $501 million (c.i.f., 1978); foodstuffs 30%, manufactured goods about 25%

Major trade partners: all EC-nine countries and U.S. have preferential treatment, U.K. buys over 50% of Mauritius' sugar export at heavily subsidized prices; small amount of sugar exported to Canada, U.S., and Italy; imports from U.K. and EC primarily, also from South Africa, Australia, and Burma; some minor trade with China

Aid: economic-Western (non-U.S.) countries (1970-77), $105.0 million; Communist countries (1970-76), $40.2 million; U.S. (1970-77), $14.9 million

Budget: revenues $185 million, current expenditures $215 million (1977), development expenditures $64.7 million

Monetary conversion rate: 6.14 Mauritian rupees= US$1 1978 (floating with pound sterling)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

COMMUNICATIONS

Highways: 1,786 km total; 1,636 km paved, 150 km earth Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft, 1 leased in Ports: 1 major (Port Louis)

Airfields: 6 total, 5 usable; 1 with permanent surface runway; 1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m

Telecommunications: small system with fair service; radio links to several countries; no radio relay or cable routes known; 1 AM, no FM, and 4 TV stations; 29,000 telephones (3.1 per 100 popl.); 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT station DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 245,000; 127,000 fit for military service

Military budget: for fiscal year ending 30 June 1979, $13,467,287; 3.7% of central government budget

[blocks in formation]

MEXICO

Religion: 97% nominally Roman Catholic, 3% other Language: Spanish

Literacy: 65% estimated; 84% claimed officially

Labor force: 18.0 million (1978) (defined as those 12 years of age and older); 33.0% agriculture, 16.0% manufacturing, 16.6% services, 16.8% construction, utilities, commerce, and transport, 3% government, 5.4% unspecified activities; 10% unemployed, 40% underemployed

Organized labor: 20% of total labor force

GOVERNMENT

Legal name: United Mexican States

Type: federal republic operating in fact under a centralized government

Capital: Mexico

Political subdivisions: 31 states and the Federal District Legal system: mixture of U.S. constitutional theory and civil law system; constitution established in 1917; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September Branches: dominant executive, bicameral legislature, Supreme Court

Government leader: President José LÓPEZ PORTILLO y

Pacheco

Suffrage: universal over age 18; compulsory but unenforced

Elections: Presidential election July 1982

Political parties and leaders: Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Gustavo Carvajal Moreno; National Action Party (PAN), Abel Vincencio Tovar; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Jorge Cruickshank Garcia; Authentic Party of the Revolution (PARM), leader to be chosen February 1980; Mexican Democratic Party (PDM), Ignacio Gonzalez Gollaz; Socialist Workers Party (PST), Rafael Aguilar Talamantes; Mexican Communist Party (PCM), Arnoldo Martinez Verduga

Voting strength: 1979 congressional election: 69.8% PRI; 11% PAN; 5.1% PCM; 8.1% other opposition; 5.9% annulled Other political or pressure groups: Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN), Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO), National Cofederation of Campesinos (CNC), National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP), Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC)

Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, ISO, ITU, IWCInternational Whaling Commission, LAFTA, NAMUCAR (Carribean Multinational Shipping Line-Naviera Multinacional del Caribe), OAS, SELA, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

ECONOMY

GDP: $91.4 billion (1978), $1,340 per capita; 66% private consumption, 12% public consumption, 13% private investment, 9% public investment (1978); net foreign balance 0%; real growth rate 1978, 6.6%

Agriculture: main crops-corn, cotton, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, sorghum, oilseeds, pulses, and vegetables; general self-sufficiency with minor exceptions in meat and dairy products; caloric intake, 2,700 calories per day per capita (1975)

Fishing: catch 670,096 metric tons (1977); exports valued at $151.3 million, imports at $17.8 million (1975)

Major industries: processing of food, beverages, and tobacco; chemicals, basic metals and metal products, petroleum products, mining, textiles and clothing, and transport equipment

Crude steel: 9.0 million metric tons capacity (1977); 5.5 million metric tons produced (1977)

Electric power: 13,900,000 kW capacity (1977); 54.8 billion kWh produced (1978), 830 kWh per capita

Exports: $6,545 million (f.o.b., 1978); cotton, coffee, nonferrous minerals (including lead and zinc), sugar, shrimp, petroleum, sulfur, salt, cattle and meat, fresh fruit, tomatoes, machinery and equipment

Imports: $8,051 million (c.i.f., 1978); machinery, equipment, industrial vehicles, and intermediate goods

Major trade partners: exports-70% U.S., 6% EC, 3% Japan (1978 prelim.); imports-57% U.S., 19% EC, 9% Japan Aid: economic-(including Ex-Im Credits) extensions (FY70-77), from U.S. $866 million; (1970-77) from Communist countries, $35 million; from other Western (non-U.S.) countries, $1,202.4 million

Budget: 1978 federal, revenues $434 billion pesos, expenditures $634 billion pesos

Monetary conversion rate: floating; 22.7670 pesos=US$1 (1978 average)

[blocks in formation]

MEXICO/MONACO/MONGOLIA

Telecommunications: highly developed telecom system with extensive radio-relay links; connection into Central American microwave net; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite ground station; 3.71 million telephones (5.6 per 100 popl.); 574 AM, 109 FM, and 83 TV stations; and about 100 low power relay stations

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 15,015,000; 11,420,000 fit for military service; average number reaching military age (18) annually, 765,000

Military budget: for year ending 31 December 1979, $699.1 million

[blocks in formation]

Legal system: based on French law; new constitution adopted 1962; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: 19 November

Branches: National Council (18 members); Communal Council (15 members, headed by a mayor) Government leader: Prince Rainier III

Suffrage: universal

Elections: National Council every 5 years; most recent

1978

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Entente, Democratic Union Movement, Monegasque Actionist (1973)

Voting strength: figures for 1978: National Democratic Entente, 18 seats

Member of: IAEA, IHO, IPU, ITU, U.N. (permanent observer), UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

ECONOMY

[graphic]

GNP: 55% tourism; 25%-30% industry (small and primarily tourist oriented); 10%-15% registration fees and sales of postage stamps; about 4% traceable to the Monte Carlo casino

Major industries: chemicals, food processing, precision instruments, glassmaking, printing

Electric power: 8,000 (standby) kW capacity (1978); 100 million kWh supplied by France (1978)

Trade: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties

Monetary conversion rate: 1 franc-US$0.2216 (1978 average)

[blocks in formation]

MONGOLIA/MOROCCO

(See reference map VII)

Nationality: noun-Mongolian(s); adjective-Mongolian Ethnic divisions: 90% Mongol, 4% Kazakh, 2% Chinese, 2% Russian, 2% other

Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, about 4% Muslim, limited religious activity because of Communist regime

Languages: Khalkha Mongol used by over 90% of population; minor languages include Turkic, Russian, and Chinese

Literacy: about 80%

Labor force: primarily agricultural, over half the population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of Mongolian women; shortage of skilled labor (no reliable information available)

GOVERNMENT

Legal name: Mongolian People's Republic Type: Communist state

Capital: Ulaanbaatar

Political subdivisions: 18 provinces and 2 autonomous municipalities (Ulaanbaatar and Darhan)

Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; new constitution adopted 1960; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at Ulaanbaatar State University; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: People's Revolution Day, 11 July Branches: constitution provides for a People's Great Hural (national assembly) and a highly centralized administration

Party and government leaders: Yumjaagiyn Tsedenbal, First Secretary of the MPRP and Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural; Jambyn Batmonh, Chairman of the Council of Ministers

Suffrage: universal; age 18 and over

Elections: national assembly elections held every 4 years; last election held June 1977

Political party: Mongolian People's Revolutionary (Communist) Party (MPRP); estimated membership, 67,000 (1976)

Member of: CEMA, ESCAP, IAEA, ILO, IPU, ITU, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

[graphic]

ECONOMY

Agriculture: livestock raising predominates; main cropswheat, oats, barley

Industries: processing of animal products; building materials; mining

Electric power: 356,000 kW capacity (1978); 1,215 million kWh produced (1978), 770 kWh per capita

Exports: beef for slaughter meat products, wool, fluorspar, other minerals

Imports: machinery and equipment, petroleum, clothing, building materials, sugar, and tea

Major trade partners: nearly all trade with Communist countries (approx. 85% with U.S.S.R.); total turnover about $1.0 billion (1977)

Aid: heavily dependent on U.S.S.R.

Monetary conversion rate: 3.11 tugriks=US$1 (June 1978); arbitrarily established

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

MOROCCO

Ethnic divisions: 99.1% Arab-Berber, 0.2% Jewish, 0.7% non-Moroccan

Religion: 98.7% Muslim, 1.1% Christian, 0.2% Jewish Language: Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is language of much business, government, diplomacy, and post primary education

Literacy: 20%

Labor force: 5 million (1977 est.); 50% agriculture, 15% industry, 26% services, 9% other; at least 20% of urban labor unemployed

Organized labor: about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT), but new Democratic Confederation of Labor expanding rapidly

GOVERNMENT

Legal name: Kingdom of Morocco

Type: constitutional monarchy (constitution adopted 1972)

Capital: Rabat

Political subdivisions: 31 provinces and 2 prefectures NOTE: Morocco acquired administrative control in 1976 over the northern two-thirds of the former Spanish Sahara under an agreement with Mauritania, but the legal question of sovereignty over the area has yet to be determined. Spain's role as co-administrator of the disputed territory ended in February 1976. Morocco moved to occupy and assert administrative control over the former Mauritanianclaimed (southern) sector of Western Sahara in August 1979, thereby establishing a fourth additional province in the Sahara.

Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court; modern legal education at branches of Mohamed V University in Rabat and Casablanca and Karaouine University in Fes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 November

Branches: constitution provides for Prime Minister and ministers named by and responsible to King; King has paramount executive powers; unicameral legislature twothirds directly elected, one-third indirectly; judiciary independent of other branches

Government leaders: King Hassan II; Prime Minister Maati Bouabid

Suffrage: universal over age 20

Elections: local elections held 12 November 1976; provincial elections held 25 January 1977; elections for new National Assembly provided for in Constitution adopted 15 March 1972 were held June 1977

Political parties and leaders: Istiqlal Party, M'hamed Boucetta; Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Abderrahim Bouabid; Popular Movement (MP), Mahjoubi Aherdan; Constitutional and Democratic Popular Movement (MPCD), Dr. Abdelkrim Khatib; National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP), Abdallah Ibrahim and Mahjoub Ben Seddik; National Assembly of Independents (RNI) formed in October 1978 is pro-government grouping of previously unaffiliated deputies in parliament, Ahmed Osman; Democratic Constitutional Party (PDC), Mohamed Hassan Ouazzani; Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), legalized in August 1974, is front for Moroccan Communist Party (MCP), which was proscribed in 1959, Ali Yata

Voting strength: pro-government independents hold absolute majority in new Chamber of Representatives; with palace-oriented Popular Movement deputies, the King controls over two-thirds of the seats

[graphic]

Communists: 300 est.

Member of: AFDB, Arab League, EC (association until 1974), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

ECONOMY

GNP: $9.7 billion (1978), about $510 per capita; average annual real growth 6-7% during 1973-77, 1.3% in 1977, 4.0% in 1978

Agriculture: cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; main products-wheat, barley, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; some fishing

Fishing: catch 260,617 metric tons (1976); exports $64.5 million (1975)

Major sectors: mining and mineral processing (phosphates, smaller quantities of iron, manganese, lead, zinc, and other minerals), food processing, textiles, construction and tourism

Electric power: 1,300,000 kW capacity (1978); 4 billion kWh produced (1978), 210 kWh per capita

Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1978); 33% phosphates, 77% other

Imports: $3.0 billion (c.i.f. 1978); 34.0% capital goods, 13.5% foodstuffs, 11.0% petroleum products

« PreviousContinue »