The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

branches:

Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 688,480 females age 16-49: 709,548 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 566,477 females age 16-49: 583,075 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 32,000 female: 31,428 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues
Jamaica

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Jan Mayen

Introduction
Jan Mayen

Background:

This desolate, arctic, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985. It is the northernmost active volcano on earth.

Geography
Jan Mayen

Location:

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian
Sea, northeast of Iceland

Geographic coordinates:

71 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references:

Arctic Region

Area:

total: 377 sq km land: 377 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

124.1 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 4 nm contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog

Terrain:

volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m

Natural resources:

none

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

People
Jan Mayen

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station

Government
Jan Mayen

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jan Mayen

Dependency status:

territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service

Legal system:

the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Flag description:

the flag of Norway is used

Economy
Jan Mayen

Economy - overview:

Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island.

Communications
Jan Mayen

Radio broadcast stations:

NA; note - there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

13 (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) (2000)

Transportation
Jan Mayen

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals:

none; offshore anchorage only

Military
Jan Mayen

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues
Jan Mayen

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Japan

Introduction
Japan

Background:

In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians - with heavy input from bureaucrats and business executives - wield actual decisionmaking power. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally.

Geography
Japan

Location:

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Geographic coordinates:

36 00 N, 138 00 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 377,835 sq km land: 374,744 sq km water: 3,091 sq km note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

29,751 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Terrain:

mostly rugged and mountainous

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

Natural resources:

negligible mineral resources, fish note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas as well as the second largest importer of oil

Land use:

arable land: 11.64% permanent crops: 0.9% other: 87.46% (2005)

Irrigated land:

25,920 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

430 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 88.43 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%) per capita: 690 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Environment - current issues:

air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Geography - note:

strategic location in northeast Asia

People
Japan

Population:

127,288,416 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 13.7% (male 8,926,439/female 8,460,629) 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 41,513,061/female 40,894,057) 65 years and over: 21.6% (male 11,643,845/female 15,850,388) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 43.8 years male: 42.1 years female: 45.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.139% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

7.87 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 82.07 years male: 78.73 years female: 85.59 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.22 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

12,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Japanese (singular and plural) adjective: Japanese

Ethnic groups:

Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6% note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil (2004)

Religions:

observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

Languages:

Japanese

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2002)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 15 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.5% of GDP (2005)

Government
Japan

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Japan local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku local short form: Nihon/Nippon

Government type:

constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government

Capital:

name: Tokyo geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,
Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,
Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,
Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,
Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Independence:

660 B.C. (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)

National holiday:

Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)

Constitution:

3 May 1947

Legal system:

modeled after German civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Taro ASO (since 24 September 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution requires that prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch:

bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs) elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2010); House of Representatives - last held 11 September 2005 (next election by September 2009) election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPJ 109, LDP 83, Komeito 20, JCP 7, SDP 5, others 18 House of Representatives - percent of vote by party (in single-seat constituencies) - LDP 47.8%, DPJ 36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party - LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24 (2007)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Ichiro OZAWA]; Japan Communist
Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Akihiro OTA]; Liberal Democratic
Party or LDP [Taro ASO]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho
FUKUSHIMA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

other: business groups; trade unions

International organization participation:

ADB, AfDB (nonregional members), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue
partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP,
EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA,