Fiji: country profile

Fiji is a country consisting of 300 South Pacific islands, of which the largest is Vitu Levu, which includes the capital, Suva. The islands are home to 700,000 people, of whom 50% are Indian, 46% Melanesian, and the rest Chinese or European. The official language is English, and the major religions are Hinduism and Christianity. Literacy is 79% for men and 64% for women, whose status is generally low in this patriarchal society. Infant mortality is 27/1000 live births, but life expectancy is 70 years. The British began sending missionaries and manufactured goods in the early 1800s and annexed the islands in 1874 as a source of sugar, for which they expropriated the land and imported the Indians as agricultural workers. Sugar remains the largest export along with coconut oil, gold, and timber. Manufactured goods, food, fuel, and chemicals are imported, and the national debt is over $200 million. Foreign investment, mostly by Australia, is $13.2 million. Inflation is 20%; 200,000 people are unemployed, and poverty is general except for the urban elite. The Fijian dollar is worth US. 80. Independence, granted in 1970, replaced colonial control with military governments, currently that of Colonel Rambuka, who refused to allow a democratically elected government to take office. Faced with a declining economy and the political power of the fascist Taukei movement, the Indians, who had been the shopkeepers, craftsmen and bureaucrats during the later period of colonial rule, have been emigrating en masse.     

Swaziland: country profile

Although Swaziland had been independent from colonialism for 20 years, a powerful monarch, King Mswati II, continues to control the country's political, religious, and social system. Swaziland has a population of 676,000, half of whom are under 15 years of age. The infant mortality rate is 105/1000 live births and 25% of children die before they reach their 5th birthday. Life expectancy is 54 years. Tribal chiefs, representing the king, hold and distribute about half of the national land. Most of the fertile land remains in the hands of white settler farmers. The concentration of income in foreign companies and urban centers has exacerbated poverty in rural areas. Depreciation of rand-linked local currency has boosted export earnings, but it has also raised the price of food and medical imports. Swaziland's main exports are sugar, wood pulp, chemicals, and fruit, most of which go to the UK and South Africa. The major food crops are maize, beans, groundnuts, and sorghum. About half of the working population is engaged in small-scale subsistence farming, but food yields are declining. The major producers are foreign companies attracted by Swaziland's low taxes and cheap labor supply.     

Algeria: country profile

Data are presented on the economy, the people, the population's health, and the culture in this country profile of Algeria. The population numbers 21.7 million. The infant mortality rate, used as a health indicator, is 81/1000 live births. Algeria's gross national product per capita is $2410 (US$15,390). Its main imports are machinery, transport equipment, food, tobacco, and consumer goods. The primary exports include oil, petroleum products, liquified natural gas, wine, and tobacco. Algeria's traditional Berber culture has survived occupation by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans. The country is made up of an assortment of different social groups and ethnicities, and modern Algeria realized its unitary identity from the anti-colonial struggle. Recent laws allow freedom of association, an indication of growing pluralism in a state where opposition traditionally has been proscribed. 1987 marks the 25th anniversary of Algeria's independence, obtained after a long and bitter war with France. The victory of the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) was a signal for French settlers to leave in droves, and much of the country's managerial and technical expertise left with them. Yet, the FLN inherited a sound infrastructure on which to build a modern post-colonial society. Additionally, the country also was to benefit from plentiful hydrocarbon reserves, which guaranteed good foreign exchange earnings. One of the country's goals is to feed itself by investing in a long-neglected agricultural sector, yet presently oil and gas revenues continue to be the driving force behind development. The plans for increasing food production include greater scope for private farmers. A widening gap exists between those who espouse the old values forged by the liberation struggle and a younger generation, for whom the FLN's founding precepts and the leadership's old authoritarian style mean considerably less.     

Suriname: country profile

Established as a trading post by the people of the Netherlands in the 1600's, Suriname grew into an agricultural colony farming sugar and tobacco. The Dutch have sustained a presence in Suriname, and in 1975, they granted $2.7 billion in aid over 14 years. However, despite financial assistance, Suriname has undergone a number of economic and identity crises in the past few years. Ethnically, the country is divided into groups, including Creoles, East Indians, Indonesians, Amerindians, and others. Economically, the GNP has declined from $2,650 in 1983 to $1,650. A 1980 political takeover by the military promised relief but instead brought about oppression and tragedy. As a result, the Dutch government discontinued aid to Suriname. Civil unrest resulted in the damage of bauxite installations; the exportation of bauxite is one of the primary economic sources for Suriname. The current government is considered moderate left, but it is still subject to a military veto. Although life expectancy, literacy, and the position of women are good, self-reliance is greatly affected by an increasing foreign debt and freedom and income distribution are negatively affected by discriminatory policies and oppressive practices.     

Djibouti: country profile

The nation of Djibouti lies on the east coast of Africa at the point where the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden meet. It has been independent since 1977, yet French influence and presence continue. For example, 2000 French troops are in Djibouti to guard its independence from its combative neighbors Somalia and Ethiopia. France also supports the government's constant budget deficit and unstable economy. The nation's 2 main sources of national income include the port and its associated services and the money spent by the unwelcome French garrison. Many of the troops and visitors from the Gulf frequent the many brothels and the Muslim Djiboutians find this sexual activity offensive. Since agriculture is almost nonexistent due to semiarid conditions and the well-paid expatriate community can afford to pay high prices for food, many of the 400,000 Djiboutians live at subsistence level or below. Additionally, the authors claim that perhaps 40% of the population is unemployed. The population consists of 2 main groups, the Afars and the Issas, who feud in the political arena. The Afars dominate the Cabinet, yet President Gouled is an Issas and patronizes Issas rival clans to maintain their support. Not surprisingly, the demands of the Afar community are not the President's top priorities. Consequently' violent protests arise and the President resorts to force.     

Lebanon: country profile

A brief profile of Lebanon's economy, people, health, culture and political situation is presented. Lebanon has an estimated 3.5 million people, with a Maronite Christian elite, a Muslim Shiite majority, and Muslim Sunnis and Druze groups. The infant mortality is estimated at 41/1000; literacy is 69% among women and 86% among men; life expectancy was 66 years, 10 years ago. The economy, previously thriving on banking, manufacturing and agriculture, is now decimated, and Lebanon's once active tourist industry, based on elegant facilities in Beirut and neighboring beaches and ski slopes, is the victim of 15 years of civil strife. Israel has invaded, supporting Maronite Christians, Syria has invaded in support Muslim and Druze militias, and Iran has aggressively supported Shiite factions.     

Burundi: country profile

One of Africa's most rural and densely populated countries, Burundi is a landlocked nation in Central Africa. The 4.9 million people are 85% Hutus, agricultural people of Bantu origin. However, the Hutus are excluded from power by the minority Tutsis, and the 2 groups have engaged in violent conflict. After a military coup in 1987, a new president, Major Pierre Buyoya, was installed, but restrictions on the Hutus continue. The major difference in Burundi has been a relaxation of restrictions on the Catholic church, which were severe under the former President Bagaza. Most Hutus are Catholic, with a minority of Muslims. For the peasant farmer, faced with diminishing arable land and reliance on 1 export crop (coffee), life is becoming more difficult. An expansion of sugar production was planned to reduce reliance on coffee, although the government has a rather ambivalent approach to development. While promoting private sector development with the help of the World Bank and the U.S. government, the Burundi government maintains a rigid 1-party system with strict control over the lives of the people. Infant mortality stands at 196/1,000 live births and life expectancy is low--43 years for women and 40 years for men. The literacy rate is low (39% for men, 15% for women), and the GNP per capita is low ($230). Most land is used for subsistence crops such as cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, maize, pulses, and sorghum.     

Netherlands Antilles: country profile

The Netherlands Antilles is the former name for the 5 islands called "the Antilles of the Five" (Curacao, Bonaire, St Maarten, St Eustatius, and Saba) and the separatist (since 1986) island of Aruba, which has its own prime minister (Henny Eamon -- the prime minister of the other 5 islands is Don Martina). The total 1988 population is 264,000. They enjoy one of the highest standards of living among the developing countries, with a per capita gross national product of $1610 guilder ($15,390 (US). Health services, life expectancy, and political freedom are excellent, due mainly to Dutch standards and aid. The position of women is also generally progressive. Literacy is excellent despite the different languages used (Dutch and Papiamento in Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba; English in St Maarten, St Eustatius, and Saba). Since the 2 major industries (oil refining and offshore financial services) have collapsed, tourism is limited mainly to the Windward Islands (St Eustatius and Saba), and there is no agriculture or fishing, the country's high standard of living is due to $530 million of Dutch aid, on which the country relies. Aruba will become independent in 1996, a future opposed by nearly all the 67,000 islanders, who fear it will mean the loss of Dutch aid.     

Hong Kong: country profile

In the 1840s, the small fishing community that is now Hong Kong became a British colony and an important naval base for the Opium Wars. Now it is a leading capitalist center operating on mainland communist China. Hong Kong is scheduled to go back to China in 1997. In the agreement signed between the British government and China, Hong Kong's present lifestyle is guaranteed for at least 50 years. Textbook colonialism rules here. Foreigners hold the key jobs and earn much more than do the indigenous people. They even receive subsidized housing in this very high rent colony. As for the Hong Kong Chinese, overcrowding into 2 room apartments is the norm even though the government tries to provide more housing units. The large skyscrapers in the New Territories breed their unique social and mental health problems, such as poverty, drug abuse and frustration. Essentially all food is imported from communist China, yet agriculture in Hong Kong does exist--pig farms, duck lakes, and fields of the popular vegetable choi sum. Major industry comprise textiles and sweat shops which pay their workers (mostly illegal immigrants and children with no legal protection) wages that are 1/4 of those paid in Great Britain. Financial services, trade, and tourism may soon dominate Hong Kong's economy. Almost 4 million tourists visit Hong Kong yearly, often looking for bargains. Despite Hong Kong's active Western-like business climate, Chinese culture still abounds. Traditional incense burns in Buddhist temples. Snake soup is served in restaurants. Plus traditional medicine practiced alongside Western medicine contributes to Hong Kong having 1 of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world (9/1000) and to its high life expectancy of 76 years.     

Terrorism and public opinion: A five country comparison

This article examines public attitudes towards terrorism in five countries: Uruguay, Spain, Italy, Germany and Northern Ireland. It analyzes public concern over terrorism, images of the terrorists, support for the terrorists' goals, and public approval of anti‐terrorist measures. There are significant differences between nationalist and revolutionary terrorism. Nationalist terrorists have a high degree of support from an ethnic constituency, while revolutionary terrorists attract a much smaller degree of support primarily from the educated young. It is concluded that public opinion towards terrorism is a product of complex historical situations, and that public attitudes are unaffected by the terrorist campaign itself.     

Cry,the imagined country: Legitimacy and the fate of Macedonia

Whether or not the future Europe will be characterized as one of constant security dilemmas or a place of integrating security identities may well be linked to the fate of Macedonia. Indeed, Macedonia's survival will depend on ‘external’ forces.1 Yet, to date, the limited responses and commitments on the part of external parties have not been entirely promising. Unlike many other analyses that have focused on the Balkans, and former Yugoslavia in particular, and argued that the causes for conflict and disintegration are markedly similar, we suggest that Macedonia's problems are unique. It remains a too common and crucial mistake to assume that the root causes for disintegration that have plagued Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia‐Herzegovina and Macedonia since 1991 are all linked to a few centrally identifiable factors. And, with the exception of attempting to lessen the disparate economic geographies that continue to spell promise or peril for the entire region, the root solutions for Southeast Europe will prove problematic, and at times seem overwhelming, but will not prove ultimately impossible. However small, a window of opportunity still exists in Southeast Europe.     

Civil society,democratization and development (II): Two country cases

Part II of this article applies the definition of ‘civil society’ and explores the hypotheses about its political role in the process of democratisation developed in Part I, in the context of two country case studies, South Korea and Zambia. These are chosen because of the contrasts in their developmental performance and in their level of socio‐economic development. In both countries, the forces of civil society played a major role in the transition to a democratic regime, but the prospects for sustainability vary. In the South Korean case, certain elements of civil society have grown along with the industrialization process and constitute a powerful force both to prevent an authoritarian reversion and to deepen the democratic process, in spite of the continuing strength of state elites left over from the ancien regime. The prospects for democratic sustainability are also improved by the maintenance of a growth momentum. In Zambia, however, the social and economic situations are still dire, the democratic elements of civil society are weak and divided and the state itself is in a ruinous condition. This leads one to be more pessimistic about the longer‐term prospects of democratic politics there. The article concludes by raising the issue of how democratic systems, once established, may be shaped to enhance both their political survival and their developmental capacity, with particular emphasis on the relationship between the state, political society and civil society.     

Iraq. Country profile

Iraq, with a population of 15.9 million, is blessed with vital natural resources, oil being its chief export product, as well as barley, dates, and wheat. Fertile land and unlimited supplies of water give it enormous productive potential. However, that potential has not been realized because of the war with Iran, which began in 1980 when President Hussein sent troops to Iran, after continual border skirmishes. Prior to that time, there was a pattern of large rural migration to towns, and a period of rapid growth of the economy. The country was run by the Ba'athist Party who instituted a successful program of development. With the advent of war, development plans have been crippled by shortages of electricity, spare parts, and labor, especially in rural areas. Some agricultural and urban projects are maintained but the large-scale plans of the 1970's have been abandoned. The oil glut and the war economy have contributed to Iraq's new status as a debtor nation. In addition, the war has increased the cultural tensions between the Ba'athists and the Kurds of the North and the Shi'ite Arabs of the South. The Ba'athist Party is dominated by the Sunni Arab minority, whose goal during the 1970's was to reassert Iraq's ancient traditions. Toward that end, the government began a program that sought to restore medieval mosques, and reestablish Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul as centers of Arab culture. Arabic is Iran's official language, although Kurdish is used in the North and East. Iraq is overwhelmingly Muslim, with a small Christian minority. Its infant morality rate is 73/1,000 live births. The war with Iran has touched every area of the nation's life, and severely curtailed government development programs.     

The coalition of the willing: Effect of country diversity in an environmental treaty game

It is analyzed how size differences among countries affect the benefits from climate coalitions. It is shown that size differences lead to smaller coalitions and greater benefits than coalitions among identical countries. The importance of trigger strategies for supporting cooperative solutions is considered. A real world example, based on the world’s six largest emitters, is used to illustrate the implications of size differences in terms of emissions versus valuations of benefits. Climate coalitions become smaller when ranking in terms of benefits is different from ranking in terms of emissions. Three cases of benefit valuations are considered: benefits equal (i) share in world emissions, (ii) share in world GDP, and (iii) share of world population.