Appendixes
This section includes Factbook-related material by topic.

Area
This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all land
and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or
coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by
international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water
bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of all water
surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines,
including inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers).

Area - comparative
This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents.
Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states
based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by the US Bureau of
the Census. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178
sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi,
146 acres).

Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues
and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.

Birth rate
This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per
1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth
rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the
rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility
and the age structure of the population.

Budget
This entry includes revenues, total expenditures, and capital
expenditures. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis,
i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms

Capital
This entry gives the location of the seat of government.

Climate
This entry includes a brief description of typical weather regimes
throughout the year.

Coastline
This entry gives the total length of the boundary between the land area
(including islands) and the sea.

Communications
This category deals with the means of exchanging information and
includes the telephone, radio, television, and Internet service
provider entries.

Communications - note
This entry includes miscellaneous communications information of
significance not included elsewhere.

Constitution
This entry includes the dates of adoption, revisions, and major
amendments.

Country data codes
see Data codes

Country map
Most versions of the Factbook provide a country map in color. The maps
were produced from the best information available at the time