l sovereignty, uninhabited islands, and other entities
in addition to the traditional countries or independent states.
Military is also used as an umbrella term for various civil defense,
security, and defense activities in many entries. The Independence
entry includes the usual colonial independence dates and former ruling
states as well as other significant nationhood dates such as the
traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation,
confederation, establishment, or state succession that are not strictly
independence dates. Dependent areas have the nature of their dependency
status noted in this same entry.

Terrain
This entry contains a brief description of the topography.

Total fertility rate
This entry gives a figure for the average number of children that would
be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing
years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each
age. The total fertility rate is a more direct measure of the level of
fertility than the crude birth rate, since it refers to births per
woman. This indicator shows the potential for population growth in the
country. High rates will also place some limits on the labor force
participation rates for women. Large numbers of children born to women
indicate large family sizes that might limit the ability of the
families to feed and educate their children.

Transnational Issues
This category includes only two entries at the present time - Disputes
- international and Illicit drugs - that deal with current issues going
beyond national boundaries.

Transportation
This category includes the entries dealing with the means for movement
of people and goods.

Transportation - note
This entry includes miscellaneous transportation information of
significance not included elsewhere.

Unemployment rate
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without
jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.

Waterways
This entry gives the total length and individual names of navigable
rivers, canals, and other inland bodies of water.

Years
All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as
fiscal year (FY). The calendar year is an accounting period of 12
months from 1 January to 31 December. The fiscal year is an accounting
period of 12 months other than 1 January to 31 December.

Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was compiled from
material in the public