an, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi,
Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican
City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger,
Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Climate:
two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow temperate
zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates
Terrain:
highest elevation is Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters and lowest depression is
the Dead Sea at 392 meters below sea level; greatest ocean depth is the
Marianas Trench at 10,924 meters
Natural resources:
the rapid using up of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of
forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species, and
the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in Eastern Europe and
the former USSR) pose serious long-term problems that governments and
peoples are only beginning to address
Land use:
arable land:
10%
permanent crops:
1%

*World, Geography

meadows and pastures:
24%
forest and woodland: 31%
other:
34%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural disasters
(earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions), overpopulation,
industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances),
loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of
wildlife resources, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion

*World, People

Population:
5,554,552,453 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.6% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
25 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
66 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
62 years
male:
60 years
female:
64 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.2 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
combined:
74%
male:
81%
female:
67%
Labor force:
2.24 billion (1992)
by occupation:
NA

*World, Government

Digraph:
XX
Administrative divisions:
265 sovereign nations, dependent areas, other, and miscellaneous entr