ic.

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, current issues, and may include a statement about
one or two key future trends. This entry appears for only a
few countries at the present time, but will be added to all
countries in the future.

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,
and television 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 map: Most versions of the Factbook provide a country
map in color. The maps were produced from the best
information available at the time of prepara