The CIA World Factbook Edition 1990 Economy

Illicit drugs In 36 editions of 36.

Illicit drugs was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 1990 edition carries it in 36 entries, in its Economy section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.

entries in the 1990 edition
36
the first edition with it
1990
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Illicit drugs” (1990 to 2025).

the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Illicit drugs, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.

Entries with Illicit drugs in each edition

19902000201020202025

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Africa

8 entries

Zaire now Democratic Republic of the Congo

illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption

Ivory Coast now Cote d'Ivoire

illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale for the international drug trade

Ghana

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

Kenya

  • illicit producer of cannabis used mostly for domestic consumption;
  • widespread cultivation of cannabis and qat on small plots;
  • transit country for heroin and methaqualone en route from Southwest Asia to West Africa, Western Europe, and the US

Madagascar

illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption

Mauritius

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

Morocco

  • illicit producer of cannabis;
  • trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets;
  • shipments of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe;
  • occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.

Nigeria

  • illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking;
  • marijuana cultivation for domestic consumption and export;
  • major transit country for heroin en route from Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US;
  • growing transit route for cocaine from South America via West Africa to Western Europe and the US

Asia

4 entries

Afghanistan

  • an illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade;
  • world's second largest opium producer (after Burma) and a major source of hashish

India

  • licit producer of opium poppy for the pharmaceutical trade, but some opium is diverted to international drug markets;
  • major transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries

Nepal

illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets

Pakistan

  • illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade;
  • government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success;
  • 1988 output of opium and hashish each estimated at about 200 metric tons

Central America and the Caribbean

5 entries

Belize

  • an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
  • eradication program cut marijuana production from 200 metric tons in 1987 to 66 metric tons in 1989;
  • transshipment point for cocaine

Costa Rica

illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment country for cocaine from South America

Guatemala

  • illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade;
  • the government has engaged in aerial eradication of opium poppy;
  • transit country for cocaine shipments

Honduras

illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment point for cocaine

Jamaica

illicit cultivation of cannabis has decreased, with production shifting from large to small plots and nurseries to evade aerial detection and eradication

Europe

1 entry

Soviet Union

  • illegal producer of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption;
  • government has begun eradication program to control cultivation;
  • used as a transshipment country

Middle East

3 entries

Iran

illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international drug trade

Lebanon

  • illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade;
  • opium poppy production in Al Biqa is increasing;
  • most hashish production is shipped to Western Europe

Turkey now Turkiye

  • one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products;
  • government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate

North America

3 entries

Canada

illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market

Mexico

  • illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis continues in spite of government eradication efforts;
  • major link in chain of countries used to smuggle cocaine from South American dealers to US markets

United States

  • illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana;
  • ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not reduced production

South America

7 entries

Bolivia

  • world's second-largest producer of coca (after Peru) with an estimated 54,000 hectares under cultivation;
  • government considers all but 12,000 hectares illicit and subject to eradication;
  • intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia and Brazil to the US and other international drug markets

Brazil

illicit producer of cannabis and coca, mostly for domestic consumption; government has an active eradication program to control cannabis and coca cultivation

Colombia

  • major illicit producer of cannabis and coca for the international drug trade;
  • key supplier of marijuana and cocaine to the US and other international drug markets;
  • drug production and trafficking accounts for an estimated 4% of GDP and 28% of foreign exchange earnings

Ecuador

  • relatively small producer of coca following the successful eradication campaign of 1985-87;
  • significant transit country, however, for derivatives of coca originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru

Paraguay

  • illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade with an estimated 300 hectares cultivated in 1988;
  • important transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for the US and Europe

Peru

  • world's largest coca producer and source of supply for coca paste and cocaine base;
  • about 85% of cultivation is for illicit production;
  • most of coca base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers for processing into cocaine for the international drug market

Venezuela

  • illicit producer of cannabis and coca for the international drug trade on a small scale;
  • however, large quantities of cocaine and marijuana do transit the country

Southeast Asia

5 entries

Burma now Burma (Myanmar)

  • world's largest illicit producer of opium poppy and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
  • opium production is on the increase as growers respond to the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic programs

Indonesia

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade, but not a major player; government actively eradicating plantings and prosecuting traffickers

Laos

  • illicit producer of cannabis and opium poppy for the international drug trade;
  • production of cannabis increased in 1989;
  • marijuana and heroin are shipped to Western countries, including the US

Philippines

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing more and better quality cannabis despite government eradication efforts

Thailand

  • a minor producer, major illicit trafficker of heroin, particularly from Burma and Laos, and cannabis for the international drug market;
  • eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries;
  • opium poppy cultivation has been affected by eradication efforts, but unusually good weather boosted output in 1989

Cite this page

Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1990, “Illicit drugs”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/illicit-drugs/1990.

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