World
World as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 42 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
11 fieldsMaritime claims
- contiguous zone:
- 24 nm claimed by most but can vary
- continental shelf:
- 200 m depth claimed by most or to the depth of exploitation, others claim 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm claimed by most but can vary
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm claimed by most but can vary
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm claimed by most but can vary
note: boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm; 42 nations and other areas that are landlocked include Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, 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
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
People
9 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1993 est.)
Male · female(1993 est.)
Government
3 fieldsLegal system
varies by individual country; 182 are parties to the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ or World Court)
Economy
Real global output--gross world product (GWP)--rose one-half of 1% in 1992, | with results varying widely among regions and countries.
14 fieldsOverview
Real global output--gross world product (GWP)--rose one-half of 1% in 1992, with results varying widely among regions and countries. Average growth of 1.5% in the GDP of industrialized countries (62% of GWP in 1992) and average growth of 5% in the GDP of less developed countries (30% of GWP) were offset by a further 15-20% drop in the GDP of the former Soviet-East European area (now only 8% of GWP). The United States accounted for 23% of GWP in 1992;
the 12-member European Community, which established a single internal market on 1 January 1993, accounted for another 23%, and Japan accounted for 10%. These are the three "economic superpowers" presumably destined to compete for mastery in international markets on into the 21st century.
In general, growth in the industrialized countries was sluggish in 1992, with unemployment typically at 7-11%. As for the less developed countries, China, India, and the Four Dragons--South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore--posted good records; however, many other countries, especially in Africa, suffered bitterly from drought, rapid population growth, and civil strife.
The continued plunge in production in practically all the former Warsaw Pact economies strained the political and social fabric of these newly independent nations, in particular in Russia. The addition of nearly 100 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and famine.
Because of their own internal problems, the industrialized countries have inadequate resources to deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least from the economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized. (For the specific economic problems of each country, see the individual country entries in this volume.)
National product
GWP (gross world product) - purchasing power equivalent - $25.6 trillion (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- developed countries:
- 5% (1992 est.)
- developing countries:
- 50% (1992 est.)
note: these figures vary widely in individual cases
Exports
$3.64 trillion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
- partners:
- in value, about 75% of exports from the developed countries
Imports
$3.82 trillion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
- partners:
- in value, about 75% of imports by the developed countries
Industries
- industry worldwide is dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment;
- most of these advances take place in OECD nations;
- only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to these technological forces, and the technological gap between the industrial nations and the less-developed countries continues to widen;
- the rapid development of new industrial (and agricultural) technology is complicating already grim environmental problems
Agriculture
- the production of major food crops has increased substantially in the last 20 years;
- the annual production of cereals, for instance, has risen by 50%, from about 1.2 billion metric tons to about 1.8 billion metric tons;
- production increases have resulted mainly from increased yields rather than increases in planted areas;
- while global production is sufficient for aggregate demand, about one-fifth of the world's population remains malnourished, primarily because local production cannot adequately provide for large and rapidly growing populations, which are too poor to pay for food imports;
- conditions are especially bad in Africa where drought in recent years has intensified the consequences of overpopulation
Communications
3 fieldsRailroads
- 239,430 km of narrow gauge track;
- 710,754 km of standard gauge track;
- 251,153 km of broad gauge track;
- includes about 190,000 to 195,000 km of electrified routes of which 147,760 km are in Europe, 24,509 km in the Far East, 11,050 km in Africa, 4,223 km in South America, and only 4,160 km in North America;
- fastest speed in daily service is 300 km/hr attained by France's SNCF TGV-Atlantique line
Ports
Mina al Ahmadi (Kuwait), Chiba, Houston, Kawasaki, Kobe, Marseille, New Orleans, New York, Rotterdam, Yokohama
Merchant marine
- 23,943 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 397,225,000 GRT/652,025,000 DWT;
- includes 347 passenger-cargo, 12,581 freighters, 5,473 bulk carriers, and 5,542 tankers (January 1992)
Defense Forces
Ground, maritime, and air forces at all levels of technology
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “World.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/world/1993.