diff --git a/africa/ag.json b/africa/ag.json index 418294f7..b19181bd 100644 --- a/africa/ag.json +++ b/africa/ag.json @@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@ }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { - "text": "9% of GDP (2023)" + "text": "9% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "4.8% of GDP (2022 est.)" @@ -1213,11 +1213,11 @@ "text": "the ANP's inventory includes mostly Russian-sourced equipment; in recent years, Algeria has received arms from a variety of countries with Russia as the leading supplier (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; 19-30 years of age for mandatory service for men (all Algerian men must register at age 17); service obligation reduced from 18 to 12 months in 2014 (2023)", + "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; 19-30 years of age for mandatory national service for men (all Algerian men must register at age 17); service obligation reduced from 18 to 12 months in 2014 (2024)", "note": "note: conscripts comprise an estimated 70% of the military" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the ANP is responsible for external defense but also has some internal security responsibilities; key areas of concern include border and maritime security, terrorism, regional instability, and tensions with Morocco; Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front in Western Sahara and accuses Morocco of supporting the Algerian separatist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK); border security and counterterrorism have received additional focus since the Arab Spring events of 2011 and the rise of terrorist threats emanating from Libya and the Sahel; the Army and Ministry of Defense (MND) paramilitary forces of the Gendarmerie and the border guards have beefed up their presence along the frontiers with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, and Mali to interdict and deter cross-border attacks by Islamic militant groups; the ANP and MND paramilitary forces have also increased counterterrorism cooperation with some neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia, including joint operations

the ANP has also played a large role in the country’s politics since independence in 1962, including coups in 1965 and 1991; it was a key backer of BOUTEFLIKA’s election in 1999 and remained a center of power during his 20-year rule; the military was instrumental in BOUTEFLIKA’s resignation in 2019, when it withdrew support and called for him to be removed from office

the ANP is one of the better-equipped militaries in North Africa; over the past decade, it has made large investments in more modern equipment, including armored vehicles, air defense systems, fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and warships, largely from Russia but also China and Western European suppliers; it is a conscript-based force that exercises regularly, including jointly with foreign militaries such as those of Russia, Tunisia, and some Sahel countries; the ANP is part of the African Union’s Standby Force for North Africa; the core combat units of the Land Forces consists of multiple armored and mechanized divisions, as well as a combined airborne and special forces division, plus separate brigades of mechanized or motorized infantry and tanks; the Naval Forces’ principal warships include frigates, corvettes, and attack submarines; in 2015, the Naval Forces acquired from Italy its first amphibious transport dock (LHD) ship, which is capable of carrying helicopters, small landing craft, and more than 300 troops; the Air Force has more than 100 Russian-made combat aircraft, as well as about 200 Russian-made combat helicopters (2023)" + "text": "the ANP is responsible for external defense but also has some internal security responsibilities; key areas of concern include border and maritime security, terrorism, regional instability, and tensions with Morocco; Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front in Western Sahara and accuses Morocco of supporting the Algerian separatist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK); border security and counterterrorism have received additional focus since the Arab Spring events of 2011 and the rise of terrorist threats emanating from Libya and the Sahel; the Army and Ministry of Defense (MND) paramilitary forces of the Gendarmerie and the border guards have beefed up their presence along the frontiers with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, and Mali to interdict and deter cross-border attacks by Islamic militant groups; the ANP and MND paramilitary forces have also increased counterterrorism cooperation with some neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia, including joint operations

the ANP has also played a large role in the country’s politics since independence in 1962, including coups in 1965 and 1991; it was a key backer of BOUTEFLIKA’s election in 1999 and remained a center of power during his 20-year rule; the military was instrumental in BOUTEFLIKA’s resignation in 2019, when it withdrew support and called for him to be removed from office

the ANP is one of the better-equipped militaries in North Africa; over the past decade, it has made large investments in more modern equipment, including armored vehicles, air defense systems, fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and warships, largely from Russia but also China and Western European suppliers; it is a conscript-based force that exercises regularly, including jointly with foreign militaries such as those of Russia, Tunisia, and some Sahel countries; the ANP is part of the African Union’s Standby Force for North Africa

the ANP is organized into six regional commands; the core combat units of the Land Forces consists of multiple armored and mechanized divisions, a combined airborne and special forces division, and separate brigades of mechanized or motorized infantry and tanks; the Naval Forces’ principal warships include frigates, corvettes, and attack submarines; in 2015, the Naval Forces acquired from Italy its first amphibious transport dock (LHD) ship, which is capable of carrying helicopters, small landing craft, and more than 300 troops; the Air Force has more than 100 Russian-made combat aircraft, as well as about 200 Russian-made combat helicopters (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/africa/ao.json b/africa/ao.json index 81ca9486..0cda0d4d 100644 --- a/africa/ao.json +++ b/africa/ao.json @@ -546,10 +546,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 26 September 2017); Vice President Esperanca Francisco DA COSTA (since 15 September 2022); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 26 September 2017)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 15 September 2022); Vice President Esperanca Francisco DA COSTA (since 15 September 2022)" + "text": "President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO " }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" @@ -1215,7 +1215,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA; under operational control of the Army)

Ministry of Interior: National Police, Border Guard Police (2023)" + "text": "Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA; under operational control of the Army)

Ministry of Interior: National Police, Border Guard Police (2024)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { diff --git a/africa/bc.json b/africa/bc.json index 386cc5e0..ea08644b 100644 --- a/africa/bc.json +++ b/africa/bc.json @@ -551,10 +551,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI (since 1 April 2018); Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI (since 1 April 2018)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI (since 1 April 2018); Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018)" + "text": "President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI (since 1 April 2018)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president" @@ -1169,7 +1169,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2023)", + "text": "Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2024)", "note": "note: both the BDF and the Botswana Police Service report to the Ministry of Defense and Security; the Botswana Police Service has primary responsibility for internal security; the BDF reports to the Office of the President through the minister of defense and security and has some domestic security responsibilities" }, "Military expenditures": { diff --git a/africa/bn.json b/africa/bn.json index 91b8256c..81cfd32c 100644 --- a/africa/bn.json +++ b/africa/bn.json @@ -568,16 +568,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); note - the president is both head of state and head of government" + "text": "President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); prime minister position abolished" + "text": "President Patrice TALON" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 11 April 2021 (next to be held on 12 April 2026)" + "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 11 April 2021 (next to be held on 12 April 2026); note - the president is both head of state and head of government" }, "election results": { "text": "
2021: Patrice TALON reelected president in the ; percent of vote - Patrice TALON (independent) 86.3%, Alassane SOUMANOU (FCBE) 11.4%, Corentin KOHOUE (The Democrats) 2.3%

2016: Patrice TALON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Lionel ZINSOU (FCBE) 28.4%, Patrice TALON (independent) 24.8%, Sebastien AJAVON (independent) 23%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE (ABT) 8.8%, Pascal KOUPAKI (NC) 5.9%, other 9.1%; percent of vote in second round - Patrice TALON 65.4%, Lionel ZINSOU 34.6%" @@ -1216,7 +1216,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Beninese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB; aka Benin Defense Forces): Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard (aka Republican Guard)

Ministry of Interior and Public Security: Republican Police (Police Republicaine, DGPR) (2023)", + "text": "Beninese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB; aka Benin Defense Forces): Land Force, Air Force, National Navy, National Guard (aka Republican Guard)

Ministry of Interior and Public Security: Republican Police (Police Republicaine, DGPR) (2024)", "note": "note: FAB is under the Ministry of Defense and is responsible for external security and supporting the DGPR in maintaining internal security, which has primary responsibility for enforcing law and maintaining order; the DGPR was formed in 2018 through a merger of police and gendarmes" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ "text": "18-35 years of age for voluntary and selective compulsory military service for men and women; a higher education diploma is required; conscript service is 18 months (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "a key focus for the security forces of Benin is countering infiltrations into the country by terrorist groups tied to al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) operating just over the border from northern Benin in Burkina Faso and Niger; in 2022, the Benin Government said it was \"at war\" after suffering a series of attacks from these groups; later that same year, President TALON said his government would spend more than $130 million to recruit up to 4,000 (later increased to 5,000) additional military personnel, modernize military equipment, and build and fortify operating bases; in addition, the FAB participates in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) along with Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria against Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeastern border

the FAB has a close working relationship with the Belgian armed forces; the Belgians offer military advice, training, and second-hand equipment donations, and deploy to Benin for limited military exercises (2024)" + "text": "in addition to its defense against external aggression duties, the Beninese Armed Forces (FAB) may be required to assist in maintaining public order and internal security under conditions defined by the country's president; it may also participate in economic development projects

a key focus for the security forces of Benin is countering infiltrations into the country by terrorist groups tied to al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) operating just over the border from northern Benin in Burkina Faso and Niger; in 2022, the Benin Government said it was \"at war\" after suffering a series of attacks from these groups; later that same year, President TALON said his government would spend more than $130 million to recruit up to 4,000 (later increased to 5,000) additional military personnel, modernize military equipment, and build and fortify operating bases; in addition, the FAB participates in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) along with Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria against Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeastern border

the FAB has a close working relationship with the Belgian armed forces; the Belgians offer military advice, training, and second-hand equipment donations, and deploy to Benin for limited military exercises (2024)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/africa/by.json b/africa/by.json index af67e58a..7d5623ce 100644 --- a/africa/by.json +++ b/africa/by.json @@ -575,10 +575,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020); Vice President Prosper BAZOMBANZA (since 24 June 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020); Vice President Prosper BAZOMBANZA (since 24 June 2020); Prime Minister Gervais NDIRAKOBUCA (since 7 September 2022)" + "text": "Minister Gervais NDIRAKOBUCA (since 7 September 2022)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by president" diff --git a/africa/cd.json b/africa/cd.json index 0c295750..0fa0b00c 100644 --- a/africa/cd.json +++ b/africa/cd.json @@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ "text": "members of the so called \"National Transitional Council\" were installed by Interim President DEBY on 5 October 2021 (next to be held in September 2022)" }, "election results": { - "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 64, women 29, percent of women 31.2% " + "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 64, women 29, percent of women 31.2%" }, "note": "note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2020, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election; the MPS has held a majority in the NA since 1997" }, @@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "limited and varied information; estimated to have up to 35,000 active ANT personnel (approximately 25-30,000 Ground Forces, 5,000 GDSSIE, and a few hundred Air Force); approximately 5,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 3,000 Nomadic Guard (2023)" + "text": "limited and varied information; estimated to have up to 40,000 active ANT personnel (approximately 30-35,000 Ground Forces, 5,000 GDSSIE, and a few hundred Air Force); approximately 5,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 3,000 Nomadic Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the ANT is mostly armed with older or secondhand equipment from Belgium, France, Russia, and the former Soviet Union; in recent years it has received equipment, including donations, from other countries, including China, Turkey, and the US (2023)" diff --git a/africa/cf.json b/africa/cf.json index 86faa720..1415e8f9 100644 --- a/africa/cf.json +++ b/africa/cf.json @@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ "text": "President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 1997)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Anatole Collinet MAKOSSO (since 12 May 2021)" + "text": "Prime Minister Anatole Collinet MAKOSSO (since 12 May 2021) " }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" @@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament or Parliament consists of:
Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by local, district, and regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms) note- the Senate is renewed in its entirety following a constitutional reform implemented in 2015 ending the renewal by half
National Assembly (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by local, district, and regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms) note- the Senate is renewed in its entirety following a constitutional reform implemented in 2015 ending the renewal by half
National Assembly (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "Senate - last held on 20 August 2023 (next to be held 31 August 2029)
National Assembly - last held on 10 and 31 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2027)" @@ -1240,8 +1240,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force, Gendarmerie (2023)", - "note": "note: the Gendarmerie is a paramilitary force with domestic law enforcement and security responsibilities; it is under the Ministry of Defense, but also reports to the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Interior also controls the National Police" + "text": "Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force, National Gendarmerie (2023)", + "note": "note: the National Gendarmerie is a paramilitary force with domestic law enforcement and security responsibilities; it is under the Ministry of Defense, but also reports to the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Interior also controls the National Police" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ "text": "has about 190 mostly police personnel deployed to the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FAC is viewed as having limited capabilities due to obsolescent and poorly maintained equipment and low levels of training; its primary focus is internal security; since its creation in 1961, the FAC has had a turbulent history; it has been sidelined by some national leaders in favor of personal militias, endured an internal rebellion (1996), and clashed with various rebel groups and political or ethnic militias (1993-1996, 2002-2005, 2017); during the 1997-1999 civil war, the military generally split along ethnic lines, with most northern officers supporting eventual winner SASSOU-Nguesso, and most southerners backing the rebels; others joined ethnic-based factions loyal to regional warlords; forces backing SASSOU-Nguesso were supported by Angolan troops and received some French assistance; the FAC also has undergone at least three reorganizations that included the incorporation of former rebel combatants and various ethnic and political militias; in recent years, France has provided some advice and training, and a military cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in 2019 (2023)" + "text": "the FAC's primary focus is internal security; it is organized into approximately nine military zones; the Army's  primary combat forces are an infantry brigade and a Republican Guard force

since its creation in 1961, the FAC has had a turbulent history; it has been sidelined by some national leaders in favor of personal militias, endured an internal rebellion (1996), and clashed with various rebel groups and political or ethnic militias (1993-1996, 2002-2005, 2017); during the 1997-1999 civil war, the military generally split along ethnic lines, with most northern officers supporting eventual winner SASSOU-Nguesso, and most southerners backing the rebels; others joined ethnic-based factions loyal to regional warlords; forces backing SASSOU-Nguesso were supported by Angolan troops and received some French assistance; the FAC also has undergone at least three reorganizations that included the incorporation of former rebel combatants and various ethnic and political militias; in recent years, France has provided some advice and training, and a military cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in 2019 (2024)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/africa/cg.json b/africa/cg.json index 0f9d2c11..a2b03869 100644 --- a/africa/cg.json +++ b/africa/cg.json @@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ "text": "President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 20 January 2024)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Judith Suminwa TULUKA (since 1 April 2024) note - TULUKA is the country's first female prime minister" + "text": "Prime Minister Judith SUMINWA Tuluka (since 29 May 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Ministers of State appointed by the president" diff --git a/africa/cm.json b/africa/cm.json index e07db597..50b0c780 100644 --- a/africa/cm.json +++ b/africa/cm.json @@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ "text": "President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Joseph Dion NGUTE (since 4 January 2019)" + "text": "Prime Minister Joseph NGUTE (since 4 January 2019)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president" @@ -1305,7 +1305,7 @@ "note": "note: Cameroon has committed approximately 2,000-2,500 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations occur occasionally" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FAC is considered a politically independent military; the Army and the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) are organized and equipped for mobile operations; the Army has four motorized infantry brigades spread amongst five military regions; the US-trained BIR has up to nine battalions, detachments, or groups consisting of airborne, air mobile, amphibious, light, and motorized infantry, armored reconnaissance, counterterrorism, and support units, such as artillery and intelligence; the BIR reportedly receives better training, equipment, and pay than regular Army units

the ground forces are largely focused on internal security, particularly the threat from the terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa along its frontiers with Nigeria and Chad (Far North region) and, since 2016, an insurgency from armed Anglophone separatist groups in the North-West and South-West regions; in addition, the FAC often deploys ground units to the border region with the Central African Republic to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits; the Navy’s missions include protecting Cameroon’s oil installations, combatting crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and patrolling the country’s lakes and rivers; the Air Force supports both the ground and naval forces and has small numbers of light ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as attack, multipurpose, and transport helicopters (2023)" + "text": "the FAC is considered a politically independent military; the Army and the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) are organized and equipped for mobile operations; the Army has several motorized infantry brigades spread amongst five military regions; the US-trained BIR has up to nine battalions, detachments, or groups consisting of airborne, air mobile, amphibious, light, and motorized infantry, armored reconnaissance, counterterrorism, and support units, such as artillery and intelligence; the BIR reportedly receives better training, equipment, and pay than regular Army units

the ground forces are largely focused on internal security, particularly the threat from the terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa along its frontiers with Nigeria and Chad (Far North region) and, since 2016, an insurgency from armed Anglophone separatist groups in the North-West and South-West regions; in addition, the FAC often deploys ground units to the border region with the Central African Republic to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits; the Navy’s missions include protecting Cameroon’s oil installations, combatting crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and patrolling the country’s lakes and rivers; the Air Force supports both the ground and naval forces and has small numbers of light ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as attack, multipurpose, and transport helicopters (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/africa/cn.json b/africa/cn.json index 2bb7f373..ac1e4821 100644 --- a/africa/cn.json +++ b/africa/cn.json @@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Issimail CHANFI (since 23 December 2020)" + "text": "Ambassador Issimail CHANFI (since 23 December 2020); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "Permanent Mission to the UN, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 495, New York, NY 10017" @@ -1117,7 +1117,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "National Army for Development (l'Armee Nationale de Developpement, AND): Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense, FCD), includes Gendarmerie); Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard, Federal Police, National Directorate of Territorial Safety (2023)", + "text": "National Army for Development (l'Armee Nationale de Developpement, AND): Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense or FCD; includes Comoran National Gendarmerie); Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard, Federal Police, National Directorate of Territorial Safety (2023)", "note": "note 1: when the Gendarmerie serves as the judicial police, it reports to the Minister of Justice; the Gendarmerie also has an intervention platoon that may act under the authority of the interior minister

note 2: the National Directorate of Territorial Safety oversees customs and immigration

note 3: the FCD is also known as the Comoran Security Force" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { @@ -1130,7 +1130,7 @@ "text": "18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2021)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the security forces are limited in capabilities to performing search and rescue operations and maintaining internal security; a defense treaty with France provides naval resources for protection of territorial waters, training of Comoran military personnel, and air surveillance; France maintains a small maritime base and a Foreign Legion contingent on neighboring Mayotte (2023)" + "text": "the focus for the security forces is search and rescue operations and maintaining internal security; a defense treaty with France provides naval resources for protection of territorial waters, training of Comoran military personnel, and air surveillance; France maintains a small maritime base and a Foreign Legion contingent on neighboring Mayotte (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/africa/cv.json b/africa/cv.json index 6bbeeb40..aa4c3778 100644 --- a/africa/cv.json +++ b/africa/cv.json @@ -1041,18 +1041,18 @@ "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "57,020 (2022 est.)" + "text": "57,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "9 (2021 est.)" + "text": "10 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "590,171 (2021 est.)" + "text": "589,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "100 (2021 est.)" + "text": "99 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { @@ -1155,7 +1155,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Cabo Verdean Armed Forces (FACV): Army (also called the National Guard, GN; includes a small air component), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV) (2023)", + "text": "Cabo Verdean Armed Forces (FACV): National Guard (GN; serves as the army and includes a small air component), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV) (2024)", "note": "note:  the National Police are under the Ministry of Internal Affairs" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1182,10 +1182,10 @@ "text": "the FACV has a limited amount of mostly dated and second-hand equipment, largely from China, some European countries, and the former Soviet Union (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 24-month conscript service obligation; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2023)" + "text": "18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 24-month conscript service obligation; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FACV/National Guard is mostly a ground force with approximately two infantry battalions and a small air component with a maritime patrol squadron; the Coast Guard had a few coastal patrol craft and patrol boats (2023)" + "text": "the FACV/National Guard is organized into three small territorial commands; its missions are defense of the country and supporting internal security; forces include marines, military police, artillery, and support forces; the Coast Guard's key missions include patrolling, monitoring, and protecting Cabo Verde's territorial waters; it also conducts search and rescue and provides support to the National Guard; the Coast Guard is equipped with a few coastal patrol craft and patrol boats (2024)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/africa/eg.json b/africa/eg.json index 621f2555..51785b8f 100644 --- a/africa/eg.json +++ b/africa/eg.json @@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (Majlis Al-Shiyoukh) (300 seats; 100 members directly elected in single seat constituencies, 100 directly elected by closed party-list vote, and 100 appointed by the president; note - the upper house, previously the Shura Council, was eliminated in the 2014 constitution, reestablished as the Senate, following passage in a 2019 constitutional referendum and approved by the House of Representatives in June 2020
House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nowaab) (596 seats; 448 members directly elected by individual candidacy system, 120 members - with quotas for women, youth, Christians and workers - elected in party-list constituencies by simple majority popular vote, and 28 members appointed by the president; members of both houses serve 5-year terms" + "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate or Majlis Al-Shiyoukh (300 seats; 100 members directly elected in single seat constituencies, 100 directly elected by closed party-list vote, and 100 appointed by the president; note - the upper house, previously the Shura Council, was eliminated in the 2014 constitution, reestablished as the Senate, following passage in a 2019 constitutional referendum and approved by the House of Representatives in June 2020
House of Representatives or Majlis Al-Nowaab (596 seats; 448 members directly elected by individual candidacy system, 120 members - with quotas for women, youth, Christians and workers - elected in party-list constituencies by simple majority popular vote, and 28 members appointed by the president; members of both houses serve 5-year terms" }, "elections": { "text": "Senate - first round held on 11-12 August 2020 (9-10 August for diaspora); second round held on 8-9 September (6-7 September for diaspora) (next to be held in 2025)
House of Representatives - last held 24-25 October and 7-8 November 2020) (next to be held in 2025)" @@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF): Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Border Guard Forces; Interior Ministry: Public Security Sector Police, the Central Security Force, National Security Agency (2023)", + "text": "Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF): Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Border Guard Forces; Interior Ministry: Public Security Sector Police, the Central Security Force, National Security Agency (2024)", "note": "note 1: the Public Security Sector Police are responsible for law enforcement nationwide; the Central Security Force protects infrastructure and is responsible for crowd control; the National Security Agency is responsible for internal security threats and counterterrorism along with other security services

note 2: in addition to its external defense duties, the EAF also has a mandate to assist police in protecting vital infrastructure during a state of emergency; military personnel were granted full arrest authority in 2011 but normally only use this authority during states of emergency and “periods of significant turmoil”" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1305,7 +1305,7 @@ "text": "1,000 (plus nearly 200 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA); also has about 350 police deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo under MONUSCO (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF) are responsible for external defense but also have an internal role assisting police and paramilitary security forces during emergencies and in anti-terrorism operations; the EAF also participates in foreign peacekeeping and other security missions, as well as both bilateral and multinational exercises; the military has considerable political power and independence; it has long had a crucial role in Egypt’s politics and has a large stake in the civilian economy, including running banks, businesses, gas stations, shipping lines, and utilities, and producing consumer and industrial goods, importing commodities, and building and managing infrastructure projects, such as bridges, roads, hospitals, and housing; the various enterprises are reportedly profitable enough to make the armed forces largely self-funded

key areas of concern for the EAF include Islamic militant groups operating out of the Sinai Peninsula, regional challenges such as instability in Libya and Yemen, and maritime security; since 2011, the EAF has been conducting operations alongside other security forces in the North Sinai governorate against several militant groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham; since 2014, it has deployed large numbers of troops along its border with Libya and provided air support to the Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen; the Navy in recent years has sought to modernize and expand its capabilities and profile in the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea, including the acquisition of helicopter carriers, modern frigates, and attack submarines; in 2020, the EAF inaugurated a large joint service military base on the Red Sea to secure the country’s southern coasts, protect economic investments and natural resources, and confront security challenges in the Red Sea region

the EAF is the largest and one of the best equipped militaries in the region; the Army’s primary combat forces include approximately 13 divisions, which are mostly armored or mechanized, complemented by some independent armored and infantry brigades; the EAF has approximately 5,000 artillery systems, plus surface-to-surface missile forces and a large special operations command, which includes airborne, airmobile, commando, special forces, and other specialized units; the Navy’s principal warships are approximately 20 frigates and corvettes, eight attack submarines, and two French-built helicopter-capable amphibious assault ships (LHDs); the Air Force has more than 300 French-, Russian-, and US-made fighter and multipurpose fighter aircraft, as well as nearly 100 US- and Russian-produced attack helicopters

Egypt is a major security partner of the US and one of the largest recipients of US military aid in the region; it also has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation

the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) has operated in the Sinai since 1982 as a peacekeeping and monitoring force to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace; the MFO is an independent international organization, created by agreement between Egypt and Israel; it is composed of about 1,150 troops from 13 countries; Colombia, Fiji, and the US are the leading providers of troops to the MFO (2023)" + "text": "the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF) are responsible for external defense but also have an internal role assisting police and paramilitary security forces during emergencies and in anti-terrorism operations; the EAF also participates in foreign peacekeeping and other security missions, as well as both bilateral and multinational exercises; the military has considerable political power and independence; it has long had a crucial role in Egypt’s politics and has a large stake in the civilian economy, including running banks, businesses, gas stations, shipping lines, and utilities, and producing consumer and industrial goods, importing commodities, and building and managing infrastructure projects, such as bridges, roads, hospitals, and housing

key areas of concern for the EAF include Islamic militant groups operating out of the Sinai Peninsula, regional challenges such as instability in Libya and Yemen, and maritime security; since 2011, the EAF has been conducting operations alongside other security forces in the North Sinai governorate against several militant groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham; over the past decade, it has deployed large numbers of troops along its border with Libya and provided air support to the Saudi-led coalition's intervention in Yemen; the Navy in recent years has sought to modernize and expand its capabilities and profile in the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea, including the acquisition of helicopter carriers, modern frigates, and attack submarines; in 2020, the EAF inaugurated a large joint service military base on the Red Sea to secure the country’s southern coasts, protect economic investments and natural resources, and confront security challenges in the Red Sea region

the EAF is the largest and one of the best equipped militaries in the region; the Army’s primary combat forces include approximately 13 divisions, which are mostly armored or mechanized, complemented by independent armored and infantry brigades, artillery and surface-to-surface missile forces, and a large special operations command, which includes airborne, airmobile, commando, special forces, and other specialized units; the Navy’s principal warships are 13 frigates, eight attack submarines, and two French-built helicopter-capable amphibious assault ships (LHDs), which are supported by flotillas of corvettes and fast/missile attack craft; the Air Force has more than 300 French-, Russian-, and US-made fighter and multipurpose fighter aircraft, as well as nearly 100 US- and Russian-produced attack helicopters

Egypt is a major security partner of the US and one of the largest recipients of US military aid in the region; it also has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation

the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) has operated in the Sinai since 1982 as a peacekeeping and monitoring force to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace; the MFO is an independent international organization, created by agreement between Egypt and Israel; it is composed of about 1,150 troops from 13 countries; Colombia, Fiji, and the US are the leading providers of troops to the MFO (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/africa/ek.json b/africa/ek.json index da674d42..82004937 100644 --- a/africa/ek.json +++ b/africa/ek.json @@ -511,16 +511,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup); First Vice President Teodoro Nguema OBIANG Mangue (since 20 November 2022)" + "text": "President OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo (since 3 August 1979)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Manuela ROKA Botey (since 1 February 2023); First Deputy Prime Minister Clemente Engonga NGUEMA Onguene (since 23 June 2016); Second Deputy Prime Minister Angel MESIE Mibuy (since 5 February 2018); Third Deputy Prime Minister Alfonso Nsue MOKUY (since 23 June 2016)" + "text": "Prime Minister Manuela ROKA Botey (since 1 February 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president and overseen by the prime minister" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 November 2022 (next to be held in 2029); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president" + "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 November 2022 (next to be held in 2029); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president; President OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)" }, "election results": { "text": "2022: OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo reelected president; percent of vote - OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo (PDGE) 95%, other 6.1%" @@ -1137,7 +1137,7 @@ "text": "18 years of age for selective compulsory military service, although conscription is rare in practice; 24-month service obligation (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FAGE’s National Guard (Army) has only three small infantry battalions with limited combat capabilities; the country has invested heavily in naval capabilities in recent years to protect its oil installations and combat piracy and crime in the Gulf of Guinea; while the Navy is small, its inventory includes a light frigate and a corvette, as well as several off-shore patrol vessels; the Air Force has only a few operational combat aircraft and ground attack-capable helicopters (2023)" + "text": "the FAGE’s National Guard (Army) is a small force with a few infantry battalions; in recent years, the country has invested heavily in naval capabilities to protect its oil installations and combat piracy and crime in the Gulf of Guinea; while the Navy is small, its inventory includes a light frigate and a corvette, as well as several off-shore patrol vessels; the Air Force has only a few operational combat aircraft and ground attack-capable helicopters (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/africa/et.json b/africa/et.json index 0d0bf9b0..18e8eeec 100644 --- a/africa/et.json +++ b/africa/et.json @@ -1272,7 +1272,7 @@ "text": "18-22 years of age for voluntary military service (although the military may, when necessary, recruit a person more than 22 years old); no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct callups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "approximately 5-8,000 in Somalia (up to 4,000 for ATMIS; the remainder under a bilateral agreement with the Somali Government; note - foreign troop contingents in Somalia under ATMIS are drawing down towards a final departure in December 2024); 1,500 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2024)" + "text": "approximately 5-8,000 in Somalia (approximately 3,000 for ATMIS; the remainder under a bilateral agreement with the Somali Government; note - foreign troop contingents in Somalia under ATMIS are drawing down towards a final departure in December 2024); 1,500 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the ENDF has traditionally been one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest, most experienced, and best equipped militaries, but it suffered heavy casualties and equipment losses during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict; the Ground Forces are estimated to have more than 20 infantry divisions, including several that are mechanized, along with at least one division of commandos/special forces; the Air Force has combat squadrons of multipurpose fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, and armed unmanned aerial vehicles; ENDF operations are often supported by sizeable regional state paramilitary units 

the ENDF is focused on both external threats emanating from its neighbors and internal threats from multiple internal armed groups; since 1998, the ENDF has engaged in several conventional and counterinsurgency operations, including border wars with Eritrea (1998-2000) and Somalia (2006-2008) and internal conflicts with the Tigray regional state (2020-2022), several insurgent groups and ethnic militias (including the ethnonationalist Amhara Fano), and the al-Shabaab terrorist group (see Appendix T); as of 2024, the ENDF was conducting counterinsurgency operations against anti-government militants in several states, including in Oromya (Oromia) against the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an insurgent group that claims to be fighting for greater autonomy for the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group; in 2022, militants from the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist group launched an incursion into Ethiopia's Somali (Sumale) regional state, attacking villages and security forces; the Ethiopian Government claimed that regional security forces killed hundreds of al-Shabaab fighters and subsequently deployed additional ENDF troops into Somalia’s Gedo region to prevent further incursions (2023)" diff --git a/africa/ga.json b/africa/ga.json index 499f43c6..cb1bb5fd 100644 --- a/africa/ga.json +++ b/africa/ga.json @@ -554,10 +554,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2022); Vice President Muhammed B.S. JALLOW (24 February 2023; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2022)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2022); Vice President Muhammed B.S. JALLOW (24 February 2023)" + "text": "Vice President Mohammed JALLOW (since 23 February 2024)  " }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president" diff --git a/africa/gb.json b/africa/gb.json index 7d1f6b3e..f1d3ce41 100644 --- a/africa/gb.json +++ b/africa/gb.json @@ -531,16 +531,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "Transitional President Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 4 September 2023); note - on 30 August 2023, Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions in a coup in which President Ali BONGO Ondimba was arrested and detained, election results were canceled, and state institutions were dissolved; on 4 September 2023, Gen. OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president; note- the military government announced on 13 November 2023 that presidential and legislative elections will be held in August 2025" + "text": "Transitional President Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 4 September 2023)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Interim Prime Minister Raymond Ndong SIMA (since 8 September 2023)" + "text": "Prime Minister Raymond NDONG SIMA (since 7 September 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "formerly the Council of Ministers, appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "formerly, the president directly elected by plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 26 August 2023; prime minister appointed by the president; note - on 30 August 2023, Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions in a coup in which President Ali BONGO Ondimba was arrested and detained, election results were canceled, and state institutions were dissolved; on 4 September 2023, OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president; a general election is planned for August 2025" + "text": "formerly, the president directly elected by plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 26 August 2023; prime minister appointed by the president; note - in August 2023, Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions in a coup in which President Ali BONGO Ondimba was arrested and detained, election results were canceled, and state institutions were dissolved; in September 2023, OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president; a general election is planned for August 2025" }, "election results": { "text": "
2016: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%

2009: Ali BONGO Ondimba elected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 41.7%, Andre MBA OBAME (independent) 25.9%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU (UPG) 25.2%, Zacharie MYBOTO (UGDD) 3.9%, other 3.3%

 

" diff --git a/africa/gh.json b/africa/gh.json index 0d7aaa4a..6eb3b28b 100644 --- a/africa/gh.json +++ b/africa/gh.json @@ -569,16 +569,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017); Vice President Mahamudu BAWUMIA (since 7 January 2017); the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017); Vice President Mahamudu BAWUMIA (since 7 January 2017)" + "text": "President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers; nominated by the president, approved by Parliament" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 December 2020 (next to be held on 7 December 2024)" + "text": "president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 December 2020 (next to be held on 7 December 2024); the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "election results": { "text": "2020: Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (NPP) 51.3%, John Dramani MAHAMA (NDC) 47.4%, other 1.3% (2020)" @@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "West African trade and agrarian economy; COVID-19 reversed nearly 4 decades of continuous growth; major diamond, gold, cocoa, and oil exporter; high public debts; financial and energy sector reform programs adding to fiscal pressures; high remittances" + "text": "West African lower-middle income economy; major gold, oil and cocoa exporter; macroeconomic challenges following nearly four decades of sustained growth; recent progress in debt restructuring, fiscal reforms, financial stability, and curbing runaway inflation under 2023-26 IMF credit facility program" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/africa/gv.json b/africa/gv.json index f477fd25..718e6e0f 100644 --- a/africa/gv.json +++ b/africa/gv.json @@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ "text": "President Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA (since 1 October 2021); note - on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup in which President CONDE was arrested and detained, the constitution suspended, and the government and People's National Assembly dissolved; on 1 October 2021, DOUMBOUYA was sworn in as transitional president" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Mamadou Oury BAH (since 29 February 2024); note - on 19 February 2024, Guinea's military leaders dissolved the government of Prime Minister Bernard GOUMOU; on 27 February 2024, Guinea's military leaders appointed Mamadou Oury BAH as prime minister" + "text": "Prime Minister Mamadou Oury BAH (since 27 February 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "formerly the Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - on 5 September 2021, the military arrested and detained the president, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the government and legislature" @@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "National (or Guinean) Armed Forces: Army, Guinean Navy (Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne), Guinean Air Force (Force Aerienne de Guinee), Presidential Security Battalion (Battailon Autonome de la Sécurité Presidentielle, BASP), Gendarmerie (2023)", + "text": "Guinean (or National) Armed Forces (Forces Armées Guinéennes): Army, Guinean Navy (Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne), Guinean Air Force (Force Aerienne de Guinee), Presidential Security Battalion (Battailon Autonome de la Sécurité Presidentielle, BASP), Gendarmerie (2023)", "note": "note: the National Gendarmerie is overseen by the Ministry of Defense, while the National Police is under the Ministry of Security; the Gendarmerie and National Police share responsibility for internal security, but only the Gendarmerie can arrest police or military officials" }, "Military expenditures": { diff --git a/africa/iv.json b/africa/iv.json index d91fd4df..22c084ef 100644 --- a/africa/iv.json +++ b/africa/iv.json @@ -585,10 +585,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010); Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet KONE (since 19 April 2022); note - Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet KONE appointed by President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA before a Congressional meeting on 19 April 2022" + "text": "President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Robert Beujre MAMBE (since 16 October 2023)" + "text": "Prime Minister Robert BREUGRE MAMBE (since 17 October 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" @@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 797-0300" }, "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 462-9444" + "text": "[1] (202) 204-3967" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
info@ambacidc.org

Ambassade de Cote D’ivoire aux USA (ambaciusa.org)" diff --git a/africa/ke.json b/africa/ke.json index 4730b040..b217e80e 100644 --- a/africa/ke.json +++ b/africa/ke.json @@ -634,9 +634,6 @@ "email address and website": { "text": "
information@kenyaembassydc.org

https://kenyaembassydc.org/#" }, - "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Los Angeles" - }, "consulate(s)": { "text": "New York" } diff --git a/africa/li.json b/africa/li.json index 78fdb0bb..33929e0f 100644 --- a/africa/li.json +++ b/africa/li.json @@ -543,16 +543,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024); Vice President Jeremiah KUONG (since 22 January 2024); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024) " }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024); Vice President Jeremiah KUONG (since 22 January 2024)" + "text": "President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 10 October 2023 with a runoff on 14 November 2023 (next to be held in October 2029)" + "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 10 October 2023 with a runoff on 14 November 2023 (next to be held in October 2029) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "election results": { "text": "2023: Joseph BOAKAI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - George WEAH (CDC) 43.8%, Joseph BOAKAI (UP) 43.4%, Edward APPLETON (GDM) 2.2%, Lusinee KAMARA (ALCOP) 2%, Alexander B. CUMMINGS, Jr. (CPP) 1.6%, Tiawan Saye GONGLOE (LPP) 1.4%, other 5.6%; percentage of vote in second round - Joseph BOAKAI 50.6%, George WEAH 49.4%" diff --git a/africa/lt.json b/africa/lt.json index e716a80a..78a334e8 100644 --- a/africa/lt.json +++ b/africa/lt.json @@ -552,16 +552,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile" + "text": "King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE (28 October 2022)" }, "cabinet": { - "text": "consists of the prime minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, the deputy prime minister, and 18 other ministers; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the National Assembly " + "text": "consists of the prime minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, the deputy prime minister, and 18 other ministers; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the National Assembly" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a \"living symbol of national unity\" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age" + "text": "the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a \"living symbol of national unity\" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age
note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 234-6815" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "lesothoembassy@verizon.net

https://www.gov.ls/" + "text": "
lesothoembassy@verizon.net

https://www.gov.ls/" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1145,7 +1145,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing)  (2023)", + "text": "Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2024)", "note": "note: the Lesotho Mounted Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1172,10 +1172,10 @@ "text": "the LDF has a small inventory of older and second-hand equipment from a variety of countries (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women (women can serve in combat arms); no conscription (2023)" + "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women (women can serve in combat arms); no conscription (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; the LDF is a small force comprised of about a half dozen infantry companies; it began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986; it was renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2023)" + "text": "Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; the LDF is a small force comprised of about a half dozen infantry companies; it began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986; it was renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2024)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/africa/ma.json b/africa/ma.json index 1c907539..b918f423 100644 --- a/africa/ma.json +++ b/africa/ma.json @@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate or Antenimierandoholona  (18 seats; 12 members indirectly elected by an electoral college of municipal, communal, regional, and provincial leaders and 6 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)
National Assembly or Antenimierampirenena (151 seats; 87 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 64 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate or Antenimierandoholona (18 seats; 12 members indirectly elected by an electoral college of municipal, communal, regional, and provincial leaders and 6 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)
National Assembly or Antenimierampirenena (151 seats; 87 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 64 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "Senate - last held on 11 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2025)
National Assembly - last held on 27 May 2019 (next to be held on 29 May 2024)" @@ -619,10 +619,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 265-3034" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
contact@us-madagascar-embassy.org

https://us-madagascar-embassy.org/" - }, - "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "New York" + "text": "
madagascar.embassy.dc@gmail.com

https://us-madagascar-embassy.org/" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/mi.json b/africa/mi.json index 593138cd..5404956a 100644 --- a/africa/mi.json +++ b/africa/mi.json @@ -582,16 +582,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 3 February 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 3 February 2020)" + "text": "President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet named by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 June 2020 (next to be held in 2025)" + "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 June 2020 (next to be held in 2025) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "election results": { "text": "
2020: Lazarus CHAKWERA elected president; Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 59.3%, Peter Mutharika (DPP) 39.9%, other 0.8%

2014: Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA (DPP) 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 27.8%, Joyce BANDA (PP) 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 13.7%, other 1.9% 

" @@ -633,13 +633,10 @@ "text": "2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { - "text": "[1] (202) 721-0270" - }, - "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 721-0288" + "text": "[1] (202) 451- 0409" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
info@malawiembassy-dc.org

http://www.malawiembassy-dc.org/" + "text": "
malawidc@aol.com

Home | Malawi Embassy USA" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/mo.json b/africa/mo.json index 0bafec47..baa71f87 100644 --- a/africa/mo.json +++ b/africa/mo.json @@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
House of Councillors or Majlis al-Mustacharine (120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms)
House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - 60 seats reserved for women and 30 seats for those under age 40 in regional multi-seat constituencies, with the seats divided proportionally among the 12 regions by population size of the region" + "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
House of Councilors or Majlis al-Mustacharine (120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms)
House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - 60 seats reserved for women and 30 seats for those under age 40 in regional multi-seat constituencies, with the seats divided proportionally among the 12 regions by population size of the region" }, "elections": { "text": "House of Councillors - last held on 5 October 2021 (next to be held by 31 October 2027)
House of Representatives - last held on 8 September 2021 (next to be held by 30 September 2026)" @@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 265-0161" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
washingtonembmorocco@maec.gov.ma" + "text": "
washingtonembmorocco@maec.gov.ma

Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the United States (diplomatie.ma)" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "New York" diff --git a/africa/mp.json b/africa/mp.json index 274f585d..ae346eae 100644 --- a/africa/mp.json +++ b/africa/mp.json @@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 966-0983" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
mauritius.embassy@verizon.net; washingtonemb@govmu.org

https://mauritius-washington.govmu.org/Pages/index.aspx" + "text": "
mauritius.embassy@verizon.net

https://mauritius-washington.govmu.org/Pages/index.aspx" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/mr.json b/africa/mr.json index bde38e18..57128ddc 100644 --- a/africa/mr.json +++ b/africa/mr.json @@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (176 seats statutory; 88 members filled from one or two seat constituencies elected by a two-round majority system and the other 88 members filled from a single, nationwide constituency directly elected by proportional representation vote); 20 seats are reserved for women candidates in the nationwide constituency, 11 seats are reserved for young candidates (aged between 25 and 35), and 4 members directly elected by the diaspora; all members serve 5-year terms" + "text": "bicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of:
the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (176 seats statutory; 88 members filled from one or two seat constituencies elected by a two-round majority system and the other 88 members filled from a single, nationwide constituency directly elected by proportional representation vote); 20 seats are reserved for women candidates in the nationwide constituency, 11 seats are reserved for young candidates (aged between 25 and 35), and 4 members directly elected by the diaspora; all members serve 5-year terms
the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats, 53 members elected for a six-year term by municipal councilors, with one third renewed every two years)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 13 May 2023 with a second round on 27 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2028)" @@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador BOIDE Cisse (since 15 September 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Cissé Mint Cheikh Ould BOIDE (since 15 September 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 319-2623" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
ambarimwash@gmail.com; ambarimwashington@diplomatie.gov.mr

mauritaniaembassyus.org – Mauritania Embassy washington" + "text": "
ambarimwashington@diplomatie.gov.mr

mauritaniaembassyus.org – Mauritania Embassy washington" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/mz.json b/africa/mz.json index 9cfac62d..27a845d8 100644 --- a/africa/mz.json +++ b/africa/mz.json @@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Alfredo Fabaio NUVUNGA (since 19 April 2023)" + "text": "Ambassador Alfredo Fabião NUVUNGA (since 19 April 2023)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036" diff --git a/africa/ng.json b/africa/ng.json index a19b1197..f89a62a4 100644 --- a/africa/ng.json +++ b/africa/ng.json @@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ "text": "several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010, entered into force 25 November 2010" }, "amendments": { - "text": "proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; consideration of amendments requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires at least four-fifths majority vote; if disapproved, the proposed amendment is dropped or submitted to a referendum; constitutional articles on the form of government, the multiparty system, the separation of state and religion, disqualification of Assembly members, amendment procedures, and amnesty of participants in the 2010 coup cannot be amended; amended 2011, 2017; suspended indefinitely by military coup on 26 July 2023" + "text": "proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; consideration of amendments requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires at least four-fifths majority vote; if disapproved, the proposed amendment is dropped or submitted to a referendum; constitutional articles on the form of government, the multiparty system, the separation of state and religion, disqualification of Assembly members, amendment procedures, and amnesty of participants in the 2010 coup cannot be amended; amended 2011, 2017" }, "note": "Note: on 26 July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta which took control of Niger's government, dissolved the country's constitution" }, @@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "formerly, the National Assembly (171 statutory seats - 166 currently; 158 members directly elected from 8 multi-member constituencies in 7 regions and Niamey by party-list proportional representation, 8 reserved for minorities elected in special single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 seats reserved for Nigeriens living abroad - l seat per continent - elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) as part of the 26 July 2023 military coup" + "text": "formerly the unicameral National Assembly (171 statutory seats - 166 currently; 158 members directly elected from 8 multi-member constituencies in 7 regions and Niamey by party-list proportional representation, 8 reserved for minorities elected in special single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 seats reserved for Nigeriens living abroad - l seat per continent - elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) as part of the 26 July 2023 military coup" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 27 December 2020 (prior to the military coup, next elections were to be held in December 2025)" @@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ "text": "Niger has committed about 1,000 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "while the FAN is responsible for ensuring external security, most of its focus is on internal counterinsurgency/counterterrorism operations against terrorist groups operating in the areas bordering Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, and Nigeria, as well as much of northern Niger and the Diffa and Lake Chad regions; these groups include the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) in the Greater Sahara, Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)

the FAN has conducted training and combat operations with foreign partners, including the French and US; the EU has also provided security assistance, particularly to the Gendarmerie (GN), National Guard (GNN), and the National Police; the FAN also conducts counterterrorism operations with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which coordinates the Lake Chad states’ operations against Boko Haram; it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Taureg rebels during the periods of 1990-95 and 2007-09

in recent years, Niger has focused on making its security services more mobile to improve their effectiveness in countering terrorism and protecting the country’s borders; with training support and material assistance from the US and the EU, each security service has created new units or reconfigured existing units with an emphasis on mobility, hybridization, and specialized training; since the 2010s, the Army has created a special operations command, several special intervention battalions, and an anti-terrorism unit known as the 1st Expeditionary Force of Niger (EFoN); the GN has created mobile units modeled on European gendarmerie forces known as the Rapid Action Group—Surveillance and Response in the Sahel (Groupe d'action Rapides—Surveillance et Intervention au Sahel or GAR-SI Sahel); the GNN has developed mobile Multipurpose Squadrons (Escadrons Polyvalentes de la Garde Nationale de Niger or EP-GNN), while the National Police have created Mobile Border Control Companies (Compagnie Mobile de Contrôle des Frontières or CMCF); Niger has also established training centers for special forces in Tillia and peacekeeping in Ouallam; meanwhile, the Air Force has received armed UAVs from Turkey

the Army was established in 1960 from French colonial forces, while the Air Force was formed as the Niger National Escadrille in 1961; the GN received its first Nigerien commander in 1962; since its establishment, Niger’s military has played a significant role in the country’s politics, conducting coups in 1974, 1996, 1999, and 2010, and ruling Niger for much of the period before 1999; it seized control of the government again in 2023 (2023)" + "text": "while the FAN is responsible for ensuring external security, most of its focus is on internal counterinsurgency/counterterrorism operations against terrorist groups operating in the areas bordering Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, and Nigeria, as well as much of northern Niger and the Diffa and Lake Chad regions; these groups include the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) in the Greater Sahara, Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)

the FAN has conducted training and combat operations with foreign partners, including the French and US; the EU has also provided security assistance, particularly to the Gendarmerie (GN), National Guard (GNN), and the National Police; the FAN also conducts counterterrorism operations with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which coordinates the Lake Chad states’ operations against Boko Haram; it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Taureg rebels during the periods of 1990-95 and 2007-09

the Army is deployed in nine defense zones encompassing the entire country, plus a separate military district for Niamey; the National Gendarmerie (GN) is organized into mobile and territory-based forces

in recent years, Niger has focused on making its security services more mobile to improve their effectiveness in countering terrorism and protecting the country’s borders; with training support and material assistance from the US and the EU, each security service has created new units or reconfigured existing units with an emphasis on mobility, hybridization, and specialized training; since the 2010s, the Army has created a special operations command, several special intervention battalions, and an anti-terrorism unit known as the 1st Expeditionary Force of Niger (EFoN); the GN has created mobile units modeled on European gendarmerie forces known as the Rapid Action Group—Surveillance and Response in the Sahel (Groupe d'action Rapides—Surveillance et Intervention au Sahel or GAR-SI Sahel); the National Guard (GNN) has developed mobile Multipurpose Squadrons (Escadrons Polyvalentes de la Garde Nationale de Niger or EP-GNN), while the National Police have created Mobile Border Control Companies (Compagnie Mobile de Contrôle des Frontières or CMCF); Niger has also established training centers for special forces in Tillia and peacekeeping in Ouallam; meanwhile, the Air Force has received armed UAVs from Turkey

the Army was established in 1960 from French colonial forces, while the Air Force was formed as the Niger National Escadrille in 1961; the GN received its first Nigerien commander in 1962; since its establishment, Niger’s military has played a significant role in the country’s politics, conducting coups in 1974, 1996, 1999, and 2010, and ruling Niger for much of the period before 1999; it seized control of the government again in 2023 (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/africa/ni.json b/africa/ni.json index bae6a20e..faae333a 100644 --- a/africa/ni.json +++ b/africa/ni.json @@ -574,16 +574,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023); Vice President Kashim SHETTIMA (since 29 May 2023); note - the president is chief of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces" + "text": "President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023); Vice President Kashim SHETTIMA (since 29 May 2023)" + "text": "President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Federal Executive Council appointed by the president but constrained constitutionally to include at least one member from each of the 36 states" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by qualified majority popular vote and at least 25% of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria's 36 states; president elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 27 February 2027)" + "text": "president directly elected by qualified majority popular vote and at least 25% of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria's 36 states; president elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 27 February 2027) note - the president is chief of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces" }, "election results": { "text": "
2023: Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU elected president; percent of vote - Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (APC) 36.6%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 29.1%, Peter OBI (LP) 25.4%, Rabiu KWANKWASO (NNPP) 6.4%, other 2.5%

2019: Muhammadu BUHARI elected president; percent of vote - Muhammadu BUHARI (APC) 53%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 39%, other 8%

 

" diff --git a/africa/od.json b/africa/od.json index 379bcdeb..320878fd 100644 --- a/africa/od.json +++ b/africa/od.json @@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 644-9910" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
info.ssdembassy@gmail.com

https://www.southsudanembassyusa.org/" + "text": "
info.ssdembassy@gmail.com

https://www.ssembassydc.org/" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1041,7 +1041,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF): Ground Force (includes Presidential Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; National (or Necessary) Unified Forces (NUF)

Ministry of Interior: South Sudan National Police Service (2023)", + "text": "South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF): Land Forces (includes Presidential Guard), Air Forces, Marines (Riverine Forces), Reserve Forces; National (or Necessary) Unified Forces (NUF)

Ministry of Interior: South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) (2024)", "note": "note 1: the NUF are being formed by retraining rebel and pro-government militia fighters into military, police, and other government security forces; the first operational NUF deployed in November 2023

note 2: numerous irregular forces operate in the country with official knowledge, including militias operated by the National Security Service (an internal security force under the Ministry of National Security) and proxy forces" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1073,7 +1073,7 @@ "note": "note: in 2019, women made up less than 10% of the active military" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) are largely focused on internal security; the Ground Force has approximately eight light infantry divisions plus a mechanized presidential guard division (aka the Tiger Division); the Air Force has small numbers of transport aircraft and combat helicopters 

the SSPDF, formerly the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), was founded as a guerrilla movement against the Sudanese Government in 1983 and participated in the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005); the Juba Declaration that followed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 unified the SPLA and the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF), the second-largest rebel militia remaining from the civil war, under the SPLA name; in 2017, the SPLA was renamed the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF) and in September 2018 was renamed again as the SSPDF

the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has operated in the country since 2011 with the objectives of consolidating peace and security and helping establish conditions for the successful economic and political development of South Sudan; UNMISS had about 15,000 personnel deployed in the country as of 2023

the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; as of 2023, UNISFA had approximately 3,500 personnel assigned (2023)" + "text": "the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) are largely focused on internal security; the Land Forces have approximately eight light infantry divisions and a mechanized presidential guard division (aka the Tiger Division), plus some commandos/special forces and other independent combat units; the Air Force has small numbers of transport aircraft and combat helicopters 

the SSPDF, formerly the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), was founded as a guerrilla movement against the Sudanese Government in 1983 and participated in the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005); the Juba Declaration that followed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 unified the SPLA and the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF), the second-largest rebel militia remaining from the civil war, under the SPLA name; in 2017, the SPLA was renamed the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF) and in September 2018 was renamed again as the SSPDF

the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has operated in the country since 2011 with the objectives of consolidating peace and security and helping establish conditions for the successful economic and political development of South Sudan; UNMISS had about 15,000 personnel deployed in the country as of 2023

the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; as of 2023, UNISFA had approximately 3,500 personnel assigned (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/africa/pu.json b/africa/pu.json index 21e1b098..7ee59119 100644 --- a/africa/pu.json +++ b/africa/pu.json @@ -540,16 +540,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (since 27 February 2020); note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission; in late February 2020, EMBALO inaugurated himself with only military leadership present, even though the Supreme Court of Justice had yet to rule on an electoral litigation appeal lodged by his political rival Domingos Simoes PEREIRA" + "text": "President Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (since 27 February 2020)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Rui Duarte DE BARROS (since 27 December 2023); note - on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament" + "text": "Prime Minister Rui Duarte DE BARROS (since 20 December 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for up to 2 consecutive 5-year terms; election last held on 24 November 2019 with a runoff on 29 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly; note - the president cannot apply for a third consecutive term" + "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for up to 2 consecutive 5-year terms; election last held on 24 November 2019 with a runoff on 29 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly; note - the president cannot apply for a third consecutive term; note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission; in late February 2020, EMBALO inaugurated himself with only military leadership present, even though the Supreme Court of Justice had yet to rule on an electoral litigation appeal lodged by his political rival Domingos Simoes PEREIRA" }, "election results": { "text": "2019: Umaro Sissoco EMBALO elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Domingos Simoes PEREIRA (PAIGC) 40.1%, Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (Madem G15) 27.7%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (APU-PDGB) 13.2%, Jose Mario VAZ (independent) 12.4%, other 6.6%; percent of vote in second round - Umaro Sissoco EMBALO 53.6%, Domingos Simoes PEREIRA 46.5% (2019)" @@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force

Ministry of Internal Administration: Guard Nacional (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2023)", + "text": "People's Revolutionary Armed Force (Forcas Armadas Revolucionarias do Povo or FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force

Ministry of Internal Administration: National Guard (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2024)", "note": "note: the Public Order Police is responsible for maintaining law and order, while the Judicial Police, under the Ministry of Justice, has primary responsibility for investigating drug trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes" }, "Military expenditures": { diff --git a/africa/rw.json b/africa/rw.json index e58b4588..7d791cb4 100644 --- a/africa/rw.json +++ b/africa/rw.json @@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ "text": "President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Edouard NGIRENTE (since 30 August 2017)" + "text": "Prime Minister Edouard NGIRENTE (since 30 August 2017) " }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" diff --git a/africa/se.json b/africa/se.json index 60e4fa3b..4c67693e 100644 --- a/africa/se.json +++ b/africa/se.json @@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Ian Dereck Joseph MADELEINE (since 1 December 2021)
note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" + "text": "Ambassador Ian Dereck Joseph MADELEINE (since 1 December 2021); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "685 Third Avenue, Suite 1107, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10017" @@ -571,10 +571,7 @@ "text": "[1] (212) 972-1786" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
seychelles@un.int; seychellesmission@sycun.org

Foreign Affairs Department Republic of Seychelles » United States of America (mfa.gov.sc)" - }, - "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "New York" + "text": "seychellesmission@sycun.org

Foreign Affairs Department Republic of Seychelles » United States of America (mfa.gov.sc)" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/sf.json b/africa/sf.json index 83b4e153..0016b140 100644 --- a/africa/sf.json +++ b/africa/sf.json @@ -574,16 +574,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); Deputy President Paul MASHSATILE (since 7 March 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Deputy President David MABUZA resigned 1 March 2023" + "text": "President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018) " }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); Deputy President Paul MASHSATILE (since 7 March 2023)" + "text": "President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024)" + "text": "president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "election results": { "text": "
2019: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed

2014: Jacob ZUMA (ANC) reelected president by the National Assembly unopposed 

 

" @@ -594,10 +594,10 @@ "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:

National Council of Provinces (90 seats; nine 10-member delegations, each with 6 permanent delegates and 4 special delegates, appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - the Council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities)

National Assembly (400 seats; half the members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and half in a single nationwide constituency, both by proportional representation popular vote; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 8 May 2019 (next to be held on 29 May 2024)" + "text": "National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 29 May 2024 (next to be held on 29 May 2029)" }, "election results": { - "text": "

National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 29, DA 13, EFF 9, FF+ 2, IFP 1; composition - men 30, women 24, percentage women 44.4%; note - 36 appointed seats not filled

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 57.5%, DA 20.8%, EFF 10.8%, IFP 3.8%, FF+ 2.4%, other 4.7%; seats by party - ANC 230, DA 84, EFF 44, IFP 14, FF+ 10, other 18; composition - men 210, women 181, percent age women 46.3%; total Parliament percentage women 46.1%

" + "text": "

National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 29, DA 13, EFF 9, FF+ 2, IFP 1; composition - men 30, women 24, percentage women 44.4%; note - 36 appointed seats not filled

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 40.1% DA 21.8%, MK 14.5%, EFF 9.5%, IFP 3.8%, PA, 2.06%, FF+ 1.3%, Action SA 1.2%, ACDP 0.60%, UCM 0.49%, RISE 0.42%, BOSA 0.041%, ATM 0.40%, Al Jam-ah 0.24%, NCC 0.23%, PAC 0.23%, UAT 0.22%, GOOD 0.18% other 4.38%; seats by party - ANC 159, DA 87, MK 58, EFF 39, IFP 17, PA 9, FF+ 6, Action SA 6, ACDP 3, UDM 3, RISE  2, BOSA 2, ATM 2, AL Jam-ah 2, NCC 2, PAC 1, UAT 1, GOOD 1; composition - men 210, women 181, percentage women 46.3%; total Parliament percentage women 46.1%

" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -625,16 +625,16 @@ "text": "3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { - "text": "[1] (202) 413-1953" + "text": "[1] (240) 937-5760" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 265-1607" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
Info.SAembassyDC@dirco.gov.za

https://www.saembassy.org/" + "text": "
Info.saembassyDC@dirco.gov.za

https://www.saembassy.org/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Chicago, Los Angeles, New York" + "text": "Los Angeles, New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/sg.json b/africa/sg.json index 7b64a3c3..3851c48d 100644 --- a/africa/sg.json +++ b/africa/sg.json @@ -635,13 +635,13 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 234-0540" }, "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 332-6315; [1] (202) 629-2961" + "text": "[1] (202) 629-2961" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
contact@ambasenegal-us.org

http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Houston, New York" + "text": "New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/sh.json b/africa/sh.json index 4d23f83f..603c217f 100644 --- a/africa/sh.json +++ b/africa/sh.json @@ -487,9 +487,6 @@ }, "note": "note: revenue data reflect only locally raised revenues; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the UK" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "US 55%, Netherlands 17%, Singapore 10%, Japan 8%, Senegal 2% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" @@ -759,7 +756,7 @@ "text": "2" }, "key ports": { - "text": "Edinburgh Of The Seven Seas, Georgetown, Jamestown, North Point" + "text": "Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Georgetown, Jamestown, North Point" } }, "Transportation - note": { diff --git a/africa/sl.json b/africa/sl.json index 1f29f529..26631bf4 100644 --- a/africa/sl.json +++ b/africa/sl.json @@ -555,16 +555,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023); note - the president is chief of state, head of government, and Minister of Defense" + "text": "President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023) " }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023)" + "text": "President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by 55% in the first round or absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2028)" + "text": "president directly elected by 55% in the first round or absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2028) note - the president is chief of state, head of government, and Minister of Defense" }, "election results": { "text": "
2023: Julius Maada BIO reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 56.2%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 41.2%, other 2.6%

2018: Julius Maada BIO elected president in second round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 51.8%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 48.2%" diff --git a/africa/su.json b/africa/su.json index f4f3adcb..759b0b0c 100644 --- a/africa/su.json +++ b/africa/su.json @@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Mohamed Abdalla Idris MOHAMED (since 16 September 2022)" + "text": "Ambassador Mohamed Abdalla IDRIS (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@ "note": "note: implementation of conscription is reportedly uneven" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "

the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are internal security, border issues, and potential external threats from its neighbors; SAF operations have often been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in some outlying areas, including the western region of Darfur; fighting continued into 2024

information on the organization of the SAF and the RSF varies; prior to the conflict with the RSF, the SAF Army was estimated to have more than 10 infantry divisions, as well as divisions of mechanized, armored, and airborne/special forces, and several independent infantry brigades; the SAF Air Force has several squadrons of Chinese- and Russian-origin combat aircraft, as well as multiple squadrons of combat helicopters, also largely of Russian origin; the Navy has a small force of coastal patrol boats; the RSF is a lightly-armed ground force and prior to the 2023 conflict was reportedly organized into brigades of varying size and makeup   

the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956; in addition, the military has a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports

the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; as of 2023, UNISFA had approximately 3,500 personnel assigned

the October 2020 peace agreement provided for the establishment of a Joint Security Keeping Forces (JSKF) comprised of 12,000 personnel tasked with securing the Darfur region in the place of the UN African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force that operated in the war-torn region between 2007 and the end of its mandate in December 2020; in June 2021, Sudan's transitional government announced it would increase the size of this force to 20,000 and expand its mission scope to include the capital and other parts of the country suffering from violence; the force would include the SAF, RSF, police, intelligence, and representatives from armed groups involved in peace negotiations; in September 2022, the first 2,000 members of the JSKF completed training; the status of the JSKF since the start of the civil war is not available (2024)" + "text": "

the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are internal security, border control, and countering potential external threats from its neighbors; SAF operations have traditionally been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule, particularly around the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur; fighting continued into 2024 with reports of ethnic cleansing, food insecurity, heavy civilian casualties, and millions of internally displaced persons

information on the organization of the SAF and the RSF varies; prior to the conflict with the RSF, the SAF Army was estimated to have more than 10 infantry divisions, as well as divisions of mechanized, armored, and airborne/special forces, and several independent infantry brigades; the SAF Air Force has several squadrons of Chinese- and Russian-origin combat aircraft, as well as multiple squadrons of combat helicopters, also largely of Russian origin; the Navy has a small force of coastal patrol boats; prior to the 2023 conflict, the RSF was a lightly armed ground force reportedly organized into brigades of varying size and makeup   

the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956; in addition, the military has a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports

the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; as of early 2024, UNISFA had approximately 4,100 uniformed personnel assigned

the October 2020 peace agreement provided for the establishment of a Joint Security Keeping Forces (JSKF) comprised of 12,000 personnel tasked with securing the Darfur region in the place of the UN African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force that operated in the war-torn region between 2007 and the end of its mandate in December 2020; in June 2021, Sudan's transitional government announced it would increase the size of this force to 20,000 and expand its mission scope to include the capital and other parts of the country suffering from violence; the force would include the SAF, RSF, police, intelligence, and representatives from armed groups involved in peace negotiations; in September 2022, the first 2,000 members of the JSKF completed training; the status of the JSKF since the start of the civil war is unclear (2024)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/africa/to.json b/africa/to.json index 7c136300..e50bd0ef 100644 --- a/africa/to.json +++ b/africa/to.json @@ -572,13 +572,13 @@ "text": "President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah DOGBE (since 28 September 2020) note: on 21 May 2024 Prime Minister DOGBE and her government resigned following the 29 April 2024 elections, but will remain to ensure the transition from a presidential system to a parliamentary system" + "text": "Prime Minister Victoire TOMEGAH Dogbé (since 25 September 2020) " }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 22 February 2020 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister appointed by the president" + "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 22 February 2020 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister appointed by the president
note- on 21 May 2024 the Prime Minister and her cabinet resigned. The President requested they continue serving during the government transition." }, "election results": { "text": "
2020: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE (UNIR) 70.8%, Agbeyome KODJO (MPDD) 19.5%, Jean-Pierre FABRE (ANC) 4.7%, other 5%

2015: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE (UNIR) 58.8%, Jean-Pierre FABRE (ANC) 35.2%, Tchaboure GOGUE (ADDI) 4%, other 2%

 

" @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ "text": "last held on 29 April 2024 (next election April 2029)" }, "election results": { - "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 108, ADDI 2, ANC 1, DMP 1, FDR 1 composition - NA" + "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 108, ADDI 2, ANC 1, DMP 1, FDR 1 composition - men 92, women 21, percentage of women elected 18.6%" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Frederic Edem HEGBE (since 24 April 2017)" + "text": "Ambassador Frédéric Edem HEGBE (since 24 April 2017)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" diff --git a/africa/tp.json b/africa/tp.json index 1962cb29..4e59c57e 100644 --- a/africa/tp.json +++ b/africa/tp.json @@ -1146,7 +1146,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard, National Guard (2023)", + "text": "Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard, National Guard (2024)", "note": "note: the Army and Coast Guard are responsible for external security while the public security police and judicial police maintain internal security; both the public security police and the military report to the Ministry of Defense and Internal Affairs; the judicial police report to the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Human Rights" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { @@ -1159,7 +1159,7 @@ "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service (reportedly not enforced); 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FASTP is one of the smallest militaries in Africa and consists of only a few companies of ground troops and some small patrol boats (2023)" + "text": "the FASTP is one of the smallest militaries in Africa and consists of only a few companies of ground troops and some small patrol boats

in November 2022, the FASTP's headquarters was attacked shortly after the prime minister's inauguration in what São Tomé authorities described as an attempted coup (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/africa/ts.json b/africa/ts.json index a1fe04ed..a67a2bf1 100644 --- a/africa/ts.json +++ b/africa/ts.json @@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral legislature (enacted by the 2022 constitution) consists of:
newly added National Council of Regions and Districts (Le Conseil National des regions et des districts); (77 seats; members appointed by municipal-level councils; members of each Regional Council elect 3 members among themselves to the National Council; each District Council elects 1 member among themselves to the National Council; members serve 5-year term)
Assembly of Representatives of the People (161 seats; 151 members in single seat constituencies and 10 members from Tunisian diaspora directly elected by majoritarian two-round voting system; all members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral legislature (enacted by the 2022 constitution) consists of:
newly added National Council of Regions and Districts (Le Conseil national des régions et des districts) (77 seats; members appointed by municipal-level councils; members of each Regional Council elect 3 members among themselves to the National Council; each District Council elects 1 member among themselves to the National Council; members serve 5-year term)
Assembly of the People's Representatives (161 seats; 151 members in single seat constituencies and 10 members from Tunisian diaspora directly elected by majoritarian two-round voting system; all members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "National Council of Regions and Districts - last held on 24 December 2023 for 279 local councils, which will indirectly elect the National Council (next to be held in 2028)
Assembly of Representatives of the People - last held on 17 December 2022 with a runoff on 29 January 2023 (next to be held in late 2027)" diff --git a/africa/ug.json b/africa/ug.json index 127af2cf..49b7f35f 100644 --- a/africa/ug.json +++ b/africa/ug.json @@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Robinah KAKONGE (since 12 December 2022)" + "text": "Ambassador Robie KAKONGE (since 12 December 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011" @@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 726-1727" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
washington@mofa.go.ug; info@ugandaembassyus.org

https://washington.mofa.go.ug/" + "text": "
washington@mofa.go.ug

https://washington.mofa.go.ug/" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/africa/uv.json b/africa/uv.json index 96124751..08654a71 100644 --- a/africa/uv.json +++ b/africa/uv.json @@ -1179,7 +1179,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF; aka National Armed Forces (FAN), aka Defense and Security Forces (Forces de Défense et de Sécurité or FDS)): Army of Burkina Faso (L’Armee de Terre, LAT), Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso), National Gendarmerie, National Fire Brigade (Brigade Nationale de Sapeurs-Pompiers or BNSP); Homeland Defense Volunteers (Forcés de Volontaires de Défense pour la Patrie or VDP)

Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security (Ministère de l'Administration Territoriale, de la Décentralisation et de la Sécurité): National Police (2023)", + "text": "Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF; aka National Armed Forces (FAN), aka Defense and Security Forces (Forces de Défense et de Sécurité or FDS)): Army of Burkina Faso (L’Armee de Terre, LAT), Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso), National Gendarmerie, National Fire Brigade (Brigade Nationale de Sapeurs-Pompiers or BNSP); Homeland Defense Volunteers (Forcés de Volontaires de Défense pour la Patrie or VDP)

Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security (Ministère de l'Administration Territoriale, de la Décentralisation et de la Sécurité): National Police (2024)", "note": "note 1: the National Gendarmerie officially reports to the Ministry of Defense, but usually operates in support of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Security; Gendarmerie troops are typically integrated with Army forces in anti-terrorism operations; specialized counterterrorism units include the Army's special forces, the Special Legion of the National Gendarmerie, and the Multipurpose Intervention Unit of National Police

note 2: the VDP is a lightly-armed civilian defense/militia force established in 2019 to act as auxiliaries to the Army in the fight against militants; the volunteers receive two weeks of training and typically assist with carrying out surveillance, information-gathering, and escort duties, as well as local defense, and were to be based in each of the country's more than 300 municipalities; in 2022, the military government created a \"Patriotic Watch and Defense Brigade\" (La Brigade de Veille et de Défense Patriotique or BVDP) under the FABF to coordinate the VDP recruits" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ "note": "note: the military government implemented an emergency law in 2023 that allows the president extensive powers to combat terrorist groups operating in the country, including conscripting citizens into the security services" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FABF has a history of interference in the country’s politics, having conducted eight coups since its formation in 1960-61, including the most recent in September of 2022; several combat units were disbanded in 2011 following mutinies; while the FABF is responsible for external defense, it has an internal security role and can be called out to assist internal security forces in restoring public order, combating crime, securing the border, and counterterrorism; indeed, for more than a decade, its focus has largely been counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations, and it is actively engaged in combat operations against terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), particularly in the northern and eastern regions; the FABF is struggling to contain the groups, however, and a large portion of the country—40% by some estimates—is not under government control

in the north, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups that act as al-Qa'ida in the Land of the Islamic Magreb's (AQIM) arm in the Sahel, has exploited ethnic tensions and perceptions of state neglect, as well as grievances over corruption, patronage politics, social stratification, and land disputes; in 2023, JNIM was active in 11 of the country's 13 provinces; the ISIS-Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) terrorist group operates in the eastern part of the country

the Army’s combat forces include a mix of approximately eight small (battalion-sized) infantry and combined arms regiments and up to six rapid reaction battalions (bataillon de réaction rapide or BIR), plus battalions of artillery and special forces; the Gendarmerie's primary mission is counterterrorism; it is comprised of “legions” and mobile squadrons, plus a Special Legion that fights organized crime and provides security for high-level officials and government institutions; the Air Force’s primary mission is providing support to the Army; it has small numbers of combat aircraft, combat helicopters, and armed UAVs acquired from Turkey (2023)" + "text": "the FABF has a history of interference in the country’s politics, having conducted eight coups since its formation in 1960-61, including the most recent in September of 2022; several combat units were disbanded in 2011 following mutinies; while the FABF is responsible for external defense, it has an internal security role and can be called out to assist internal security forces in restoring public order, combating crime, securing the border, and counterterrorism; indeed, for more than a decade, its focus has largely been counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations, and it is actively engaged in combat operations against terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), particularly in the northern and eastern regions; the FABF is struggling to contain the groups, however, and a large portion of the country—40% by some estimates—is not under government control

in the north, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups that act as al-Qa'ida in the Land of the Islamic Magreb's (AQIM) arm in the Sahel, has exploited ethnic tensions and perceptions of state neglect, as well as grievances over corruption, patronage politics, social stratification, and land disputes; in 2023, JNIM was active in 11 of the country's 13 provinces; the ISIS-Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) terrorist group operates in the eastern part of the country

the Army’s combat forces include a mix of small (battalion-sized) infantry and combined arms regiments, rapid reaction battalions (bataillon de réaction rapide or BIR), and separate battalions of artillery and special forces; the Gendarmerie's primary mission is counterterrorism; it is comprised of “legions” and mobile squadrons, plus a Special Legion that fights organized crime and provides security for high-level officials and government institutions; the Air Force’s primary mission is providing support to the Army; it has small numbers of combat aircraft, combat helicopters, and armed UAVs acquired from Turkey (2024)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/africa/wa.json b/africa/wa.json index 6fb9b206..f5dec4bb 100644 --- a/africa/wa.json +++ b/africa/wa.json @@ -563,16 +563,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024); Acting Vice President Netumbo NANDI-NDAITWAHNOTE (since 4 February 2024); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; President Hage GEINGOB died on 4 February 2024, and Vice President MBUMBA was sworn in to run the government until the next presidential election in November 2024" + "text": "Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024) " }, "head of government": { - "text": "Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024); Acting Vice President Netumbo NANDI-NDAITWAHNOTE (since 4 February 2024); Prime Minister Saara KUUGONGELWA-AMADHILA (since 21 March 2015); note - the prime minister is appointed by the president to coordinate the work of the cabinet, advise the president, and is second in line of succession if the president is unable to serve; note - President Hage GEINGOB died on 4 February 2024, and the Vice President MBUMBA was sworn in to run the government until the next presidential election in November 2024

 

" + "text": "Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 November 2019 (next to be held in November 2024)" + "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 November 2019 (next to be held in November 2024) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; note- President Hage GEINGOB died on 4 February 2024, and Vice President MBUMBA was sworn in to run the government until the next presidential election in November 2024" }, "election results": { "text": "
2019: Hage GEINGOB reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 56.3%, Panduleni ITULA (independent) 29.4%, McHenry VENAANI (PDM) 5.3%, other .9%

2014: Hage GEINGOB elected president in the first round; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 86.7%, McHenry VENAANI (DTA) 5%, Hidipo HAMUTENYA (RDP) 3.4%, Asser MBAI (NUDO)1.9%, Henk MUDGE (RP) 1%, other 2%

" @@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Margaret Natalie MENSAH-WILLIAMS (since 18 January 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Margareth Natalie MENSAH-WILLIAMS (since 18 January 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009" diff --git a/africa/wz.json b/africa/wz.json index 7ad6b7cb..a60d238d 100644 --- a/africa/wz.json +++ b/africa/wz.json @@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ "text": "King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "

Prime Minister Russell Mmiso DLAMINI (since 3 November 2023)

 

" + "text": "Prime Minister Russell DLAMINI (since 6 November 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet recommended by the prime minister, confirmed by the monarch; at least one-half of the cabinet membership must be appointed from among elected members of the House of Assembly" @@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament (Libandla) consists of:
Senate (30 seats; 20 members appointed by the monarch and 10 indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the House of Assembly; members serve 5-year terms)
House of Assembly (70 seats statutory, current 69; 59 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies or tinkhundla by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed, 10 members appointed by the monarch, 4 women, one each representing each region, elected by the members if representation of elected women is less than 30%, and 1 ex-officio member - the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of:
Senate (30 seats; 20 members appointed by the monarch and 10 indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the House of Assembly; members serve 5-year terms)
House of Assembly (70 seats statutory, current 69; 59 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies or tinkhundla by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed, 10 members appointed by the monarch, 4 women, one each representing each region, elected by the members if representation of elected women is less than 30%, and 1 ex-officio member - the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "Senate - last election held on 12 October 2023 , senate fully constituted on November 5 when monarch appointed remaining 20 senators; (next to be held in 2028)
House of Assembly - last held on 29 September 2023 (next to be held in 2028)

 

" diff --git a/africa/za.json b/africa/za.json index eef33926..c238171a 100644 --- a/africa/za.json +++ b/africa/za.json @@ -565,16 +565,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021); Vice President Mutale NALUMANGO (since 24 August 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021) " }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021); Vice President Mutale NALUMANGO (since 24 August 2021)" + "text": "President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by president from among members of the National Assembly" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 12 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026)" + "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 12 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "election results": { "text": "
2021: Hakainde HICHILEMA elected president; percent of the vote - Hakainde HICHILEMA (UPND) 57.9%, Edgar LUNGU (PF) 37.3%, other 4.8%

2016: Edgar LUNGU reelected president; percent of vote - Edgar LUNGU (PF) 50.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA (UPND) 47.6%, other 2%" diff --git a/africa/zi.json b/africa/zi.json index 4d623604..f0af94ee 100644 --- a/africa/zi.json +++ b/africa/zi.json @@ -571,10 +571,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 4 September 2023); First Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 4 September 2023); Second Vice President Kembo MOHADI (8 September 2023); note - Robert Gabriel MUGABE resigned on 21 November 2017, after ruling for 37 years" + "text": "President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 4 September 2023)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 4 September 2023); First Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 4 September 2023); Second Vice President Kembo MOHADI (8 September 2023)" + "text": "Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 11 September 2023) " }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to National Assembly" @@ -1189,7 +1189,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ)

Ministry of Home Affairs: Zimbabwe Republic Police (2023)" + "text": "Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ)

Ministry of Home Affairs: Zimbabwe Republic Police (2024)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1223,10 +1223,10 @@ }, "Space": { "Space agency/agencies": { - "text": "Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA; established in 2019 and officially launched in 2021; under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development) (2023)" + "text": "Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA; established in 2019 and officially launched in 2021; under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development) (2024)" }, "Space program overview": { - "text": "has a nascent program with the goal of utilizing space technologies in economic development; particularly interested in remote sensing capabilities to assist with monitoring or managing agriculture and food security, climate change, disease outbreaks, environmental hazards and disasters, and natural resources, as well as weather forecasting; part of a joint project (BIRDS-5) with Japan, which seeks to promote the first steps towards creating an indigenous space program by designing, building, testing, launching, and operating the first satellites for participating countries (2023)", + "text": "has a nascent program with the goal of utilizing space technologies in economic development; particularly interested in remote sensing capabilities to assist with monitoring or managing agriculture and food security, climate change, disease outbreaks, environmental hazards and disasters, and natural resources, as well as weather forecasting; part of a joint project (BIRDS-5) with Japan, which seeks to promote the first steps towards creating an indigenous space program by designing, building, testing, launching, and operating the first satellites for participating countries (2024)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S" } }, diff --git a/antarctica/ay.json b/antarctica/ay.json index 44cb1b1d..ac93d1c6 100644 --- a/antarctica/ay.json +++ b/antarctica/ay.json @@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ "text": "0" }, "key ports": { - "text": "Admiralty Bay, Andersen Harbor, Ellefsen Harbor, Mcmurdo Station, Melchior Harbor, Port Foster, Port Lockroy, Scotia Bay" + "text": "Admiralty Bay, Andersen Harbor, Ellefsen Harbor, McMurdo Station, Melchior Harbor, Port Foster, Port Lockroy, Scotia Bay" } }, "Transportation - note": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/bp.json b/australia-oceania/bp.json index c801f199..685ea9ad 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/bp.json +++ b/australia-oceania/bp.json @@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Jane Mugafalu Kabui WAETARA (since 16 September 2022)" + "text": "Ambassador Jane Mugafalu Kabui WAETARA (since 16 September 2022); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "685 Third Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017" diff --git a/australia-oceania/ck.json b/australia-oceania/ck.json index 5327fc29..2ae44177 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ck.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ck.json @@ -291,9 +291,6 @@ "text": "NA" } }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 July - 30 June" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "US 45%, UK 12%, France 7%, Canada 6%, Poland 5% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" diff --git a/australia-oceania/cq.json b/australia-oceania/cq.json index a2a88b51..5a6ba6eb 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/cq.json +++ b/australia-oceania/cq.json @@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ "text": "President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Governor Arnold PALACIOS (since 9 January 2023); Lieutenant Governor David APATANG (since 9 January 2023)" + "text": "Governor Arnold PALACIOS (since 9 January 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate" diff --git a/australia-oceania/cw.json b/australia-oceania/cw.json index 94edd985..1c3de703 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/cw.json +++ b/australia-oceania/cw.json @@ -594,9 +594,6 @@ "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "3% (of GDP) (2010 est.)" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Exports": { "Exports 2021": { "text": "$31.4 million (2021 est.)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/fj.json b/australia-oceania/fj.json index 5fe39217..d1569c69 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fj.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fj.json @@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "48,510 (2021 est.)" + "text": "49,000 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "5 (2021 est.)" @@ -1050,10 +1050,10 @@ }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "990,000 (2021 est.)" + "text": "992,000 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "110 (2021 est.)" + "text": "107 (2021 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { @@ -1169,6 +1169,9 @@ "note": "note: the RFMF is subordinate to the president as the commander-in-chief, while the Fiji Police Force reports to the Ministry of Defense, National Security, and Policing" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, @@ -1180,9 +1183,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "1.6% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/fm.json b/australia-oceania/fm.json index cbecc97d..c4ef6aa9 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fm.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fm.json @@ -462,10 +462,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023); Vice President Aren B. PALIK (since 12 May 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023); Vice President Aren B. PALIK (since 12 May 2023)" + "text": "President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the 8 executive departments" diff --git a/australia-oceania/gq.json b/australia-oceania/gq.json index 7d0a415c..d3dc67f7 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/gq.json +++ b/australia-oceania/gq.json @@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ "text": "President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Governor Lourdes LEON GUERRERO (since 7 January 2019); Lieutenant Governor Josh TENORIO (since 7 January 2019)" + "text": "Governor Lourdes LEON GUERRERO (since 7 January 2019)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the Legislature" @@ -914,7 +914,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Guam National Guard (US Army)" + "text": "Guam Police Department (GPD); Guam (US) National Guard " }, "Military - note": { "text": "defense is the responsibility of the US; the US military maintains over 6,000 personnel on Guam, including an air base, an air wing, and a naval installation command (2023)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/kr.json b/australia-oceania/kr.json index e27183cf..a2784607 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/kr.json +++ b/australia-oceania/kr.json @@ -509,10 +509,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); Vice President Teuea TOATU (since 19 June 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); Vice President Teuea TOATU (since 19 June 2019)" + "text": "President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members" @@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Teburoro TITO (since 24 January 2018)" + "text": "Ambassador Teburoro TITO (since 24 January 2018); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "685 Third Avenue, Suite 1109, New York, NY 10017" @@ -567,8 +567,7 @@ }, "email address and website": { "text": "
Kimission.newyork@mfa.gov.ki" - }, - "note": "note - the Kiribati Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the embassy" + } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "embassy": { @@ -979,15 +978,15 @@ "text": "0 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "(2021 est.) less than 1" + "text": "(2022 est.) less than 1" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "54,527 (2021 est.)" + "text": "64,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "42 (2021 est.)" + "text": "49 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/kt.json b/australia-oceania/kt.json index cbc21390..7c16d55b 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/kt.json +++ b/australia-oceania/kt.json @@ -283,9 +283,6 @@ "text": "NA" } }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 July - 30 June" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "NZ 25%, Indonesia 18%, Singapore 12%, Australia 9%, Ireland 8% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" diff --git a/australia-oceania/ne.json b/australia-oceania/ne.json index 4d39acb1..2dc308c0 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ne.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ne.json @@ -425,9 +425,6 @@ "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-12.6% (of GDP) (FY04/05)" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Exports": { "Exports 2021": { "text": "$5.68 million (2021 est.)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/nf.json b/australia-oceania/nf.json index d326e323..cae874bd 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nf.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nf.json @@ -303,9 +303,6 @@ "text": "$4.8 million (FY99/00)" } }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 July - 30 June" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "India 16%, Belgium 14%, US 14%, Malaysia 13%, Singapore 10% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" diff --git a/australia-oceania/nr.json b/australia-oceania/nr.json index 78fc0fd7..485e394b 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nr.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nr.json @@ -503,10 +503,10 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Margo DEIYE (since 1 December 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Margo DEIYE (since 1 December 2021); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { - "text": "800 2nd Avenue, Third Floor, New York, NY 10017" + "text": "801 2nd Avenue, Third Floor, New York, NY 10017" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (212) 937-0074" diff --git a/australia-oceania/nz.json b/australia-oceania/nz.json index 5faa694a..39abeab8 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nz.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nz.json @@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ "text": "King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Dame Cindy KIRO (since 21 October 2021)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Christopher LUXON (since 27 November 2023); Deputy Prime Minister Winston PETERS (since 27 November 2023)" + "text": "Prime Minister Christopher LUXON (since 27 November 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Executive Council appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister" diff --git a/australia-oceania/pc.json b/australia-oceania/pc.json index 078b1710..fdfc969b 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/pc.json +++ b/australia-oceania/pc.json @@ -273,9 +273,6 @@ "text": "$1.028 million (FY04/05)" } }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Zambia 99%, Czechia 0%, UK 0%, US 0%, Australia 0% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" diff --git a/australia-oceania/ps.json b/australia-oceania/ps.json index e3cfe653..0b4f681a 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ps.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ps.json @@ -482,10 +482,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Surangel WHIPPS Jr. (since 21 January 2021); Vice President Jerrlyn Uduch Sengebau SENIOR (since 21 January 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Surangel WHIPPS Jr. (since 21 January 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Surangel WHIPPS Jr. (since 21 January 2021); Vice President Jerrlyn Uduch Sengebau SENIOR (since 21 January 2021)" + "text": "President Surangel WHIPPS Jr. (since 21 January 2021)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate; also includes the vice president; the Council of Chiefs consists of chiefs from each of the states who advise the president on issues concerning traditional laws, customs, and their relationship to the constitution and laws of Palau" diff --git a/australia-oceania/rm.json b/australia-oceania/rm.json index 321679f8..c7210d11 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/rm.json +++ b/australia-oceania/rm.json @@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral National Parliament consists of:
Nitijela (33 seats; members in 19 single- and 5 multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Council of Iroij, a 12-member group of tribal leaders advises the Presidential Cabinet and reviews legislation affecting customary law or any traditional practice); members appointed to serve 1-year terms" + "text": "unicameral National Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members in 19 single- and 5 multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Council of Iroij, a 12-member group of tribal leaders advises the Presidential Cabinet and reviews legislation affecting customary law or any traditional practice); members appointed to serve 1-year terms" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 20 November 2023 (next to be held in November 2027)" @@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "2,361 (2014 est.)" + "text": "2,000 (2014 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "5 (2014 est.)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/tv.json b/australia-oceania/tv.json index 9fe3fe7f..c9528def 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/tv.json +++ b/australia-oceania/tv.json @@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ "text": "[1] (212) 808-4975" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
tuvalumission.un@gmail.com

https://www.un.int/tuvalu/about" + "text": "
tuvalumission.un@gmail.com

tuvalu.unmission@gov.tv

https://www.un.int/tuvalu/about" }, "note": "note - the Tuvalu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy" }, diff --git a/australia-oceania/ws.json b/australia-oceania/ws.json index 21720744..5b2bda7c 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ws.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ws.json @@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Pa’olelei LUTERU (since 7 July 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Pa’olelei LUTERU (since 7 July 2021); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "685 Third Avenue, 44th Street, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017" @@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ "text": "[1] (212) 599-0797" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
samoa@samoanymission.ws

https://www.un.int/samoa/samoa/embassy-independent-state-samoa-united-states-america" + "text": "
samoa@samoanymission.ws

About | Samoa Permanent Mission to the United Nations" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Pago Pago (American Samoa)" @@ -1119,7 +1119,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (Ministry of Police, Prisons, and Correction Services) (2024)" + "text": "no regular military forces; Ministry of Police, Prisons, and Correction Services: Samoa Police Force (2024)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "informal defense ties exist with New Zealand, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship

Samoa has a \"shiprider\" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Somoa's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; \"shiprider\" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json index 1697fd5c..d4cb1b59 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json @@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ "text": "Accion21 [Miguel MANSUR]
Aruban People's Party or AVP [Michiel \"Mike\" EMAN]
Democratic Network or RED [Ricardo CROES]
Movimiento Aruba Soberano (Aruban Sovereignty Movement) or MAS [Marisol LOPEZ-TROMP]
People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Evelyn WEVER-CROES]
Pueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or POR [Alan Howell]
RAIZ (ROOTS) [Ursell ARENDS]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU" + "text": "ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json index bcf06ad1..a4575d78 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json @@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ "text": "Antigua Labor Party or ABLP [Gaston BROWNE]
Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Trevor WALKER]
Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Joanne MASSIAH]
Go Green for Life or GGL [Owen GEORGE]
United Progressive Party or UPP [Harold LOVELL]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json index 6ade26a6..5a6df53f 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json @@ -529,9 +529,6 @@ "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "46.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "-$23.2 million (2017 est.)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json index cc0ea013..d8cc967d 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json @@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ "text": "Alliance Party for Progress or APP [Joseph ATHERLEY]
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY]
Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Ronnie YEARWOOD]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json index bdf301ca..ad3ccd6d 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json @@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ "text": "

Coalition of Independents Party or COI [Lincoln BAIN]
Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Arinthia KOMOLAFE]
Free National Movement or FNM [Michael PINTARD]
Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Philip \"Brave\" DAVIS]

" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json index fdbfe95c..e027278c 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json @@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ "text": "Belize People’s Front or BPF [Nefretery Nancy MARIN]
Belize Progressive Party or BPP [Wil MAHEIA] (formed in 2015 from a merger of the People's National Party, elements of the Vision Inspired by the People, and other smaller political groups)
People's United Party or PUP [John BRICENO]
United Democratic Party or UDP [Moses “Shyne” BARROW and Hugo PATT]
Vision Inspired by the People or VIP [Hubert ENRIQUEZ]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -1049,7 +1049,7 @@ }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "260,000 (2021 est.)" + "text": "264,000 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "66 (2021 est.)" @@ -1168,6 +1168,9 @@ "note": "note: the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security is responsible for oversight of the BDF and the Coast Guard, while the Ministry of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries has responsibility for the Belize Police Department and prisons; the Police Department is primarily responsible for internal security" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, @@ -1179,9 +1182,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "1.4% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json index e9d2d20c..3651751b 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ "text": "

Accessibility Without Exclusion or PASE [Oscar Andres LOPEZ Arias]
Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or PFA [Ana Patricia MORA Castellanos]
Citizen Action Party or PAC [Fabian SOLANO Fernandez]
Costa Rican Renewal Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO Alvarez]
Here Costa Rica Commands Party or ACRM [Federico CRUZ Saravanja]
Liberal Progressive Party or PLP [Eliecer FEINZAIG Mintz]
Libertarian Movement Party or ML [Victor Danilo CUBERO Corrales]
National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]
National Liberation Party or PLN [Ricardo SANCHO Chavarría]
National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos Luis AVENDANO Calvo]
New Generation or PNG [Rodolfo SOLIS Herrera]
New Republic Party or PNR [Fabricio ALVARADO Muñoz]
Social Christian Republican Party or PRSC [Otto ROBERTO Vargas]
Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC of UNIDAD [Juan Carlos HIDALGO Bogantes]
Social Democratic Progress Party or PPSD [Luz Mary ALPIZAR Loaiza]

" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json index 74d8cda9..cbd69ec9 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json @@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ "text": "Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, ALBA, AOSIS, CABEI, CELAC, EAEU (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, ALBA, AOSIS, CABEI, CELAC, EAEU (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json index efc7a314..066dd43b 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json @@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ "text": "Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Bernard HURTAULT]
Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]
Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Lennox LINTON]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json index 3b282739..880055c1 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ "text": "Senate - last held on 19 May 2024 (next to be held on 21 May 2028)
House of Representatives - 19 May 2024 (next to be held on 21 May 2028)" }, "election results": { - "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRM 24, FP 3, APD 1, PPG 1, PRI 1, PRL 1, PRSC 1; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%; total National Congress percent of women NA%; note - results pending" + "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRM 24, FP 3, APD 1, PPG 1, PRI 1, PRL 1, PRSC 1; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRM 142, FP 28, PLD 14, other 6; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%; total National Congress percent of women NA%; note - official results pending" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ "text": "Alliance for Democracy or APD
Broad Front (Frente Amplio) [Fidel SANTANA]
Country Alliance or AP [Guillermo Antonio MORENO Garcia]
Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Danilo MEDINA Sánchez]
Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Miguel VARGAS Maldonado]
Dominicans For Change or DXC [Manuel OVIEDO Estrada]
Independent Revolutionary Party or PRI
Institutional Social Democratic Bloc or BIS
Liberal Reformist Party or PRL (formerly the Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic or PLRD)
Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM [Luis ABINADER]
National Progressive Front or FNP [Vinicio CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]
People's First Party or PPG
People's Force or FP [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]
Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Federico Augusto \"Quique\" ANTUN Batile]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, BCIE, Caricom (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, BCIE, Caricom (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json index 7a8d2523..891c10be 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json @@ -548,10 +548,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "Acting President Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ DE GUEVARA (since 1 December 2023); note - parliament granted a six-month leave of absence to President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez and Vice President Félix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (to allow them to participate in the 4 February 2024 presidential election) and approved the appointment of Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ DE GUEVARA as acting president from 1 December 2023 to 1 June 2024, when election winner Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez will be sworn in for a second term" + "text": "President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019); Vice President Félix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (since 1 June 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Acting President Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ DE GUEVARA (since 1 December 2023)" + "text": "President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019); Vice President Félix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (since 1 June 2019)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers selected by the president" @@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ "text": "president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 5-year term; election last held on 4 February 2024 (next to be held in 2029)" }, "election results": { - "text": "2024: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez reelected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (Nuevas Ideas) 84.7%, Manuel FLORES (FMLN) 6.4%, Joel SANCHEZ (ARENA) 5.6%, Luis PARADA (NT) 2%, other 1.3%; note he will be inaugurated on 1 June 2024

2019: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez elected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (GANA) 53.1%, Carlos CALLEJA Hakker (ARENA) 31.7%, Hugo MARTINEZ (FMLN) 14.4%, other 0.8%" + "text": "2024: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez reelected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (Nuevas Ideas) 84.7%, Manuel FLORES (FMLN) 6.4%, Joel SANCHEZ (ARENA) 5.6%, Luis PARADA (NT) 2%, other 1.3%

2019: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez elected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (GANA) 53.1%, Carlos CALLEJA Hakker (ARENA) 31.7%, Hugo MARTINEZ (FMLN) 14.4%, other 0.8%" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ "text": "Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Reynaldo CARBALLO]
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Oscar ORTIZ]
Great Alliance for National Unity or GANA [Nelson GUARDADO]
National Coalition Party or PCN [Manuel RODRIGUEZ]
Nationalist Republican Alliance or ARENA [Erick SALGUERO]
New Ideas (Nuevas Ideas) or NI [Xavier Zablah BUKELE]
Our Time (Nuestro Tiempo) or NT [Juan VALIENTE]
Vamos or V [Josue ALVARADO Flores]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json index e7d9f037..dfcde44e 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json @@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ "text": "National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dickon MITCHELL]
New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, CARIFORUM, CARIBCAN, Caricom, CBI, CDB, CELAC, CSME, ECCU, EPA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, CARIFORUM, CARIBCAN, Caricom, CBI, CDB, CELAC, CSME, ECCU, EPA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json index 4e39bc92..bf4c4a9f 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json @@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ "text": "Bienestar Nacional or BIEN [Fidel REYES LEE]
Blue Party (Partido Azul) or Blue [Jorge VILLAGRÁN]
CABAL [Edmond MULET]
Cambio [Manuel BALDIZÓN]
Citizen Prosperity or PC [Hernan MEJIA and Jorge GARCIA SILVA]
Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO [Rodolfo NEUTZE]
Elephant Community (Comunidad Elefante) or Elephant [Hugo PEÑA Medina]
Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS [Felipe ALEJOS]
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG-MAIZ or URNG [Walter FELIX]
Humanist Party of Guatemala or PHG [Rudio MERIDA]
Movement for the Liberation of Peoples or MLP [Thelma CABRERA and Vincenta JERONIMO]
Movimiento Semilla or SEMILLA [Bernardo ARÉVALO de León]
National Advancement Party or PAN [Manuel CONDE]
National Convergence Front or FCN-NACION [Javier HERNANDEZ]
National Unity for Hope or UNE [Adim MALDONADO]
Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Carlos ROJAS and Sofia HERNANDEZ] (dissolved 16 December 2021)
Nosotros or PPN [Rudy GUZMAN and Nadia de LEÓN Torres]
PODEMOS [Jose LEON]
Political Movement Winaq or Winaq [Sonia GUTIERREZ Raguay]
TODOS [Felipe ALEJOS]
Value or VALOR [Zury RIOS and Lucrecia MARROQUIN]
Vamos por una Guatemala Diferente or VAMOS [Alejandro GIAMMATTEI]
Victory or VICTORIA [Juan Carlos RIVERA]
Vision with Values or VIVA [Armando Damian CASTILLO Alvarado]
Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (Voluntad, Oportunidad y Solidaridad) or VOS [Orlando BLANCO]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json index 14e37c8c..a4789e51 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json @@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ "text": "President (vacant); note - former Prime Minister Ariel HENRY, who had assumed executive responsibilities following the assassination of President MOÏSE on 7 July 2021, resigned on 24 April 2024; a nine-member Presidential Transitional Council, equipped with presidential powers, was sworn in on 25 April 2024 and will remain in place until 7 February 2026" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Interim Prime Minister Michel Patrick BOISVERT (since 25 April 2024)" + "text": "Prime Minister Garry CONILLE (since 3 June 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; parliament must ratify the Cabinet and Prime Minister's governing policy" @@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral legislature or le Corps legislatif ou le Parlement consists of:
Senate or le Sénat de la République (30 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms (2-term limit) with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des députés (119 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms; no term limits); note - when the 2 chambers meet collectively it is known as the National Assembly or L'Assemblée nationale and is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution" + "text": "bicameral National Assembly or the Assemblée nationale consists of:
Senate or le Sénat de la République (30 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms (2-term limit) with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des députés (119 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms; no term limits); note - when the 2 chambers meet collectively it is known as the National Assembly or L'Assemblée nationale and is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution" }, "elections": { "text": "Senate - last held on 20 November 2016 with a runoff on 29 January 2017 (next originally scheduled for 27 October 2019 but postponed until political and civil society actors agree to a consensual process)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 August 2015 with runoff on 25 October 2015 and 20 November 2016 (next originally scheduled for 27 October 2019 but postponed until political and civil society actors agree to a consensual process)" @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ "text": "Alternative League for Haitian Progress and Emancipation (Ligue Alternative pour le Progres et l’Emancipation Haitienne) or LAPEH [Jude CELESTIN]
Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MCNH or Mochrenha [Luc MESADIEU]
Christian National Movement for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Jean Chavannes JEUNE]
Combat of Peasant Workers to Liberate Haiti (Konbit Travaye Peyizan Pou Libere Ayiti) or Kontra Pep La [Jean William JEANTY]
Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]
Cooperative Action to Rebuild Haiti or KONBA [Jean William JEANTY]
December 16 Platform or Platfom 16 Desanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]
Democratic Alliance Party or ALYANS [Evans PAUL] (coalition includes KID and PPRH)
Democratic Centers' National Council or CONACED [Osner FEVRY]
Democratic and Popular Sector (Secteur Democratique et Populaire) or SDP [Nenel CASSY, Andre MICHEL, and Marjorie MICHEL]
Democratic Unity Convention (Konvansyon Inite Demokratik) or KID [Enold JOSEPH]
Dessalinian Patriotic and Popular Movement or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR]
Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME]
Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Maryse NARCISSE and former President Jean Bertrand ARISTIDE]
Forward (En Avant) [Jerry TARDIEU]
Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats (Fusion Des Sociaux-Démocrates Haïtiens) or FHSD [Edmonde Supplice BEAUZILE]
G18 Policy Platform (Plateforme Politique G18) [Joseph WUILSON]
Haiti in Action (Ayiti An Aksyon Haiti's Action) or AAA [Youri LATORTUE]
Haitian Tet Kale Party (Parti Haitien Tet Kale) or PHTK [Line Sainphaar BALTHAZAR]
Independent Movement for National Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]
Lavni Organization or LAVNI [Yves CRISTALIN]
Lod Demokratik [Jean Renel SENATUS]
Love Haiti (Renmen Ayiti) or RA [Jean Henry CEANT]
MTV Ayiti [Reginald BOULOS]
National Consortium of Haitian Political Parties (Consortium National des Partis Politiques Haitiens) or CNPPH [Jeantel JOSEPH]
National Shield Network (Reseau Bouclier National) [Victor PROPHANE and Garry BODEAU]
Organization of the People's Struggle (Oganizasyon Pep Kap Lite) or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]
Patriotic Unity (Inite Patriyotik) or Inite [Sorel YACINTHE and Levaillant Louis JEUNE]
Platform Pitit Desalin (Politik Pitit Dessalines) or PPD [Jean-Charles MOISE]
Political Party for Us All or Bridge (Pont) or Pou Nou Tout [Jean Marie CHERESTAL]
Popular Patriotic Dessalinien Movement (Mouvement Patriotique Populaire Dessalinien) or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR]
Rally of Progressive National Democrats (Rassemblement des Democrates Nationaux Progressistes) or RDNP [Eric JEAN-BAPTISTE]
Respe (Respect) [Charles Henry BAKER]
Women and Families Political Parties (Defile Pati Politik Fanm Ak Fanmi) [Marie Rebecca GUILLAUME]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ "text": "
amb.washington@diplomatie.ht

https://www.haiti.org/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando (FL), New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)" + "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando (FL), New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1173,14 +1173,14 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "the Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH), disbanded in 1995, began to be reconstituted in 2017; it established an Army command in 2018

Ministry of Justice and Public Security: Haitian National Police (Police Nationale d'Haïti or PNH) (2023)", + "text": "the Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH): Army

Ministry of Justice and Public Security: Haitian National Police (Police Nationale d'Haïti or PNH) (2024)", "note": "note: the PNH is responsible for maintaining public security; it includes police, corrections, fire, emergency response, airport security, port security, and coast guard functions; its units include a presidential guard and a paramilitary rapid-response Motorized Intervention Unit or BIM 

 

" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "up to 2,000 military troops (the force is planned to eventually have around 5,000 personnel); estimates for the National Police range from a low of 9,000 to a high of about 13,000 (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "not available" + "text": "men and women 18-25 may volunteer for the FAdH (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Haiti's military was disbanded in 1995 after it participated in multiple coups and was accused of other political interference and human rights violations; the military was reinstated by former President MOISE in 2017 after the UN ended its peacekeeping operation in Haiti; the reconstituted military established an Army command in 2018 and has received training assistance from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico; the military’s stated mission is to assist with natural disaster relief, border security, and combating transnational crime; in 2023, Prime Minister HENRY called upon the military to assist the National Police (PNH) in combating armed gangs, which have overwhelmed the PNH, killed hundreds of Haitians, and seized control of much of the capital Port-au-Prince since the assassination of President MOISE in 2021; in 2023, an estimated 200 armed gangs were operating in Haiti

in 2023, the UN Security Council approved the deployment of a multinational armed force to help bring gang violence under control; the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) operated in Haiti from 2004 until 2017; its mission was to help restore stability after President Bertrand ARISTIDE fled the country, including assisting with the political process, strengthening government institutions, and promoting and protecting human rights; following the completion of MINUSTAH’s mandate in 2017, a smaller peacekeeping mission, the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), operated until 2019; its mission was to assist with the further development and strengthening of the national police, as well as Haiti’s justice and prison systems, and to promote and protect human rights; in 2019, the UN established the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) with the political mission of advising the Haiti Government in elections, governance, and security (2023)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json index ca4b3aa6..bc4a30d3 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json @@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ "text": "Anti-Corruption Party or PAC [Marlene ALVARENGA]
Christian Democratic Party or DC [Carlos PORTILLO]
Democratic Liberation of Honduras or Liderh [Lempira VIANA]
Democratic Unification Party or UD [Alfonso DIAZ Narvaez]
The Front or El Frente [Kelin PEREZ]
Honduran Patriotic Alliance or AP [Romeo VASQUEZ Velasquez]
Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Guillermo VALLE]
Liberal Party or PL [Yani Benjamin ROSENTHAL Hidalgo]
Liberty and Refoundation Party or LIBRE [Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales]
National Party of Honduras or PNH [Juan Nasry ASFURA]
New Route or NR [Esdras Amado LOPEZ]
Opposition Alliance against the Dictatorship or Alianza de Oposicion contra la Dictadura [Salvador NASRALLA] (electoral coalition)
Savior Party of Honduras or PSH [Salvador Alejandro Cesar NASRALLA Salum]
Vamos or Let’s Go [Jose COTO]
We Are All Honduras (Todos Somos Honduras) or TSH [Marlon Oniel ESCOTO Valerio]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNHRC, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNHRC, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -611,13 +611,10 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 966-9751" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
https://hondurasembusa.org/" + "text": "
info@wadchn.com

https://hondurasembusa.org/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco" - }, - "consulate(s)": { - "text": "Dallas, McAllen (TX)" + "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte (NC), Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json index 659b525d..8d832c77 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json @@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ "text": "

Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew Michael HOLNESS]
Jamaica Progressive Party or JPP [Gilbert Alexander EDWARDS]
People's National Party or PNP [Mark GOLDING]
United Independents' Congress or UIC [Joseph L. PATTERSON]

" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -571,13 +571,10 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 452-0036" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
contactus@jamaicaembassy.org

https://www.embassyofjamaica.org/" + "text": "
contactus@jamaicaembassy.org

Jamaican Embassy (embassyofjamaica.org)" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Miami, New York" - }, - "consulate(s)": { - "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Concord (MA), Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Richmond (VA), San Francisco, Seattle" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1147,6 +1144,9 @@ "note": "note 1: the JCF is the country’s police force; it has primary responsibility for internal security and has units for community policing, special response, intelligence gathering, and internal affairs; both it and the JDF are under the Ministry of National Security 

note 2: the JNSC is a third category of service that military recruits can join as a preparatory phase for future careers; JNSC soldiers receive basic military, vocational, and life skills training; upon completion of 12 months of service, soldiers can continue on with the JDF or the JDF reserves or seek opportunities in other public sector entities such as the JCF, the Department of Correctional Services, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Jamaica Customs Agency, or the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, @@ -1158,9 +1158,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "1.4% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json index 5a13ff71..29d04e58 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json @@ -548,9 +548,6 @@ "text": "$47.04 million (2017 est.)" } }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "-$15.4 million (2017 est.)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json index b97ecf2b..edc8a3db 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json @@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ "text": "Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Carlos CANALES]
Alternative for Change or AC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Orlando Jose TARDENCILLA]
Autonomous Liberal Party or PAL [Rene Margarito BELLO ROMERO]
Caribbean Unity Movement or PAMUC [Armando Francisco ARISTA FLORES]
Christian Unity Party or PUC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Guillermo Daniel ORTEGA REYES]
Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Mario ASENSIO]
Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Maria Haydee OSUNA]
Moskitia Indigenous Progressive Movement or MOSKITIA PAWANKA (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Wycliff Diego BLANDON]
Multiethnic Indigenous Party or PIM (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Carla Elvis WHITE HODGSON]
Nationalist Liberal Party or PLN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Constantino Raul VELASQUEZ]
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Alejandro MEJIA Ferreti]
Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or CCN [Guillermo OSORNO]
Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Julio Cesar BLANDON SANCHEZ]
Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]
Sons of Mother Earth or YATAMA [Brooklyn RIVERA]
The New Sons of Mother Earth Movement or MYATAMARAN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN) [Osorno Salomon COLEMAN]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 939-6545" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
mperalta@cancilleria.gob.ni" + "text": "
mperalta@cancilleria.gob.ni

United States of America | ConsuladoDeNicaragua.com" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json index 4173ceec..5701549b 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json @@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ "text": "Alliance Party or PA [Jose MUNOZ Molina]
Alternative Independent Socialist Party or PAIS [Jose ALVAREZ]
Another Way Movement or MOCA [Ricardo Alberto LOMBANA González]
Democratic Change or CD [Romulo ROUX]
Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Benicio ROBINSON]
Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Francisco \"Pancho\" ALEMAN]
Panameñista Party [Jose Isabel BLANDON Figueroa] (formerly the Arnulfista Party)
Popular Party or PP [Daniel Javier BREA Clavel] (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC)
Realizing Goals Party or RM [Ricardo Alberto MARTINELLI Berrocal]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "BCIE, CAN (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, BCIE, CAN (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ "text": "
info@embassyofpanama.org

https://www.embassyofpanama.org/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Washington DC" + "text": "Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json index 296fa22c..a9976e96 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json @@ -353,13 +353,14 @@ }, "election results": { "text": "Territorial Council - percent of vote by party in first round - RSM 25.4%, UD 24.7%, HOPE 17.5%, Saint Martin with You 13.8%, Alternative 11.2%, Future Saint Martin 7.5%; percent of vote by party in second round - RSM and Alternative 49.1%; UD 33.3%; HOPE, Saint Martin with You, and Future Saint Martin 17.6%; seats by party - RSM and Alternative 16; UD 5, HOPE, Saint Martin with You, and Future Saint Martin 2; composition - men 13, women 10, percentage women 43.5%

French Senate - 1 seat - UMP 1

French National Assembly - 1 seat - UMP 1" - } + }, + "note": "unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats)" }, "Political parties and leaders": { "text": "Alternative [Valerie DAMASEAU]
Future Saint Martin (Avenir Saint Martin) [Yawo NYUIADZI]
Generation Hope or HOPE [Jules CHARVILLE]
Rassemblement Saint-Martinois or RSM [Louis MUSSINGTON] (formerly Movement for Justice and Prosperity or MJP)
Saint Martin with You [James HAMLET]
Union for Democracy or UD [Daniel GIBBS]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "UPU" + "text": "ACS (associate), UPU" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "text": "none (overseas collectivity of France)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json index b99fb633..6ee56d04 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json @@ -955,7 +955,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "no regular indigenous military forces; US National Guard (Army and Air), State Guard, Police Force (2024)" + "text": "Puerto Rico Police Bureau (Negociado de la Policía de Puerto Rico), Puerto Rico (US) National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico or GNPR)", + "note": "note: the GNPR was created by order of the US Congress in June 1919; the organization traces its lineage and history to Spanish militias created in 1511 and is one of the oldest organizations in the US National Guard system" }, "Military - note": { "text": "defense is the responsibility of the US" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json index 7a83cdf9..c294f8f6 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json @@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ "text": "Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Mark BRANTLEY]
Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Dr. Janice DANIEL-HODGE]
People's Action Movement or PAM [Shawn K. RICHARDS]
People's Labour Party or PLP [Dr. Timothy HARRIS]
Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Terrance DREW]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json index 007399c8..abf64f40 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json @@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ "text": "Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Philip J. PIERRE]
United Workers Party or UWP [Allen M. CHASTANET]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ "text": "
embassydc@gosl.gov.lc

https://www.embassyofstlucia.org/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "New York" + "text": "Miami, New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json index 54de3cd8..9b247865 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json @@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ "text": "All for Saint Barth (Tous pour Saint-Barth) [Bettina COINTRE]
Saint Barth Action Equilibre [Marie-Hélène BERNIER]
Saint Barth First! (Saint-Barth d'Abord!) or SBA [Romaric MAGRAS] (affiliated with France's Republican party, Les Republicans)
Saint Barth United (Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy) [Xavier LEDEE]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "UPU" + "text": "ACS (associate), UPU" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "text": "none (overseas collectivity of France)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json index 519819e9..1f559714 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json @@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ "text": "People's National Movement or PNM [Keith ROWLEY]
United National Congress or UNC [Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR]
Tobago People’s Party or Tobago [Farley AUGUSTINE]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json index 9220bde9..1f52ccfb 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json @@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ "text": "Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnT [Amparo dos SANTOS]
Korsou Esun Miho or KEM [Michelangelo MARTINES]
Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gilmar PISAS]
Movementu Progresivo or MP [Marylin MOSES]
Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN [Hensley KOEIMAN]
Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Eugene RHUGGENAATH]
Partido Inovashon Nashonal or PIN [Suzanne CAMELIA-ROMER]
Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP [Ruthmilda LARMONIE-CECILIA]
Pueblo Soberano or PS [Ben WHITEMAN] 
Trabou pa Kòrsou or TPK [Rennox CALMES] 
Un Korsou Hustu [Omayra LEEFLANG]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "

Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UPU

" + "text": "

ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UPU

" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "text": "none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)" @@ -709,7 +709,7 @@ "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "53,095 (2021 est.)" + "text": "53,000 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "28 (2021 est.)" @@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "170,000 (2021 est.)" + "text": "168,000 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "88 (2021 est.)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json index 8f1c4dc4..778a367f 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json @@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ "text": "New Democratic Party or NDP [Dr. Godwin L. FRIDAY]
SVG Green Party or SVGP [Ivan O'NEAL]
Unity Labor Party or ULP [Dr. Ralph GONSALVES] (formed in 1994 by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json index 4edcc3fd..c2772bde 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json @@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ "text": "National Democratic Party or NDP [Marlon PENN]
Progressive Virgin Islands Movement or PVIM [Ronnie SKELTON]
Progressives United or PU [Julian FRASER]
Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Natalio WHEATLEY]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU" + "text": "ACS (associate), Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "text": "none (overseas territory of the UK)" diff --git a/central-asia/rs.json b/central-asia/rs.json index af3e8a45..f1ed6a40 100644 --- a/central-asia/rs.json +++ b/central-asia/rs.json @@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ "text": "President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 7 May 2012); no vice president position" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Premier Mikhail Vladimirovich MISHUSTIN (since 16 January 2020); First Deputy Premier Andrey Removich BELOUSOV (since 21 January 2020); Deputy Premiers Yuriy TRUTNEV (since 31 August 2013), Tatiana Alekseyevna GOLIKOVA (since 18 May 2018), Dmitriy Yuriyevich GRIGORENKO, Viktoriya Valeriyevna ABRAMCHENKO, Aleksey Logvinovich OVERCHUK, Marat Shakirzyanovich KHUSNULLIN, Dmitriy Nikolayevich CHERNYSHENKO (all since 21 January 2020), Aleksandr NOVAK (since 10 November 2020), Denis Valentinovich MANTUROV (since 15 July 2022)" + "text": "Premier Mikhail Vladimirovich MISHUSTIN (since 16 January 2020)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "the government is composed of the premier, his deputies, and ministers, all appointed by the president; the premier is also confirmed by the Duma" @@ -1339,7 +1339,7 @@ }, "Military deployments": { "text": "information varies and may not reflect troops transferred to support Russian military operations in Ukraine; approximately 3,000 Armenia; up to 5,000 Belarus; up to 10,000 Georgia; approximately 500 Kyrgyzstan; approximately 1,500 Moldova (Transnistria); estimated 2,000-5,000 Syria; approximately 3-5,000 Tajikistan (2023)", - "note": "note 1: in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with an estimated 150,000 troops, some of which were staged out of Belarus; prior to the invasion, it maintained an estimated 30,000 troops in areas of Ukraine occupied since 2014; in 2023, the Russian Government claimed to have over 650,000 troops in occupied Ukraine

note 2: as of 2023, Russia was assessed to have thousands private military contractors conducting military and security operations in Africa and the Middle East, including in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sudan, and Syria" + "note": "note 1: in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with an estimated 150,000 troops, some of which were staged out of Belarus; prior to the invasion, it maintained an estimated 30,000 troops in areas of Ukraine occupied since 2014; in 2024, the Russian Government claimed to have nearly 700,000 troops in the occupied portions of Ukraine

note 2: as of 2023, Russia was assessed to have thousands private military contractors conducting military and security operations in Africa and the Middle East, including in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sudan, and Syria" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting the full range of air, land, maritime, and strategic missile operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space; in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats from the US and NATO; in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Syria and Ukraine; in February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the military, particularly the ground forces, continues to be heavily engaged there in what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russia has occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as special operations forces and troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015 in what was Moscow’s first overseas expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training; it seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008; separately, Russia has provided military personnel and private military contractors to conduct missions in Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, and Sudan 

Russian forces are organized into military districts and operational/joint strategic commands; prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Ground Troops were configured into at least 11 combined arms armies, one tank army, and four army corps, each comprised of a mixture of tank or “motorized rifle” (mechanized or motorized infantry) division and brigade structures supplemented by artillery, tactical missile, and air defense forces; the most capable ground forces are the special forces (Spetsial’noye naznacheniye or Spetsnaz) brigades and Airborne and Air Assault Troops (VDV), which are considered strategic-level assets; as of 2022, the Spetsnaz forces had eight brigades, while the VDV had four airborne and air assault divisions, plus some independent air assault and Spetsnaz brigades

the Navy conducts operations globally and has four fleets (Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific, and Northern), as well as a flotilla in the Caspian Sea; the principal surface warships are an aircraft carrier (under repair until at least 2024), four battlecruisers or cruisers, and over 20 destroyers and frigates; the backbone of the Navy is its submarine force, which has approximately 50-60 nuclear ballistic missile, nuclear cruise missile, nuclear attack-type, and conventional attack submarines; the ballistic missile submarines are an essential arm of Russia’s nuclear triad; the Navy has an aviation force with fighters, multipurpose fighters, and surface attack aircraft, as well as anti-submarine warfare and attack helicopters; it also has coastal defense forces and a ground force of several naval infantry brigades, which have been used as ground troops in Ukraine

the Aerospace Forces include as sub-branches the Air Force, the Air and Missile Defense Forces, and Space Forces; the Air and Air/Missile Defense elements are typically organized into armies, commands, bases, brigades, and regiments; the Air Forces are some of the largest in the world, and prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine included nearly 1,500 fighters, multirole fighters, and bombers, as well as nearly 1,500 combat helicopters

the Strategic Rocket Forces have both road-mobile and silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and are organized into three armies with 12 subordinate divisions, each further broken down into regiments

the paramilitary Russian National Guard is organized into regions or districts with subordinate divisions and brigades, which include a mix of security, special purpose, protective, and motorized units, as well as some artillery and aviation forces (2023)" diff --git a/central-asia/ti.json b/central-asia/ti.json index 80466fb6..7161497a 100644 --- a/central-asia/ti.json +++ b/central-asia/ti.json @@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 223-6091" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
tajemus@mfa.tj; tajikistan@verizon.net

https://mfa.tj/en/washington" + "text": "
tajemus@mfa.tj

https://mfa.tj/en/washington" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json index 45aea5e0..81e0c3d0 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

Burma is home to ethnic Burmans and scores of other ethnic and religious minority groups that have resisted external efforts to consolidate control of the country throughout its history. Burma was a province of British India until 1937 and then a self-governing colony until it gained independence from Britain in 1948. In 1962, General NE WIN seized power and ruled Burma until 1988 when a new military regime took control. In 1990, the military regime permitted an election but then rejected the results after the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and its leader AUNG SAN SUU KYI (ASSK) won in a landslide. The military regime placed ASSK under house arrest until 2010. In 2007, rising fuel prices in Burma led pro-democracy activists and Buddhist monks to launch a \"Saffron Revolution\" consisting of large protests against the regime, which violently suppressed the movement. The regime prevented new elections until it had drafted a constitution designed to preserve the military's political control; it passed the new constitution in its 2008 referendum. The regime conducted an election in 2010, but the NLD boycotted the vote, and the military’s political proxy, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, easily won; international observers denounced the election as flawed.

Burma nonetheless began a halting process of political and economic reforms. ASSK's return to government in 2012 eventually led to the NLD's sweeping victory in the 2015 election. With ASSK as the de facto head of state, Burma’s first credibly elected civilian government drew international criticism for blocking investigations into Burma’s military operations -- which the US Department of State determined constituted genocide -- against its ethnic Rohingya population. When the 2020 elections resulted in further NLD gains, the military denounced the vote as fraudulent. In 2021, Commander-in-Chief Sr. General MIN AUNG HLAING launched a coup that returned Burma to authoritarian rule, with military crackdowns that undid reforms and resulted in the detention of ASSK and thousands of pro-democracy actors.

Pro-democracy organizations have formed in the wake of the coup, including the National Unity Government (NUG). Members of the NUG include representatives from the NLD, ethnic minority groups, and civil society. In 2021, the NUG announced the formation of armed militias called the People's Defense Forces (PDF) and an insurgency against the military junta. As of 2024, PDF groups across the country continued to fight the regime with varying levels of support from and cooperation with the NUG and antiregime groups.

" + "text": "

Burma is home to ethnic Burmans and scores of other ethnic and religious minority groups that have resisted external efforts to consolidate control of the country throughout its history. Burma was a province of British India until 1937 and then a self-governing colony until it gained independence from Britain in 1948. In 1962, General NE WIN seized power and ruled Burma until 1988 when a new military regime took control.

In 1990, the military regime permitted an election but then rejected the results after the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and its leader AUNG SAN SUU KYI (ASSK) won in a landslide. The military regime placed ASSK under house arrest until 2010. In 2007, rising fuel prices in Burma led pro-democracy activists and Buddhist monks to launch a \"Saffron Revolution\" consisting of large protests against the regime, which violently suppressed the movement. The regime prevented new elections until it had drafted a constitution designed to preserve the military's political control; it passed the new constitution in its 2008 referendum. The regime conducted an election in 2010, but the NLD boycotted the vote, and the military’s political proxy, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, easily won; international observers denounced the election as flawed.

Burma nonetheless began a halting process of political and economic reforms. ASSK's return to government in 2012 eventually led to the NLD's sweeping victory in the 2015 election. With ASSK as the de facto head of state, Burma’s first credibly elected civilian government drew international criticism for blocking investigations into Burma’s military operations -- which the US Department of State determined constituted genocide -- against its ethnic Rohingya population. When the 2020 elections resulted in further NLD gains, the military denounced the vote as fraudulent. In 2021, Commander-in-Chief Sr. General MIN AUNG HLAING launched a coup that returned Burma to authoritarian rule, with military crackdowns that undid reforms and resulted in the detention of ASSK and thousands of pro-democracy actors.

Pro-democracy organizations have formed in the wake of the coup, including the National Unity Government (NUG). Members of the NUG include representatives from the NLD, ethnic minority groups, and civil society. In 2021, the NUG announced the formation of armed militias called the People's Defense Forces (PDF) and an insurgency against the military junta. As of 2024, PDF groups across the country continued to fight the regime with varying levels of support from and cooperation with the NUG and other anti-regime groups, including armed ethnic groups that have been fighting the central government for decades. 

" } }, "Geography": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json index b03a0dad..8a91b670 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json @@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ "text": "Senate - last held on 25 February 2024 (next to be held in February 2030)
National Assembly - last held on 23 July 2023 (next to be held in July 2028)" }, "election results": { - "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 86%, KWP 12%; seats by party - CPP 57; KWP 3; independent 2 

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 82.4%, FUNCINPEC 9.2%, KNUP 1.7%, CYP 1.3%, other 5.4% (14 other parties received votes); seats by party - CPP 120, FUNCINPEC 5; composition - men 108, women 17, percentage women 13.6%" + "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 86%, KWP 12%; seats by party - CPP 57; KWP 3; independent 2; composition - men 50, women 12, percentage women 19.4%

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 82.4%, FUNCINPEC 9.2%, KNUP 1.7%, CYP 1.3%, other 5.4% (14 other parties received votes); seats by party - CPP 120, FUNCINPEC 5; composition - men 108, women 17, percentage women 13.6%" }, "note": "note: the CPP had no meaningful opposition in the July 2023 legislative election as the only serious challenger - the Candlelight Party - was disqualified on a technicality in advance of the election; the EU, UN, and US condemned the poll as neither free nor fair" }, @@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ "text": "340 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 180 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "outside of periodic border skirmishes with Thailand, the RCAF’s primary responsibilities are border, coastal, and internal security; since 2016, the RCAF has conducted a small annual training exercise known as “Golden Dragon” with the military of China, except for 2021-2022 when it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Army has a few infantry divisions and a number of independent brigades, including about five rapid reaction “intervention” brigades, a border security brigade, and a prime minister’s bodyguard brigade, as well as an airborne/special operations brigade under a special forces command created in 2020; the Navy maintains a small force of patrol boats and a naval infantry brigade for coastal defense; the Air Force has a small number of combat and transport helicopters; the Royal Gendarmerie is reportedly organized into battalions and several mobile response units

the RCAF was re-established in 1993 under the first coalition government from the merger of the Cambodian Government’s military forces (Cambodian People’s Armed Forces) and the two non-communist resistance forces (Sihanoukist National Army, aka National Army for Khmer Independence, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces); thousands of communist Khmer Rouge fighters began surrendering by 1994 under a government amnesty program and the last of the Khmer Rouge forces (National Army of Democratic Kampuchea) were demobilized or absorbed into the RCAF in 1999

Cambodia continues to be one of the most densely landmine-contaminated countries in the world; by the early 1990s, various aid organizations estimated there were 8 to 10 million landmines scattered throughout the country, with a particularly heavy concentration on a 1,000-km strip along the northwest Thai-Cambodia border known as the \"K5 belt\"; the mines were laid during Cambodia’s decades-long war by the Cambodian army, the Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge, the non-communist fighters, and US forces; part of Cambodia's defense policy is demining the territory with the intent of having the entire country cleared of unexploded ordnances by 2035; over 1 million landmines and over 3 million explosives were discovered and removed from 1992 to 2018; in 2018, the Cambodian government and Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), a government agency, launched the National Mine Action Strategy for 2018-2025 (2023)" + "text": "outside of past periodic border skirmishes with Thailand, the RCAF’s primary responsibilities are border, coastal, and internal security; since 2016, the RCAF has conducted a small annual training exercise known as “Golden Dragon” with the military of China, except for 2021-2022 when it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Army has a few infantry divisions and a number of independent brigades, including some rapid reaction “intervention” brigades, a border security brigade, and a prime minister’s bodyguard brigade, as well as an airborne/special operations brigade under a special forces command created in 2020; the Navy maintains a small force of patrol boats and a naval infantry brigade for coastal defense; the Air Force has a small number of combat and transport helicopters; the Royal Gendarmerie is reportedly organized into battalions and several mobile response units

the RCAF was re-established in 1993 under the first coalition government from the merger of the Cambodian Government’s military forces (Cambodian People’s Armed Forces) and the two non-communist resistance forces (Sihanoukist National Army, aka National Army for Khmer Independence, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces); thousands of communist Khmer Rouge fighters began surrendering by 1994 under a government amnesty program and the last of the Khmer Rouge forces (National Army of Democratic Kampuchea) were demobilized or absorbed into the RCAF in 1999

Cambodia continues to be one of the most densely landmine-contaminated countries in the world; by the early 1990s, various aid organizations estimated there were 8 to 10 million landmines scattered throughout the country, with a particularly heavy concentration on a 1,000-km strip along the northwest Thai-Cambodia border known as the \"K5 belt\"; the mines were laid during Cambodia’s decades-long war by the Cambodian army, the Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge, the non-communist fighters, and US forces; part of Cambodia's defense policy is demining the territory with the intent of having the entire country cleared of unexploded ordnances by 2035; over 1 million landmines and over 3 million explosives were discovered and removed from 1992 to 2018; in 2018, the Cambodian government and Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), a government agency, launched the National Mine Action Strategy for 2018-2025 (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json index 9801127d..ec7e13e7 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

China's historical civilization dates to at least the 13th century B.C., first under the Shang (to 1046 B.C.) and then the Zhou (1046-221 B.C.) dynasties. The imperial era of China began in 221 B.C. under the Qin Dynasty and lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. During this period, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. In the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty suffered heavily from overextension by territorial conquest, insolvency, civil war, imperialism, military defeats, and foreign expropriation of ports and infrastructure. It collapsed following the Revolution of 1911, and China became a republic under SUN Yat-sen of the Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalist) Party. However, the republic was beset by division, warlordism, and continued foreign intervention. In the late 1920s, a civil war erupted between the ruling KMT-controlled government, led by CHIANG Kai-shek, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Japan occupied much of northeastern China in the early 1930s, and then launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 1937. The resulting eight years of warfare devastated the country and cost up to 20 million Chinese lives by the time of Japan’s defeat in 1945. The Nationalist-Communist civil war continued with renewed intensity after the end of World War II and culminated with a CCP victory in 1949, under the leadership of MAO Zedong.

MAO and the CCP established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring the PRC's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and launched agricultural, economic, political, and social policies -- such as the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) -- that cost the lives of millions of people. MAO died in 1976. Beginning in 1978, leaders DENG Xiaoping, JIANG Zemin, and HU Jintao focused on market-oriented economic development and opening up the country to foreign trade, while maintaining the rule of the CCP. Since the change, China has been among the world’s fastest growing economies, with real gross domestic product averaging over 9% growth annually through 2021, lifting an estimated 800 million people out of poverty and dramatically improving overall living standards. By 2011, the PRC’s economy was the second largest in the world. The growth, however, has created considerable social displacement, adversely affected the country’s environment, and reduced the country’s natural resources. Current leader XI Jinping has continued these policies but has also maintained tight political controls. Over the past decade, China has increased its global outreach, including military deployments, participation in international organizations, and a global connectivity plan in 2013 called the \"Belt and Road Initiative\" (BRI). Many nations have signed on to BRI agreements to attract PRC investment, but others have balked at the opaque lending behavior; weak environment, social, and governance (ESG) standards; and other practices that undermine local governance and foster corruption associated with some BRI-linked projects. XI Jinping assumed the positions of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012 and President in 2013. In 2018, the PRC’s National People’s Congress passed an amendment abolishing presidential term limits, opening the door for XI to seek a third five-year term in 2023, which he ultimately secured.

 

" + "text": "

China's historical civilization dates to at least the 13th century B.C., first under the Shang (to 1046 B.C.) and then the Zhou (1046-221 B.C.) dynasties. The imperial era of China began in 221 B.C. under the Qin Dynasty and lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. During this period, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. In the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty suffered heavily from overextension by territorial conquest, insolvency, civil war, imperialism, military defeats, and foreign expropriation of ports and infrastructure. It collapsed following the Revolution of 1911, and China became a republic under SUN Yat-sen of the Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalist) Party. However, the republic was beset by division, warlordism, and continued foreign intervention. In the late 1920s, a civil war erupted between the ruling KMT-controlled government, led by CHIANG Kai-shek, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Japan occupied much of northeastern China in the early 1930s, and then launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 1937. The resulting eight years of warfare devastated the country and cost up to 20 million Chinese lives by the time of Japan’s defeat in 1945. The Nationalist-Communist civil war continued with renewed intensity after the end of World War II and culminated with a CCP victory in 1949, under the leadership of MAO Zedong.

MAO and the CCP established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring the PRC's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and launched agricultural, economic, political, and social policies -- such as the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) -- that cost the lives of millions of people. MAO died in 1976. Beginning in 1978, leaders DENG Xiaoping, JIANG Zemin, and HU Jintao focused on market-oriented economic development and opening up the country to foreign trade, while maintaining the rule of the CCP. Since the change, China has been among the world’s fastest growing economies, with real gross domestic product averaging over 9% growth annually through 2021, lifting an estimated 800 million people out of poverty and dramatically improving overall living standards. By 2011, the PRC’s economy was the second largest in the world. Current leader XI Jinping has continued these policies but has also maintained tight political controls. Over the past decade, China has increased its global outreach, including military deployments, participation in international organizations, and a global connectivity plan in 2013 called the \"Belt and Road Initiative\" (BRI). Many nations have signed on to BRI agreements to attract PRC investment, but others have expressed concerns about such issues as the opaque nature of the projects, financing, and potentially unsustainable debt obligations. XI Jinping assumed the positions of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012 and President in 2013. In 2018, the PRC’s National People’s Congress passed an amendment abolishing presidential term limits, which allowed XI to gain a third five-year term in 2023. 

 

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President HAN Zheng (since 10 March 2023)" + "text": "President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Premier LI Qiang (since 11 March 2023)" @@ -1302,6 +1302,9 @@ "note": "note 1: the PAP is a paramilitary police component of China’s armed forces that is under the dual authority of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission and charged with internal security, law enforcement, counterterrorism, and maritime rights protection

note 2: in 2018, the Coast Guard was moved from the State Oceanic Administration to the PAP; in 2013, China merged four of its five major maritime law enforcement agencies – the China Marine Surveillance (CMS), Maritime Police, Fishery Law Enforcement (FLE), and Anti-Smuggling Police – into a unified coast guard" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, @@ -1313,9 +1316,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.7% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "1.7% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json index 53e04f65..ed7f5c29 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "The archipelago was once largely under the control of Buddhist and Hindu rulers. By around the 7th century, a Buddhist kingdom arose on Sumatra and expanded into Java and the Malay Peninsula until it was conquered in the late 13th century by the Hindu Majapahit Empire from Java. Majapahit (1290-1527) united most of modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia. Traders introduced Islam in the trade ports around the 11th century, and Indonesians gradually adopted Islam over the next 500 years. The Portuguese conquered parts of Indonesia in the 16th century, but the Dutch ousted them (except in East Timor) and began colonizing the islands in the early 17th century. It would be the early 20th century before Dutch colonial rule was established across the entirety of what would become the boundaries of the modern Indonesian state.

Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence shortly before Japan's surrender, but it required four years of sometimes brutal fighting, intermittent negotiations, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. A period of sometimes unruly parliamentary democracy ended in 1957 when President SOEKARNO declared martial law and instituted \"Guided Democracy.\" After an abortive coup in 1965 by alleged communist sympathizers, SOEKARNO was gradually eased from power. From 1967 until 1998, President SUHARTO ruled Indonesia with his \"New Order\" government. After street protests toppled SUHARTO in 1998, free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999. Indonesia is now the world's third most populous democracy, the world's largest archipelagic state, and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

Indonesia faces a number of issues, including alleviating poverty, improving education, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing economic and financial reforms, stemming corruption, reforming the criminal justice system, addressing climate change, and controlling infectious diseases. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh. Indonesia continues to face low intensity armed resistance in Papua by the separatist Free Papua Movement." + "text": "The archipelago was once largely under the control of Buddhist and Hindu rulers. By around the 7th century, a Buddhist kingdom arose on Sumatra and expanded into Java and the Malay Peninsula until it was conquered in the late 13th century by the Hindu Majapahit Empire from Java. Majapahit (1290-1527) united most of modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia. Traders introduced Islam around the 11th century, and Indonesians gradually adopted Islam over the next 500 years. The Portuguese conquered parts of Indonesia in the 16th century, but the Dutch ousted them (except in East Timor) and began colonizing the islands in the early 17th century. It would be the early 20th century before Dutch colonial rule was established across the entirety of what would become the boundaries of the modern Indonesian state.

Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence shortly before Japan's surrender, but it required four years of sometimes brutal fighting, intermittent negotiations, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. A period of sometimes unruly parliamentary democracy ended in 1957 when President SOEKARNO declared martial law and instituted \"Guided Democracy.\" After an abortive coup in 1965 by alleged communist sympathizers, SOEKARNO was gradually eased from power. From 1967 until 1998, President SUHARTO ruled Indonesia with his \"New Order\" government. After street protests toppled SUHARTO in 1998, free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999 while the country's first direct presidential election occurred in 2004. Indonesia has since become a robust democracy, with each of its follow-on presidential elections considered by international observers to have been largely free and fair. 

Indonesia is now the world's third most populous democracy and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. It has had strong economic growth since overcoming the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. As of 2024, it had the largest economy in Southeast Asia and its economy ranked in the World's top 10 in terms of purchasing power parity. It has also made considerable gains in reducing poverty." } }, "Geography": { @@ -588,10 +588,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Joko \"Jokowi\" WIDODO (since 20 October 2014); Vice President Ma'ruf AMIN (since 20 October 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Joko \"Jokowi\" WIDODO (since 20 October 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Joko \"Jokowi\" WIDODO (since 20 October 2014); Vice President Ma'ruf AMIN (since 20 October 2019)" + "text": "President Joko \"Jokowi\" WIDODO (since 20 October 2014)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president" @@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 775-5236" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
washington.kbri@kemlu.go.id

https://www.kemlu.go.id/washington/en#!" + "text": "
washington.kbri@kemlu.go.id

Embassy of The Republic of Indonesia, in Washington D.C., The United States of America (kemlu.go.id)" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco" @@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army (TNI-Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD)), Navy (TNI-Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL); includes Marine Corps (Korps Marinir or KorMar)), Air Force (TNI-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU)) (2023)", + "text": "Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army (TNI-Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD)), Navy (TNI-Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL); includes Marine Corps (Korps Marinir or KorMar)), Air Force (TNI-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU)) (2024)", "note": "note 1: in 2014, Indonesia created a Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) to coordinate the actions of all maritime security agencies, including the Navy, the Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard (Kesatuan Penjagaan Laut dan Pantai, KPLP), the Water Police (Polair), Customs (Bea Cukai), and Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries

note 2: the Indonesian National Police, which reports directly to the president, includes a paramilitary Mobile Brigade Corps (BRIMOB); following the Bali terror bombing in 2002, the National Police formed a special counterterrorism force called Detachment 88 (Densus or Detasemen Khusus 88 Antiteror); Detachment 88 often works with the TNI's Joint Special Operations Command, which has counterterrorism and counterinsurgency units; the National Police are also bolstered by the KAMRA \"People's Security\" police auxiliaries" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1298,14 +1298,14 @@ "text": "the military's inventory is a wide mix of Chinese, Russian, and Western (including US) equipment; in recent years, the top suppliers have included China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the US; the TNI has been engaged in a modernization program for more than a decade with uneven success; Indonesia has a growing defense industry fueled by technology transfers and cooperation agreements with several countries; in 2019, the Indonesian Government said that growing its domestic defense industry was a national priority over the following 10 years (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-45 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women, with selective conscription authorized (men, age 18), but not utilized; 24-month service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (officers) (2023)", + "text": "18-45 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women, with selective conscription authorized (men, age 18), but not utilized; 24-month service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (officers) (2024)", "note": "note: as of 2023, women comprised about 7% of the Indonesian military" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "225 (plus about 140 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,025 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 1,225 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the military is responsible for external defense, combatting separatism, and responding to natural disasters; in certain conditions it may provide operational support to police, such as for counterterrorism operations, maintaining public order, and addressing communal conflicts; the TNI has undergone reforms since the 1990s to improve its professionalism and limit its involvement in internal politics; the infantry-heavy Army is the largest service and deployed throughout the country in 14 area (KODAM) and three joint area (KOGABWILHAN) defense commands; it also has a special forces command (KOPASSUS) and three strategic reserve (KOSTRAD) infantry division headquarters; as of 2024, the Army was conducting counter-insurgency operations in Papua against the West Papua Liberation Army, the military wing of the Free Papua Organization, which has been fighting a low-level insurgency since Indonesia annexed the former Dutch colony in the 1960s; it has also been assisting police in Sulawesi in countering the Mujahideen Indonesia Timur (MIT; aka East Indonesia Mujahideen), a local militant group affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

the Navy is organized and equipped for coastal defense and patrolling Indonesia’s territorial waters where it faces such issues as piracy, transnational crime, illegal fishing, and incursions by Chinese vessels; its surface warships include more than 30 frigates and corvettes and a substantial number of patrol vessels; it also has a few attack-type submarines, as well as a maritime aviation component and an amphibious force with several marine infantry brigades and amphibious assault ships; the Air Force has more than 100 combat aircraft

Indonesia is not a formal claimant in the South China Sea, although some of its waters lie within China's “nine-dash line” maritime claims, resulting in some stand offs in recent years; since 2016, the Indonesian military has bolstered its presence on Great Natuna Island (aka Pulau Natuna Besar), the main island of the Middle Natuna Archipelago, which is part of the Riau Islands Province, and held military exercises in the surrounding waters (2023)" + "text": "the military is responsible for external defense, combatting separatism, and responding to natural disasters; in certain conditions it may provide operational support to police, such as for counterterrorism operations, maintaining public order, and addressing communal conflicts; the TNI has undergone reforms since the 1990s to improve its professionalism and limit its involvement in internal politics; the infantry-heavy Army is the largest service and deployed throughout the country in 15 area (KODAM) and three joint area (KOGABWILHAN) defense commands; it also has a special forces command (KOPASSUS) and three strategic reserve (KOSTRAD) infantry division headquarters; as of 2024, the Army was conducting counter-insurgency operations in Papua against the West Papua Liberation Army, the military wing of the Free Papua Organization, which has been fighting a low-level insurgency since Indonesia annexed the former Dutch colony in the 1960s; it has also been assisting police in Sulawesi in countering the Mujahideen Indonesia Timur (MIT; aka East Indonesia Mujahideen), a local militant group affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

the Navy is organized and equipped for coastal defense and patrolling Indonesia’s territorial waters where it faces such issues as piracy, transnational crime, illegal fishing, and incursions by Chinese vessels; its surface warships include more than 30 frigates and corvettes and a substantial number of patrol vessels; it also has a few attack-type submarines, as well as a maritime aviation component and an amphibious force with several marine infantry brigades and amphibious assault ships; the Air Force has more than 100 combat aircraft

Indonesia is not a formal claimant in the South China Sea, although some of its waters lie within China's “nine-dash line” maritime claims, resulting in some stand offs in recent years; since 2016, the Indonesian military has bolstered its presence on Great Natuna Island (aka Pulau Natuna Besar), the main island of the Middle Natuna Archipelago, which is part of the Riau Islands Province, and held military exercises in the surrounding waters (2024)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json index 9b5b5d34..88ba9238 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries, this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32, Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937, it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941, triggering America's entry into World War II, and Japan soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, the country recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US.

While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold the decision-making power. After three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake and an accompanying tsunami devastated the northeast part of Honshu, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. ABE Shinzo was reelected as prime minister in 2012, and he embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan's economy and bolster the country's international standing. In 2019, ABE became Japan's longest-serving post-war prime minister; he resigned in 2020 and was succeeded by SUGA Yoshihide. KISHIDA Fumio became prime minister in 2021.

" + "text": "

In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries, this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32, Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937, it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941, triggering America's entry into World War II, and Japan soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, the country recovered to become an economic power and a US ally.

While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold the decision-making power. After three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake and an accompanying tsunami devastated the northeast part of Honshu, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. ABE Shinzo was reelected as prime minister in 2012, and he embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan's economy and bolster the country's international standing. In 2019, ABE became Japan's longest-serving post-war prime minister; he resigned in 2020 and was succeeded by SUGA Yoshihide. KISHIDA Fumio became prime minister in 2021.

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral National Diet or Kokkai consists of:
House of Councillors or Sangi-in (248 seats; 148 members directly elected in multi-seat districts by simple majority vote and 100 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years)

House of Representatives or Shuugi-in (465 seats; 289 members directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote and 176 directly elected in multi-seat districts by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve up to 4-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral National Diet or Kokkai consists of:
House of Councilors or Sangi-in (248 seats; 148 members directly elected in multi-seat districts by simple majority vote and 100 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years)

House of Representatives or Shuugi-in (465 seats; 289 members directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote and 176 directly elected in multi-seat districts by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve up to 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "House of Councillors - last held on 10 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2025)
House of Representatives - last held on 31 October 2021 (next to be held by October 2025)" @@ -605,10 +605,13 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 328-2187" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html" + "text": "
emb-consulate.dc@ws.mofa.go.jp

https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), Seattle (WA)" + "text": "Chicago" + }, + "consulate(s)": { + "text": "Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), Seattle (WA)" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1257,7 +1260,7 @@ "text": "1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2023": { - "text": "1.3% of GDP (2023)" + "text": "1.2% of GDP (2023)" }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2022)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json index 60977a7a..cd83d1a0 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms -- Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla -- were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula and part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in 688. Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties. Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry among the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, the northern half came under Soviet-sponsored communist control.

In 1948, North Korea (formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) was founded under President KIM Il Sung, who consolidated power and cemented autocratic one-party rule under the Korean Worker's Party (KWP). North Korea failed to conquer UN-backed South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea or ROK) during the Korean War (1950-53), after which a demilitarized zone split the peninsula along the 38th parallel. KIM then used state-funded propaganda to demonize the US as the ultimate threat to North Korea's social system, and he molded political, economic, and military policies around the core objective of unifying Korea under Pyongyang's control. North Korea also declared a central ideology of juche (\"self-reliance\") as a check against outside influence, while continuing to rely heavily on China and the Soviet Union for economic support. KIM Il Sung's son, KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, and he assumed a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. Under KIM Jong Il's reign, North Korea continued developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in 2011, KIM Jong Un quickly assumed power and has since occupied the regime's highest political and military posts. 

After the end of Soviet aid in 1991, North Korea faced serious economic setbacks that exacerbated decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation. Since the mid-1990s, North Korea has faced chronic food shortages and economic stagnation. In recent years, the North's domestic agricultural production has improved but still falls far short of producing sufficient food for its population. Starting in 2002, North Korea began to tolerate semi-private markets but has made few other efforts to meet its goal of improving the overall standard of living. New economic development plans in the 2010s failed to meet government-mandated goals for key industrial sectors, food production, or overall economic performance. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, North Korea instituted a nationwide lockdown that severely restricted its economy and international engagement. Since then, KIM has repeatedly expressed concerns with the regime's economic failures and food problems, but in 2021, he vowed to continue \"self-reliant\" policies and has reinvigorated his pursuit of greater regime control of the economy.

As of 2024, despite slowly renewing cross-border trade with China, North Korea remained one of the world's most isolated countries and one of Asia's poorest. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea. The move followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a 2018 military pact with South Korea to de-escalate tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.” 

" + "text": "

The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms -- Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla -- were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula and part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in 688. Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties. Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry among the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, the northern half came under Soviet-sponsored communist control.

In 1948, North Korea (formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) was founded under President KIM Il Sung, who consolidated power and cemented autocratic one-party rule under the Korean Worker's Party (KWP). North Korea failed to conquer UN-backed South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea or ROK) during the Korean War (1950-53), after which a demilitarized zone separated the two Koreas. KIM's authoritarian rule included tight control over North Korean citizens and the demonization of the US as the central threat to North Korea's political and social system. In addition, he molded the country's economic, military, and political policies around the core objective of unifying Korea under Pyongyang's control. North Korea also declared a central ideology of juche (\"self-reliance\") as a check against outside influence, while continuing to rely heavily on China and the Soviet Union for economic support. KIM Il Sung's son, KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, and he assumed a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. Under KIM Jong Il's reign, North Korea continued developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in 2011, KIM Jong Un quickly assumed power and has since occupied the regime's highest political and military posts. 

After the end of Soviet aid in 1991, North Korea faced serious economic setbacks that exacerbated decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation. Since the mid-1990s, North Korea has faced chronic food shortages and economic stagnation. In recent years, the North's domestic agricultural production has improved but still falls far short of producing sufficient food for its population. Starting in 2002, North Korea began to tolerate semi-private markets but has made few other efforts to meet its goal of improving the overall standard of living. New economic development plans in the 2010s failed to meet government-mandated goals for key industrial sectors, food production, or overall economic performance. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, North Korea instituted a nationwide lockdown that severely restricted its economy and international engagement. Since then, KIM has repeatedly expressed concerns with the regime's economic failures and food problems, but in 2021, he vowed to continue \"self-reliant\" policies and has reinvigorated his pursuit of greater regime control of the economy.

As of 2024, despite slowly renewing cross-border trade with China, North Korea remained one of the world's most isolated countries and one of Asia's poorest. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea. The move followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a 2018 military pact with South Korea to de-escalate tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.” 

" } }, "Geography": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json index 598de166..655b88a5 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms -- Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla -- were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula and part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in 688. Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties.

Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry among the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence after Japan's surrender to the US and its allies in 1945. A democratic government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, while a communist-style government was installed in the north (North Korea; aka Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a North Korean invasion supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the Peninsula along a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel.

Syngman RHEE led the country as its first president from 1948 to 1960. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime (1961-79), South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea in 1979. PARK was assassinated in 1979, and subsequent years were marked by political turmoil and continued authoritarian rule as the country's pro-democracy movement grew. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former South Korean Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his \"Sunshine Policy\" of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former South Korean President PARK Chung-hee, took office in 2013 as South Korea's first female leader. In 2016, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against PARK over her alleged involvement in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal, triggering an early presidential election in 2017 won by MOON Jae-in. In 2022, longtime prosecutor and political newcomer YOON Suk Yeol won the presidency by the slimmest margin in South Korean history.

Discord and tensions with North Korea, punctuated by North Korean military provocations, missile launches, and nuclear tests, have permeated inter-Korean relations for years. Relations remained strained, despite a period of respite in 2018-2019 ushered in by North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in South Korea and high-level diplomatic meetings, including historic US-North Korea summits. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea, a move that followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a 2018 military pact to de-escalate tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.”

" + "text": "

The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms -- Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla -- were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula and part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in 688. Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties.

Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry among the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence after Japan's surrender to the US and its allies in 1945. A US-supported democratic government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, while a communist-style government backed by the Soviet Union was installed in the north (North Korea; aka Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a North Korean invasion supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. After the 1953 armistice, the two Koreas were separated by a demilitarized zone.

Syngman RHEE led the country as its first president from 1948 to 1960. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his controversial rule (1961-79), South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea by 1979. PARK was assassinated in 1979, and subsequent years were marked by political turmoil and continued military rule as the country's pro-democracy movement grew. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former South Korean Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his \"Sunshine Policy\" of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former South Korean President PARK Chung-hee, took office in 2013 as South Korea's first female leader. In 2016, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against PARK over her alleged involvement in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal, triggering an early presidential election in 2017 won by MOON Jae-in. In 2022, longtime prosecutor and political newcomer YOON Suk Yeol won the presidency by the slimmest margin in South Korean history.

Discord and tensions with North Korea, punctuated by North Korean military provocations, missile launches, and nuclear tests, have permeated inter-Korean relations for years. Relations remained strained, despite a period of respite in 2018-2019 ushered in by North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in South Korea and high-level diplomatic meetings, including historic US-North Korea summits. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea, a move that followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a 2018 military pact to de-escalate tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.”

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -561,13 +561,13 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe (300 seats statutory, current 295; 253 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 47 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)" + "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe (300 seats; 253 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 47 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 10 April 2024 (next to be held in April 2028)" }, "election results": { - "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition (constituency) - Democratic Alliance 52.3%, PPP 45.7%, others 2%; percent of vote by party/coalition (proportional) - PPP 36.7%, Democratic Alliance 26.7%, Rebuilding Korea Party 24.3%, New Reform Party 3.6%, New Future Party 1.7%, others 7%; seats by party - Democratic Alliance 176 (DPK 169), PPP 108, Rebuilding Korea Party 12, New Reform Party 3, New Future Party 1; compositio - men 240, women 60, percentage women 20%" + "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition (constituency) - Democratic Alliance 52.3%, PPP 45.7%, others 2%; percent of vote by party/coalition (proportional) - PPP 36.7%, Democratic Alliance 26.7%, Rebuilding Korea Party 24.3%, New Reform Party 3.6%, New Future Party 1.7%, others 7%; seats by party - Democratic Alliance 176 (DPK 169), PPP 108, Rebuilding Korea Party 12, New Reform Party 3, New Future Party 1; composition - men 240, women 60, percentage women 20%" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ "text": "
generalusa@mofa.go.kr

https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/index.do" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas (TX), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC" + "text": "Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json index 37916369..ea5908c7 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years, Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century, when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.

In the 2010s, the country benefited from direct foreign investment, particularly in the natural resource and industry sectors. Construction of a number of large hydropower dams and expanding mining activities have also boosted the economy. Laos has retained its official commitment to communism and maintains close ties with its two communist neighbors, Vietnam and China, both of which continue to exert substantial political and economic influence on the country. China, for example, provided 70% of the funding for a $5.9 billion, 400-km railway line between the Chinese border and the capital Vientiane, which opened for operations in 2021. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from China. At the same time, Laos has expanded its economic reliance on the West and other Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. In 2023, Lao households faced the highest inflation in almost a quarter-century, with year-on-year inflation reaching 40% early in the year." + "text": "Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years, Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century, when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. Following more than 15 years of civil war, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government in 1975, ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a one party--the Lao People's Revolutionary Party--communist state. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in the late 1980s. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.

In the 2010s, the country benefited from direct foreign investment, particularly in the natural resource and industry sectors. Construction of a number of large hydropower dams and expanding mining activities have also boosted the economy. Laos has retained its official commitment to communism and maintains close ties with its two communist neighbors, Vietnam and China, both of which continue to exert substantial political and economic influence on the country. China, for example, provided 70% of the funding for a $5.9 billion, 400-km railway line between the Chinese border and the capital Vientiane, which opened for operations in 2021. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from China. At the same time, Laos has expanded its economic reliance on the West and other Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Nevertheless, despite steady economic growth for more than a decade, it remains one of Asia's poorest countries." } }, "Geography": { @@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President THONGLOUN Sisoulith (since 22 March 2021); Vice Presidents PANY Yathotou and BOUNTHONG Chitmany (since 22 March 2021)" + "text": "President THONGLOUN Sisoulith (since 22 March 2021)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister SONEXAY Siphandon (since 30 December 2022)" @@ -617,9 +617,6 @@ }, "email address and website": { "text": "
embasslao@gmail.com

https://laoembassy.com/" - }, - "consulate(s)": { - "text": "New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json index a781a463..f56cd071 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

The peoples of Mongolia have a long history under a number of nomadic empires dating back to the Xiongnu in the 4th century B.C., and the name Mongol goes back to at least the 11th century A.D. The most famous Mongol, TEMÜÜJIN (aka Genghis Khan), emerged as the ruler of all Mongols in the early 1200s. By the time of his death in 1227, he had created through conquest a Mongol Empire that extended across much of Eurasia. His descendants, including ÖGÖDEI and KHUBILAI (aka Kublai Khan), continued to conquer Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of China, where KHUBILAI established the Yuan Dynasty in the 1270s. The Mongols attempted to invade Japan and Java before their empire broke apart in the 14th century. In the 17th century, Mongolia fell under the rule of the Manchus of the Chinese Qing Dynasty. After Manchu rule collapsed in 1911, Mongolia declared independence, finally winning it in 1921 with help from the Soviet Union. Mongolia became a socialist state (the Mongolian People’s Republic) in 1924. Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Mongolia was a Soviet satellite state and relied heavily on economic, military, and political assistance from Moscow. The period was also marked by purges, political repression, economic stagnation, and tensions with China.

Mongolia peacefully transitioned to an independent democracy in 1990. In 1992, it adopted a new constitution and established a free-market economy. Since the country's transition, it has conducted a series of successful presidential and legislative elections. Throughout the period, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) -- which took the name Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) in 2010 -- has competed for political power with the Democratic Party (DP) and several other smaller parties. In the 2016 parliamentary elections, the MPP won overwhelming control over the DP, which had overseen a sharp decline in Mongolia’s economy in the preceding years. Mongolians elected a DP member, Khaltmaa BATTULGA, as president in 2017. The 2020 parliamentary elections left the MPP with continued control of the parliament. Mongolians elected former prime minister and MPP member Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH as president in 2021.

Mongolia maintains close cultural, political, and military ties with Russia, while China is its largest economic partner. Mongolia’s foreign relations are focused on preserving its autonomy by balancing relations with China and Russia, as well as its other major partners, Japan, South Korea, and the US.

" + "text": "

The peoples of Mongolia have a long history under a number of nomadic empires dating back to the Xiongnu in the 4th century B.C., and the name Mongol goes back to at least the 11th century A.D. The most famous Mongol, TEMÜÜJIN (aka Genghis Khan), emerged as the ruler of all Mongols in the early 1200s. By the time of his death in 1227, he had created through conquest a Mongol Empire that extended across much of Eurasia. His descendants, including ÖGÖDEI and KHUBILAI (aka Kublai Khan), continued to conquer Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of China, where KHUBILAI established the Yuan Dynasty in the 1270s. The Mongols attempted to invade Japan and Java before their empire broke apart in the 14th century. In the 17th century, Mongolia fell under the rule of the Manchus of the Chinese Qing Dynasty. After Manchu rule collapsed in 1911, Mongolia declared independence, finally winning it in 1921 with help from the Soviet Union. Mongolia became a socialist state (the Mongolian People’s Republic) in 1924. Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Mongolia was a Soviet satellite state and relied heavily on economic, military, and political assistance from Moscow. The period was also marked by purges, political repression, economic stagnation, and tensions with China.

Mongolia peacefully transitioned to an independent democracy in 1990. In 1992, it adopted a new constitution and established a free-market economy. Since the country's transition, it has conducted a series of successful presidential and legislative elections. Throughout the period, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party -- which took the name Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) in 2010 -- has competed for political power with the Democratic Party and several other smaller parties. For most of its democratic history, Mongolia has had a divided government, with the presidency and the parliamentary majority held by different parties but that changed in 2021, when the MPP won the presidency after having secured a supermajority in parliament in 2020. Mongolia’s June 2021 presidential election delivered a decisive victory for MPP candidate Ukhnaagiin KHURELSUKH. 

Mongolia maintains close cultural, political, and military ties with Russia, while China is its largest economic partner. Mongolia’s foreign relations are focused on preserving its autonomy by balancing relations with China and Russia, as well as its other major partners, Japan, South Korea, and the US.

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ "text": "President Ukhnaagiin KHURELSUKH (since 25 June 2021)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai OYUN-ERDENE (since 27 January 2021); Deputy Prime Ministers Sainbuyen AMARSAIKHAN (since 8 September 2022) and Chimed KHURELBAATAR (since 5 January 2023)" + "text": "Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai OYUN-ERDENE (since 27 January 2021)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "directly appointed by the prime minister following a constitutional amendment ratified in November 2019; prior to the amendment, the cabinet was nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the president and confirmed by the State Great Hural (parliament)" @@ -1192,6 +1192,9 @@ "note": "note: the National Police Agency and the General Authority for Border Protection, which operate under the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, are primarily responsible for internal security; they are assisted by the General Intelligence Agency under the prime minister; the MAF assists the internal security forces in providing domestic emergency assistance and disaster relief" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, @@ -1203,13 +1206,10 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "0.7% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "0.7% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 9,000 active duty troops (2023)" + "text": "information varies; estimated 10,000 active troops (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the MAF's inventory is comprised largely of Soviet-era and Russian equipment (2024)" @@ -1222,7 +1222,7 @@ "note": "note: since 2002, Mongolia has deployed more than 20,000 peacekeepers and observers to UN operations in more than a dozen countries" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the MAF does not face a significant external military threat and focuses instead on counterterrorism, disaster response, and international peacekeeping; the Ground Force is the military’s primary service and is centered on a motorized infantry brigade equipped largely with Soviet-era equipment; it also has a battalion devoted to peacekeeping duties and hosts an annual international peacekeeping exercise known as “Khaan Quest”; Mongolia’s primary military partner is Russia, and in addition to receiving Russian military equipment, the MAF participates in Russia’s large “Vostok” exercise, which is conducted every four years 

Mongolia has been engaged in dialogue and cooperation with NATO since 2005 and is considered by NATO to be a global partner; Mongolia supported the NATO-led Kosovo Force from 2005-2007 and contributed troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2009-2014, as well as to the follow-on Resolute Support Mission that provided training, advice, and other assistance to the Afghan security forces (2015-2021) (2023)" + "text": "the MAF traditionally has focused on counterterrorism, disaster response, and international peacekeeping duties; the Ground Force is the military’s primary service and is centered on a motorized infantry brigade equipped largely with Soviet-era equipment; it also has a battalion devoted to peacekeeping duties and hosts an annual international peacekeeping exercise known as “Khaan Quest”; Mongolia’s primary military partner is Russia, and in addition to receiving Russian military equipment, the MAF participates in Russia’s large “Vostok” exercise, which is conducted every four years; the MAF has a growing relationship with the US military

Mongolia has been engaged in dialogue and cooperation with NATO since 2005 and is considered by NATO to be a global partner; Mongolia supported the NATO-led Kosovo Force from 2005-2007 and contributed troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2009-2014, as well as to the follow-on Resolute Support Mission that provided training, advice, and other assistance to the Afghan security forces (2015-2021) (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json index df5da3ed..d14c9325 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

Malaysia’s location has long made it an important cultural, economic, historical, social, and trade link between the islands of Southeast Asia and the mainland. Through the Strait of Malacca, which separates the Malay Peninsula from the archipelago, flowed maritime trade and with it influences from China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Prior to the 14th century, several powerful maritime empires existed in what is modern-day Malaysia, including the Srivijayan, which controlled much of the southern part of the peninsula between the 7th and 13th centuries, and the Majapahit Empire, which took control over most of the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago between the 13th and 14th centuries. The adoption of Islam between the 13th and 17th centuries also saw the rise of a number of powerful maritime states and sultanates on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo, such as the port city of Malacca (Melaka), which at its height in the 15th century had a navy and hosted thousands of Chinese, Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants.

The Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century were the first European colonial powers to establish themselves on the Malay Peninsula and in Southeast Asia. However, it was the British who ultimately secured hegemony across the territory and during the late 18th and 19th centuries established colonies and protectorates in the area that is now Malaysia. Japan occupied these holdings from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula (except Singapore) formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation.

A communist insurgency, confrontations with Indonesia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's expulsion in 1965 marred the first several years of the country's independence. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Former Prime Minister MAHATHIR and a newly formed coalition of opposition parties defeated Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in 2018, ending over 60 years of uninterrupted UMNO rule. Since 2018, Malaysia has undergone considerable political upheaval, with a succession of coalition governments holding power. Following legislative elections in 2022, ANWAR Ibrahim was appointed prime minister after more than 20 years in opposition. His ruling coalition holds a two-thirds majority in the Malaysian parliament.

" + "text": "

Malaysia’s location has long made it an important cultural, economic, historical, social, and trade link between the islands of Southeast Asia and the mainland. Through the Strait of Malacca, which separates the Malay Peninsula from the archipelago, flowed maritime trade and with it influences from China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Prior to the 14th century, several powerful maritime empires existed in what is modern-day Malaysia, including the Srivijayan, which controlled much of the southern part of the peninsula between the 7th and 13th centuries, and the Majapahit Empire, which took control over most of the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago between the 13th and 14th centuries. The adoption of Islam between the 13th and 17th centuries also saw the rise of a number of powerful maritime states and sultanates on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo, such as the port city of Malacca (Melaka), which at its height in the 15th century had a navy and hosted thousands of Chinese, Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants.

The Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century were the first European colonial powers to establish themselves on the Malay Peninsula and in Southeast Asia. However, it was the British who ultimately secured hegemony across the territory and during the late 18th and 19th centuries established colonies and protectorates in the area that is now Malaysia. Japan occupied these holdings from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula (except Singapore) formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation.

A communist insurgency, confrontations with Indonesia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's expulsion in 1965 marred the first several years of the country's independence. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Former Prime Minister MAHATHIR and a newly formed coalition of opposition parties defeated Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in 2018, ending over 60 years of uninterrupted UMNO rule. From 2018-2022, Malaysia underwent considerable political upheaval, with a succession of coalition governments holding power. Following legislative elections in 2022, ANWAR Ibrahim was appointed prime minister after more than 20 years in opposition. His political coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH), joined its longtime UNMO rival to form a government, but the two groups have remained deeply divided on many issues. 

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament of Malaysia or Parlimen Malaysia consists of:
Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king and 26 indirectly elected by 13 state legislatures; members serve 3-year terms)
House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) (2016)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament of Malaysia or Parlimen Malaysia consists of:
Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king and 26 indirectly elected by 13 state legislatures; members serve 3-year terms)
House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "Senate - appointed
House of Representatives - last held on 19 Nov 2022 (next to be held in 2027)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json index fcf00f09..617e17d9 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island. China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor, and it has scattered garrisons on some of the other islands. Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the Paracel Islands." + "text": "The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island. China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China has built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor, and it has scattered garrisons on some of the other islands. Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the Paracel Islands." } }, "Geography": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json index a2336323..c147bd6f 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json @@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military - note": { - "text": "the Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

China: occupies seven outposts (Fiery Cross, Mischief, Subi, Cuarteron, Gavin, Hughes, and Johnson reefs); the outposts on Fiery Cross, Mischief, and Subi include air bases with helipads and aircraft hangers, naval port facilities, surveillance radars, air defense and anti-ship missile sites, and other military infrastructure such as communications, barracks, maintenance facilities, and ammunition and fuel bunkers

Malaysia:  occupies five outposts in the southern portion of the archipelago, closest to the Malaysian state of Sabah (Ardasier Reef, Eric Reef, Mariveles Reef, Shallow Reef, and Investigator Shoal); all the outposts have helicopter landing pads, while Shallow Reef also has an airstrip

Philippines: occupies nine features (Commodore Reef, Second Thomas Shoal, Flat Island, Loaita Cay, Loaita Island, Nanshan Island, Northeast Cay, Thitu Island, and West York Island); Thitu Island has an airstrip and a coast guard station

Taiwan: maintains a coast guard outpost with an airstrip on Itu Aba Island

Vietnam: occupies about 50 outposts in the Spratlys, plus some 14 platforms known as “economic, scientific, and technological service stations” (Dịch vụ-Khoa) that sit on underwater banks to the southeast that Vietnam does not consider part of the disputed island chain, although China and Taiwan disagree; Spratly Islands outposts are on Alison Reef, Amboyna Cay, Barque Canada Reef, Central Reef, Collins Reef, Cornwallis South Reef, Discovery Great Reef, East Reef, Grierson Reef, Ladd Reef, Landsdowne Reef, Namyit Island, Pearson Reef, Petley Reef, Sand Cay, Sin Cowe Island, South Reef, Southwest Cay, Spratly Island, Tennent Reef, West Reef; Spratly Island includes an airstrip with aircraft hangers; the underwater banks with stations include Vanguard, Rifleman, Prince of Wales, Prince Consort, Grainger, and Alexandra; over the past few years, Vietnam has continued to make improvements to its outposts, including defensive positions and infrastructure (2023)" + "text": "the Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

China: occupies seven outposts (Fiery Cross, Mischief, Subi, Cuarteron, Gavin, Hughes, and Johnson reefs); the outposts on Fiery Cross, Mischief, and Subi include air bases with helipads and aircraft hangers, naval port facilities, surveillance radars, air defense and anti-ship missile sites, and other military infrastructure such as communications, barracks, maintenance facilities, and ammunition and fuel bunkers

Malaysia:  occupies five outposts in the southern portion of the archipelago, closest to the Malaysian state of Sabah (Ardasier Reef, Eric Reef, Mariveles Reef, Shallow Reef, and Investigator Shoal); all the outposts have helicopter landing pads, while Shallow Reef also has an airstrip

Philippines: occupies nine features (Commodore Reef, Second Thomas Shoal, Flat Island, Loaita Cay, Loaita Island, Nanshan Island, Northeast Cay, Thitu Island, and West York Island); Thitu Island has an airstrip and a coast guard station

Taiwan: maintains a coast guard outpost with an airstrip on Itu Aba Island

Vietnam: occupies about 50 outposts, plus some 14 platforms known as “economic, scientific, and technological service stations” (Dịch vụ-Khoa) that sit on underwater banks to the southeast that Vietnam does not consider part of the disputed island chain, although China and Taiwan disagree; Spratly Islands outposts are on Alison Reef, Amboyna Cay, Barque Canada Reef, Central Reef, Collins Reef, Cornwallis South Reef, Discovery Great Reef, East Reef, Grierson Reef, Ladd Reef, Landsdowne Reef, Namyit Island, Pearson Reef, Petley Reef, Sand Cay, Sin Cowe Island, South Reef, Southwest Cay, Spratly Island, Tennent Reef, West Reef; the underwater banks with stations include Vanguard, Rifleman, Prince of Wales, Prince Consort, Grainger, and Alexandra; over the past few years, Vietnam has continued to make improvements to its outposts, including defensive positions and infrastructure (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json index 092af999..7d39c4b7 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json @@ -1197,6 +1197,9 @@ "text": "Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF): Land Element, Maritime Element, Air Element

Ministry of Internal Security: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) (2024)" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, @@ -1208,9 +1211,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "0.3% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "0.3% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json index c1a73ecc..459ed0a3 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json @@ -576,10 +576,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Ferdinand \"BongBong\" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022); Vice President Sara DUTERTE-Carpio (since 30 June 2022); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Ferdinand \"BongBong\" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Ferdinand \"BongBong\" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022); Vice President Sara DUTERTE-Carpio (since 30 June 2022)" + "text": "President Ferdinand \"BongBong\" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president with the consent of the Commission of Appointments, an independent body of 25 Congressional members including the Senate president (ex officio chairman), appointed by the president" @@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 328-7614" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
info@phembassy-us.org; consular@phembassy-us.org

The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Washington D.C. (philippineembassy-dc.org)" + "text": "
info@phembassy-us.org

The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Washington D.C. (philippineembassy-dc.org)" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tamuning (Guam)" @@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force

Department of Transportation: Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)

Department of the Interior: Philippine National Police Force (PNP) (2024)", - "note": "note 1: the PCG is an armed and uniformed service that would be attached to the AFP during a conflict

note 2: the Philippine Government also arms and supports civilian militias; the AFP controls Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units, while the Civilian Volunteer Organizations fall under PNP command" + "note": "note 1: the PCG is an armed and uniformed service that would be attached to the AFP during a conflict

note 2: the Philippine Government also arms and supports civilian militias; the AFP controls the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units, while the Civilian Volunteer Organizations fall under PNP command" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json index c6d66f7d..db413bed 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries and was eventually burned in the 17th century, falling into obscurity. In 1819, the British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the same site. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading links and per capita GDP among the highest globally." + "text": "A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries and was eventually burned in the 17th century, falling into obscurity. In 1819, the British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the same site and granted it full internal self-government for all matters except defense and foreign affairs in 1959.  Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading links and per capita GDP among the highest globally. The People’s Action Party has won every general election in Singapore since the end of the British colonial era, aided by its success in delivering consistent economic growth, as well as the city-state's fragmented opposition and electoral procedures that strongly favor the ruling party. " } }, "Geography": { @@ -544,18 +544,18 @@ "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits); election last held on 1 September 2023 (next to be held in 2029); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president" }, "election results": { - "text": "2023: THARMAN Shanmugaratnam elected president; percent of vote - THARMAN Shanmugaratnam (independent) 70.4%, NG Kok Song (independent) 15.7%, TAN Kin Lian (independent) 13.9%

2017: HALIMAH Yacob declared president on 13 September 2017, being the only eligible candidate

2011: Tony TAN Keng Yam elected president; percent of vote - Tony TAN Keng Yam (independent) 35.2%, TAN Cheng Bock (independent) 34.9%, TAN Jee Say (independent) 25%, TAN Kin Lian (independent) 4.9%" + "text": "2023: THARMAN Shanmugaratnam elected president; percent of vote - THARMAN Shanmugaratnam (independent) 70.4%, NG Kok Song (independent) 15.7%, TAN Kin Lian (independent) 13.9%

2017: HALIMAH Yacob declared president on 13 September 2017, being the only eligible candidate" } }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral Parliament (104 seats statutory, 103 current term; 93 members directly elected by simple majority popular vote, up to 9 nominated by a parliamentary selection committee and appointed by the president, and up to 12 non-constituency members from opposition parties to ensure political diversity; members serve 5-year terms); note - the number of nominated members increased to 12 for the 2020 election for the first time" + "text": "unicameral Parliament (104 seats statutory, 103 current; 93 members directly elected by simple majority popular vote, up to 9 nominated by a parliamentary selection committee and appointed by the president, and up to 12 non-constituency members from opposition parties to ensure political diversity; members serve 5-year terms); note - the number of nominated members increased to 12 for the 2020 election for the first time" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 10 July 2020 (next must be held by 24 November 2025)" }, "election results": { - "text": "
percent of vote by party - PAP 89.2%, WP 10.6%, other 0.2%; seats by party - PAP 83, WP 10; composition - men 70, women 29, percentage women 29.3%" + "text": "percent of vote by party - PAP 89.2%, WP 10.6%, other 0.2%; seats by party - PAP 83, WP 10; composition - men 70, women 29, percentage women 29.3%" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 537-3100" }, "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 537-7086" + "text": "[1] (202) 537-0876" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
singemb_was@mfa.sg

https://www.mfa.gov.sg/washington/" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json index 9274aff2..5e5d8501 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json @@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ "text": "bicameral National Assembly or Ratthasapha consists of:
Senate or Wuthisapha (currently 250 seats; members appointed by the National Council for Peace and Order to serve 5-year terms; the Senate appointed in 2024 will consist of 200 members elected from various groups of professionals for a 5-year term)
House of Representatives or Saphaphuthan Ratsadon (500 seats; 400 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 100 members elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "Senate - last selections held on 14 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024)
House of Representatives - last held on 14 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2027)" + "text": "Senate - last selections held on 14 May 2019 (next to be held in June 2024)
House of Representatives - last held on 14 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2027)" }, "election results": { "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 223, women 26, percentage women 10.4%

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - MFP 36.2%, PTP 27.7%, UTN 11.9%, PJT 2.9%, DP 2.3%, PPRP 1.4%, PCC 1.5%, other 16%; seats by party - MFP 152, PTP 141, PJT 71, PPRP 41, UTN 36, DP 24, PCC 9, CTP 10, Thai Sang Thai 6, other 11; composition - 403 men, 97 women, percentage women 19.4%; total National Assembly percentage women 16.4%" @@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador TANEE Sangrat (since 12 December 2022)" + "text": "Appointed Ambassador Dr. Suriya CHINDAWONGSE (since June 2024)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007" @@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 944-3611" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
thai.wsn@thaiembdc.org

https://thaiembdc.org" + "text": "
thai.wsn@thaiembdc.org

https://washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/index" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Chicago, Los Angeles, New York" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json index 6d99d7bf..0689bfd6 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json @@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 966-3205" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
info@timorlesteembassy.org

http://www.timorlesteembassy.org/" + "text": "
info@timorlesteembassy.org" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json index e3a3d7cd..cc788561 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json @@ -472,10 +472,10 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "none; commercial and cultural relations with its citizens in the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts, represented by HSIAO Bi-khim (since 20 July 2020); office: 4201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: [1] (202) 895-1800; fax: [1] (202) 363-0999" + "text": "none; commercial and cultural relations with its citizens in the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts, represented by Ambassador Alexander YUI (since 11 December 2023); office: 4201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: [1] (202) 895-1800; fax: [1] (202) 363-0999" }, "Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (branch offices)": { - "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver (CO), Houston, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle" + "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver (CO), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json index 523aa2e5..24571696 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "Vietnam's early history included periods of occupation by outside forces and eventual power consolidation under Vietnamese dynastic families. A succession of Han Chinese emperors ruled the area, which was centered on the Red River Valley, until approximately the 10th century. The Ly Dynasty (11th-13th century) created the first independent Vietnamese state, which was known as Dai Viet, and established their capital at Thang Long (Hanoi). Under the Tran Dynasty (13th-15th century), TRAN Hang Dao, one of Vietnam’s national heroes, led Dai Viet forces to fight off Mongol invaders in 1279. After a brief Chinese occupation in the early 1400s, Vietnamese resistance leader LE Thai To made himself emperor and established the Le Dynasty, which lasted until the late 18th century despite decades of political turmoil, civil war, and division. During this period, Dai Viet expanded southward to the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta, reaching the approximate boundaries of modern-day Vietnam by the 1750s. Dai Viet suffered additional civil war and division in the latter half of the 18th century, but it was reunited and renamed Vietnam under Emperor NGUYEN Phuc Anh (aka Gia Long) in 1802.

France began its conquest of Vietnam in 1858 and made Vietnam part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but the French continued to rule until communist forces under Ho Chi MINH defeated them in 1954. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South and fighting soon erupted between the two governments. The North supported communist rebels in the South and eventually committed thousands of combat troops, while the US provided major economic and military assistance, including combat forces, to the South. US forces were withdrawn after a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South, reuniting the country under communist rule. The conflict, known as the Second Indochina War (1955-1975), devastated the country, spilled over into neighboring Cambodia and Laos, and caused an estimated 3 million deaths of Vietnamese civilians and soldiers. Despite the return of peace, the country experienced little economic growth for over a decade because of its diplomatic isolation, leadership policies, and the persecution and mass exodus of citizens, many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's \"doi moi\" (renovation) policy in 1986, the economy has seen strong growth, particularly in agricultural and industrial production, construction, exports, foreign investment, and tourism. Nevertheless, the Communist Party maintains tight political and social control of the country, and Vietnam faces many related challenges, such as rising income inequality and corruption.

Since withdrawing its military occupation forces from Cambodia in the late 1980s and the end of Soviet aid in 1991, Vietnam has practiced a non-aligned foreign policy that emphasizes friendly ties with all members of the international community. Vietnam adheres to a security doctrine called the \"Four Nos\" (no alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign bases, and no using force in international relations). Despite longstanding tensions with Beijing over maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, Vietnam puts a priority on stable relations with China, given its proximity, size, and status as Vietnam's largest trading partner." + "text": "Vietnam's early history included periods of occupation by outside forces and eventual power consolidation under Vietnamese dynastic families. A succession of Han Chinese emperors ruled the area, which was centered on the Red River Valley, until approximately the 10th century. The Ly Dynasty (11th-13th century) created the first independent Vietnamese state, which was known as Dai Viet, and established their capital at Thang Long (Hanoi). Under the Tran Dynasty (13th-15th century), TRAN Hang Dao, one of Vietnam’s national heroes, led Dai Viet forces to fight off Mongol invaders in 1279. After a brief Chinese occupation in the early 1400s, Vietnamese resistance leader LE Thai To made himself emperor and established the Le Dynasty, which lasted until the late 18th century despite decades of political turmoil, civil war, and division. During this period, Dai Viet expanded southward to the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta, reaching the approximate boundaries of modern-day Vietnam by the 1750s. Dai Viet suffered additional civil war and division in the latter half of the 18th century, but it was reunited and renamed Vietnam under Emperor NGUYEN Phuc Anh (aka Gia Long) in 1802.

France began its conquest of Vietnam in 1858 and made Vietnam part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but the French continued to rule until communist forces under Ho Chi MINH defeated them in 1954. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. Fighting erupted between the two governments shortly afterwards with the North supporting communist rebels in the South and eventually committing thousands of combat troops. The US provided to the South significant economic and military assistance, including large numbers of US military forces, which reached a peak strength of over 500,000 troops in 1968. US combat forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South, reuniting the country under communist rule. The conflict, known as the Second Indochina War (1955-1975), caused more than 58,000 US combat and non-combat deaths and created deep domestic divisions in the US. It also devastated Vietnam, spilled over into the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos, and is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of up to 3 million Vietnamese civilians and soldiers. 

Despite the return of peace, the country experienced little economic growth for over a decade because of its diplomatic isolation, leadership policies, and the persecution and mass exodus of citizens, many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's \"doi moi\" (renovation) policy in 1986, the economy has seen strong growth, particularly in agricultural and industrial production, construction, exports, foreign investment, and tourism. Nevertheless, the Communist Party maintains tight political and social control of the country, and Vietnam faces many related challenges, such as rising income inequality and corruption.

Since withdrawing its military occupation forces from Cambodia in the late 1980s and the end of Soviet aid in 1991, Vietnam has practiced a non-aligned foreign policy that emphasizes friendly ties with all members of the international community. Vietnam adheres to a security doctrine called the \"Four Nos\" (no alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign bases, and no using force in international relations). Despite longstanding tensions with Beijing over maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, Vietnam puts a priority on stable relations with China, given its proximity, size, and status as Vietnam's largest trading partner." } }, "Geography": { @@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats - number following 2021 election - 499; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats, 499 current; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 23 May 2021 (next to be held in spring 2026)" @@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Nguyen Quoc DUNG (since 19 April 2022)" + "text": "Ambassador Nguyen Quoc DZUNG (since 19 April 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036" @@ -1277,7 +1277,7 @@ "text": "190 Abyei/South Sudan/Sudan (UNISFA) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the PAVN is the military arm of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and responsible to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest party organ on military policy; the CMC is led by the CPV General Secretary

the PAVN is one of the region’s largest militaries and has participated in numerous conflicts since its founding in the mid-1940s, including the First (1946-54) and Second (1950s-1975) Indochina Wars, the Cambodian-Vietnamese War (1978-1989), and the Sino-Vietnamese War (1979); the PAVN’s current missions include protecting the country's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests; in recent years, it has increased focus on protecting the country’s maritime economy and sovereignty; it also assists with natural disasters and is involved in economic projects, including electrical infrastructure, oil and gas services, hydroelectric projects, aviation and seaport services, telecommunications, and the shipbuilding industry, while military-owned factories and enterprises produce weapons and equipment; the Ground Forces are spread throughout the country in approximately eight regional commands, four operational corps, and dozens of divisions and brigades, including some that are maintained at cadre strength and filled in wartime by an estimated five million reserves; the Navy is organized into five regional commands; in recent years, it has received increased government focus for procurement efforts because of the rise in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and has a growing combat force of about 20 frigates, corvettes, and fast-attack surface vessels, plus six attack submarines; the Air Force is organized into divisions, regiments, and squadrons; it has a mix of approximately 75 Soviet-era and Russian-made combat aircraft (2023)" + "text": "the PAVN is the military arm of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and responsible to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest party organ on military policy; the CMC is led by the CPV General Secretary

the PAVN is one of the region’s largest militaries and has participated in numerous conflicts since its founding in the mid-1940s, including the First (1946-54) and Second (1950s-1975) Indochina Wars, the Cambodian-Vietnamese War (1978-1989), and the Sino-Vietnamese War (1979); the PAVN’s current missions include protecting the country's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests; in recent years, it has increased focus on protecting the country’s maritime economy and sovereignty; it also assists with natural disasters and is involved in economic projects, including electrical infrastructure, oil and gas services, hydroelectric projects, aviation and seaport services, telecommunications, and the shipbuilding industry, while military-owned factories and enterprises produce weapons and equipment; the Ground Forces are spread throughout the country in approximately eight regional commands, four operational corps, and dozens of divisions and brigades, including some that are maintained at cadre strength and filled in wartime by reservists; the Navy is organized into five regional commands; in recent years, it has received increased government focus for procurement efforts because of the rise in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and has a growing combat force of frigates, corvettes, and fast-attack surface vessels, as well as a small number of attack submarines; the Air Force is organized into divisions, regiments, and squadrons and has a mix of Soviet-era and Russian-made combat aircraft (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/europe/al.json b/europe/al.json index 02a835eb..51c33698 100644 --- a/europe/al.json +++ b/europe/al.json @@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ "text": "President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Arben AHMETAJ (since 18 September 2021)" + "text": "Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly" @@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "future hopeful EU member state; oil and gas exporter but investing toward a “blue economy”; COVID-19 and earthquake economic disruptions and declines; experiencing high debt and account balances; strengthening private sector growth and public sector trust" + "text": "upper-middle -income Balkan economy; EU accession candidate; growth bolstered by tourism, services, construction, and private consumption; fiscal consolidation through revenue collection to address public debt; challenges include weak governance, corruption, climate adaptation, vulnerability to energy sector shocks, and emigration of workers" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { @@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Republic of Albania Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH); aka Albanian Armed Forces): Land Forces, Naval Force (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces

Ministry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2023)", + "text": "Republic of Albania Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH); aka Albanian Armed Forces (AAF)): Land Forces, Naval Force (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces

Ministry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2024)", "note": "note: the State Police are primarily responsible for internal security, including counterterrorism, while the Guard of the Republic protects senior state officials, foreign dignitaries, and certain state properties" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1233,7 +1233,7 @@ "note": "note: as of 2023, women comprised about 15% of the military's full-time personnel, including 20% of the officers" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are responsible for defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, assisting with internal security, providing disaster and humanitarian relief, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; the AAF has contributed small numbers of forces to several NATO missions since Albania joined NATO in 2009, including peacekeeping/stability missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, and multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia; it has also contributed to EU and UN missions; the AAF is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions, including training and equipment purchases; the primary ground combat units include a few light infantry battalions (or battle groups), including one trained and certified for NATO missions, and a special operations regiment; the Naval Force and Coast Guard operate a small force of patrol boats while the Air Force has a small inventory of helicopters (2023)" + "text": "the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are responsible for defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, assisting with internal security, providing disaster and humanitarian relief, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; the AAF has contributed small numbers of forces to several NATO missions since Albania joined NATO in 2009, including peacekeeping/stability missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, and multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia; it has also contributed to EU and UN missions; the AAF is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions, including training and equipment purchases; the primary ground combat units include a few light infantry battalions (or battle groups), including one trained and certified for NATO missions, and a special operations regiment; the Naval Force and Coast Guard operate a small force of patrol boats while the Air Force has a small inventory of helicopters (2024)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/europe/an.json b/europe/an.json index cef3ef00..4f6f993e 100644 --- a/europe/an.json +++ b/europe/an.json @@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Elisenda VIVES BALMAÑA (since 2 March 2016)" + "text": "Ambassador Elisenda VIVES BALMAÑA (since 2 March 2016); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017" diff --git a/europe/be.json b/europe/be.json index 71782b70..9d5e5ff0 100644 --- a/europe/be.json +++ b/europe/be.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country has since prospered as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, longstanding tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations, including the EU and NATO.

" + "text": "

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, longstanding tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations, including the EU and NATO.

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ "text": "King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013); Heir Apparent Princess ELISABETH (daughter of the monarch, born 25 October 2001)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Alexander DE CROO (since 1 October 2020); Deputy Prime Ministers Paul Van TIGCHELT (since 22 October 2023), Vincent VAN PETEGHEM, Frank VANDENBROUCKE, Pierre-Yves DERMAGNE, Petra DE SUTTER, Georges GILKINET (all since 1 October 2020), David CLARINVAL (since 15 July 2022)" + "text": "Prime Minister Alexander DE CROO (since 1 October 2020); note - He resigned on 9 June 2024 following the parliamentary elections and is serving as prime minister in a caretaker status until a new prime minister is named" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch" @@ -566,10 +566,10 @@ "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate or Senaat (in Dutch), Senat (in French) (60 seats; 50 members indirectly elected by the community and regional parliaments based on their election results, and 10 elected by the 50 other senators; members serve 5-year terms)
Chamber of Representatives or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers (in Dutch), Chambre des Representants (in French) (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "Senate - last held 26 May 2019 (next to be held on 9 June 2024)
Chamber of Representatives - last held on 26 May 2019 (next to be held on 9 June 2024); note - elections coincided with the EU parliamentary elections" + "text": "Senate - last held 4 July 2019 (next to be held on 24 July 2024)
Chamber of Representatives - last held on 9 June 2024 (next to be held on 30 June 2029); note - elections coincided with the EU parliamentary elections" }, "election results": { - "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - N-VA 15%, VB 12%, PS 12%, MR 12%, CD&V 8.3%, Open VLD 8.3%, Ecolo 15%, SP.A 6.7%, CDH 3.3%, PVDA-PTB 8.3%; seats by party - N-VA 9, VB 7, PS 7, MR 7, CD&V 5, Open VLD 5, Ecolo 9, SP.A 4, CDH 2, PVDA-PTB 5; composition - men 34, women 26, percent percentage women 43.3%

Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - N-VA 16.7%, VB 12%, PS 13.3%, CD&V 8%, PVDA-PTB 8%, Open VLD 8%, MR 9.3%, SP.A 6%, Ecolo 8.7%, Green 5.3%, CDH 3.3%, Defi 1.3%; seats by party - N-VA 25, VB 18, PS 20, CD&V 12, PVDA+PTB 12, Open VLD 12, MR 14, SP.A 9, Ecolo 13, Green 8, CDH 5, Defi 2; composition - men 86, women 64, percentage women 42.7%; total Parliament percentage women 42.9%" + "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - N-VA 15%, VB 12%, PS 12%, MR 12%, CD&V 8.3%, Open VLD 8.3%, Ecolo 15%, SP.A 6.7%, CDH 3.3%, PVDA-PTB 8.3%; seats by party - N-VA 9, VB 7, PS 7, MR 7, CD&V 5, Open VLD 5, Ecolo 9, SP.A 4, CDH 2, PVDA-PTB 5; composition - men 34, women 26, percent percentage women 43.3%

Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - N-VA 16.7%, VB 13.5%, MR 10.3%, PVDA-PTB 9.9%, Vooruit 8.1%, PS 8%, CD&V 8%, Les Engages 6.8%, Open VLD 5.5%, Green 4.7%, Ecolo 3%, Defi 1%; seats by party - N-VA 24, VB 20, MR 20, PS 16, PVDA+PTB 15, Les Engages 14, Vooruit 13, CD&V 11, Open VLD 7,Green 6, Ecolo 3, Defi 1; composition - men 86, women 64, percentage women 42.7%; total Parliament percentage women 42.9%" }, "note": "note: the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments, each with its own legislative assembly; changes above occurred since the sixth state reform" }, @@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high income economy with strong but moderate growth; high public debt; aging labor force; low labor force participation of low-skilled, migrant, and older workers; strong welfare system; high congestion; complex business permitting and judicial systems" + "text": "high-income, core EU and eurozone economy; slow but steady growth supported by household consumption and energy shock recovery; high public debt and structural deficits linked to social spending; aging workforce with weak productivity growth and participation rates" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { @@ -1289,7 +1289,7 @@ } }, "Illicit drugs": { - "text": "

a transit point for precursor chemicals from China and India destined for clandestine synthetic drug laboratories in the Netherlands and to some labs in Belgium; a primary entry point for cocaine into Europe; one of the top methamphetamine producers in Europe;  a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

" + "text": "

a transit point for precursor chemicals from China and India destined for clandestine synthetic drug laboratories in the Netherlands and to some labs in Belgium; a primary entry point for cocaine into Europe; one of the top methamphetamine producers in Europe; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

" } } } \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/europe/bk.json b/europe/bk.json index 1e51c4fd..bb122c6a 100644 --- a/europe/bk.json +++ b/europe/bk.json @@ -1189,8 +1189,11 @@ "text": "Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH or Oruzanih Snaga Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH): Army, Air, Air Defense forces organized into an Operations Command and a Support Command

Ministry of Security: Border Police (2024)" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "0.8% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { - "text": "0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)" + "text": "0.8% of GDP (2022)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2021)" @@ -1200,9 +1203,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "0.8% of GDP (2019)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "0.9% of GDP (2018)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/europe/bo.json b/europe/bo.json index 228c1cc6..33c8127d 100644 --- a/europe/bo.json +++ b/europe/bo.json @@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ "text": "President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Roman GOLOVCHENKO (since 4 June 2020); First Deputy Prime Minister Mikalay SNAPKOW (since 4 June 2020); Deputy Prime Ministers Ihar PETRYSHENKA (since 18 August 2018), Anatol SIVAK (since 1 September 2020), Leanid ZAYATS (since 21 March 2022), Petr PARKHOMCHYK (since 16 August 2022)" + "text": "Prime Minister Roman GOLOVCHENKO (since 4 June 2020)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" @@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Belarus Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force, Special Troops (electronic warfare, signals, engineers, biological/chemical/nuclear protection troops, etc)

Ministry of Interior: State Border Troops, Militia, Internal Troops (2023)", + "text": "Belarus Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force, Special Troops (electronic warfare, signals, engineers, biological/chemical/nuclear protection troops, etc)

Ministry of Interior: State Border Troops, Militia, Internal Troops (2024)", "note": "note: in early 2023, President LUKASHENKA ordered the formation of a new volunteer paramilitary territorial defense force to supplement the Army" }, "Military expenditures": { diff --git a/europe/bu.json b/europe/bu.json index 5e8fa291..3dc1f599 100644 --- a/europe/bu.json +++ b/europe/bu.json @@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017); Vice President Iliana IOTOVA (since 22 January 2017)" + "text": "President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar GLAVCHEV (since 9 April 2024)" diff --git a/europe/cy.json b/europe/cy.json index 0dc9e25f..0a323efd 100644 --- a/europe/cy.json +++ b/europe/cy.json @@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (since 28 February 2023); the president is both chief of state and head of government; note - vice presidency reserved for a Turkish Cypriot but vacant since 1974 because Turkish Cypriots do not participate in the Republic of Cyprus Government" + "text": "President Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (since 28 February 2023)" }, "head of government": { "text": "President Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (since 28 February 2023)" @@ -563,9 +563,9 @@ "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); election last held on held 5 February 2023 with a runoff on 12 February 2023 (next to be held in 2028)" }, "election results": { - "text": "
2023: Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (independent) 32%, Andreas MAVROGIIANNIS (independent) 29.6%, Averof NEOFYTOU (DISY) 26.1%, Christos CHRISTOU (ELAM) 6%, other 6.3%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDS 52%, Andreas MAVROGIANNIS 48%

2018: Nikos ANASTASIADIS reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS (DISY) 35.5%, Stavros MALAS (AKEL) 30.2%, Nicolas PAPADOPOULOS (DIKO) 25.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS 56%, Stavros MALAS 44%" + "text": "
2023: Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (independent) 32%, Andreas MAVROGIANNIS (independent) 29.6%, Averof NEOFYTOU (DISY) 26.1%, Christos CHRISTOU (ELAM) 6%, other 6.3%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDS 52%, Andreas MAVROGIANNIS 48%

2018: Nikos ANASTASIADIS reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS (DISY) 35.5%, Stavros MALAS (AKEL) 30.2%, Nicolas PAPADOPOULOS (DIKO) 25.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS 56%, Stavros MALAS 44%" }, - "note": "note: the first round of the TRNC presidential election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020, was postponed to 11 October 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the second round was held on 18 October 2020; percent of vote in the first round - Ersin TATAR (UBP) 32.4%, Mustafa AKINCI (independent) 29.8%, Tufan ERHURMAN (RTP) 21.7%, Kudret OZERSAY (independent) 5.7%, Erhan ARIKLI (YDP) 5.4%, Serdar DENKTAS (independent) 4.2%, other 0.8%; percent of vote in the second round - Ersin TATAR 51.7%, Mustafa AKINCI 48.3%" + "note": "note: vice presidency reserved for a Turkish Cypriot, but the post has been vacant since 1974 because Turkish Cypriots do not participate in the Republic of Cyprus Government" }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { diff --git a/europe/da.json b/europe/da.json index 72a807d8..53b4fff0 100644 --- a/europe/da.json +++ b/europe/da.json @@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "diversified EU trade-based economy; environmental regulatory innovator; dominant services sector; increased government spending but retaining budget surpluses; currently high inflation; unique \"flexicurity\" labor market" + "text": "

high-income, EU member, trade-oriented Nordic economy; growth driven by pharmaceuticals, energy and services; large share of employment in public sector; fixed exchange rate pegged to euro; strong fiscal position; tight labor market addressed by migrant workers and higher average retirement age

" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { @@ -1204,8 +1204,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret): Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Danish Home Guard (Reserves) (2023)", - "note": "note: the Danish military maintains a joint service Arctic Command with the mission of protecting the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark in the Arctic Region, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland; the command also conducts maritime pollution prevention, environmental monitoring, fishery inspections, search and rescue, hydrographical surveys, and provides support to governmental science missions" + "text": "Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret): Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Danish Home Guard (Reserves) (2024)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { diff --git a/europe/ee.json b/europe/ee.json index 3f8251f3..b978b4e4 100644 --- a/europe/ee.json +++ b/europe/ee.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Preliminary statement": { - "text": "

The evolution of what is today the European Union (EU) from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization of 27 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe; on a few occasions even country-level unions were arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples.  For such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is unique.

Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN or Mercosur, and it has certain attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, currency (for some members), and law-making abilities, as well as diplomatic representation and a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with external partners.

Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a separate entity in The World Factbook.

" + "text": "

The European Union's (EU) evolution is unprecedented in history, transforming from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization of 27 countries across the European continent. For such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is unique. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe, although country-level unions were sometimes arranged, such as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN or Mercosur, and it has certain attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, currency (for some members), and law-making abilities, as well as diplomatic representation and a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with external partners.

For these reasons, The World Factbook includes basic information on the EU as a separate entity.

" }, "Background": { "text": "

In the aftermath and devastation of the two World Wars, a number of far-sighted European leaders in the late 1940s sought to respond to the overwhelming desire for peace and reconciliation on the continent. In 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed pooling the production of coal and steel in Western Europe, which would bring France and West Germany together and be open to other countries as well. The following year, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members -- Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands -- signed the Treaty of Paris.

Within a few years, the ECSC was so successful that member states decided to further integrate their economies. In 1957, envisioning an \"ever closer union,\" the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), which eliminated trade barriers among the six member states to create a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and a legislative body known today as the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but direct elections began in 1979 and have been held every five years since.

In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC added Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. The 1980s saw further membership expansion, with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further cooperation in foreign and defense policy and judicial and internal affairs, as well as the creation of an economic and monetary union -- including a common currency. The Maastricht Treaty created the European Union (EU), at the time standing alongside the EC. In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU/EC, raising the total number of member states to 15. On 1 January 1999, the new euro currency was launched in world markets and became the unit of exchange for all EU member states except Denmark, Sweden, and the UK. In 2002, citizens of the 12 participating member states began using euro banknotes and coins.

In an effort to ensure that the EU could function efficiently with an expanded membership, the Treaty of Nice in 2000 set forth rules to streamline the size and procedures of the EU's institutions. An effort to establish a \"Constitution for Europe,\" growing out of a Convention held in 2002-2003, foundered when it was rejected in referenda in France and the Netherlands in 2005. A subsequent effort in 2007 incorporated many features of the rejected draft Constitutional Treaty, while also making a number of substantive as well as symbolic changes. The new treaty, referred to as the Treaty of Lisbon, sought to amend existing treaties rather than replace them. The treaty was approved at a conference of member states, and after all member states ratified, the Lisbon Treaty came into force on 1 December 2009, at which point the EU officially replaced and succeeded the EC.

Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 -- Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007 and Croatia in 2013. UK citizens on 23 June 2016 narrowly voted to leave the EU; the formal exit, widely known as \"Brexit,\" took place on 31 January 2020. The EU and the UK negotiated a withdrawal agreement that included a status quo transition period through December 2020, when the follow-on EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was concluded. Current EU membership stands at 27. Eight of the newer member states -- Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia -- have now adopted the euro, bringing total euro-zone membership to 20.

 

" @@ -325,12 +325,11 @@ "text": "two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European Union (27 seats; ministers representing the 27 member states) and the European Parliament (705 seats; seats allocated among member states roughly in proportion to population size; members elected by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms); note - the European Parliament President, Roberta METSOLA, was elected in January 2022 by a majority of fellow members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally; the Council of the EU and the MEPs share responsibilities for adopting the bulk of EU legislation; the two bodies must come to agreement for a commission proposal to become law, after negotiations in which they reconcile differences in each body's text of the proposal, except in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is governed by consensus of the EU member-state governments)" }, "elections": { - "text": "last held on 23-26 May 2019 (next to be held on 6-9 June 2024)" + "text": "last held on 6-9 June 2024 (next to be held in June 2029)" }, "election results": { - "text": "European Parliament percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPP 182, S&D 153, RE 108, Greens/EFA 75, ECR 62, ENF 73, EFDD 43, GUE-NGL 41, non-attached 7, other 7; composition - men 424, women 281, percentage women 39.8%" - }, - "note": "note: European Parliament seats by party as of April 2024 - EPP 177, S&D 139, RE 102, Greens/EFA 72, ECR, 68, ID 59, GUE-NGL 37, non-attached 51" + "text": "European Parliament percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPP 186, S&D 135, RE 79, ECR 73, ID 58, Greens/EFA 53, GUE-NGL 36, non-attached 45, other 55; composition - men 424, women 281, percentage women 39.8%" + } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { @@ -342,7 +341,7 @@ "note": "note: the ECJ is the supreme judicial authority of the EU; it ensures that EU law is interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU, resolves disputes among EU institutions and member states, and reviews issues and opinions regarding questions of EU law referred by member state courts" }, "Political parties and leaders": { - "text": "Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy or EFDD (dissolved June 2019)
European United Left-Nordic Green Left or GUE/NGL [Manon AUBRY and Martin SCHIRDEWAN]
European Conservatives and Reformists or ECR [Raffaele FITTO and Ryszard LEGUTKO]
European Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Ska KELLER and Philippe LAMBERTS]
European People's Party or EPP [Manfred WEBER]
Identity and Democracy Party or ID [Marco ZANNI] (formerly known as Europe of Nations and Freedom Group or ENF)
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D [Iratxe GARCIA]
Renew Europe or RE [Stephane SEJOURNE] (formerly Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE)" + "text": "European United Left-Nordic Green Left or GUE/NGL [Manon AUBRY and Martin SCHIRDEWAN]
European Conservatives and Reformists or ECR [Raffaele FITTO and Ryszard LEGUTKO]
European Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Ska KELLER and Philippe LAMBERTS]
European People's Party or EPP [Manfred WEBER]
Identity and Democracy Party or ID [Marco ZANNI] (formerly known as Europe of Nations and Freedom Group or ENF)
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D [Iratxe GARCIA]
Renew Europe or RE [Stephane SEJOURNE] (formerly Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE)" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "ARF, ASEAN (dialogue member), Australian Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CERN, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-10, G-20, IDA, IEA, IGAD (partners), LAIA (observer), NSG (observer), OAS (observer), OECD, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN (observer), UNRWA (observer), WCO, WTO, ZC (observer)" @@ -757,7 +756,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "

the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) provides the civilian, military, and political structures for EU crisis management and security issues; the highest bodies are:

the Political and Security Committee (PSC), which meets at the ambassadorial level as a preparatory body for the Council of the EU; it assists with defining policies and preparing a crisis response

the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is the EU's highest military body; it is composed of the chiefs of defense (CHODs) of the Member States, who are regularly represented by their permanent Military Representatives; the EUMC provides the PSC with advice and recommendations on all military matters within the EU

the Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM) provides advice and recommendations to the PSC in parallel with the EUMC on civilian aspects of crisis management

the Politico-Military Group (PMG) provides advice and recommendations to the PSC on political aspects of EU military and civil-military issues, including concepts, capabilities and operations and missions, and monitors implementation

other bodies set up under the CSDP include the Security and Defense Policy Directorate (SECDEFPOL), the Integrated approach for Security and Peace Directorate (ISP), the EU Military Staff (EUMS), the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC), the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), the European Defense Agency, the European Security and Defense College (ESDC), the EU Institute for Security Studies, and the EU Satellite Center (2023)

", + "text": "the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) provides the civilian, military, and political structures for EU crisis management and security issues; the highest bodies are:

the Political and Security Committee (PSC), which meets at the ambassadorial level as a preparatory body for the Council of the EU; it assists with defining policies and preparing a crisis response

the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is the EU's highest military body; it is composed of the chiefs of defense (CHODs) of the Member States, who are regularly represented by their permanent Military Representatives; the EUMC provides the PSC with advice and recommendations on all military matters within the EU

the Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM) provides advice and recommendations to the PSC in parallel with the EUMC on civilian aspects of crisis management

the Politico-Military Group (PMG) provides advice and recommendations to the PSC on political aspects of EU military and civil-military issues, including concepts, capabilities and operations and missions, and monitors implementation

other bodies set up under the CSDP include the Security and Defense Policy Directorate (SECDEFPOL), the Integrated approach for Security and Peace Directorate (ISP), the EU Military Staff (EUMS), the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC), the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), the European Defense Agency, the European Security and Defense College (ESDC), the EU Institute for Security Studies, and the EU Satellite Center (2024)", "note": "note 1: Frontex is the European Border and Coast Guard Agency that supports EU Member States and Schengen-associated countries in the management of the EU’s external borders and the fight against cross-border crime; it has a standing corps of uniformed border guard officers directly employed by Frontex as staff members and regularly deployed to border guarding missions, plus thousands of other officers seconded by EU member states

note 2: in 2017, the EU set up the Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defense (PESCO), a mechanism for deepening defense cooperation amongst member states through binding commitments and collaborative programs on a variety of military-related capabilities such as cyber, maritime surveillance, medical support, operational readiness, procurement, and training; similar efforts to promote collaboration and cooperation that same year amongst members included the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defense (CARD), and the European Defense Fund (EDF)" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -776,7 +775,7 @@ "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2018)" }, - "note": "note 1: the European Defense Fund (EDF) has a budget of  approximately $8 billion for 2021-2027; about $2.7 billion is devoted to funding collaborative defense research while about $5.3 billion is allocated for collaborative capability development projects that complement national contributions; EDF \"categories for action\" include areas such as information air and missile defense, cyber and information security, digital transformation, force protection, medical services, space, training, and air, ground, and naval combat capabilities 

note 2: NATO is resourced through the direct and indirect contributions of its members; NATO’s common funds are direct contributions to collective budgets, capabilities and programs, which equate to only 0.3% of total NATO defense spending (approximately $3.3 billion for 2023) to develop capabilities and run NATO, its military commands, capabilities, and infrastructure; NATO's 2014 Defense Investment Pledge called for NATO members to meet the 2% of GDP guideline for defense spending and the 20% of annual defense expenditure on major new equipment by 2024; since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a majority of the NATO countries have committed to investing more in defense and at a more rapid pace" + "note": "note 1: the European Defense Fund (EDF) has a budget of approximately $8 billion for 2021-2027; about $2.7 billion is devoted to funding collaborative defense research while about $5.3 billion is allocated for collaborative capability development projects that complement national contributions; the EDF identifies critical defense domains that it will support 

note 2: NATO is resourced through the direct and indirect contributions of its members; NATO’s common funds are direct contributions to collective budgets, capabilities and programs, which equate to only 0.3% of total NATO defense spending (approximately $3.3 billion for 2023) to develop capabilities and run NATO, its military commands, capabilities, and infrastructure; NATO's 2014 Defense Investment Pledge called for NATO members to meet the 2% of GDP guideline for defense spending and the 20% of annual defense expenditure on major new equipment by 2024; since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a majority of the NATO countries have committed to investing more in defense and at a more rapid pace" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "the 27 EU countries have a cumulative total of approximately 1.34 million active-duty troops; the largest EU country military forces belong to France, Germany, and Italy (2023)", @@ -787,7 +786,7 @@ "note": "note: in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU announced that it would develop a rapid deployment force consisting of up to 5,000 troops by 2025" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the EU partners with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); NATO is an alliance of 31 countries from North America and Europe; its role is to safeguard the security of its member countries by political and military means; NATO conducts crisis management and peacekeeping missions; member countries that participate in the military aspect of the Alliance contribute forces and equipment, which remain under national command and control until a time when they are required by NATO for a specific purpose (i.e., conflict or crisis, peacekeeping); NATO, however, does possess some common capabilities owned and operated by the Alliance, such as some early warning radar aircraft; relations between NATO and the EU were institutionalized in the early 2000s, building on steps taken during the 1990s to promote greater European responsibility in defense matters; cooperation and coordination covers a broad array of issues, including crisis management, defense and political consultations, civil preparedness, capacity building, military capabilities, maritime security, planning, cyber defense, countering hybrid threats, information sharing, logistics, defense industry, counterterrorism, etc.; since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU and NATO have intensified their work and cooperation; NATO and the EU have 22 member countries in common

there are no permanent standing EU forces, but Europe has a variety of multinational military organizations that may be deployed through the EU, in a NATO environment, upon the mandate of the participating countries, or upon the mandate of other international organizations, such as the UN or OSCE including:

EU Battlegroups (BGs) are rapid reaction multinational army units that form a key part of the EU's capacity to respond to crises and conflicts; their deployment is subject to a unanimous decision by the European Council; BGs typically consists of 1,500-2,000 troops organized around an infantry battalion depending on the mission; the troops and equipment are drawn from EU member states and under the direction of a lead nation; two BGs are always on standby for a period of 6 months; the BGs were declared operational in 2007 but have never been used operationally due to political and financial obstacles

the European Corps (Eurocorps) is an independent multinational land force corps headquarters composed of personnel from six framework nations and five associated nations; the corps has no standing operational units; during a crisis, units would be drawn from participating states, and the corps would be placed at the service of the EU and NATO; Eurocorps was established in 1992 by France and Germany; Belgium (1993), Spain (1994), and Luxembourg (1996) joined over the next few years; Greece and Turkey (since 2002), Italy, Romania, and Austria (since 2009, 2016, and 2021 respectively) participate as associated nations; Poland joined in 2022; Eurocorps is headquartered in France

the European Gendarmerie Force (EURGENDFOR) is an operational, pre-organized, and rapidly deployable European gendarmerie/police force; it is not established at the EU level, but is capable of performing police tasks, including law enforcement, stability operations, and training in support of the EU, the UN, OSCE, NATO, and other international organizations or ad hoc coalitions; member state gendarmeries include those of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain; the Lithuanian Public Security Service is a partner, while Turkey's Gendarmerie is an observer force

the European Medical Corps (EMC) was set up in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014 to enable the deployment of teams and equipment from EU member states to provide medical assistance and public health expertise in response to emergencies inside and outside the EU; as of 2023, 12 European states had committed teams and equipment to the EMC

the European Medical Command (EMC) was formed to provide a standing EU medical capability, increase medical operational readiness, and improve interoperability amongst the 18 participating EU members; it operates closely with the NATO Framework Nations Concept’s Multinational Medical Coordination Center (MMCC) under a single administrative and infrastructural framework (MMCC/EMC); the EMC was declared operational in May 2022

the European Air Transport Command (EATC) is a single multinational command for more than 150 military air mobility assets from seven member states, including transport, air-to-air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation; the EATC headquarters is located in the Netherlands, but the air assets remain located at member national air bases; the EATC was established in 2010

the European Air Group (EAG) is an independent organization formed by the air forces of its seven member nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK) that is focused on improving interoperability between the air forces of EAG members and its 14 partner and associate nations; it was established in the late 1990s and is headquartered in the UK

the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR or EMF) is a four-nation (France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain), non-standing naval force with the ability to carry out naval, air, and amphibious operations; EUROMARFOR was formed in 1995 to conduct missions such as crisis response, humanitarian missions, peacekeeping, peace enforcement, and sea control; it can deploy under EU, NATO, or UN mandate, but also as long as the four partner nations agree

the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) is a deployable, combined French-UK military force of up to 10,000 personnel for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations; the CJEF has no standing forces but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations; it was established in 2010 and declared operational in 2020

the 1st German/Netherlands (Dutch) Corps is a combined army corps headquarters that has the ability to conduct operations under the command and control of Germany and the Netherlands, NATO, or the EU; in peacetime, approximately 1,100 Dutch and German soldiers are assigned, but during a crisis up to 80,000 troops may be assigned; it was formed in 1995 and is headquartered in Germany 

the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG) is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units; units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation; it was formed in 2014 and is headquartered in Poland

in 2022, the EU approved a new defense strategy (Strategic Compass) designed to increase the bloc’s capacity to act, including setting up a Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC) consisting of up to 5,000 troops by 2025 (2023)" + "text": "the EU partners with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); NATO is an alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe; its role is to safeguard the security of its member countries by political and military means; NATO conducts crisis management and peacekeeping missions; member countries that participate in the military aspect of the Alliance contribute forces and equipment, which remain under national command and control until a time when they are required by NATO for a specific purpose (i.e., conflict or crisis, peacekeeping); NATO, however, does possess some common capabilities owned and operated by the Alliance, such as some early warning radar aircraft; relations between NATO and the EU were institutionalized in the early 2000s, building on steps taken during the 1990s to promote greater European responsibility in defense matters; cooperation and coordination covers a broad array of issues, including crisis management, defense and political consultations, civil preparedness, capacity building, military capabilities, maritime security, planning, cyber defense, countering hybrid threats, information sharing, logistics, defense industry, counterterrorism, etc.; since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU and NATO have intensified their work and cooperation; NATO and the EU have 23 member countries in common

there are no permanent standing EU forces, but Europe has a variety of multinational military organizations that may be deployed through the EU, in a NATO environment, upon the mandate of the participating countries, or upon the mandate of other international organizations, such as the UN or OSCE including:

EU Battlegroups (BGs) are rapid reaction multinational army units that form a key part of the EU's capacity to respond to crises and conflicts; their deployment is subject to a unanimous decision by the European Council; BGs typically consists of 1,500-2,000 troops organized around an infantry battalion depending on the mission; the troops and equipment are drawn from EU member states and under the direction of a lead nation; two BGs are always on standby for a period of six months; the BGs were declared operational in 2007 but have never been used operationally due to political and financial obstacles

the European Corps (Eurocorps) is an independent multinational land force corps headquarters composed of personnel from six framework nations and five associated nations; the corps has no standing operational units; during a crisis, units would be drawn from participating states, and the corps would be placed at the service of the EU and NATO; Eurocorps was established in 1992 by France and Germany; Belgium (1993), Spain (1994), and Luxembourg (1996) joined over the next few years; Poland joined in 2022; Greece and Turkey (since 2002), Italy, Romania, and Austria (since 2009, 2016, and 2021 respectively) participate as associated nations; Eurocorps is headquartered in France

the European Gendarmerie Force (EURGENDFOR) is an operational, pre-organized, and rapidly deployable European gendarmerie/police force; it is not established at the EU level, but is capable of performing police tasks, including law enforcement, stability operations, and training in support of the EU, the UN, OSCE, NATO, and other international organizations or ad hoc coalitions; member state gendarmeries include those of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain; the Lithuanian Public Security Service is a partner, while Turkey's Gendarmerie is an observer force

the European Medical Corps (EMC) was set up in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014 to enable the deployment of teams and equipment from EU member states to provide medical assistance and public health expertise in response to emergencies inside and outside the EU; as of 2024, 12 European states had committed teams and equipment to the EMC

the European Medical Command (EMC) was formed to provide a standing EU medical capability, increase medical operational readiness, and improve interoperability amongst the participating EU members; it operates closely with the NATO Framework Nations Concept’s Multinational Medical Coordination Center (MMCC) under a single administrative and infrastructural framework (MMCC/EMC); the EMC was declared operational in May 2022

the European Air Transport Command (EATC) is a single multinational command for more than 150 military air mobility assets from seven member states, including transport, air-to-air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation; the EATC headquarters is located in the Netherlands, but the air assets remain located at member national air bases; the EATC was established in 2010

the European Air Group (EAG) is an independent organization formed by the air forces of its seven member nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK) that is focused on improving interoperability between the air forces of EAG members and its 14 partner and associate nations; it was established in the late 1990s and is headquartered in the UK

the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR or EMF) is a four-nation (France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain), non-standing naval force with the ability to carry out naval, air, and amphibious operations; EUROMARFOR was formed in 1995 to conduct missions such as crisis response, humanitarian missions, peacekeeping, peace enforcement, and sea control; it can deploy under EU, NATO, or UN mandate, but also as long as the four partner nations agree

the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) is a deployable, combined French-UK military force of up to 10,000 personnel for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations; the CJEF has no standing forces but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations; it was established in 2010 and declared operational in 2020

the 1st German/Netherlands (Dutch) Corps is a combined army corps headquarters that has the ability to conduct operations under the command and control of Germany and the Netherlands, NATO, or the EU; in peacetime, approximately 1,100 Dutch and German soldiers are assigned, but during a crisis up to 80,000 troops may be assigned; it was formed in 1995 and is headquartered in Germany 

the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG) is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units; units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation; it was formed in 2014 and is headquartered in Poland

in 2022, the EU approved a new defense strategy (Strategic Compass) designed to increase the bloc’s capacity to act, including setting up a Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC) consisting of up to 5,000 troops by 2025 (2024)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/europe/ei.json b/europe/ei.json index 72aa9287..83385df5 100644 --- a/europe/ei.json +++ b/europe/ei.json @@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ "text": "
https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/usa/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Atlanta, Austin (TX), Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco" + "text": "Atlanta, Austin (TX), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/europe/en.json b/europe/en.json index 80481a92..030488de 100644 --- a/europe/en.json +++ b/europe/en.json @@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "advanced service-based EU and OECD economy; regional trade and telecommunications leader; recently rejected Baltic sea rail tunnel from Tallinn to Helsinki; flat income taxation; substantial welfare system; balanced budget culture; business-friendly climate" + "text": "advanced, service-based EU and eurozone economy; economic downturn due to inflation, trade, and energy impacts of Ukraine war; decline in intra-EU trade; low public debt relative to EU members; recovery depends on improving private investment and productivity rates" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/ez.json b/europe/ez.json index 1f37bbe7..077dcf3e 100644 --- a/europe/ez.json +++ b/europe/ez.json @@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ "text": "President Petr PAVEL (since 9 March 2023)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Petr FIALA (since 17 December 2021); First Deputy Prime Minister Vit RAKUSAN (since 17 December 2021), Deputy Prime Ministers Marian JURECKA, Ivan BARTOS, Vlastimil VALEK (all since 17 December 2021)" + "text": "Prime Minister Petr FIALA (since 17 December 2021)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister" @@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high income, diversified EU economy; advanced services and automotive exporter; mostly intra-EU trader; low unemployment; usually maintains a positive trade balance; large investments in systems innovation and information technologies" + "text": "high-income, diversified EU economy; manufacturing-oriented exporter led by automotive industry; growth stalled by inflation and energy supply disruption; business-friendly regulatory frameworks; tight labor market with low unemployment; seeking reforms to support decarbonization and improve energy efficiency" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/fi.json b/europe/fi.json index ed7c29a3..286b0288 100644 --- a/europe/fi.json +++ b/europe/fi.json @@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "highly industrialized, export-based EU economy and euro user; high per capita GDP; major timber, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries; manageable public debts; rigid labor laws impose higher regulatory burdens" + "text": "

high-income, export-based EU and eurozone economy; major timber, metals, engineering, telecom, and electronics industries; emerging from recession triggered by inflation, weak consumer and export demand, and lower private investment; labor market reform plan to address structural rigidities

" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { @@ -1279,7 +1279,7 @@ "text": "165 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF) are focused primarily on territorial defense, which is based on having a large, trained reserve force created by general conscription; active-duty FDF units absorb and train more than 20,000 conscripts annually; the resulting pool of trained reservists gives the FDF a wartime strength of approximately 280,000 and a total reserve of some 900,000 citizens with military service; other FDF responsibilities include support to international peacekeeping operations and some domestic security duties, such as assisting the National Police in maintaining law and order in crises

the FDF is also focused on fulfilling its new commitment to NATO; following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland reassessed its security policy situation and applied for NATO membership and gained entry in April 2023; as a member of the Alliance, Finland is part of NATO’s collective defense and is covered by the security guarantees enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty); Finland had been part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program since 1994, and the FDF exercised with some NATO members and participated in NATO-led military missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq; Finland also is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and actively participates in EU crisis management missions and operations; the FDF cooperates closely with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation structure (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and involves cooperation in such areas as armaments, education, human resources, training and exercises, and operations; Finland considers Sweden as its closest bi-lateral security partner; the UK and the US are also close defense partners; in 2022, Finland signed a mutual security agreement with the UK, and since 2014 has been part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions

the bulk of the FDF’s annual intake of conscripts go into the Army; in peacetime, the Army has five combat brigades, which include armored, jaeger/light infantry, and mechanized infantry forces, plus regiments of light infantry, special forces, and helicopter assault forces; the Navy has a mix of missile-armed patrol craft, fast patrol boats, and mine warfare vessels; it is slated to receive four multirole corvettes by 2029; the Navy also has a coastal defense brigade, which includes anti-ship missile and naval special operations forces and a naval infantry brigade maintained at cadre strength that incorporates about 1,500 conscripts annually; the Air Force has about 60 US-made F/A-18 multirole fighters, which are scheduled to be replaced by US-origin F-35 stealth multirole fighters beginning in 2025 (2023)" + "text": "the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF) are focused primarily on territorial defense, which is based on having a large, trained reserve force created by general conscription; active-duty FDF units absorb and train more than 20,000 conscripts annually; the resulting pool of trained reservists gives the FDF a wartime strength of approximately 280,000 and a total reserve of some 900,000 citizens with military service; other FDF responsibilities include support to international peacekeeping operations and some domestic security duties, such as assisting the National Police in maintaining law and order in crises

the FDF is also focused on fulfilling its new commitment to NATO; following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland reassessed its security policy situation and applied for NATO membership and gained entry in April 2023; as a member of the Alliance, Finland is part of NATO’s collective defense and is covered by the security guarantees enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty); Finland had been part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program since 1994, and the FDF exercised with some NATO members and participated in NATO-led military missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq; in 2024, it joined NATO's Air Policing mission in Eastern Europe; Finland also is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and actively participates in EU crisis management missions and operations; the FDF cooperates closely with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation structure (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and involves cooperation in such areas as armaments, education, human resources, training and exercises, and operations; Finland considers Sweden as its closest bi-lateral security partner; the UK and the US are also close defense partners; in 2022, Finland signed a mutual security agreement with the UK, and since 2014 has been part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions

the bulk of the FDF’s annual intake of conscripts go into the Army; in peacetime, the Army has five combat brigades, which include armored, jaeger/light infantry, and mechanized infantry forces, plus regiments of light infantry, special forces, and helicopter assault forces; the Navy has a mix of missile-armed patrol craft, fast patrol boats, and mine warfare vessels; it is slated to receive four multirole corvettes by 2029; the Navy also has a coastal defense brigade, which includes anti-ship missile and naval special operations forces and a naval infantry brigade maintained at cadre strength that incorporates about 1,500 conscripts annually; the Air Force has about 60 US-made F/A-18 multirole fighters, which are scheduled to be replaced by US-origin F-35 stealth multirole fighters beginning in 2025 (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/europe/fr.json b/europe/fr.json index a10b656f..a0f6eed5 100644 --- a/europe/fr.json +++ b/europe/fr.json @@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, advanced and diversified EU economy and euro user; strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors; high public debt; ongoing pension and immigration reform efforts; transitioning to a green economy via \"France 2030\" strategy" + "text": "high-income, advanced and diversified EU economy and euro user; strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors; high public debt; ongoing pension reform efforts; transitioning to a green economy via \"France 2030\" strategy" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/gm.json b/europe/gm.json index 0763a127..35f2a2fa 100644 --- a/europe/gm.json +++ b/europe/gm.json @@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "leading EU service-based export-driven economy; highly skilled and educated labor force; fairly fiscally conservative; energy-related economic disruptions due to Russian gas cessations; increased defense spending and rising debts" + "text": "leading diversified, export-driven, core EU and eurozone economy; key automotive, chemical, engineering, finance, and green energy industries; growth stalled by energy crisis; tight labor market with falling working-age population; fiscal rebalancing with phaseout of energy price supports" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/gr.json b/europe/gr.json index f33f53dd..7247ab99 100644 --- a/europe/gr.json +++ b/europe/gr.json @@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "tourism- and shipping-based EU economy; clientelism economic culture and systemic corruption; new structural reforms for fiscal solvency; high public debts and unemployment; increasing Chinese port control; oil and gas disputes with Turkey" + "text": "developed EU and eurozone economy; strong post-COVID growth driven by tourism, shipping industry, exports, and foreign investment supported by EU cohesion funds; public debt remains high despite recent budget surplus; challenges from negative household savings, high unemployment, corruption, and competitiveness gaps" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/hr.json b/europe/hr.json index 4a9de278..60c2e8f4 100644 --- a/europe/hr.json +++ b/europe/hr.json @@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ "text": "President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers Tomo MEDVED (since 23 July 2020), Davor BOZINOVIC (since 12 July 2019), Oleg BUTKOVIC (since 15 July 2022), Branko BACIC (since 17 January 2023), Anja SIMPRAG (since 29 April 2022)" + "text": "Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly" diff --git a/europe/hu.json b/europe/hu.json index 6f493b01..00f6ec2b 100644 --- a/europe/hu.json +++ b/europe/hu.json @@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Szabolcs Ferenc TAKACS (since 23 December 2020)" + "text": "Ambassador Szabolcs Ferenc TAKÁCS (since 23 December 2020)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1500 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005" @@ -627,6 +627,9 @@ }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Chicago, Los Angeles, New York" + }, + "consulate(s)": { + "text": "Houston, Miami" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/europe/ic.json b/europe/ic.json index 0202557d..8c8300e9 100644 --- a/europe/ic.json +++ b/europe/ic.json @@ -541,10 +541,10 @@ "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 27 June 2020 (next to be held on 1 June 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister" + "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 1 June 2024 (next to be held in June 2028); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister" }, "election results": { - "text": "
2020: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON reelected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 92.2%, Gudmundur Franklin JONSSON (independent) 7.8%

2016: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON elected president; Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 39.1%, Halla TOMASDOTTIR (independent) 27.9%, Andri Snær MAGNASON (Democracy Movement) 14.3%, David ODDSSON (independent) 13.7%, other 5%" + "text": "2024:  Halla TOMASDOTTIR elected president; percent of vote - Halla TOMASDOTTIR (independent) 34.1%, Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR (Left-Green Movement) 25.2%, Halla Hrund LOGADOTTIR (independent) 15.7%, Jon GNARR (Social Democratic Alliance) 10.1%, Baldur PORHALLSSON (independent) 8.4%, other 6.5%; note - TOMASDOTTIR will take office 1 August 2024

2020: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON reelected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 92.2%, Gudmundur Franklin JONSSON (independent) 7.8%

2016: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON elected president; Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 39.1%, Halla TOMASDOTTIR (independent) 27.9%, Andri Snær MAGNASON (Democracy Movement) 14.3%, David ODDSSON (independent) 13.7%, other 5%" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Bergdis ELLERTSDOTTIR (since 16 September 2019)" + "text": "Ambassador Bergdís ELLERTSDÓTTIR (since 16 September 2019)" }, "chancery": { "text": "House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, #509, Washington, DC 20007" @@ -590,9 +590,6 @@ }, "email address and website": { "text": "
washington@mfa.is

https://www.government.is/diplomatic-missions/embassy-of-iceland-in-washington-d.c/" - }, - "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -641,7 +638,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income European economy; frozen EU accession application but Schengen Area member; major tourism, fishing, and aluminum industries; complex regulatory environment; large FDI recipient; highly educated workforce" + "text": "high-income north Atlantic island economy; non-EU member but market integration via European Economic Area (EEA); dominant tourism, fishing, and aluminum industries vulnerable to demand swings and volcanic activity; inflation remains above target rate; barriers to foreign business access and economic diversification" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/im.json b/europe/im.json index 01ac97dd..6509c1cb 100644 --- a/europe/im.json +++ b/europe/im.json @@ -593,9 +593,6 @@ "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "0.3% (of GDP) (FY05/06 est.)" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)" }, diff --git a/europe/it.json b/europe/it.json index 0d789187..8cffe2fc 100644 --- a/europe/it.json +++ b/europe/it.json @@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of:
Senate or Senato della Repubblica (200 elected seats; 122 members in multi-seat constituencies directly elected by proportional representation vote, 74 members in single-seat constituencies directly elected by plurality vote, and 4 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad directly elected by proportional representation vote; all members serve 5-year terms)
Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (400 seats; 245 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; 147 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by plurality vote and 8 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of:
Senate or Senato della Repubblica (200 elected seats, 5 appointed seats; 122 members in multi-seat constituencies directly elected by proportional representation vote, 74 members in single-seat constituencies directly elected by plurality vote, and 4 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad directly elected by proportional representation vote; all members serve 5-year terms)
Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (400 seats; 245 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; 147 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by plurality vote and 8 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "Senate - last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held no later than December 2027)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25 September 2022; note - snap elections were called when Prime Minister DRAGHI resigned and the parliament was dissolved on 21 July 2022 (next to be held on 30 September 2027)" @@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Maria Angela ZAPPIA (since 15 September 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Mariangela ZAPPIA (since 15 September 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -608,10 +608,10 @@ "text": "
washington.ambasciata@esteri.it

https://ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/ambasciata_washington/en/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco" + "text": "Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco" }, "consulate(s)": { - "text": "Charlotte (NC), Cleveland (OH), Detroit (MI), Hattiesburg (MS), Honolulu (HI), New Orleans, Newark (NJ), Norfolk (VA), Pittsburgh (PA), Portland (OR), Seattle" + "text": "Detroit" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/europe/je.json b/europe/je.json index 64bce556..f2e9e99f 100644 --- a/europe/je.json +++ b/europe/je.json @@ -575,9 +575,6 @@ "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-0.4% (of GDP) (2005)" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)" }, diff --git a/europe/lg.json b/europe/lg.json index e7767a6d..498a16d3 100644 --- a/europe/lg.json +++ b/europe/lg.json @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Maris SELGA (since 16 September 2019)" + "text": "Ambassador Māris SELGA (since 16 September 2019)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2306 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, EU-member Baltic economy; export-driven; Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a temporary labor force surge and impacted growth due to Russian trade reliance; highly developed transit services" + "text": "high-income EU and eurozone member; economic contraction triggered by export decline and energy shocks; recovery driven by easing inflation, wage growth, and investments supported by EU funds; challenges from skilled labor shortages, capital market access, large informal sector, and green and digital transitions " }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/lh.json b/europe/lh.json index f44fcc04..59afba4e 100644 --- a/europe/lh.json +++ b/europe/lh.json @@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Audra PLEPYTE (since 7 July 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Audra PLEPYTĖ (since 7 July 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009" @@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, EU-member, largest Baltic economy; privatized most state-owned enterprises; unmoved youth emigration; systemic corruption; issued Europe’s first bank-backed digital coin (LBCOIN); highly educated workforce; lowest EU household debt" + "text": "high-income EU and eurozone member, largest Baltic economy; growth stalled due to Ukraine war impact on energy, exports, and fiscal spending for defense and refugee support; rebound supported by EU fund-driven investments and reduced inflation; structural challenges include pension reform, labor market inefficiencies, health care, and education spending" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/lo.json b/europe/lo.json index b9672933..58eb4904 100644 --- a/europe/lo.json +++ b/europe/lo.json @@ -544,10 +544,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Zuzana CAPUTOVA (since 15 June 2019)" + "text": "President Peter PELLEGRINI (since 15 June 2024)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 25 October 2023); Deputy Prime Ministers Robert KALINAK, Denisa SAKOVA, Tomas TARABA, and Peter KMEC (all since 25 October 2023)" + "text": "Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 25 October 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister" @@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Radovan JAVORCIK (since 18 January 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Radovan JAVORČÍK (since 18 January 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ "text": "
emb.washington@mzv.sk

https://www.mzv.sk/web/washington-en" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Los Angeles, New York" + "text": "New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, EU-member European economy; major electronics and automobile exporter; new anticorruption and judiciary reforms; low unemployment; low regional innovation; strong financial sector" + "text": "high-income EU- and eurozone-member economy; manufacturing and exports led by automotive sector; weakening of anti-corruption laws may impact foreign investment and status of EU funds; influx of foreign labor offsets aging workforce; widening fiscal deficit from social spending and EU-financed public investments " }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/lu.json b/europe/lu.json index c1b7b227..dff75121 100644 --- a/europe/lu.json +++ b/europe/lu.json @@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, EU-member European economy; global financial and information storage leader; high government spending; one of highest GDP per capita countries; unique audit accountancy based on company sizing; aging labor force; hit by COVID-19" + "text": "high-income EU and eurozone economy; global, highly capitalized banking sector; one of highest GDP-per-capita countries; trending toward recovery after economic contraction from energy-driven inflation, reduced exports and investments, and financial sector weakness" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { @@ -1054,18 +1054,18 @@ "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "261,054 (2022 est.)" + "text": "261,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "42 (2021 est.)" + "text": "40 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "880,000 (2021 est.)" + "text": "876,000 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "140 (2021 est.)" + "text": "137 (2021 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { diff --git a/europe/mj.json b/europe/mj.json index 4c34befb..c21d1be5 100644 --- a/europe/mj.json +++ b/europe/mj.json @@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "upper middle-income Balkan economy; unsanctioned euro user; controversial religious property ownership law; persistent corruption; major infrastructure investments and high expenditures; growing offshore banking destination" + "text": "upper middle-income, small Balkan economy; uses euro as de facto currency; strong growth driven by tourism and consumption; new impetus for EU accession under Europe Now government; influx of affluent migrants from Russia and Ukraine; progress in fiscal position subject to risks from pension costs, debt service, and informal sector" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/mk.json b/europe/mk.json index 753ef109..c8219c61 100644 --- a/europe/mk.json +++ b/europe/mk.json @@ -124,14 +124,14 @@ }, "Languages": { "Languages": { - "text": "Macedonian (official) 61.4%, Albanian (official) 24.3%, Turkish 3.4%, Romani 1.7%, other (includes Aromanian (Vlach) and Bosnian) 2%, persons for whom data were taken from administrative sources and no language data was available 7.2% (2021 est.); note - data represent mother tongue; minority languages are co-official with Macedonian in municipalities where they are spoken by at least 20% of the population; Albanian is co-official in Tetovo, Brvenica, Vrapciste, and other municipalities; Turkish is co-official in Centar Zupa and Plasnica; Romani is co-official in Suto Orizari; Aromanian is co-official in Krusevo; Serbian is co-official in Cucer Sandevo" + "text": "Macedonian (official) 61.4%, Albanian (official) 24.3%, Turkish 3.4%, Romani 1.7%, other (includes Aromanian (Vlach) and Bosnian) 2%, unspecified 7.2% (2021 est.); note - data represent mother tongue; minority languages are co-official with Macedonian in municipalities where they are spoken by at least 20% of the population; Albanian is co-official in Tetovo, Brvenica, Vrapciste, and other municipalities; Turkish is co-official in Centar Zupa and Plasnica; Romani is co-official in Suto Orizari; Aromanian is co-official in Krusevo; Serbian is co-official in Cucer Sandevo" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
Книга на Светски Факти, неопходен извор на основни информации. (Macedonian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." } }, "Religions": { - "text": "Macedonian Orthodox 46.1%, Muslim 32.2%, other Christian 13.8%, other and non-believers 0.5%, unspecified 0.2%, persons for whom data were taken from administrative sources and no religious affiliation data was available 7.2% (2021 est.)" + "text": "Macedonian Orthodox 46.1%, Muslim 32.2%, other Christian 13.8%, other and non-believers 0.5%, unspecified 7.4% (2021 est.)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { @@ -533,19 +533,19 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Stevo PENDAROVSKI (since 12 May 2019)" + "text": "President Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (since 12 May 2024)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Caretaker Prime Minister Talat XHAFERI (since 28 January 2024)" + "text": "President Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (since 12 May 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers elected by the Assembly by simple majority vote" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected using a modified 2-round system; a candidate can only be elected in the first round with an absolute majority from all registered voters; in the second round, voter turnout must be at least 40% for the result to be deemed valid; president elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 April and 5 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Assembly" + "text": "president directly elected using a modified 2-round system; a candidate can only be elected in the first round with an absolute majority from all registered voters; in the second round, voter turnout must be at least 40% for the result to be deemed valid; president elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 April and 8 May 2024 (next to be held in 2029); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Assembly" }, "election results": { - "text": "2024: Talat XHAFERI elected caretaker Prime Minister; Assembly vote - 65 for (opposition boycott)

2022: Dimitar KOVACEVSKI elected Prime Minister; Assembly vote - NA

2019: Stevo PENDAROVSKI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 44.8%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 44.2%, Blerim REKA (independent) 11.1%; percent of vote in second round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI 53.6%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA 46.4%" + "text": "2024: Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA elected president in the second round; percent of vote - Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 69%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 31%

2024: Talat XHAFERI elected caretaker Prime Minister; Assembly vote - 65 for (opposition boycott)

2022: Dimitar KOVACEVSKI elected Prime Minister; Assembly vote - NA
" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -553,10 +553,10 @@ "text": "unicameral Assembly - Sobranie in Macedonian, Kuvend in Albanian (between 120 and 140 seats, currently 120; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; possibility of 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies by simple majority vote provided there is sufficient voter turnout; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "last held on 15 July 2020 (next to be held on 8 May 2024)" + "text": "last held on 8 May 2024 (next to be held on 31 May 2028)" }, "election results": { - "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - We Can! 35.9%, Renewal 34.6%, BDI 11.5%, AfA-Alternative 9%, The Left 4.1%, PDSH 1.5%, other 3.4%; seats by party/coalition - We Can! 46, Renewal 44, BDI 15, AfA-Alternative 12, The Left 2, PDSH 1; composition - men 69, women 51, percentage women 42.5%" + "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - Your Macedonia 44.6%, For a European Future 15.8%, European Front 14%, VLEN 10.9%, The Left 7%, For Our Macedonia 5.7%, other 1.9%; seats by party/coalition - Your Macedonia 58, For a European Future 18, European Front 18, VLEN 14, The Left 6, For Our Macedonia 6; composition - TBD" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -588,10 +588,10 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 667-0501" }, "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 667-2131" + "text": "[1] (202) 667-2104" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
washington@mfa.gov.mk" + "text": "
washington@mfa.gov.mk

United States (mfa.gov.mk)" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Chicago, Detroit, New York" @@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "growing upper middle-income European economy; EU accession stalled due to Bulgarian dispute; new NATO member; private consumption-driven growth; investment declined due to COVID-19; regional economic power gains since Greek naming resolution" + "text": "upper-middle-income European economy; recovering from energy-driven inflation; macroeconomic support from IMF and EU lending facilities; stalled progress on EU accession; fiscal consolidation hampered by deficit spending on public works; structural challenges of emigration, low productivity growth, and governance" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/mn.json b/europe/mn.json index 4f117108..d3bed131 100644 --- a/europe/mn.json +++ b/europe/mn.json @@ -508,10 +508,10 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Maguy MACCARIO-DOYLE (since 3 December 2013)" + "text": "Ambassador Maguy MACCARIO DOYLE (since 3 December 2013)" }, "chancery": { - "text": "888 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006" + "text": "888 17th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 234-1530" diff --git a/europe/mt.json b/europe/mt.json index e526d45e..1022eb69 100644 --- a/europe/mt.json +++ b/europe/mt.json @@ -575,16 +575,16 @@ "text": "Ambassador Godfrey C. XUEREB (since 19 April 2023)" }, "chancery": { - "text": "2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice to the following address due to ongoing refurbishment:

C/O WeWork Flr 2
1333 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington DC, 20036" + "text": "2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { - "text": "[1] (202) 462-3611; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice due to ongoing refurbishment and can be reached at the following number:  [1] (202) 286-4610" + "text": "[1] (771) 213-4050" }, "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 387-5470; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice due to ongoing refurbishment and can be reached by FAX at the following number:  [1] (202) 530-9753​" + "text": "[1] (202) 530-9753​" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt

https://foreignandeu.gov.mt/en/Embassies/ME_United_States/Pages/ME_United_States.aspx" + "text": "
maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt

The Embassy (gov.mt)" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1045,18 +1045,18 @@ "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "259,120 (2022 est.)" + "text": "259,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "49 (2021 est.)" + "text": "49 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "644,955 (2021 est.)" + "text": "702,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "122 (2021 est.)" + "text": "132 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { diff --git a/europe/nl.json b/europe/nl.json index 681157a3..bd01dbab 100644 --- a/europe/nl.json +++ b/europe/nl.json @@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ "text": "King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); Heir Apparent Princess CATHARINA-AMALIA (daughter of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER, born 7 December 2003)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Sigrid KAAG and Wopke HOEKSTRA (since 10 January 2022), Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017); note - Mark RUTTE's ruling coalition collapsed on 8 July 2023; he is serving as prime minister in a caretaker status until a new prime minister is named following the 22 November 2023" + "text": "Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Sigrid KAAG and Wopke HOEKSTRA (since 10 January 2022), Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017); note - Mark RUTTE's ruling coalition collapsed on 8 July 2023; he is serving as prime minister in a caretaker status until a new prime minister is named following the 22 November 2023 elections" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch" @@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income European economy; core EU member; chemical, oil, and machinery exporter; some age-based income inequality; substantial amount of independent contractor employees; manageable public debt; key international aid funder." + "text": "high-income, core EU- and eurozone-member economy; trade-oriented with strong services, logistics, and high tech sectors; exiting mild recession triggered by inflation and weak export demand; tight labor market; low deficits and manageable public debt; strong ratings for innovation, competitiveness, and business climate" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { @@ -1115,15 +1115,15 @@ "text": "4.57 million (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "29 (2021 est.)" + "text": "26 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "21.888 million (2021 est.)" + "text": "20.737 million (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "125 (2021 est.)" + "text": "118 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { diff --git a/europe/no.json b/europe/no.json index 0d1956b6..211d6f54 100644 --- a/europe/no.json +++ b/europe/no.json @@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ "text": "
emb.washington@mfa.no

https://www.norway.no/en/usa/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Houston, New York, San Francisco" + "text": "New York, San Francisco" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income non-EU European economy; aging labor force; large state-owned energy company constrains budget and spending; largest oil sovereign wealth fund; major fishing, forestry, and extraction industries; large welfare system" + "text": "high-income, non-EU economy with trade links via European Economic Area (EEA); key European energy security role as leader in oil, gas, and electricity exports; major fishing, forestry, and extraction industries; oil sovereign fund supports generous welfare system; low unemployment; inflation and response hampering growth in non-energy sectors" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/pl.json b/europe/pl.json index adb94a1e..7ddf6e04 100644 --- a/europe/pl.json +++ b/europe/pl.json @@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ "text": "President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 11 December 2023); Deputy Prime Ministers Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ, Krzysztof GAWKOWSKI (both since 11 December 2023)" + "text": "Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 11 December 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm" @@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 499-1700" }, "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 328-2152; [1] (202) 328-6271" + "text": "[1] (202) 328-2152" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
washington.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl

https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/embassy-washington" @@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "diversified, high-growth European economy; COVID-19 led to first recession in nearly 3 decades, albeit small; EU and NATO member; bolstering US relations; economic concentration in western region; aging labor force; growing debt" + "text": "high-income, diversified, EU-member economy; significant growth in GDP, trade, and investment since joining EU in 2004; rebounding from slowdown triggered by inflation and fall in consumer demand; strong foreign investment supported by EU structural funds; income tax reform and defense spending have added to public debt" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/po.json b/europe/po.json index a05d5bff..b3e081f3 100644 --- a/europe/po.json +++ b/europe/po.json @@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "fast-growing, high-income European economy; EU and NATO member; heavy Chinese infrastructure ownership; key tourism, banking, and telecommunications sectors; declining populations; major energy exporter" + "text": "high-income EU and eurozone economy; strong services sector led by tourism and banking; tight labor market; private consumption and export recovery driving post-inflation rebound; EU Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) funds a key driver of public investment; high public debt but improving fiscal position" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/ro.json b/europe/ro.json index fedd5bef..d14541a5 100644 --- a/europe/ro.json +++ b/europe/ro.json @@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ "text": "President Klaus Werner IOHANNIS (since 21 December 2014)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Marcel CIOLACU (since 15 June 2023); Deputy Prime Ministers Sorin GRINDEANU (since 25 November 2021) and Hunor KELEMEN (since 23 December 2020)" + "text": "Prime Minister Marcel CIOLACU (since 15 June 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister" @@ -613,13 +613,13 @@ "text": "1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { - "text": "[1] (202) 332-4829; [1] (202) 332-4846" + "text": "[1] (202) 332-4829" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 232-4748" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
washington@mae.ro; office@roembus.org

Embassy of Romania - Washington, DC (roembus.org)" + "text": "
washington@mae.ro

https://washington.mae.ro/en" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York" @@ -1277,10 +1277,10 @@ }, "Space": { "Space agency/agencies": { - "text": "Romanian Space Agency (Agentia Spatiala Romania, ROSA; established 1991) (2023)" + "text": "Romanian Space Agency (Agentia Spatiala Romania, ROSA; established 1991) (2024)" }, "Space program overview": { - "text": "space program is integrated into the European Space Agency (ESA) and dates back to the 1960s; program is involved in the development and production of a wide range of capabilities and technologies, including satellites, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), remote sensing, human space flight, navigation, telecommunications, and other space-related applications; in addition to the ESA/EU and their member states (particularly Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy), it cooperates with a variety of other space agencies and commercial space entities, including those of Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Russia, and the US; also participates in international programs; has an active space industry sector with over 50 entities involved in space-related activities (2023)", + "text": "space program is integrated into the European Space Agency (ESA) and dates back to the 1960s; program is involved in the development and production of a wide range of capabilities and technologies, including satellites, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), remote sensing, human space flight, navigation, telecommunications, and other space-related applications; in addition to the ESA/EU and their member states (particularly Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy), it cooperates with a variety of other space agencies and commercial space entities, including those of Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Russia, and the US; also participates in international programs; has an active space industry sector with over 50 entities involved in space-related activities (2024)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S" } }, diff --git a/europe/si.json b/europe/si.json index 293f010f..d095aff4 100644 --- a/europe/si.json +++ b/europe/si.json @@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ }, "Languages": { "Languages": { - "text": "Slovene (official) 87.7%, Croatian 2.8%, Serbo-Croatian 1.8%, Bosnian 1.6%, Serbian 1.6%, Hungarian 0.4% (official, only in municipalities where Hungarian national communities reside), Italian 0.2% (official, only in municipalities where Italian national communities reside), other or unspecified 3.9% (2002 est.)" + "text": "Slovene (official) 87.7%, Croatian 2.8%, Serbo-Croatian 1.8%, Bosnian 1.6%, Serbian 1.6%, Hungarian 0.4% (official, only in municipalities where Hungarian nationals reside), Italian 0.2% (official, only in municipalities where Italian nationals reside), other or unspecified 3.9% (2002 est.)" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
Svetovni informativni zvezek - neobhoden vir osnovnih informacij. (Slovene)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." @@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Natasa PIRC MUSAR (since 23 December 2022); note - PIRC MUSAR is Slovenia's first female president" + "text": "President Natasa PIRC MUSAR (since 23 December 2022)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Robert GOLOB (since 1 June 2022)" @@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
National Council (State Council)or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve 5-year terms); note - the Council is primarily an advisory body with limited legislative powers
National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 88 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 2 directly elected in special constituencies for Italian and Hungarian minorities by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
National Council (State Council) or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve 5-year terms); note - the Council is primarily an advisory body with limited legislative powers
National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 88 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 2 directly elected in special constituencies for Italian and Hungarian minorities by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "National Council - last held on 24 November 2022 (next to be held in 2027)
National Assembly - last held on 24 April 2022 (next to be held in 2026)" diff --git a/europe/sm.json b/europe/sm.json index 07266fa5..259f9107 100644 --- a/europe/sm.json +++ b/europe/sm.json @@ -481,10 +481,10 @@ "text": "unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by list proportional representation vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "last held on 8 December 2019 (next to be held by 31 December 2024)" + "text": "last held on 9 June 2024 (next to be held by 30 June 2029)" }, "election results": { - "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - PDCS 35%, Tomorrow in Movement coalition 25% (RETE Movement 18.3%, DML 6.7%), Liberia 16.7%, We for the Republic 13.3%, RF 10%; seats by party/coalition - PDCS 21, Tomorrow in Movement coalition 15 (RETE Movement 11, DML 4), Liberia 10, We for the Republic 8, RF 6; composition - men 41, women 19, percentage women 31.7%" + "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - (PDCS 34.1% & AR 6.9% coalition), (PS 15.8% & PSD 12.2% coalition), RF 12%, DML 8.5%, RETE 5.1% seats by party/coalition - (PDCS 22 & AR 4 coalition), (PS 10 & PSD 8 coalition), RF 8, DML 5, RETE 3, composition - men 37, women 23, percentage women 38.3%" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -499,14 +499,14 @@ } }, "Political parties and leaders": { - "text": "Demos Party (Movimento Demos) [Alessandro ROSSI]
Domani - Modus Liberi or DML [Lorenzo Forcellini REFFI]
Free San Marino (Libera San Marino) or Libera [Luca BOSCHI]
Future Republic or RF [Mario VENTURINI]
I Elect for a New Republic
Party of Socialists and Democrats or PSD [Paride ANDREOLI]
RETE Movement [Gloria ARCANGELONI]
Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Marco GATTI]
Socialist Party or PS [Alessandro BEVITORI]
Tomorrow in Movement coalition (includes RETE Movement, DML)
We for the Republic [Denise BRONZETTI]" + "text": "Demos Party (Movimento Demos) [Alessandro ROSSI]
Domani - Modus Liberi or DML [Lorenzo Forcellini REFFI]
Free San Marino (Libera San Marino) or Libera [Matteo CIACCI]
Future Republic or RF [Roberto GIORGETTI]
Party of Socialists and Democrats or PSD [Geraldo GIOVANOLI]
RETE Movement [Gloria ARCANGELONI]
Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Gian Carlo VENTURINI]
Socialist Party or PS [Alessandro MANCINI]
Tomorrow in Movement coalition (includes RETE Movement, DML)" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "CE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Damiano BELEFFI (since 21 July 2017)" + "text": "Ambassador Damiano BELEFFI (since 21 July 2017); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "327 E 50th Street, New York, NY 10022" @@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ "text": "[1] (212) 751-1436" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
smrassistant@gmail.com

Republic of San Marino Permanent Mission to the United Nations" + "text": "
sanmarinoun@gmail.com

Republic of San Marino Permanent Mission to the United Nations" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/europe/sp.json b/europe/sp.json index c4ebda86..c684269f 100644 --- a/europe/sp.json +++ b/europe/sp.json @@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ }, "Languages": { "Languages": { - "text": "Castilian Spanish (official nationwide) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian)) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and in the Basque-speaking area of Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d'Aran) along with Catalan, <5,000 speakers); note - Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Basque, Calo, Catalan, Galician, and Valencian are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages" + "text": "Castilian Spanish (official nationwide) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in part of Catalonia) <5,000 speakers; note - Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Basque, Calo, Catalan, Galician, and Valencian are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." @@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income core EU economy; diversified trade portfolio; continental tourism locale; high government spending and debt; prone to political financing corruption; negatively impacted by COVID-19; important port and customs infrastructure; key clothing/footwear supplier" + "text": "high-income core EU and eurozone economy; strong growth driven by public consumption, tourism, and other service exports; tight labor market despite high structural unemployment; government debt remains high amid deficit reductions; innovation and economic freedom ranked lower than EU and OECD peers" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/sw.json b/europe/sw.json index 6f47f704..480d2aeb 100644 --- a/europe/sw.json +++ b/europe/sw.json @@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ "text": "
ambassaden.washington@gov.se

https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/usa-washington/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "New York" + "text": "New York, San Francisco" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, knowledge-based economy; EU member but non-euro user (refuses to peg krona to euro); large welfare state that complements its free-market capitalism; high living standards, environmental protections, income and gender equality; rebounding well from COVID-19 disruptions" + "text": "high-income, knowledge-based economy; EU member but non-euro user (refuses to peg krona to euro); large welfare state that complements its free-market capitalism; high living standards, environmental protections, income and gender equality" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/sz.json b/europe/sz.json index 1bd1a8d7..56d3c427 100644 --- a/europe/sz.json +++ b/europe/sz.json @@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, non-EU European economy; renowned banking and financial hub; extremely low unemployment; highly skilled but aging workforce; key pharmaceutical and precision manufacturing exporter; fairly high public debt" + "text": "high-income, non-EU European economy; top ten in GDP per capita; renowned banking and financial hub; low unemployment and inflation; slowed GDP growth post-pandemic; highly skilled but aging workforce; key pharmaceutical and precision manufacturing exporter; leader in innovation and competitiveness indices" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/uk.json b/europe/uk.json index a5374031..dd29ff40 100644 --- a/europe/uk.json +++ b/europe/uk.json @@ -604,13 +604,10 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 588-7870" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
britishembassyenquiries@gmail.com

https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-washington" + "text": "
ukin.washington@fcdo.gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-washington" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco" - }, - "consulate(s)": { - "text": "Orlando (FL), San Juan (Puerto Rico)" + "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -662,7 +659,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income, diversified non-EU European economy; sixth-largest importer and exporter; global financial and diplomatic leader; nominal consumption-led growth; high inflation and increased interest rates eroding purchasing power despite real wage growth" + "text": "high-income, diversified, non-EU European economy; global financial center and dominant service sector; sluggish growth from stringent monetary policy, reduced business investment, low productivity and participation rates, and post-Brexit trade frictions; fiscal austerity in face of high public debt " }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/europe/up.json b/europe/up.json index 44813be2..1b432d08 100644 --- a/europe/up.json +++ b/europe/up.json @@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "lower middle-income non-EU Eastern European economy; key wheat, corn, and industrials exporter; emerging electronics producer; war-related massive labor shortages and displacement, as well as environmental destruction of agricultural areas; critical humanitarian and military aid recipient; large inflation and poverty increases; wartime data collection inconsistencies for Western areas" + "text": "lower- middle-income, non-EU Eastern European economy; key wheat and corn exporter; gradual recovery after 30% GDP contraction at start of war; damage to infrastructure and agriculture balanced by consumer and business resilience; international aid has stabilized foreign exchange reserves, allowing managed currency float; continued progress on anti-corruption reforms" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { @@ -1254,8 +1254,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU; Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny or ZSU): Ground Forces (Sukhoputni Viys’ka), Naval Forces (Viys’kovo-Mors’ki Syly, VMS), Air Forces (Povitryani Syly, PS), Air Assault Forces (Desantno-shturmovi Viyska, DShV), Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (UASOF), Territorial Defense Forces (Reserves)

Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (includes Maritime Border Guard or Sea Guard) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: in the event that martial law is declared, all National Guard units, with certain exceptions such as those tasked with providing for diplomatic security of embassies and consulates, would come under the command of the Ministry of Defense as auxiliary forces to the Armed Forces

note 2: the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were formally established in July 2021; the TDF evolved from former Territorial Defense Battalions and other volunteer militia and paramilitary units that were organized in 2014-2015 to fight Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas; in January 2022, the TDF was activated as a separate military branch; it is organized into 25 brigades of varying size representing each of the 24 oblasts, plus the city of Kyiv" + "text": "Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU; Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny or ZSU): Ground Forces (Sukhoputni Viys’ka), Naval Forces (Viys’kovo-Mors’ki Syly, VMS), Air Forces (Povitryani Syly, PS), Air Assault Forces (Desantno-shturmovi Viyska, DShV), Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (UASOF), Unmanned Systems Forces, Territorial Defense Forces (Reserves)

Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (includes Maritime Border Guard or Sea Guard) (2024)", + "note": "note 1: in the event that martial law is declared, all National Guard units, with certain exceptions such as those tasked with providing for diplomatic security of embassies and consulates, would come under the command of the Ministry of Defense as auxiliary forces to the Armed Forces

note 2: the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were formally established in July 2021; the TDF evolved from former Territorial Defense Battalions and other volunteer militia and paramilitary units that were organized in 2014-2015 to fight Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas; in January 2022, the TDF was activated as a separate military branch; it is organized into at least 25 brigades representing each of the 24 oblasts, plus the city of Kyiv" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { @@ -1289,7 +1289,7 @@ "text": "note: prior to the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukraine had committed about 500 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), which was established in 2014; the brigade is headquartered in Poland and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units; units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the primary focus of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) is defense against Russian aggression; in February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in what is the largest conflict in Europe since the end of World War II in 1945; as of 2023, the front line of the fighting stretched about 1,000 kilometers (some 600 miles) north and south in eastern and southern Ukraine; Russia’s forces have also launched missile and armed drone strikes throughout Ukraine, hitting critical infrastructure, including power, water, and heating facilities, as well as other civilian targets; Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, occupying Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backing separatist forces in the Donbas region with arms, equipment, and training, as well as special operations forces and troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; the UAF has received considerable outside military assistance since the Russian invasion, including equipment and training, chiefly from Europe and the US 

Ukraine has a relationship with NATO dating back to the early 1990s, when Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (1991) and the Partnership for Peace program (1994); the relationship intensified in the wake of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine conflict and Russian seizure of Crimea to include NATO support for Ukrainian military capabilities development and capacity-building; NATO further increased its support to the Ukrainian military following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022

the UAF Ground Forces have air defense, armored, artillery, aviation, infantry, mechanized, motorized, and rocket forces; the basic structure of the Ground Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces is the brigade; there are also regionally based (east, north, south, west) Operational Commands and a handful of corps-level commands; the combat brigades are assigned amongst the commands and corps based on operational requirements; the separate Air Assault Forces and Special Operations Forces are organized into brigades and regiments and considered the UAF’s elite units; prior to the 2022 Russian invasion, the UAF Air Force had over 100 combat aircraft, as well as ground-based air defenses, typically organized into brigades under regional commands; the Navy is a coastal defense force and includes naval infantry brigades that have been used as ground forces in the war with Russia (2023)" + "text": "the primary focus of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) is defense against Russian aggression; in February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in what is the largest conflict in Europe since the end of World War II in 1945; as of 2024, the front line of the fighting stretched about 1,000 kilometers (some 600 miles) north and south in eastern and southern Ukraine; Russia’s forces have also launched missile and armed drone strikes throughout Ukraine, hitting critical infrastructure, including power, water, and heating facilities, as well as other civilian targets; Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, occupying Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backing separatist forces in the Donbas region with arms, equipment, and training, as well as special operations forces and troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; the UAF has received considerable outside military assistance since the Russian invasion, including equipment and training, chiefly from Europe and the US 

Ukraine has a relationship with NATO dating back to the early 1990s, when Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (1991) and the Partnership for Peace program (1994); the relationship intensified in the wake of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine conflict and Russian seizure of Crimea to include NATO support for Ukrainian military capabilities development and capacity-building; NATO further increased its support to the Ukrainian military following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022

the UAF Ground Forces have air defense, armored, artillery, aviation, infantry, mechanized, motorized, and rocket forces; the basic structure of the Ground Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces is the brigade; there are also regionally based (east, north, south, west) Operational Commands and a handful of corps-level commands; the combat brigades are assigned amongst the commands and corps based on operational requirements; the separate Air Assault Forces and Special Operations Forces are organized into brigades and regiments and considered the UAF’s elite units; prior to the 2022 Russian invasion, the UAF Air Force had over 100 combat aircraft, as well as ground-based air defenses, typically organized into brigades under regional commands; the Navy is a coastal defense force and includes naval infantry brigades that have been used as ground forces in the war with Russia (2024)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/europe/vt.json b/europe/vt.json index d2cc402c..f17a4178 100644 --- a/europe/vt.json +++ b/europe/vt.json @@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Christophe PIERRE (since 27 June 2016)" + "text": "Apostolic Nuncio Cardinal Christophe PIERRE (since 27 June 2016)" }, "chancery": { "text": "3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -368,9 +368,6 @@ "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "NA" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "calendar year" - }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -" diff --git a/middle-east/ae.json b/middle-east/ae.json index 85147113..90ef03ec 100644 --- a/middle-east/ae.json +++ b/middle-east/ae.json @@ -528,16 +528,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022); Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Co-Vice President MANSUR bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 29 March 2023); Crown Prince KHALID bin Muhammad Al Nuhayyan, the eldest son of the monarch, born 14 November 1982; note - MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan elected president by the Federal Supreme Council following the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al nNuhayyan on 13 May 2022" + "text": "President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SAIF bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan, MANSUR bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (both since 11 May 2009) and MAKTUM bin Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktum (since 25 September 2021)" + "text": "Prime Minister (since 5 January 2006)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council - composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates - for a 5-year term (no term limits); unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, following the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (next election expected in 2027); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president" + "text": "president and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council - composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates - for a 5-year term (no term limits); unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, following the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (next election expected in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president" }, "election results": { "text": "2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NA" @@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Yousif Mana Saeed Ahmed AL OTAIBA (since 28 July 2008)" + "text": "Ambassador Yousif AL OTAIBA (since 28 July 2008)" }, "chancery": { "text": "3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ "text": "
info@uaeembassy-usa.org

https://www.uae-embassy.org/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Boston, Los Angeles, New York" + "text": "Houston, Los Angeles, New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1188,7 +1188,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy Forces, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces)

Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard Forces, Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA) (2023)", + "text": "United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy Forces, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces)

Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard Forces, Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA) (2024)", "note": "note: each emirate maintains a local police force called a general directorate, which is officially a branch of the federal Ministry of Interior; all emirate-level general directorates of police enforce their respective emirate’s laws autonomously; they also enforce federal laws within their emirate in coordination with one another under the federal ministry; the State Security Directorate (SSD) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai State Security (DSS) have primary responsible for counterterrorism law enforcement efforts; local, emirate-level police forces, especially the Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, are the first responders in such cases and provide technical assistance to SSD and DSS" }, "Military expenditures": { diff --git a/middle-east/aj.json b/middle-east/aj.json index b88fa199..90dedf67 100644 --- a/middle-east/aj.json +++ b/middle-east/aj.json @@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ "text": "President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003); First Vice President Mehriban ALIYEVA (since 21 February 2017)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Ali ASADOV (since 8 October 2019); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since 13 February 2003)" + "text": "Prime Minister Ali ASADOV (since 8 October 2019)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly" @@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@ "note": "note: most of the military is made up of professional contract soldiers; as of 2018, women made up an estimated 3% of the active duty military" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Azerbaijani military was established in 1991, although its origins go back to 1918; much of the military’s original equipment was acquired from former Soviet military forces that departed Azerbaijan by 1992; territorial defense is the military’s primary focus, particularly with regards to neighboring Armenia; a secondary focus is guarding against Iran; the Ground Forces have five army corps, plus an independent combined arms army, which is assigned to the Azerbaijani exclave of Naxicvan (Nakhichevan); between them, the corps and the combined arms army have more than 20 mechanized or motorized combat brigades; the Ground Forces also have separate brigades of artillery, battlefield rockets, and special forces; the Air Force has a few dozen Russian-origin fighters and ground attack aircraft, as well as some combat helicopters; the Navy patrols the Caspian Sea with a corvette and several coastal patrol craft

Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in open conflicts over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in 1991-94 and 2020; tensions continued following the 2020 conflict, and Azerbaijan seized the entire enclave in 2023 

Turkey is Azerbaijan’s strongest military partner, a relationship that has included weapons transfers, technical advice, bilateral training exercises, and key support during the 2020 conflict with Armenia; Azerbaijan is not part of NATO but has had a cooperative relationship with it dating back to when it joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and has provided troops to NATO-led missions in Kosovo (1999-2008) and Afghanistan (2002-2014) (2023)" + "text": "the Azerbaijani military was established in 1991, although its origins go back to 1918; much of the military’s original equipment was acquired from former Soviet military forces that departed Azerbaijan by 1992; territorial defense is the military’s primary focus, particularly with regards to neighboring Armenia; a secondary focus is guarding against Iran; the Ground Forces have five army corps, plus an independent combined arms army, which is assigned to the Azerbaijani exclave of Naxicvan (Nakhichevan); between them, the corps and the combined arms army have more than 20 mechanized or motorized combat brigades; the Ground Forces also have separate brigades of artillery, battlefield rockets, and special forces; the Air Force has a few dozen Russian-origin fighters and ground attack aircraft, as well as some combat helicopters; the Navy patrols the Caspian Sea with a corvette and several coastal patrol craft

Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in open conflicts over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in 1991-94 and 2020; tensions continued following the 2020 conflict, and Azerbaijan seized the entire enclave in 2023 

Turkey has been Azerbaijan’s strongest military partner, a relationship that has included weapons transfers, technical advice, bilateral training exercises, and key support during its conflicts with Armenia; Azerbaijan is not part of NATO but has had a cooperative relationship with it dating back to when it joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and has provided troops to NATO-led missions in Kosovo (1999-2008) and Afghanistan (2002-2014) (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/middle-east/am.json b/middle-east/am.json index 173b45ec..0e41b373 100644 --- a/middle-east/am.json +++ b/middle-east/am.json @@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ "text": "President Vahagn KHACHATURYAN (since 13 March 2022)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Nikol PASHINYAN (since 10 September 2021); Deputy Prime Ministers Mher GRIGORYAN (since 3 August 2021) and Tigran KHACHATRYAN (since 19 December 2022); note - Prime Minister Nikol PASHINYAN resigned on 25 April 2021 in advance of the 20 June 2021 parliamentary election; he was reappointed by the president on 2 August 2021 and sworn in on 10 September 2021" + "text": "Prime Minister Nikol PASHINYAN (since 10 September 2021)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister" @@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@ "note": "note: in 2023, Armenia approved six-month voluntary service for women, after which they have the option to switch to a five-year contract; previously, women served on a contract basis  

note 2: as of 2021, conscripts comprised about half of the military's active personnel; as of 2020, women made up about 10% of the active duty military; the Armenian Army established its first all-women combat unit in 2020" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Armenian Armed Forces were officially established in 1992, although their origins go back to 1918; the modern military’s missions include deterrence, territorial defense, crisis management, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, as well as socio-economic development projects; territorial defense is its primary focus, particularly in regards to tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan; Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in open conflicts over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in 1991-94 and 2020; Azerbaijan seized the entire enclave in 2023 

the bulk of the Armenian military’s ground combat forces are organized into several small corps that are typically comprised of one or more Soviet-style “motorized rifle” (mechanized infantry) regiments, plus supporting units of artillery, reconnaissance, and tank forces; there are also separate artillery, air defense, battlefield rocket, and special operations forces, as well as a brigade dedicated to peacekeeping missions; the air combat forces consist of small numbers of Soviet-era ground attack aircraft and attack helicopters; Armenia is landlocked so it has no naval forces  

Armenia has traditionally had close military ties with Russia and has hosted Russian military forces at two bases, as well as Russian border guards along multiple border areas; it has been a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and committed troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force; Armenia has relations with NATO going back to 1992 when Armenia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council; in 1994, it joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and has contributed to the NATO force in Kosovo, as well as the former NATO deployment in Afghanistan (2023)" + "text": "the Armenian Armed Forces were officially established in 1992, although their origins go back to 1918; the modern military’s missions include deterrence, territorial defense, crisis management, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, as well as socio-economic development projects; territorial defense is its primary focus, particularly in regards to tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan; Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in open conflicts over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in 1991-94 and 2020; Azerbaijan seized the entire enclave in 2023 

the bulk of the Armenian military’s ground combat forces are organized into several small corps that are typically comprised of one or more Soviet-style “motorized rifle” (mechanized infantry) regiments, plus supporting units of artillery, reconnaissance, and tank forces; there are also separate artillery, air defense, battlefield rocket, and special operations forces, as well as a brigade dedicated to peacekeeping missions; the air combat forces consist of small numbers of Soviet-era ground attack aircraft and attack helicopters; Armenia is landlocked so it has no naval forces  

Armenia has traditionally had close military ties with Russia and has hosted Russian military forces at two bases; it has been a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and committed troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force; Armenia has relations with NATO going back to 1992 when Armenia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council; in 1994, it joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and has contributed to the NATO force in Kosovo, as well as the former NATO deployment in Afghanistan (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/middle-east/ba.json b/middle-east/ba.json index 45aabe1d..4eb79ec4 100644 --- a/middle-east/ba.json +++ b/middle-east/ba.json @@ -532,10 +532,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (born 21 October 1969)" + "text": "King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (since 11 November 2020); Deputy Prime Minister KHALID bin Abdallah Al Khalifa (since May 2011)" + "text": "Prime Minister Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (since 11 November 2020)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the monarch" @@ -1150,7 +1150,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Bahrain Defense Force (BDF): Royal Bahraini Army (includes the Royal Guard), Royal Bahraini Navy, Royal Bahraini Air Force

Ministry of Interior: National Guard, Special Security Forces Command (SSFC), Coast Guard
(2023)", + "text": "Bahrain Defense Force (BDF): Royal Bahraini Army (includes the Royal Guard), Royal Bahraini Navy, Royal Bahraini Air Force

Ministry of Interior: National Guard, Special Security Forces Command (SSFC), Coast Guard
(2024)", "note": "note 1: the Royal Guard is officially under the command of the Army, but exercises considerable autonomy 

note 2: the Ministry of Interior is responsible for internal security and oversees police and specialized security units responsible for maintaining internal order; the National Guard's primary mission is to guard critical infrastructure such as the airport and oil fields and is a back-up to the police; the Guard is under the Ministry of Interior but reports directly to the king" }, "Military expenditures": { diff --git a/middle-east/ir.json b/middle-east/ir.json index c638654c..2f7d5703 100644 --- a/middle-east/ir.json +++ b/middle-east/ir.json @@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ "text": "Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Acting President Mohammad MOKHER - previously first vice president (since 19 May 2024); on 19 May 2024, President Ebrahim RAISI died in a helicopter crash" + "text": "Acting President Mohammad MOKHER " }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries" @@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah):

Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces or Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces

Ministry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command

Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2023)", + "text": "the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah):

Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces or Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces

Ministry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command

Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2024)", "note": "note 1: the Artesh Navy operates Iran’s larger warships and operates in the Gulf of Oman, the Caspian Sea, and deep waters in the region and beyond; the IRGC Navy has responsibility for the closer-in waters of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz

note 2: the Basij is a volunteer paramilitary group under the IRGC with local organizations across the country, which sometimes acts as an auxiliary law enforcement unit for the IRGC; it is formally known as the Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed and also known as the Popular Mobilization Army

note 3: the Ministry of Intelligence and Security and law enforcement forces under the Interior Ministry, which report to the president, and the IRGC, which reports to the supreme leader, share responsibility for law enforcement and maintaining order

note 4: the Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) is the uniformed police of Iran and includes branches for public security, traffic control, anti-narcotics, special forces (riot control, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, etc), intelligence, and criminal investigations; it has responsibility for border security (Border Guard Command)" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ "note": "note: Iran has recruited, trained, and funded thousands of Syrian and foreign fighters to support the ASAD regime during the Syrian civil war" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was formed in May 1979 in the immediate aftermath of Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI’s fall, as leftists, nationalists, and Islamists jockeyed for power; while the interim prime minister controlled the government and state institutions, such as the Army, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI organized counterweights, including the IRGC, to protect the Islamic revolution; the IRGC’s command structure bypassed the elected president and went directly to KHOMEINI; the IRGC played a critical role in helping KHOMEINI consolidate power in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, and it ensured that KHOMEINI's Islamic revolutionary vision prevailed against domestic challenges from nationalists and leftist factions in the scramble for control after the Shah's departure; the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88) transformed the IRGC into more of a conventional fighting force with its own ground, air, naval, and special forces, plus control over Iran’s strategic missile and rocket forces; today, the IRGC is a highly institutionalized and parallel military force to Iran’s regular armed forces (Artesh); it is heavily involved in internal security and has significant influence in the political and economic spheres of Iranian society, as well as Iran’s foreign policy; on the economic front, it owns factories and corporations and subsidiaries in banking, infrastructure, housing, airlines, tourism and other sectors; its special operations forces, known as the Qods/Quds Force, specialize in foreign missions and have provided advice, funding, guidance, material support, training, and weapons to militants in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, as well as extremist groups, including HAMAS, Hizballah, Kata’ib Hizballah, and Palestine Islamic Jihad (see Appendix T for additional details on the IRGC and Qods Force); the Qods Force also conducts intelligence and reconnaissance operations 

the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS) is the senior-most body for formulating Iran’s foreign and security policy; it is formally chaired by the president, who also appoints the SCNS secretary; its members include the speaker of the Majles, the head of the judiciary, the chief of the Armed Forces General Staff (chief of defense or CHOD), the commanders of the Artesh (regular forces) and IRGC, and the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, interior, and intelligence; the SCNS reports to the supreme leader; the supreme leader is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces

the Iranian Armed Forces are divided between the regular forces (Artesh) and the IRGC; the Artesh primarily focuses on defending Iran’s borders and territorial waters from external threats, while the IRGC has a broader mission to defend the Iranian revolution from any foreign or domestic threat; in 1989, Iran established the Armed Forces General Staff to coordinate military action across both the Artesh and the IRGC; Iran also has a joint military headquarters, the Khatam ol-Anbia Central Headquarters, to command the Artesh and IRGC in wartime

the Artesh Ground Force consists of about 50 combat brigades, mostly infantry with a sizable contingent of airborne, armored, commando, mechanized, and special operations forces; most units are concentrated along the Iran-Iraq border, reflecting the force’s primary mission to defend against foreign invasion; the IRGC Ground Force is organized into corps for each of the 31 provinces and Tehran city; the corps have a broad mix of armored, infantry, mechanized, and commando units and are postured to counter internal unrest or a ground invasion; the IRGC’s special operations forces are known as the Qods Force; the IRGC controls the Basij Paramilitary Forces, which are also organized into provincial corps with mobile/rapid-reaction, security, infantry, and commando battalions

the Artesh Navy is considered Iran’s “blue water” navy and has the primary mission of defending Iranian territorial waters and protecting the country’s economic interests in the Caspian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and beyond; it has approximately 10 frigates and corvettes, plus a small force of attack and midget submarines (note - Iran is the only Persian Gulf nation with a submarine force); the IRGC Navy is tasked with protecting primarily the Iranian littoral waters in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz and employs a force of mostly small, fast attack vessels armed with a variety of weapons systems including anti-ship missiles 

Iran’s air and air defense capabilities are split primarily across three services: the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force (IRIADF), both under the Artesh, and the IRGC Aerospace Force (IRGCASF); the IRIAF operates the majority of Iran’s combat aircraft and has more than 200 such aircraft, a considerable portion of which are older US models acquired before the 1979 revolution; the remainder includes older Chinese-, French-, and Russian-produced aircraft; the IRIADF controls the country’s surface-to-air missile capabilities; the IRGCASF operates some ground attack aircraft and most of Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicles; it also controls Iran’s cruise and ballistic missile force (2023)" + "text": "the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was formed in May 1979 in the immediate aftermath of Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI’s fall, as leftists, nationalists, and Islamists jockeyed for power; while the interim prime minister controlled the government and state institutions, such as the Army, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI organized counterweights, including the IRGC, to protect the Islamic revolution; the IRGC’s command structure bypassed the elected president and went directly to KHOMEINI; the IRGC played a critical role in helping KHOMEINI consolidate power in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, and it ensured that KHOMEINI's Islamic revolutionary vision prevailed against domestic challenges from nationalists and leftist factions in the scramble for control after the Shah's departure

the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88) transformed the IRGC into more of a conventional fighting force with its own ground, air, naval, and special forces, plus control over Iran’s strategic missile and rocket forces; today, the IRGC is a highly institutionalized and parallel military force to Iran’s regular armed forces (Artesh); it is heavily involved in internal security and has significant influence in the political and economic spheres of Iranian society, as well as Iran’s foreign policy; on the economic front, it owns factories and corporations and subsidiaries in banking, infrastructure, housing, airlines, tourism and other sectors; its special operations forces, known as the Qods/Quds Force, specialize in foreign missions and have provided advice, funding, guidance, material support, training, and weapons to militants in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, as well as extremist groups, including HAMAS, Hizballah, Kata’ib Hizballah, and Palestine Islamic Jihad (see Appendix T for additional details on the IRGC and Qods Force); the Qods Force also conducts intelligence and reconnaissance operations 

the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS) is the senior-most body for formulating Iran’s foreign and security policy; it is formally chaired by the president, who also appoints the SCNS secretary; its members include the speaker of the Majles, the head of the judiciary, the chief of the Armed Forces General Staff (chief of defense or CHOD), the commanders of the Artesh (regular forces) and IRGC, and the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, interior, and intelligence; the SCNS reports to the supreme leader; the supreme leader is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces

the Iranian Armed Forces are divided between the regular forces (Artesh) and the IRGC; the Artesh primarily focuses on defending Iran’s borders and territorial waters from external threats, while the IRGC has a broader mission to defend the Iranian revolution from any foreign or domestic threat; in 1989, Iran established the Armed Forces General Staff to coordinate military action across both the Artesh and the IRGC; Iran also has a joint military headquarters, the Khatam ol-Anbia Central Headquarters, to command the Artesh and IRGC in wartime

the Artesh Ground Force consists of about 50 combat brigades, mostly infantry with a sizable contingent of airborne, armored, commando, mechanized, and special operations forces; most units are concentrated along the Iran-Iraq border, reflecting the force’s primary mission to defend against foreign invasion; the IRGC Ground Force is organized into corps for each of the 31 provinces and Tehran city; the corps have a broad mix of armored, infantry, mechanized, and commando units and are postured to counter internal unrest or a ground invasion; the IRGC’s special operations forces are known as the Qods Force; the IRGC controls the Basij Paramilitary Forces, which are also organized into provincial corps with mobile/rapid-reaction, security, infantry, and commando battalions

the Artesh Navy is considered Iran’s “blue water” navy and has the primary mission of defending Iranian territorial waters and protecting the country’s economic interests in the Caspian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and beyond; it has approximately 10 frigates and corvettes, plus a small force of attack and midget submarines (note - Iran is the only Persian Gulf nation with a submarine force); the IRGC Navy is tasked with protecting primarily the Iranian littoral waters in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz and employs a force of mostly small, fast attack vessels armed with a variety of weapons systems including anti-ship missiles 

Iran’s air and air defense capabilities are split primarily across three services: the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force (IRIADF), both under the Artesh, and the IRGC Aerospace Force (IRGCASF); the IRIAF operates the majority of Iran’s combat aircraft and has more than 200 such aircraft, a considerable portion of which are older US models acquired before the 1979 revolution; the remainder includes older Chinese-, French-, and Russian-produced aircraft; the IRIADF controls the country’s surface-to-air missile capabilities; the IRGCASF operates some ground attack aircraft and most of Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicles; it also controls Iran’s cruise and ballistic missile force (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/middle-east/iz.json b/middle-east/iz.json index 568ca21a..e006653a 100644 --- a/middle-east/iz.json +++ b/middle-east/iz.json @@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Latif RASHID (since 13 October 2022); vice presidents (vacant)" + "text": "President Latif RASHID (since 13 October 2022)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-SUDANI (since 27 October 2022)" @@ -1218,7 +1218,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security Division

National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS; reports to the Prime Minister), Prime Minister's Special Forces Division, Presidential Brigades

Ministry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial Police

Ministry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate

Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF); the PMF and TMF are a collection of more than 50 militias of widely varied sizes and political interests

the federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the right to maintain its own military/militia (peshmerga) and security forces, but the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), each maintain their own forces and participate in the staffing of the joint KDP-PUK Regional Guard Brigades: 

KRG Ministry of Peshmerga: Unit (or Division) 70 Forces and Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) of the PUK; Unit (or Division) 80 Forces and Counterterrorism Directorate (CTD) of the KDP; Regional Guard Brigades

KRG Ministry of Interior: both the KDP and PUK maintain separate police, emergency response, and internal security/intelligence (Asayish) services under nominal Ministry of Interior control (2023)" + "text": "Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security Division

National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS; reports to the Prime Minister), Prime Minister's Special Forces Division, Presidential Brigades

Ministry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial Police

Ministry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate

Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF); the PMF and TMF are a collection of more than 50 militias of widely varied sizes and political interests

the federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the right to maintain its own military/militia (peshmerga) and security forces, but the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), each maintain their own forces and participate in the staffing of the joint KDP-PUK Regional Guard Brigades: 

KRG Ministry of Peshmerga: Unit (or Division) 70 Forces and Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) of the PUK; Unit (or Division) 80 Forces and Counterterrorism Directorate (CTD) of the KDP; Regional Guard Brigades

KRG Ministry of Interior: both the KDP and PUK maintain separate police, emergency response, and internal security/intelligence (Asayish) services under nominal Ministry of Interior control (2024)", + "note": "note: the Iraqi military and associated forces are collectively known as the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { diff --git a/middle-east/jo.json b/middle-east/jo.json index 022d1d55..59a0455d 100644 --- a/middle-east/jo.json +++ b/middle-east/jo.json @@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HUSSEIN (eldest son of the monarch, born 28 June 1994); the monarchy is hereditary" + "text": "King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Bisher AL-KHASAWNEH (since 7 October 2020)" diff --git a/middle-east/ku.json b/middle-east/ku.json index 51c04a36..99afa0bb 100644 --- a/middle-east/ku.json +++ b/middle-east/ku.json @@ -530,16 +530,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "Amir Sheikh MISHAL al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 16 December 2023); he succeeded his brother, Amir Sheikh NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah following his death on 16 December 2023" + "text": "Amir Sheikh MISHAL al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 16 December 2023)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Sheikh MOHAMMAD Sabah Al Salim Al Sabah (since 4 January 2024); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh TALAL al-Khalid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (since 16 October 2022); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Khalid al-FADIL (since 9 April 2022); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Bader Hamed Yusef Al-Mula (since 16 October 2022)" + "text": "Prime Minister AHMAD al-Abdullah al Sabah (since 15 May 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by the amir" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "amir chosen from within the ruling family, confirmed by the National Assembly; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the amir; crown prince appointed by the amir and approved by the National Assembly" + "text": "amir chosen from within the ruling family, confirmed by the National Assembly; prime minister appointed by the amir" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -573,10 +573,10 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Alzain Sabah Naser Saud ALSABAH (since 19 April 2023)" + "text": "Ambassador AL-ZAIN Sabah Naser Saud Al-Sabah (since 19 April 2023)" }, "chancery": { - "text": "2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 (po)" + "text": "2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 966-0702" @@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 966-8468" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
consulate@kuwaitembassy.us

https://www.kuwaitembassy.us/" + "text": "
info@kuwaitembassy.us

https://www.kuwaitembassy.us/" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Beverly Hills (CA), New York" @@ -1151,8 +1151,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Kuwaiti Armed Forces (KAF): Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), 25th Commando Brigade, and the Kuwait Emiri Guard Authority; Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the Emiri Guard Authority and the 25th Commando Brigade exercise independent command authority within the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, although activities such as training and equipment procurement are often coordinated with the other services; the 25th Commando Brigade is Kuwait's leading special forces unit; the Emiri Guard Authority (aka Emiri Guard Brigade) is responsible for protecting Kuwait's heads of state

note 2: the Kuwaiti National Guard reports directly to the prime minister and the amir and possesses an independent command structure, equipment inventory, and logistics corps separate from the Ministry of Defense, the regular armed services, and the Ministry of Interior; it is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure and providing support for the Ministries of Interior and Defense as required

note 3: the police, Kuwait State Security, and Coast Guard are under the Ministry of Interior" + "text": "Kuwait Armed Forces (KAF): Kuwait Land Forces (KLF), Kuwait Navy, Kuwait Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwait Air Defense Force, KADF), 25th Commando Brigade, and the Kuwait Emiri Guard Authority; Kuwait National Guard (KNG) (2024)", + "note": "note 1: the Emiri Guard Authority and the 25th Commando Brigade exercise independent command authority within the KAF, although activities such as training and equipment procurement are often coordinated with the other services; the 25th Commando Brigade is Kuwait's leading special forces unit; the Emiri Guard Authority (aka Emiri Guard Brigade) is responsible for protecting Kuwait's heads of state

note 2: the National Guard reports directly to the prime minister and the amir and possesses an independent command structure, equipment inventory, and logistics corps separate from the Ministry of Defense, the regular armed services, and the Ministry of Interior; it is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure and providing support for the Ministries of Interior and Defense as required

note 3: the police, Kuwait State Security, and Coast Guard are under the Ministry of Interior" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { diff --git a/middle-east/le.json b/middle-east/le.json index 5b100197..94eb5f01 100644 --- a/middle-east/le.json +++ b/middle-east/le.json @@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ "text": "Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and Parliament" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president indirectly elected by Parliament with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016; prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament; deputy prime minister determined during cabinet formation" + "text": "president indirectly elected by Parliament with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016; prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament" }, "election results": { "text": "
2023: on 14 June 2023, Parliament failed in its twelfth attempt to elect a president; note - the Hezbollah bloc withdrew following the first round of voting and a second round was not possible since Parliament lacked the required 86-member quorum for a second round of voting

2016: Michel AWN elected president in second round; Parliament vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83; the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016" @@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral Lebanese Parliament or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic, Chambre des députés in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-member constituencies by open list proportional representation vote, apportioned evenly between Christian and Muslims; members serve 4-year terms)" + "text": "unicameral House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic, Chambre des députés in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-member constituencies by open list proportional representation vote, apportioned evenly between Christian and Muslims; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2026)" @@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Wael HACHEM, Counselor (since 15 March 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Waël HACHEM, Counselor (since 15 March 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" diff --git a/middle-east/mu.json b/middle-east/mu.json index a84adfcd..a932b3e0 100644 --- a/middle-east/mu.json +++ b/middle-east/mu.json @@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "Sultan and Prime Minister HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "Sultan and Prime Minister HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Sultan and Prime HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020)" @@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 745-4933" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
washington@fm.gov.om

https://www.culturaloffice.info/aboutomaniembassy" + "text": "
washington@fm.gov.om

Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, Washington, USA - FM.gov.om" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ "text": "18 for voluntary military service for men and women (women have been allowed to serve since 2011); no conscription (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the SAF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is a small, but well-equipped military that trains regularly, including with foreign partners such as the UK, US, and Gulf Cooperation Council countries; the SAF has a longstanding security relationship with the British military going back to the 18th century; the relationship was notable during the Dhofar Rebellion (1963-1976), when the British military provided considerable assistance to the SAF in their eventually successful counterinsurgency campaign; today, the SAF and the British maintain a joint training base in Oman and exercise together regularly; in 2017, Oman and the UK signed an agreement allowing the British military the use of facilities at Al Duqm Port; in 2019, the US obtained access to the port, expanding on previous military cooperation agreements in 2014, 2010, and 1980; Oman also allows other nations to use some of its maritime facilities, including China

the Omani Navy conducts maritime security operations along the country’s long coastline, including patrolling, ensuring freedom of navigation in the key naval chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz, and countering piracy and smuggling; while Oman is not a member of the US-led, 34-member nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which operates task forces to counter piracy and smuggling, the Omani Navy has at times participated in CMF-led joint exercises; the Navy is a small but relatively modern force; its principal warships are five corvettes, which are supported by several offshore patrol ships, fast attack craft, and coastal patrol vessels

the Royal Army was formed as the Muscat Garrison in 1907; today, it has an armored brigade equipped with American and British tanks, 2 brigades of infantry, and a border guard brigade, as well as an airborne regiment; the Royal Guard is comprised of an infantry brigade and 2 special forces regiments; the Air Force has about three dozen modern European- and US-made multipurpose fighter aircraft (2023)" + "text": "the SAF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is a small but well-equipped military that trains regularly, including with foreign partners such as the UK, US, and Gulf Cooperation Council countries; the SAF has a longstanding security relationship with the British military going back to the 18th century; the relationship was notable during the Dhofar Rebellion (1963-1976), when the British military provided considerable assistance to the SAF in their eventually successful counterinsurgency campaign; today, the SAF and the British maintain a joint training base in Oman and exercise together regularly; in 2017, Oman and the UK signed an agreement allowing the British military the use of facilities at Al Duqm Port; in 2019, the US obtained access to the port, expanding on previous military cooperation agreements in 2014, 2010, and 1980; Oman also allows other nations to use some of its maritime facilities, including China

the Omani Navy conducts maritime security operations along the country’s long coastline, including patrolling, ensuring freedom of navigation in the key naval chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz, and countering piracy and smuggling; while Oman is not a member of the US-led, multinational Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which operates task forces to counter piracy and smuggling, the Omani Navy has at times participated in CMF-led joint exercises; the Navy is a small but relatively modern force; its principal warships are five corvettes, which are supported by several offshore patrol ships, fast attack craft, and coastal patrol vessels

the Royal Army was formed as the Muscat Garrison in 1907; today, it has an armored brigade equipped with American and British tanks, two brigades of infantry, and a border guard brigade, as well as an airborne regiment; the Royal Guard is comprised of an infantry brigade and two special forces regiments; the Air Force has about three dozen modern European- and US-made multipurpose fighter aircraft (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/middle-east/qa.json b/middle-east/qa.json index a15a0428..a1720a38 100644 --- a/middle-east/qa.json +++ b/middle-east/qa.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar has transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through mediating some regional conflicts and creating pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2011, due in part to its immense wealth and patronage network. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM is popular with the Qatari public for his role in shepherding the country through an economic embargo from countries in the region, for his efforts to improve the country's healthcare and education systems, and for his expansion of the country's infrastructure in anticipation of hosting international sporting events in Doha. Qatar became the first country in the Arab world to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022.

After the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance undermined Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- known as the \"Quartet\" -- which temporarily recalled their ambassadors from Doha in 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with the Quartet after Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. This reconciliation, however, was short-lived. In 2017, the Quartet cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement, among other complaints. They restored ties in 2021 after signing a declaration at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the United States designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.

 

" + "text": "

Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2011, due in part to its immense wealth and patronage network. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM is popular with the Qatari public for his role in shepherding the country through an economic embargo from some other regional countries, for his efforts to improve the country's healthcare and education systems, and for his expansion of the country's infrastructure in anticipation of hosting international sporting events. Qatar became the first country in the Arab world to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022.

Following the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance was to the detriment of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily recalled their respective ambassadors from Doha in 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 following Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. This reconciliation, however, was short-lived. In 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (the \"Quartet\") cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement, among other complaints. They restored ties in 2021 after signing a declaration at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the United States designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.

 

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -538,13 +538,13 @@ "text": "Amir TAMIM bin Hamad Al Thani (since 25 June 2013)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister and Foreign Minister MUHAMMAD bin Abd al-Rahman Al Thani (since 7 March 2023); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs KHALID bin Muhammad al-Attiyah (since 14 November 2017)" + "text": "Prime Minister and Foreign Minister MUHAMMAD bin Abd al-Rahman Al Thani (since 7 March 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the amir" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the amir" + "text": "the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the amir" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ "text": "Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of the court president and several judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { - "text": "Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 9-member independent body consisting of judiciary heads appointed by the Amir; judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; Supreme Constitutional Court members nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the monarch; term of appointment NA" + "text": "Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 9-member independent body consisting of judiciary heads appointed by the amir; judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; Supreme Constitutional Court members nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the monarch; term of appointment NA" }, "subordinate courts": { "text": "Courts of Appeal; Administrative Court; Courts of First Instance; sharia courts; Courts of Justice; Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Center, established in 2009, provides dispute resolution services for institutions and bodies in Qatar, as well as internationally" @@ -589,10 +589,10 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 237-0682" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
info.dc@mofa.gov.qa

https://washington.embassy.qa/en" + "text": "
info.dc@mofa.gov.qa

https://washington.embassy.qa/en/home" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Houston, Los Angeles" + "text": "Houston, Los Angeles, New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1199,10 +1199,10 @@ }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "conscription for men aged 18-35 introduced in 2013; compulsory service times range from 4-12 months, depending on educational and professional circumstances; since 2018, women have been permitted to serve as volunteers in the armed forces, including as uniformed officers and pilots (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the military incorporates about 2,000 conscripts annually

note 2: Qatar recruits foreign contract soldiers to overcome manpower limitations" + "note": "note: the military incorporates about 2,000 conscripts annually and recruits foreign contract soldiers to overcome manpower limitations" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the QAF is a small and well-equipped force that is responsible for defense against external threats; following the downturn in ties with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in the mid-2010s, the Qatari Government embarked on a major arms acquisition and modernization program to increase the QAF’s capabilities and regional standing; the Air Force has benefited the most, growing from an inventory of 12 older combat aircraft and a few fighter trainers in 2017 to a current inventory of about 60 modern multirole fighter aircraft from France, the UK, and the US; it is slated to grow to about 100 such aircraft by the mid-2020s; other aircraft acquisitions have included US attack helicopters; the Land Force has re-equipped its armored brigade and separate mechanized and artillery battalions with modern tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery, mostly with purchases from Germany and Turkey; meanwhile, the Navy over the same period has received four corvettes and four offshore patrol vessels from Italy and Turkey

Qatar hosts the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM; established 1983) and several thousand US military forces at various military facilities, including the large Al Udeid Air Base; it has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; Qatar also hosts Turkish military forces at two bases established in 2014 and 2019 (2023)" + "text": "the QAF is a small and well-equipped force that is responsible for defense against external threats; following the downturn in ties with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in the mid-2010s, the Qatari Government embarked on a major arms acquisition and modernization program to increase the QAF’s capabilities and regional standing; the Air Force has benefited the most, growing from an inventory of 12 older combat aircraft and a few fighter trainers in 2017 to a current inventory of about 60 modern multirole fighter aircraft from France, the UK, and the US; it is slated to grow to about 100 such aircraft by the mid-2020s; other aircraft acquisitions have included US attack helicopters; the Land Force has re-equipped its armored, mechanized, and artillery units with modern tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery, mostly with purchases from Germany and Turkey; meanwhile, the Navy over the same period has received several corvettes and offshore patrol vessels from Italy and Turkey

Qatar hosts the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM; established 1983) and several thousand US military forces at various military facilities, including the large Al Udeid Air Base; it has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; Qatar also hosts Turkish military forces at two bases established in 2014 and 2019 (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/middle-east/sa.json b/middle-east/sa.json index a2042314..f0945844 100644 --- a/middle-east/sa.json +++ b/middle-east/sa.json @@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (born 31 August 1985)" + "text": "King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Crown Prince and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 27 September 2022)" @@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 295-3625" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
info@saudiembassy.net; Saudisusemb@mofa.gov.sa

https://www.saudiembassy.net/" + "text": "
saudisusemb@mofa.gov.sa

https://www.saudiembassy.net/" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Houston, Los Angeles, New York" diff --git a/middle-east/sy.json b/middle-east/sy.json index 0bb30f72..754a7e9c 100644 --- a/middle-east/sy.json +++ b/middle-east/sy.json @@ -532,16 +532,16 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006)" + "text": "President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Hussein ARNOUS (since 30 August 2020); Deputy Prime Minister Ali Abdullah AYOUB (Lt. Gen.) (since 30 August 2020)" + "text": "Prime Minister Hussein ARNOUS (since 30 August 2020)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 May 2021 (next to be held in 2028); the president appoints the vice president, prime minister, and deputy prime minister" + "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 May 2021 (next to be held in 2028); the president appoints the vice president and prime minister" }, "election results": { "text": " Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 95.2%, Mahmoud Ahmad MAREI (Democratic Arab Socialist Union) 3.3%, other1.5%" @@ -1156,26 +1156,26 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "current estimates not available; the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) are rebuilding after suffering significant casualties and desertions since the start of the civil war in 2011; prior to the civil war, the SAF had approximately 300,000 troops, including 200-225,000 Army, plus about 300,000 reserve forces (2023)", + "text": "current estimates not available; the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) continue to rebuild after suffering significant casualties and desertions since the start of the civil war in 2011; prior to the civil war, the SAF had approximately 300,000 troops, including 200-225,000 Army, plus about 300,000 reserve forces (2023)", "note": "note: pro-government militia and auxiliary forces probably number in the tens of thousands" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the SAF's inventory is comprised mostly of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has supplied the majority of Syria's imported weapons systems (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-42 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve, including in combat arms (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the military is comprised largely of conscripts

note 2: Syrian women have been serving in combat roles since 2013; in 2015, the Syrian military created an all-female commando brigade" + "text": "men 18-42 are obligated to perform military service; compulsory service obligation reportedly up to 30 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve, including in combat arms (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the military is comprised largely of conscripts; men in their late 40s and 50s reportedly have been drafted into military service during the civil war

note 2: Syrian women have been serving in combat roles since 2013; in 2015, the Syrian military created an all-female commando brigade" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has operated in the Golan between Israel and Syria since 1974 to monitor the ceasefire following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and supervise the areas of separation between the two countries; UNDOF has about 1,000 personnel 

multiple actors are conducting military operations in Syria in support of the ASAD government or Syrian opposition forces, as well in pursuit of their own security goals, such as counterterrorism; operations have included air strikes, direct ground combat, and sponsoring proxy forces, as well as providing non-lethal military support, including advisors, technicians, arms and equipment, funding, intelligence, and training:

pro-ASAD elements operating in Syria have included the Syrian Arab Army, Lebanese Hizbollah, Iranian, Iranian-backed Shia militia, and Russian forces; since early in the civil war, the ASAD government has relied on Lebanese Hizballah (see Appendix T for further information), as well as Iran and Iranian-backed irregular forces, for combat operations and to hold territory; since 2011, Iran has provided military advisors and combat troops from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (including the Qods Force; see Appendix T for further information), as well as intelligence, logistical, material, technical, and financial support; it has funded, trained, equipped, and led Shia militia/paramilitary units comprised of both Syrian and non-Syrian personnel, primarily from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan; Russia intervened at the request of the ASAD government in 2015 and has since provided air support, special operations forces, military advisors, private military contractors, training, arms, and equipment; Iranian and Russian support has also included assisting Syria in combating the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS; see Appendix T) terrorist group

Turkey has intervened militarily several times since 2016 to combat Kurdish militants and ISIS, support select Syrian opposition forces, and establish a buffer along portions of its border with Syria; Turkey continues to maintain a considerable military presence in northern Syria; it has armed and trained militia/proxy forces, such as the Syrian National Army, which was formed in late 2017 of Syrian Arab and Turkmen rebel factions in the Halab (Aleppo) province and northwestern Syria

the US and some regional and European states have at times backed Syrian opposition forces militarily and/or conducted military operations, primarily against ISIS; the US has operated in Syria since 2015 with ground forces and air strikes; the majority the US ground forces are deployed in the Eastern Syria Security Area (ESSA, which includes parts of Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr provinces east of the Euphrates River) in support of operations by the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS, while the remainder are in southeast Syria around At Tanf supporting counter-ISIS operations by the Syrian Free Army opposition force; the US has also conducted air strikes against Syrian military targets in response to Syrian Government use of chemical weapons against opposition forces and civilians; in addition, France, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UK have provided forms of military assistance to opposition forces and/or conducted operations against ISIS, including air strikes

Israel has conducted hundreds of military air strikes in Syria against Syrian military, Hizballah, Iranian, and/or Iranian-backed militia targets

the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of forces comprised primarily of Kurdish, Sunni Arab, and Syriac Christian fighters; it is dominated and led by Kurdish forces, particularly the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia; the SDF began to receive US support in 2015 and as of 2023 was the main local US partner in its counter-ISIS campaign; the SDF has internal security, counterterrorism, and commando units; Turkey views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a US-designated terrorist organization (see Appendix T)

the ISIS terrorist group (see Appendix T) lost its last territorial stronghold to SDF forces in 2019, but continues to maintain a low-level insurgency; in addition, the SDF holds about 10,000 captured suspected ISIS fighters in detention facilities across northern Syria, including 2,000 from countries other than Iraq and Syria

the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS; formerly known as al-Nusrah Front) terrorist organization (see Appendix T) is the dominant militant group in northwest Syria and has asserted considerable influence and control over the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Iblib de-escalation zone and the Aleppo province (2023)" + "text": "the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has operated in the Golan between Israel and Syria since 1974 to monitor the ceasefire following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and supervise the areas of separation between the two countries; UNDOF has about 1,000 personnel 

multiple actors are conducting military operations in Syria in support of the ASAD government or Syrian opposition forces, as well in pursuit of their own security goals, such as counterterrorism and border security; operations have included air strikes, direct ground combat, and sponsoring proxy forces, as well as providing non-lethal military support, including advisors, technicians, arms and equipment, funding, intelligence, and training:

pro-ASAD elements operating in Syria have included the Syrian Arab Army, Lebanese Hizbollah, Iranian, Iranian-backed Shia militia, and Russian forces; since early in the civil war, the ASAD government has relied on Lebanese Hizballah (see Appendix T for further information), as well as Iran and Iranian-backed irregular forces, for combat operations and to hold territory; since 2011, Iran has provided military advisors and combat troops from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (including the Qods Force; see Appendix T for further information), as well as intelligence, logistical, material, technical, and financial support; it has funded, trained, equipped, and led Shia militia/paramilitary units comprised of both Syrian and non-Syrian personnel, primarily from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan; Russia intervened at the request of the ASAD government in 2015 and has since provided air support, special operations forces, military advisors, private military contractors, training, arms, and equipment; Iranian and Russian support has also included assisting Syria in combating the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS; see Appendix T) terrorist group

Turkey has intervened militarily several times since 2016 to combat Kurdish militants and ISIS, support select Syrian opposition forces, and establish a buffer along portions of its border with Syria; Turkey continues to maintain a considerable military presence in northern Syria; it has armed and trained militia/proxy forces, such as the Syrian National Army, which was formed in late 2017 of Syrian Arab and Turkmen rebel factions in the Halab (Aleppo) province and northwestern Syria

the US and some regional and European states have at times backed Syrian opposition forces militarily and/or conducted military operations, primarily against ISIS; the US has operated in Syria since 2015 with ground forces and air strikes; the majority the US ground forces are deployed in the Eastern Syria Security Area (ESSA, which includes parts of Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr provinces east of the Euphrates River) in support of operations by the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS, while the remainder are in southeast Syria around At Tanf supporting counter-ISIS operations by the Syrian Free Army opposition force; the US has also conducted air strikes against Syrian military targets in response to Syrian Government use of chemical weapons against opposition forces and civilians; in addition, France, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UK have provided forms of military assistance to opposition forces and/or conducted operations against ISIS, including air strikes

Israel has conducted hundreds of military air strikes in Syria against Syrian military, Hizballah, Iranian, and/or Iranian-backed militia targets

the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of forces comprised primarily of Kurdish, Sunni Arab, and Syriac Christian fighters; it is dominated and led by Kurdish forces, particularly the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia; the SDF began to receive US support in 2015 and as of 2023 was the main local US partner in its counter-ISIS campaign; the SDF has internal security, counterterrorism, and commando units; Turkey views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a US-designated terrorist organization (see Appendix T)

the ISIS terrorist group (see Appendix T) lost its last territorial stronghold to SDF forces in 2019, but continues to maintain a low-level insurgency; in addition, the SDF holds about 10,000 captured suspected ISIS fighters in detention facilities across northern Syria, including 2,000 from countries other than Iraq and Syria

the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS; formerly known as al-Nusrah Front) terrorist organization (see Appendix T) is the dominant militant group in northwest Syria and has asserted considerable influence and control over the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Iblib de-escalation zone and the Aleppo province (2023)" } }, "Space": { "Space agency/agencies": { - "text": "Syrian Space Agency (created in 2014); General Organization of Remote Sensing (GORS; established 1986 to replace the National Remote Sensing Center, established 1981) (2023)" + "text": "Syrian Space Agency (created in 2014); General Organization of Remote Sensing (GORS; established 1986 to replace the National Remote Sensing Center, established 1981) (2024)" }, "Space program overview": { - "text": "status unclear; has been handicapped by the impact of the civil war, including the loss of students and scientists who fled the country; had previously focused on satellite development and related space technologies, as well as scientific research; has relations with the space agency and space industries of Russia (2023)", + "text": "status unclear; has been handicapped by the impact of the civil war, including the loss of students and scientists who fled the country; had previously focused on satellite development and related space technologies, as well as scientific research; has relations with the space agency and space industries of Russia (2024)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S" } }, diff --git a/middle-east/tu.json b/middle-east/tu.json index 3af03481..0ac2f69e 100644 --- a/middle-east/tu.json +++ b/middle-east/tu.json @@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (chief of state since 28 August 2014; head of government since 9 July 2018); Vice President Cevdet YILMAZ (since 3 June 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (chief of state since 28 August 2014; head of government since 9 July 2018)" }, "head of government": { "text": "President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (head of government since 9 July 2018; chief of state since 28 August 2014)" @@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Halime Digdem BUNER (since 13 January 2024)" + "text": "Appointed Ambassador Sedat ÖNAL (since 24 April 2024)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ "text": "
embassy.washingtondc@mfa.gov.tr

T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı - Turkish Embassy In Washington, D.C. (mfa.gov.tr)" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York" + "text": "Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/middle-east/ym.json b/middle-east/ym.json index 7b738fc7..cb7fc86f 100644 --- a/middle-east/ym.json +++ b/middle-east/ym.json @@ -548,10 +548,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "Chairperson, Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI, Dr. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairpersons and Presidential Leadership Council members Sultan al-ARADA, Faraj Salmin al- BAHSANI, Brig. Gen. Abdullah Al-Alimi BA WAZIR, Uthman Hussain Faid al-MUJALI, TARIQ Muhammad Abdallah Salih, Brig. Gen., 'Abd-al-Rahman ABU ZARA'A al-Muharrami al-Yafai, Brig. Gen., Aydarus Qasim al-ZUBAYDI, Maj. Gen. (all since 19 April 2022); note - Abdrabbuh Mansur HADI served as acting president beginning in early 2012 but was forced to resign in late January 2015 by the Houthis - a rebel group aligned with Iran - in the midst of mass protests; subsequently, the Houthis and supporters of Yemen's first president, Ali Abdullah SALEH, seized the presidential palace and placed HADI under house arrest" + "text": "Chairperson, Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI, Dr. (since 19 April 2022)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Chairperson, Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI, Dr. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairpersons and Presidential Leadership Council members Sultan al-ARADA, Faraj Salmin al- BAHSANI, Brig. Gen. Abdullah Al-Alimi BA WAZIR, Uthman Hussain Faid al-MUJALI, TARIQ Muhammad Abdallah Salih, Brig. Gen., 'Abd-al-Rahman ABU ZARA'A al-Muharrami al-Yafai, Brig. Gen., Aydarus Qasim al-ZUBAYDI, Maj. Gen. (all since 19 April 2022); on 5 February 2024, Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad Bin MUBAREK was appointed prime minister by the Presidential Leadership Council" + "text": "Prime Minister Ahmad Awad Bin MUBAREK (since 5 February 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "24 members from northern and southern Yemen, with representatives from Yemen's major political parties" @@ -1186,7 +1186,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) forces:

Ministry of Defense: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (aka Popular Resistance Forces; government-backed tribal militia)

Ministry of Interior: Special Security Forces (paramilitary; formerly known as Central Security Forces), Political Security Organization (state security), National Security Bureau (intelligence), Counterterrorism Unit

Saudi-backed forces: paramilitary/militia border security brigades based largely on tribal or regional affiliation (deployed along the Saudi-Yemen border)

United Arab Emirates-backed forces include tribal and regionally-based militia and paramilitary forces (concentrated in the southern governates): Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, including the Security Belt Forces, the Shabwani and Hadrami “Elite” Forces, the Support and Backup Forces (aka Logistics and Support Forces), Facilities Protection Forces, and Anti-Terrorism Forces; Republican Forces; Joint Forces

Houthi (aka Ansarallah) forces: land, aerospace (air, missile), naval/coastal defense, presidential protection, special operations, internal security, and militia/tribal auxiliary forces (2023)", + "text": "Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) forces:

Ministry of Defense: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (aka Popular Resistance Forces; government-backed tribal militia)

Ministry of Interior: Special Security Forces (paramilitary; formerly known as Central Security Forces), Political Security Organization (state security), National Security Bureau (intelligence), Counterterrorism Unit

Saudi-backed forces: paramilitary/militia border security brigades based largely on tribal or regional affiliation (based along the Saudi-Yemen border)

United Arab Emirates-backed forces include tribal and regionally based militia and paramilitary forces (concentrated in the southern governates): Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, including the Security Belt Forces, the Shabwani and Hadrami “Elite” Forces, the Support and Backup Forces (aka Logistics and Support Forces), Facilities Protection Forces, and Anti-Terrorism Forces; Republican Forces; Joint Forces

Houthi (aka Ansarallah) forces: land, aerospace (air, missile), naval/coastal defense, presidential protection, special operations, internal security, and militia/tribal auxiliary forces (2023)", "note": "note 1: under the 2019 Riyadh Agreement, the STC forces were to be incorporated into Yemen’s Ministries of Defense and Interior under the authority of the HADI government 

note 2: a considerable portion--up to 70 percent by some estimates--of Yemen’s military and security forces defected in whole or in part to former president SALAH and the Houthi opposition in 2011-2015" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ "note": "note: as late as 2022, all parties to the ongoing conflict were implicated in child soldier recruitment and use; during the beginning of the truce in April 2022, the Houthis signed a plan with the UN to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers; Houthi leaders previously pledged to end the use of child soldiers in 2012, as did the Government of Yemen in 2014 " }, "Military - note": { - "text": "government forces under the Yemeni Ministry of Defense are responsible for territorial defense, but also have internal security functions; their main focus is on the Houthi rebels and protecting Yemen’s maritime borders, which are susceptible to smuggling of arms, fighters, and other material support for the Houthis and terrorist groups operating in Yemen, including al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Yemen; the National Army is organized into brigades of armored, border guard, infantry, mechanized, presidential protection, and special forces; the brigades vary significantly in size, structure, and capabilities; the Air Force has small numbers of mostly Soviet-era aircraft while the Navy and Coast Guard have a few patrol boats

in 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt) intervened militarily in Yemen in support of the Republic of Yemen Government against the separatist Houthis; Saudi military forces conducted operations in Yemen and raised and equipped paramilitary/militia security forces in Yemen based largely on tribal or regional affiliation to deploy along the Saudi-Yemen border; UAE's participation in 2015 included several thousand ground troops, as well as supporting air and naval forces; UAE withdrew its main military force from Yemen in 2019, but has retained a smaller military presence while working with proxies in southern Yemen, most notably the Southern Transitional Council (STC); UAE has recruited, trained, and equipped tens of thousands of Yemeni fighters and formed them into dozens of militia and paramilitary units

Houthi (aka Ansarallah) forces are organized into combat, presidential protection, special forces, and tribal/militia/paramilitary brigades and independent battalions; the Houthis also have UAV and missile units, as well as naval forces (mines, missiles, and some boats); Iran has provided military and political support to the Houthis; in January 2024, the US Government designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group; the designation came after the Houthis began launching attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as military forces positioned in the area to defend the safety and security of commercial shipping (2024)" + "text": "government forces under the Yemeni Ministry of Defense are responsible for territorial defense, but also have internal security functions; their main focus is on the Houthi rebels and protecting Yemen’s maritime borders, which are susceptible to smuggling of arms, fighters, and other material support for the Houthis and terrorist groups operating in Yemen, including al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Yemen; the National Army is organized into brigades of armored, border guard, infantry, mechanized, presidential protection, and special forces; the brigades vary significantly in size, structure, and capabilities; the Air Force has small numbers of mostly Soviet-era aircraft while the Navy and Coast Guard have a few patrol boats

in 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt) intervened militarily in Yemen in support of the Republic of Yemen Government against the separatist Houthis; Saudi military forces conducted operations in Yemen and raised and equipped paramilitary/militia security forces in Yemen based largely on tribal or regional affiliation to deploy along the Saudi-Yemen border; UAE's participation in 2015 included several thousand ground troops, as well as supporting air and naval forces; UAE withdrew its main military force from Yemen in 2019, but has retained a smaller military presence while working with proxies in southern Yemen, most notably the Southern Transitional Council (STC); UAE has recruited, trained, and equipped tens of thousands of Yemeni fighters and formed them into dozens of militia and paramilitary units

Houthi (aka Ansarallah) forces are organized into combat, presidential protection, special forces, and tribal/militia/paramilitary brigades and independent battalions; the Houthis also have UAV and missile units, as well as naval forces (mines, anti-ship missiles, and some boats); Iran has provided military and political support to the Houthis; in January 2024, the US Government designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group; the designation came after the Houthis began launching attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as military forces positioned in the area to defend the safety and security of commercial shipping (2024)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/north-america/mx.json b/north-america/mx.json index 62104632..67aef3e7 100644 --- a/north-america/mx.json +++ b/north-america/mx.json @@ -615,10 +615,10 @@ "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 1 July 2018 (next to be held on 2 June 2024)" + "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 2 June 2024 (next to be held in 2030)" }, "election results": { - "text": "
2018: Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR elected president; percent of vote - Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR (MORENA) 53.2%, Ricardo ANAYA Cortés (PAN) 22.3%, José Antonio MEADE Kuribreña (PRI) 16.4%, Jaime RODRÍGUEZ Calderón 5.2% (independent), other 2.9%

2012: Enrique PEÑA NIETO elected president; percent of vote - Enrique PEÑA NIETO (PRI) 38.2%, Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR (PRD) 31.6%, Josefina Eugenia VÁZQUEZ Mota (PAN) 25.4%, other 4.8%" + "text": "
2024: Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo elected president; percent of vote - Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo (MORENA) 59.4%, Xóchitl GÁLVEZ Ruiz (PAN) 27.9%, Jorge Álvarez MÁYNEZ (MC) 10.4%, other 2.3%; note - official results pending; SHEINBAUM will take office 1 October 2024

2018: Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR elected president; percent of vote - Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR (MORENA) 53.2%, Ricardo ANAYA Cortés (PAN) 22.3%, José Antonio MEADE Kuribreña (PRI) 16.4%, Jaime RODRÍGUEZ Calderón 5.2% (independent), other 2.9%

2012: Enrique PEÑA NIETO elected president; percent of vote - Enrique PEÑA NIETO (PRI) 38.2%, Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR (PRD) 31.6%, Josefina Eugenia VÁZQUEZ Mota (PAN) 25.4%, other 4.8%" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -626,10 +626,10 @@ "text": "

bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Unión consists of:
Senate or Cámara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 32 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms)

Chamber of Deputies or Cámara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 200 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms)

" }, "elections": { - "text": "Senate - last held on 1 July 2018 (next to be held in July 2024)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 6 June 2021 (next to be held on 2 June 2024)" + "text": "Senate - last held on 2 June 2024 (next to be held in 2030)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 2 June 2024 (next to be held in 2027)" }, "election results": { - "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 55, PAN 23, PRI 14, PES 8, PRD 8, MC 7, PT 6, PVEM 6, PNA/PANAL 1; composition - men 62, women 64, percentage women 50.8%

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 191, PAN 81, PES 56, PRI 45, PT 61, MC 27, PRD 21, PVEM 16, PNA 2; composition - men 248, women 252, percentage women 50.4%; total National Congress percentage women 50.5%" + "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note - awaiting official results from the 2 June 2024 election

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note - awaiting official results from the 2 June 2024 election" }, "note": "note: as of the 2018 election, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms" }, @@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ "text": "

Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC [Clemente CASTAÑEDA Hoeflich]
Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Claudia RUIZ Massieu]
Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo) or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutiérrez]
Mexican Green Ecological Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de México) or PVEM [Karen CASTREJÓN Trujillo]
Movement for National Regeneration (Movimiento Regeneración Nacional) or MORENA [Mario DELGADO Carillo]
National Action Party (Partido Acción Nacional) or PAN [Antonio CORTÉS Mendoza]
Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolución Democrática) or PRD [Jesús ZAMBRANO Grijalva]
This Is For Mexico (Va Por México) (alliance that includes PAN, PRI, and PRD)
Together We Make History (Juntos Hacemos Historia) (alliance that included MORENA, PT, PVEM) (dissolved 23 December 2020)

" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "APEC, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CABEI, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CE (observer), CELAC, CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-3, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, APEC, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CABEI, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CE (observer), CELAC, CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-3, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { @@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ "text": "Atlanta (GA), Austin (TX), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Dallas (TX), Denver (GA), El Paso (TX), Houston (TX), Laredo (TX), Miami (FL), New York (NY), Nogales (AZ), Phoenix (AZ), Raleigh (NC), Sacramento (CA), San Antonio (TX), San Diego (CA), San Francisco (CA), San Jose (CA), San Juan (Puerto Rico)" }, "consulate(s)": { - "text": "Albuquerque (NM), Boise (ID), Brownsville (TX), Calexico (CA), Del Rio (TX), Detroit (MI), Douglas (AZ), Eagle Pass (TX), Fresno (CA), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas (NV), Little Rock (AR), Los Angeles (CA), McAllen (TX), Milwaukee (WI), New Orleans (LA), Omaha (NE), Orlando (FL), Oxnard (CA), Philadelphia (PA), Portland (OR), Presidio (TX), Salt Lake City (UT), San Bernardino (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Seattle (WA), St. Paul (MN), Tucson (AZ), Yuma (AZ)" + "text": "Albuquerque (NM), Boise (ID), Brownsville (TX), Calexico (CA), Del Rio (TX), Detroit (MI), Douglas (AZ), Eagle Pass (TX), Fresno (CA), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas (NV), Little Rock (AR), Los Angeles (CA), McAllen (TX), Milwaukee (WI), New Orleans (LA), Oklahoma City (OK), Omaha (NE), Orlando (FL), Oxnard (CA), Philadelphia (PA), Portland (OR), Presidio (TX), Salt Lake City (UT), San Bernardino (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Seattle (WA), St. Paul (MN), Tucson (AZ), Yuma (AZ)" }, "note": " " }, @@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "one of the world’s largest economies; USMCA buttresses its manufacturing sector; has underperformed growth targets for three decades; COVID-19 disrupted export-based economy; corruption and cartel-based violence undermine economic stability" + "text": "

upper-middle income economy; highly integrated with US via trade and nearshore manufacturing; low unemployment; inflation gradually decreasing amid tight monetary policy; state intervention in energy sector and public infrastructure projects; challenges from income inequality, corruption, and cartel-based violence

" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { diff --git a/north-america/sb.json b/north-america/sb.json index 814b52fc..943290b0 100644 --- a/north-america/sb.json +++ b/north-america/sb.json @@ -536,9 +536,6 @@ "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "3.8% (of GDP) (1996 est.)" }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "calendar year" - }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Canada 84%, France 11%, Ireland 3%, Slovakia 1%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 0% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" diff --git a/north-america/us.json b/north-america/us.json index ac858ade..71f4832f 100644 --- a/north-america/us.json +++ b/north-america/us.json @@ -1259,7 +1259,7 @@ "text": "has 20 commercial, government, and private space ports hosting Federal Aviation Administration-licensed activity spread across 10 states (Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia) (2024)" }, "Space program overview": { - "text": "has a large and comprehensive space program and is one of the world’s top space powers; builds, launches, and operates space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and the full spectrum of spacecraft, including interplanetary probes, manned craft, reusable rockets, satellites, space stations, and space planes; has an astronaut program and a large corps of astronauts; researching and developing a broad range of other space-related capabilities and technologies, such as advanced telecommunications and optics, navigational aids, propulsion, robotics, solar sails, space-based manufacturing, and robotic satellite repair/refueling; has launched orbital or lander probes to the Sun and all planets in the solar system, as well as to asteroids and beyond the solar system; has international missions and projects with dozens of countries and organizations, including such major partners as Canada, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, as well as the European Space Agency (ESA), the EU, and their individual member states; as of May 2024, 40 countries had signed onto the US-led Artemis Accords, whose purpose is to establish principles, guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space with the intention of advancing the Artemis Program, an international effort to establish a sustainable and robust presence on the Moon and an onward human mission to Mars; the US commercial space industry is one of the world’s largest and most capable and is active across the entire spectrum of US government space programs; the majority of both NASA and US military space launches are conducted by US commercial companies; the US space economy was valued at over $200 billion in 2021 (2024)", + "text": "has a large and comprehensive space program and is one of the world’s top space powers; builds, launches, and operates space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and the full spectrum of spacecraft, including interplanetary probes, manned craft, reusable rockets, satellites, space stations, and space planes; has an astronaut program and a large corps of astronauts; researching and developing a broad range of other space-related capabilities and technologies, such as advanced telecommunications and optics, navigational aids, propulsion, robotics, solar sails, space-based manufacturing, and robotic satellite repair/refueling; has launched orbital or lander probes to the Sun and all planets in the solar system, as well as to asteroids and beyond the solar system; has international missions and projects with dozens of countries and organizations, including such major partners as Canada, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, as well as the European Space Agency (ESA), the EU, and their individual member states; as of June 2024, more than 40 countries had signed onto the US-led Artemis Accords, whose purpose is to establish principles, guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space with the intention of advancing the Artemis Program, an international effort to establish a sustainable and robust presence on the Moon and an onward human mission to Mars; the US commercial space industry is one of the world’s largest and most capable and is active across the entire spectrum of US government space programs; the majority of both NASA and US military space launches are conducted by US commercial companies; the US space economy was valued at over $200 billion in 2021 (2024)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S" } }, diff --git a/south-america/ci.json b/south-america/ci.json index f1a0bdfa..6341a199 100644 --- a/south-america/ci.json +++ b/south-america/ci.json @@ -1222,6 +1222,9 @@ "note": "note: the National Police Force (Carabineros de Chile) are responsible to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2023": { + "text": "1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, @@ -1233,9 +1236,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/south-america/co.json b/south-america/co.json index e43e8b80..45c1d471 100644 --- a/south-america/co.json +++ b/south-america/co.json @@ -607,11 +607,11 @@ "note": "note: Colombia has numerous smaller political parties and movements" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "BCIE, BIS, CABEI, CAN, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, BCIE, BIS, CABEI, CAN, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Luis Gilberto MURILLO Urrutia (since 16 September 2022)" + "text": "Ambassador-designate Daniel GARCIA PEÑA (since 21 May 2024)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1724 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036" diff --git a/south-america/fk.json b/south-america/fk.json index b263b451..3a4ec801 100644 --- a/south-america/fk.json +++ b/south-america/fk.json @@ -465,9 +465,6 @@ "text": "0% of GDP (2015 est.)" } }, - "Fiscal year": { - "text": "1 April - 31 March" - }, "Exports": { "Exports 2015": { "text": "$257.3 million (2015 est.)" diff --git a/south-america/gy.json b/south-america/gy.json index ce97c52f..731f3c1f 100644 --- a/south-america/gy.json +++ b/south-america/gy.json @@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 40 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituencies, 25 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - all by closed-list proportional representation vote, 2 non-elected ministers, 2 non-elected parliamentary secretaries, and the speaker; members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 40 members directly elected in single-seat, nationwide constituencies, 25 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies -- all by closed-list proportional representation vote, 2 non-elected ministers, 2 non-elected parliamentary secretaries, and the speaker; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "ast held on 2 March 2020 (next to be held in 2025)" @@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ "text": "A New and United Guyana or ANUG [Ralph RAMKARRAN]
A Partnership for National Unity or APNU [Joseph HARMON]
Alliance for Change or AFC [Khemraj RAMJATTAN]
Justice for All Party [Chandra Narine SHARMA]
Liberty and Justice Party or LJP [Lenox SHUMAN]
National Independent Party or NIP [Saphier Husain SUBEDAR]
People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Dr. Bharrat JAGDEO]
The New Movement or TNM [Dr. Asha KISSOON]
The United Force or TUF [Marissa NADIR]
United Republican Party or URP [Vishnu BANDHU]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, PROSUR, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, PROSUR, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/south-america/ns.json b/south-america/ns.json index 8f4f7d4d..30bf4efd 100644 --- a/south-america/ns.json +++ b/south-america/ns.json @@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ "text": "Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Ronnie ASABINA]
Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91 [Angelique DEL CASTILHO]
General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK}
National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE]
National Party of Suriname or NPS [Gregory RUSLAND]
Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Steven ALFAISI]
Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Iwan GANGA]
People's Alliance (Pertjajah Luhur) or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO]
Progressive Workers' and Farmers' Union or PALU [Jim HOK]
Progressive Reform Party or VHP [Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI]
Reform and Renewal Movement or HVB [Mike NOERSALIM]
Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Guno CASTELEN]" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACP, ACS, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/south-america/pa.json b/south-america/pa.json index a8802315..3dd21a1e 100644 --- a/south-america/pa.json +++ b/south-america/pa.json @@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Jose Antonio DOS SANTOS BEDOYA (since 15 September 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador José Antonio DOS SANTOS BEDOYA (since 15 September 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2209 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC  20008" @@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 234-4508" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
gabineteembaparusa@mre.gov.py; secretario@embaparusa.gov.py" + "text": "
gabineteembaparusa@mre.gov.py

Embajada de la República del Paraguay ante los Estados Unidos de América :: The Embassy (mre.gov.py)" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Los Angeles, Miami, New York" diff --git a/south-america/pe.json b/south-america/pe.json index ca1726f1..a88678c3 100644 --- a/south-america/pe.json +++ b/south-america/pe.json @@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ "text": "
Webadmin@embassyofperu.us

Embassy of Peru in the United States - E-United States - Platform of the Peruvian State (www.gob.pe)" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (NJ), San Francisco, Washington DC" + "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (NJ), San Francisco" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/south-america/uy.json b/south-america/uy.json index 1ae5e729..bddca55d 100644 --- a/south-america/uy.json +++ b/south-america/uy.json @@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Andres Augusto DURAN HAREAU (since 23 December 2020)" + "text": "Ambassador Andrés Augusto DURÁN Hareau (since 23 December 2020)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006" diff --git a/south-america/ve.json b/south-america/ve.json index 730a638a..9ace0ae0 100644 --- a/south-america/ve.json +++ b/south-america/ve.json @@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ "text": "

A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo) or UNT [Omar Enrique BARBOZA Gutierrez]
Brave People's Alliance or ABP [Antonio LEDEZMA]
Cambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMC [Timoteo ZAMBRANO]
Christian Democrats or COPEI [Juan Carlos ALVARADO Prato, Roberto ENRIQUEZ]
Citizens Encounter or EC [Delsa SOLORZANO]
Clear Accounts or CC [Enzo SCARANO]
Coalition of parties loyal to Nicolas MADURO - Great Patriotic Pole or GPP [Nicolas MADURO]
Coalition of opposition parties - Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democratica) (includes AD, EL CAMBIO, COPEI, CMC, and AP)
Come Venezuela (Vente Venezuela) or VV [Maria Corina MACHADO]
Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Oscar FIGUERA]
Consenso en la Zona or Conenzo [Enzo SCARANO and Leon JURADO]
Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]
Democratic Action or AD [Jose Bernabe GUTIERREZ Parra]
Fatherland for All (Patria para Todos) or PPT [Ilenia MEDINA]
Fuerza Vecinal or FV [leaders include mayors Gustavo DUQUE, Darwin GONZALEZ, Elias SAYEGH, Manuel FERREIRA, Josy FERNANDEZ, and Morel David RODRIGUEZ]; note - national spokesman David UZCATEGUI
Hope for Change (Esperanza por el Cambio) or EL CAMBIO [Javier Alejandro BERTUCCI Carrero]
Justice First (Primero Justicia) or PJ [Tomas GUANIPA]
LAPIZ [Antonio Domingo ECARRI Angola]
Movement to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) or MAS [Segundo MELENDEZ]
Popular Will (Voluntad Popular) or VP [Leopoldo LOPEZ]
Progressive Advance (Avanzada Progresista) or AP [Henri FALCON]
The Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres VELAZQUEZ]
United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Nicolas MADURO]
Venezuela First (Primero Venezuela) or PV [Luis PARRA]
Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV [Simon CALZADILLA]
Venezuela Project or PV [Carlos BERRIZBEITIA]

" }, "International organization participation": { - "text": "Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" + "text": "ACS, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { diff --git a/south-asia/af.json b/south-asia/af.json index 15b29d7b..069b14f6 100644 --- a/south-asia/af.json +++ b/south-asia/af.json @@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "overall Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada serves as the head of the Taliban as Amir-ul Momineen and as such is seen by the Taliban as head of state; he resides and issues decrees from the city of Kandahar while the legacy government ministries operate from Kabul" + "text": "Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada (since 15 August 2021)" }, "head of government": { "text": "overall Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada is the [so-called] Amir-ul Momineen of the Taliban and is seen by them as a head of government

 

" diff --git a/south-asia/bt.json b/south-asia/bt.json index cf2b5381..2768a3ff 100644 --- a/south-asia/bt.json +++ b/south-asia/bt.json @@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 to his son" + "text": "King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Tshering TOBGAY (since 28 January 2024)" diff --git a/south-asia/ce.json b/south-asia/ce.json index e39240df..cef6ce3c 100644 --- a/south-asia/ce.json +++ b/south-asia/ce.json @@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Ranil WICKREMESINGHE (since 20 July 2022); the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Dinesh GUNAWARDENA (since 22 July 2022); note - prime minister functions as deputy to the president)" + "text": "President Ranil WICKREMESINGHE (since 20 July 2022)" }, "head of government": { "text": "President Ranil WICKREMESINGHE (since 20 July 2022)" @@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 16 November 2019 (next to be held on 30 September 2024); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of Parliament for a 5-year term)" + "text": "president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 16 November 2019 (next to be held on 30 September 2024)" }, "election results": { "text": "Ranil WICKREMESINGHE elected president by Parliament on 20 July 2022; Parliament vote - WICKREMESINGHE (UNP) 134, Dullas ALAHAPPERUMA (SLPP) 82" @@ -613,13 +613,16 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 483-4025" }, "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (202) 232-7181" + "text": "[1] 202-232-2329" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
slembassy@slembassyusa.org

https://slembassyusa.org/new/" + "text": "
slemb.washington@mfa.gov.lk

https://slembassyusa.org/new/" }, "consulate(s) general": { - "text": "Los Angeles, New York" + "text": "Los Angeles" + }, + "consulate(s)": { + "text": "New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { diff --git a/south-asia/in.json b/south-asia/in.json index 135ef8e8..162c663a 100644 --- a/south-asia/in.json +++ b/south-asia/in.json @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Droupadi MURMU (since 25 July 2022); Vice President Jagdeep DHANKHAR (since 11 August 2022)" + "text": "President Droupadi MURMU (since 25 July 2022)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)" @@ -612,10 +612,10 @@ "text": "bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of:
Council of States or Rajya Sabha (245 seats; 233 members indirectly elected by state and territorial assemblies by proportional representation vote and 12 members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years at various dates)
House of the People or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 2 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "Council of States - last held by state and territorial assemblies at various dates in 2019 (in progress March through July 2022 to fill 70 expiry seats)

House of the People - last held April-May 2019 in 7 phases (currently being held in 7 phases from 19 April to 1 June 2024)" + "text": "Council of States - held by state and territorial assemblies being held from 12 January to 30 June 2024 for expiry of 68 seats

House of the People - last held in 7 phases from 19 April to 1 June 2024 (next to be held in 2027)" }, "election results": { - "text": "Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BJP 97, INC 34, AITC 13, DMK 10, other 2, independent 2; composition as of March 2024 - men 206, women 32, percentage women 13.8%

House of the People - percent of vote by party - BJP 55.8%, INC 9.6%, AITC 4.4%, YSRCP 4.4%, DMK 4.2%, SS 3.3%, JDU 2.9%, BJD 2.2%, BSP 1.8%, TRS 1.7%, LJP 1.1%, NCP 0.9%, SP 0.9%, other 21.2%, independent 0.7%; seats by party - BJP 303, INC 52, DMK 24, AITC 22, YSRCP 22, SS 18, JDU 16, BJD 12, BSP 10, TRS 9, LJP 6, NCP 5, SP 5, other 35, independent 4, vacant 2; composition as of March 2024 - men 446, women 77, percentage women 14.7%; total Parliament percentage women 14.3%" + "text": "Council of States (2022) - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BJP 97, INC 34, AITC 13, DMK 10, other 2, independent 2; composition as of March 2024 - men 206, women 32, percentage women 13.8%

House of the People - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BJP 240, INC 99, SP 37, AITC 29, DMK 22, BJD 12, RJD 4, AAP 3, other 93

seats by party - BJP 303, INC 52, DMK 24, AITC 22, YSRCP 22, SS 18, JDU 16, BJD 12, BSP 10, TRS 9, LJP 6, NCP 5, SP 5, other 35, independent 4, vacant 2; composition as of March 2024 - men 446, women 77, percentage women 14.7%; total Parliament percentage women 14.3%" }, "note": "note: in late September 2023, both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha passed a bill that reserves one third of the House seats for women; implementation could begin for the House election in 2029" }, @@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sripriya RANGANATHAN (since 1 February 2024)" }, "chancery": { - "text": "2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" + "text": "2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 939-7000" @@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ "text": "[1] (202) 265-4351" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
minca.washington@mea.gov.in (community affairs)

https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/" + "text": "
hoc.washington@mea.gov.in

https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle" @@ -1292,7 +1292,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Indian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard; Defense Security Corps

Ministry of Home Affairs: Central Armed Police Forces (includes Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guards, Sashastra Seema Bal) (2023)", + "text": "Indian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard; Defense Security Corps

Ministry of Home Affairs: Central Armed Police Forces (includes Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guards, Sashastra Seema Bal), Special Protection Group, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

Ministry of Railways: Railway Protection Force (2024)", "note": "note 1: the Defense Security Corps provides security for Ministry of Defense sites

note 2: the Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders; the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB or Armed Border Force) guards the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders

note 3: the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) includes a Rapid Reaction Force (RAF) for riot control and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) for counter-insurgency operations 

note 4: the Assam Rifles are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, while operational control falls under the Ministry of Defense (specifically the Indian Army)

note 5: the Territorial Army (TA) is a military reserve force composed of part-time volunteers who provide support services to the Indian Army; it is a part of the Regular Army with the role of relieving Regular Army units from static duties and assisting civil authorities with natural calamities and maintaining essential services in emergencies, as well as providing units for the Regular Army as required" }, "Military expenditures": { diff --git a/south-asia/mv.json b/south-asia/mv.json index 1609d5f1..5942a635 100644 --- a/south-asia/mv.json +++ b/south-asia/mv.json @@ -527,10 +527,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-elect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023); the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-elect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023)" + "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by Parliament" @@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (93 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "unicameral People's Assembly or People's Majlis (93 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 21 April 2024 (next to be held in 2029)" @@ -572,19 +572,16 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "

Maldives has no embassy in the US, but its Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 12 December 2022), is accredited to the US and serves as ambassador

" + "text": "

Ambassador Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 15 June 2023)

" }, "chancery": { - "text": "801 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10017" + "text": "1100 H Street NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20005" }, "telephone": { - "text": "[1] (212) 599-6194" - }, - "FAX": { - "text": "[1] (212) 661-6405" + "text": "[1] (202) 516-5458" }, "email address and website": { - "text": "
info@maldivesmission.com

http://www.maldivesmission.com/" + "text": "
WashingtonInfo@foreign.gov.mv

The Embassy (mdvmission.gov.mv)" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { @@ -1029,18 +1026,18 @@ "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "13,376 (2022 est.)" + "text": "13,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "3 (2021 est.)" + "text": "3 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "706,043 (2021 est.)" + "text": "715,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "135 (2021 est.)" + "text": "137 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { diff --git a/south-asia/np.json b/south-asia/np.json index 77d59dc3..6891da3f 100644 --- a/south-asia/np.json +++ b/south-asia/np.json @@ -553,10 +553,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023); Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad YADAV (since 20 March 2023)" + "text": "President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal DAHAL (since 26 December 2022); Deputy Prime Ministers Narayan Kaji SHRESTHA (since 26 December 2022), Rabi LAMICHHANE (since 26 December 2022), Raghubir MAHASETH (since 6 March 2024), Upendra YADAV (since 10 March 2024) (an)" + "text": "Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal DAHAL (since 26 December 2022)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet split between Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, and various coalition partners" @@ -570,13 +570,13 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Federal Parliament consists of:
National Assembly (59 seats; 56 members, including at least 3 women, 1 Dalit, 1 member with disabilities, or 1 minority indirectly elected by an electoral college of state and municipal government leaders, and 3 members, including 1 woman, nominated by the president of Nepal on the recommendation of the government; members serve 6-year terms with renewal of one-third of the membership every 2 years)
House of Representatives (275 seats; 165 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote, with a threshold of 3% overall valid vote to be allocated a seat; members serve 5-year terms); note - the House of Representatives was dissolved on 22 May 2021, but on 13 July, the Supreme Court directed its reinstatement" + "text": "bicameral Federal Parliament consists of:
National Assembly (59 seats; 56 members, including at least 3 women, 1 Dalit, 1 member with disabilities, or 1 minority indirectly elected by an electoral college of state and municipal government leaders, and 3 members, including 1 woman, nominated by the president of Nepal on the recommendation of the government; members serve 6-year terms with renewal of one-third of the membership every 2 years)
House of Representatives (275 seats statutory, current 272; 165 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote, with a threshold of 3% overall valid vote to be allocated a seat; members serve 5-year terms); note - the House of Representatives was dissolved on 22 May 2021, but on 13 July, the Supreme Court directed its reinstatement" }, "elections": { - "text": "National Assembly - last held on 26 January 2022 (next to be held in 2024)

House of Representatives - last held on 20 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2027)" + "text": "National Assembly - last held on 25 January 2024 (next to be held in January 2026)

House of Representatives - last held on 20 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2027)" }, "election results": { - "text": "National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPN-UML 42, NC 13, FSFN 2, RJPN 2; composition - men 37, women 22, percentage women 37.3%

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NC 89, CPN-UML 78, CPN-MC 32, RSP 20, RPP 14, PSP-N 12, CPN (Unified Socialist) 10, Janamat Party 6, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party 4,
other 10; composition - men 182, women 90, percentage women 33.1%; total Federal Parliament percentage women NA%" + "text": "National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPN-MC 17, NC 16, CON-UML 10, CPN-US 8, other 5, nominated members 3; composition - men 37, women 22, percentage women 37.3%

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NC 89, CPN-UML 78, CPN-MC 32, RSP 20, RPP 14, PSP-N 12, CPN (Unified Socialist) 10, Janamat Party 6, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party 4, other 10
other 10; composition - men 182, women 90, percentage women 33.1%; total Federal Parliament percentage women 33.5%" } }, "Judicial branch": { diff --git a/south-asia/pk.json b/south-asia/pk.json index 6311c0bb..458df31f 100644 --- a/south-asia/pk.json +++ b/south-asia/pk.json @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ "text": "President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 10 March 2024)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Caretaker Prime Minister Shahbaz SHARIF (since 3 March 2024)" + "text": "Prime Minister Shahbaz SHARIF (since 3 March 2024)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president upon the advice of the prime minister" diff --git a/world/xx.json b/world/xx.json index 55e21ecc..72a584c1 100644 --- a/world/xx.json +++ b/world/xx.json @@ -855,8 +855,8 @@ "text": "more than 70 countries have national space agencies (2024)" }, "Space launch site(s)": { - "text": "more than 30 countries have existing or planned commercial or government space launch sites; in 2023, there were about 220 space launch attempts; as of December 2023, there were over 11,000 satellites in orbit, of which about 9,000 were still active  (2024)", - "note": "note: there were approximately 220 attempted space launches worldwide in 2023" + "text": "more than 30 countries have existing or planned commercial or government space launch sites (2024)", + "note": "note: there were approximately 220 attempted space launches worldwide in 2023; as of December 2023, there were over 11,000 satellites in orbit, of which about 9,000 were still active" } }, "Transnational Issues": {