Topic: Photos of Japan

Topic: Introduction
Background: 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 in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan 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 actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. Prime Minister Shinzo ABE was reelected to office in December 2012, and embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan's economy and bolster the country's international standing. In November 2019, ABE became Japan's longest-serving post-war prime minister; he resigned in September 2020 and was succeeded by Yoshihide SUGA. Fumio KISHIDA became prime minister in October 2021.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 in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan 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 actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. Prime Minister Shinzo ABE was reelected to office in December 2012, and embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan's economy and bolster the country's international standing. In November 2019, ABE became Japan's longest-serving post-war prime minister; he resigned in September 2020 and was succeeded by Yoshihide SUGA. Fumio KISHIDA became prime minister in October 2021.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates: 36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 377,915 sq km

land: 364,485 sq km

water: 13,430 sq km

note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: total: 0 km
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and the Korea and Tsushima Straits

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation: highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m

mean elevation: 438 m
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish; note - with virtually no natural energy resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil
Land use: agricultural land: 12.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 11.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 68.5% (2018 est.)

other: 19% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 24,690 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km): Fresh water lake(s): Biwa-ko 688 sq km
Population distribution: all primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one-third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)
Natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoonsvolcanism: both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama, Honshu Island's most active volcano, Aso, Bandai, Fuji, Iwo-Jima, Kikai, Kirishima, Komaga-take, Oshima, Suwanosejima, Tokachi, Yake-dake, and Usu; see note 2 under "Geography - note"many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoonsvolcanism: both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama, Honshu Island's most active volcano, Aso, Bandai, Fuji, Iwo-Jima, Kikai, Kirishima, Komaga-take, Oshima, Suwanosejima, Tokachi, Yake-dake, and Usu; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Geography - note: note 1: strategic location in northeast Asia; composed of four main islands - from north: Hokkaido, Honshu (the largest and most populous), Shikoku, and Kyushu (the "Home Islands") - and 6,848 smaller islands and islets note 2: Japan annually records the most earthquakes in the world; it is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Firenote 1: strategic location in northeast Asia; composed of four main islands - from north: Hokkaido, Honshu (the largest and most populous), Shikoku, and Kyushu (the "Home Islands") - and 6,848 smaller islands and isletsnote 2: Japan annually records the most earthquakes in the world; it is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
Map description: Japan map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic Pacific Ocean country as well as parts of surrounding countries.Japan map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic Pacific Ocean country as well as parts of surrounding countries.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 124,214,766 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Japanese (singular and plural)

adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups: Japanese 97.9%, Chinese 0.6%, Korean 0.4%, other 1.1% (includes Vietnamese, Filipino, and Brazilian) (2017 est.)

note: data represent population by nationality; up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil
Languages: Japanese

major-language sample(s):
必要不可欠な基本情報の源、ワールド・ファクトブック(Japanese)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Shintoism 70.5%, Buddhism 67.2%, Christianity 1.5%, other 5.9% (2019 est.)

note: total adherents exceeds 100% because many people practice both Shintoism and Buddhism
Age structure: 0-14 years: 12.49% (male 8,047,183/female 7,623,767)

15-24 years: 9.47% (male 6,254,352/female 5,635,377)

25-54 years: 36.8% (male 22,867,385/female 23,317,140)

55-64 years: 12.06% (male 7,564,067/female 7,570,732)

65 years and over: 29.18% (2020 est.) (male 16,034,973/female 20,592,496)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 69

youth dependency ratio: 21

elderly dependency ratio: 48

potential support ratio: 2.1 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 48.6 years

male: 47.2 years

female: 50 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.39% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 6.95 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 11.59 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: all primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one-third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)
Urbanization: urban population: 92% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: -0.25% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 37.274 million TOKYO (capital), 19.060 million Osaka, 9.572 million Nagoya, 5.503 million Kitakyushu-Fukuoka, 2.935 million Shizuoka-Hamamatsu, 2.669 million Sapporo (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 30.7 years (2018 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 1.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 1.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 84.83 years

male: 81.92 years

female: 87.9 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 39.8% (2015)

note: percent of women aged 20-49
Drinking water source: improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 99.1% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 10.7% (2019)
Physicians density: 2.48 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density: 13 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 99.9% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: (2020 est.) <.1%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 30,000 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2020 est.) <100

note: estimate does not include children
Major infectious diseases: respiratory diseases: Covid-19 (see note) (2020)

note: clusters of cases of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Japan; illness with this virus has ranged from mild to severe with fatalities reported; as of 6 June 2022, Japan has reported a total of 8,945,784 cases of COVID-19 or 7,073 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 30,752 cumulative deaths or a rate of 24.3 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 6 June 2022, 82.2% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 4.3% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 20.1% (2020 est.)

male: 30.1% (2020 est.)

female: 10% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
Literacy: total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2018)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 4.6%

male: 5%

female: 4.2% (2020 est.)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere; following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan originally planned to phase out nuclear power, but it has now implemented a new policy of seeking to restart nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards; waste management is an ongoing issue; Japanese municipal facilities used to burn high volumes of trash, but air pollution issues forced the government to adopt an aggressive recycling policy
Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 11.45 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 1,135.89 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 29.99 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Land use: agricultural land: 12.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 11.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 68.5% (2018 est.)

other: 19% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 92% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: -0.25% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: respiratory diseases: Covid-19 (see note) (2020)

note: clusters of cases of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Japan; illness with this virus has ranged from mild to severe with fatalities reported; as of 6 June 2022, Japan has reported a total of 8,945,784 cases of COVID-19 or 7,073 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 30,752 cumulative deaths or a rate of 24.3 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 6 June 2022, 82.2% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 43.981 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,155,069 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 4.9% (2015 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km): Fresh water lake(s): Biwa-ko 688 sq km
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 15.41 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 11.61 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 54.43 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 430 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Japan

local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku

local short form: Nihon/Nippon

etymology: the English word for Japan comes via the Chinese name for the country "Cipangu"; both Nihon and Nippon mean "where the sun originates" and are frequently translated as "Land of the Rising Sun"
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital: name: Tokyo

geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E

time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: originally known as Edo, meaning "estuary" in Japanese, the name was changed to Tokyo, meaning "eastern capital," in 1868
Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence: 3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 11 February 660 B.C. (mythological date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)
National holiday: Birthday of Emperor NARUHITO, 23 February (1960); note - celebrates the birthday of the current emperor
Constitution: history: previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947

amendments: proposed by the Diet; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority of both houses of the Diet and approval by majority in a referendum; note - the constitution has not been amended since its enactment in 1947
Legal system: civil law system based on German model; system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Japan

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Emperor NARUHITO (since 1 May 2019); note - succeeds his father who abdicated on 30 April 2019

head of government: Prime Minister Fumio KISHIDA (since 4 October 2021 )

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister

election results: Fumio KISHIDA relected prime minister on 10 November 2021 by the lower house with 297 votes against 108 for Yukio EDANO and in the upper houese 141 for KISHIDA and 60 for EDANO
Legislative branch: description: bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of:
House of Councillors or Sangi-in (245 seats, currently 242; 146 members directly elected in multi-seat districts by simple majority vote and 96 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years); note - the number of seats increases to 248 at the July 2022 election for renewal of half the membership
House of Representatives or Shugi-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 4-year terms)

elections:
House of Councillors - last held on 21 July 2019 (next to be held in July 2022)
House of Representatives - last held on 31 October 2021 (next to be held by October 2025)

election results:
House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDP 55, DP 32, Komeito 14, JCP 6, Osaka Ishin no Kai (Initiatives from Osaka) 7, PLPTYF 1, SDP 1, independent 5; composition - men 186, women 56, percent of women 21.3%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDP 261, CDP 96, Ishin 41, Komeito 32, DPFP 11, JCP 10, Reiwa 3, SDP 1, independent 10; composition - men 420, women 45, percent of women 9.7%; note - total Diet percent of women 14.7%

note: the Diet in June 2017 redrew Japan's electoral district boundaries and reduced from 475 to 465 seats in the House of Representatives; the amended electoral law, which cuts 6 seats in single-seat districts and 4 in multi-seat districts, was reportedly intended to reduce voting disparities between densely and sparsely populated voting districts
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and 14 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum at the first general election of the House of Representatives following each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward

subordinate courts: 8 High Courts (Koto-saiban-sho), each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho); 50 District Courts (Chiho saibansho), with 203 additional branches; 438 Summary Courts (Kani saibansho)
Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan or CDP [Yukio EDANO]
Democratic Party for the People Japan or DPFP [Yuichiro TAMAKI]
Group of Reformists [Sakihito OZAWA]
Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]
Japan Innovation Party or Nippon Ishin no kai or Ishin [Ichiro MATSUI]
Party of Hope or Kibo no To [Yuichiro TAMAKI]
Komeito [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Yoshihide SUGA]
Liberal Party [Ichiro OZAWA] (formerly People's Life Party & Taro Yamamoto and Friends or PLPTYF)New Renaissance Party [Hiroyuki ARAI]
Party for Japanese Kokoro or PJK [Masashi NAKANO]
Reiwa Shinsengumi [Taro YAMAMOTO]
Social Democratic Party or SDP [Tadatomo YOSHIDA]
The Assembly to Energize Japan and the Independents [Kota MATSUDA]
International organization participation: ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, CPLP (associate), EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador TOMITA Koji (since 17 February 2021)

chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700

FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187

email address and website:
https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html

consulate(s) general: 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)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rahm EMANUEL (since 25 March 2022)

embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420

mailing address: 9800 Tokyo Place, Washington DC  20521-9800

telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000

FAX: [81] (03) 3224-5856

email address and website:
TokyoACS@state.gov

https://jp.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo

consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Flag description: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
National symbol(s): red sun disc, chrysanthemum; national colors: red, white
National anthem: name: "Kimigayo" (The Emperor's Reign)

lyrics/music: unknown/Hiromori HAYASHI

note: adopted 1999; unofficial national anthem since 1883; oldest anthem lyrics in the world, dating to the 10th century or earlier; there is some opposition to the anthem because of its association with militarism and worship of the emperor
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 25 (20 cultural, 5 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (c); Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (c); Himeji-jo (c); Shiretoko (n); Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan (c); Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape (c); Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan (c); Yakushima (n); Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (c); Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (c)

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Over the past 70 years, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (slightly less than 1% of GDP) have helped Japan develop an advanced economy. Two notable characteristics of the post-World War II economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features have significantly eroded under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change.   Measured on a purchasing power parity basis that adjusts for price differences, Japan in 2017 stood as the fourth-largest economy in the world after first-place China, which surpassed Japan in 2001, and third-place India, which edged out Japan in 2012. For three postwar decades, overall real economic growth was impressive - averaging 10% in the 1960s, 5% in the 1970s, and 4% in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the aftereffects of inefficient investment and the collapse of an asset price bubble in the late 1980s, which resulted in several years of economic stagnation as firms sought to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. Modest economic growth continued after 2000, but the economy has fallen into recession four times since 2008.   Japan enjoyed an uptick in growth since 2013, supported by Prime Minister Shinzo ABE’s "Three Arrows" economic revitalization agenda - dubbed "Abenomics" - of monetary easing, "flexible" fiscal policy, and structural reform. Led by the Bank of Japan’s aggressive monetary easing, Japan is making modest progress in ending deflation, but demographic decline – a low birthrate and an aging, shrinking population – poses a major long-term challenge for the economy. The government currently faces the quandary of balancing its efforts to stimulate growth and institute economic reforms with the need to address its sizable public debt, which stands at 235% of GDP. To help raise government revenue, Japan adopted legislation in 2012 to gradually raise the consumption tax rate. However, the first such increase, in April 2014, led to a sharp contraction, so Prime Minister ABE has twice postponed the next increase, which is now scheduled for October 2019. Structural reforms to unlock productivity are seen as central to strengthening the economy in the long-run.   Scarce in critical natural resources, Japan has long been dependent on imported energy and raw materials. After the complete shutdown of Japan’s nuclear reactors following the earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011, Japan's industrial sector has become even more dependent than before on imported fossil fuels. However, ABE’s government is seeking to restart nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards and is emphasizing nuclear energy’s importance as a base-load electricity source. In August 2015, Japan successfully restarted one nuclear reactor at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima prefecture, and several other reactors around the country have since resumed operations; however, opposition from local governments has delayed several more restarts that remain pending. Reforms of the electricity and gas sectors, including full liberalization of Japan’s energy market in April 2016 and gas market in April 2017, constitute an important part of Prime Minister Abe’s economic program.   Under the Abe Administration, Japan’s government sought to open the country’s economy to greater foreign competition and create new export opportunities for Japanese businesses, including by joining 11 trading partners in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Japan became the first country to ratify the TPP in December 2016, but the United States signaled its withdrawal from the agreement in January 2017. In November 2017 the remaining 11 countries agreed on the core elements of a modified agreement, which they renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Japan also reached agreement with the European Union on an Economic Partnership Agreement in July 2017, and is likely seek to ratify both agreements in the Diet this year.Over the past 70 years, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (slightly less than 1% of GDP) have helped Japan develop an advanced economy. Two notable characteristics of the post-World War II economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features have significantly eroded under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. Measured on a purchasing power parity basis that adjusts for price differences, Japan in 2017 stood as the fourth-largest economy in the world after first-place China, which surpassed Japan in 2001, and third-place India, which edged out Japan in 2012. For three postwar decades, overall real economic growth was impressive - averaging 10% in the 1960s, 5% in the 1970s, and 4% in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the aftereffects of inefficient investment and the collapse of an asset price bubble in the late 1980s, which resulted in several years of economic stagnation as firms sought to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. Modest economic growth continued after 2000, but the economy has fallen into recession four times since 2008. Japan enjoyed an uptick in growth since 2013, supported by Prime Minister Shinzo ABE’s "Three Arrows" economic revitalization agenda - dubbed "Abenomics" - of monetary easing, "flexible" fiscal policy, and structural reform. Led by the Bank of Japan’s aggressive monetary easing, Japan is making modest progress in ending deflation, but demographic decline – a low birthrate and an aging, shrinking population – poses a major long-term challenge for the economy. The government currently faces the quandary of balancing its efforts to stimulate growth and institute economic reforms with the need to address its sizable public debt, which stands at 235% of GDP. To help raise government revenue, Japan adopted legislation in 2012 to gradually raise the consumption tax rate. However, the first such increase, in April 2014, led to a sharp contraction, so Prime Minister ABE has twice postponed the next increase, which is now scheduled for October 2019. Structural reforms to unlock productivity are seen as central to strengthening the economy in the long-run. Scarce in critical natural resources, Japan has long been dependent on imported energy and raw materials. After the complete shutdown of Japan’s nuclear reactors following the earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011, Japan's industrial sector has become even more dependent than before on imported fossil fuels. However, ABE’s government is seeking to restart nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards and is emphasizing nuclear energy’s importance as a base-load electricity source. In August 2015, Japan successfully restarted one nuclear reactor at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima prefecture, and several other reactors around the country have since resumed operations; however, opposition from local governments has delayed several more restarts that remain pending. Reforms of the electricity and gas sectors, including full liberalization of Japan’s energy market in April 2016 and gas market in April 2017, constitute an important part of Prime Minister Abe’s economic program. Under the Abe Administration, Japan’s government sought to open the country’s economy to greater foreign competition and create new export opportunities for Japanese businesses, including by joining 11 trading partners in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Japan became the first country to ratify the TPP in December 2016, but the United States signaled its withdrawal from the agreement in January 2017. In November 2017 the remaining 11 countries agreed on the core elements of a modified agreement, which they renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Japan also reached agreement with the European Union on an Economic Partnership Agreement in July 2017, and is likely seek to ratify both agreements in the Diet this year.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $5,224,850,000,000 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$5,210,770,000,000 (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$5,180,326,000,000 (2017 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: 0.7% (2019 est.)

0.29% (2018 est.)

2.19% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $41,400 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$41,200 (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$40,859 (2017 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $5,078,679,000,000 (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.4% (2019 est.)

0.9% (2018 est.)

0.4% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings: Fitch rating: A (2015)

Moody's rating: A1 (2014)

Standard & Poors rating: A+ (2015)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 1.1% (2017 est.)

industry: 30.1% (2017 est.)

services: 68.7% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 55.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 24% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 17.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -16.8% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: rice, milk, sugar beet, vegetables, eggs, poultry, potatoes, cabbages, onions, pork
Industries: among world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 66.54 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2.9%

industry: 26.2%

services: 70.9% (February 2015 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.36% (2019 est.)

2.44% (2018 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 4.6%

male: 5%

female: 4.2% (2020 est.)
Population below poverty line: 16.1% (2013 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 32.9 (2013 est.)

24.9 (1993)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.7%

highest 10%: 24.8% (2008)
Budget: revenues: 1.714 trillion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 1.885 trillion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -3.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 237.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

235.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 35.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Current account balance: $185.644 billion (2019 est.)

$177.08 billion (2018 est.)
Exports: $793.32 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$904.63 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$929.83 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners: United States 19%, China 18%, South Korea 6%, Taiwan 6% (2019)
Exports - commodities: cars and vehicle parts, integrated circuits, personal appliances, ships (2019)
Imports: $799.52 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$913.25 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$928.42 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners: China 23%, United States 11%, Australia 6% (2019)
Imports - commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.264 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.233 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
Debt - external: $4,254,271,000,000 (2019 est.)

$3,944,898,000,000 (2018 est.)
Exchange rates: yen (JPY) per US dollar -

104.205 (2020 est.)

108.605 (2019 est.)

112.7 (2018 est.)

121.02 (2014 est.)

97.44 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 348.666 million kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 903,698,740,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 44.094 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 73.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 4.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 8.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 10% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 29.84 million metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 210.882 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 3.201 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 174.486 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 350 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 10,200 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 3,739,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 3,012,800 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 44.1 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 3.467 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 370,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 1.1 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Natural gas: production: 1,928,431,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)

consumption: 102,108,738,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports: 28,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports: 105,255,103,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves: 20.898 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1,103,234,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 439.243 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 444.271 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 219.72 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 147.107 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 61,978,594 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 195,054,893 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 154 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: Japan has one of the best developed telecom markets globally, the fixed-line segment remains stagnant and the focus for growth is in the mobile sector; the MNOs have shifted their investment from LTE to 5G, and growth in 5G showed early promise although there have been recent setbacks; these have partly been attributed to the economic difficulties, the impact of restrictions imposed during the pandemic, and unfavourable investment climate (not helped by the delay of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021), and to restrictions in the supply of 5G-enabled devices; the fixed broadband market is dominated by fiber, with a strong cable platform also evident; fiber will continue to increase its share of the fixed broadband market, largely at the expense of DSL; the mobile market is dominated by three MNOs (NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, and SoftBank Mobile), while Rakuten Mobile also has a presence; the company is building out its network, and while it is focused of providing 5G services in the major metro areas it relies on roaming agreements to offer services elsewhere; mobile broadband subscriber growth is expected to be relatively low over the next five years, partly due to the high existing subscriptions though growth has been stimulated by measures which have encouraged people to school and work from home; there has also been a boost in accessing entertainment via mobile devices since 2020; NTT DoCoMo becomes wholly owned by NTT Corp, plans to provide 55% population coverage with 5G by March 2022 and nationwide 5G coverage by 2023 (2021)

domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind; 49 per 100 for fixed-line and 152 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)

international: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables with landing points for HSCS, JIH, RJCN, APCN-2, JUS, EAC-C2C, PC-1, Tata TGN-Pacific, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, APCN-2, FASTER, SJC, SJC2, Unity/EAC-Pacific, JGA-N, APG, ASE, AJC, JUPITER, MOC, Okinawa Cellular Cable, KJCN, GOKI, KJCN, and SeaMeWE-3, submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and US; satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pacific and Indian Oceans), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), 2 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions), and 8 SkyPerfect JSAT (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: a mixture of public and commercial broadcast TV and radio stations; 6 national terrestrial TV networks including 1 public broadcaster; the large number of radio and TV stations available provide a wide range of choices; satellite and cable services provide access to international channels (2019)
Internet country code: .jp
Internet users: total: 113,252,419 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 90% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 44,000,791 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 22 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 673

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 126,387,527 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 9,420,660,000 (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: JA
Airports: total: 175 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 142

over 3,047 m: 6

2,438 to 3,047 m: 45

1,524 to 2,437 m: 38

914 to 1,523 m: 28

under 914 m: 25 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 33

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 28 (2021)
Heliports: 16 (2021)
Pipelines: 4,456 km gas, 174 km oil, 104 km oil/gas/water (2013)
Railways: total: 27,311 km (2015)

standard gauge: 4,800 km (2015) 1.435-m gauge (4,800 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 124 km (2015) 1.372-m gauge (124 km electrified)

dual gauge: 132 km (2015) 1.435-1.067-m gauge (132 km electrified)

22,207 km 1.067-mm gauge (15,430 km electrified)
48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified)
Roadways: total: 1,218,772 km (2015)

paved: 992,835 km (2015) (includes 8,428 km of expressways)

unpaved: 225,937 km (2015)
Waterways: 1,770 km (2010) (seagoing vessels use inland seas)
Merchant marine: total: 5,201

by type: bulk carrier 148, container ship 45, general cargo 1,900, oil tanker 666, other 2,442 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Tomakomai, Yokohama

container port(s) (TEUs): Kobe (2,871,642), Nagoya (2,844,004), Osaka (2,456,028), Tokyo (4,510,000), Yokohama (2,990,000) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Chita, Fukwoke, Futtsu, Hachinone, Hakodate, Hatsukaichi, Higashi Ohgishima, Higashi Niigata, Himeiji, Joetsu, Kagoshima, Kawagoe, Kita Kyushu, Mizushima, Nagasaki, Naoetsu, Negishi, Ohgishima, Oita, Sakai, Sakaide, Senboku, Shimizu, Shin Minato, Sodegaura, Tobata, Yanai, Yokkaichi

Okinawa - Nakagusuku

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou Jieitai, GSDF; includes aviation), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jieitai, MSDF; includes naval aviation), Air Self-Defense Force (Koukuu Jieitai, ASDF); Japan Coast Guard (Ministry of Land, Transport, Infrastructure and Tourism) (2022)
Military expenditures: 1% of GDP (2021 est.)

1% of GDP (2020)

0.9% of GDP (2019) (approximately $53.4 billion)

0.9% of GDP (2018) (approximately $53.5 billion)

0.9% of GDP (2017) (approximately $52.6 billion)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 244,000 active personnel (150,000 Ground; 45,000 Maritime; 45,000 Air; 4,000 Joint Forces); 14,000 Coast Guard (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the JSDF is equipped with a mix of imported and domestically-produced equipment; Japan has a robust defense industry and is capable of producing a wide range of air, ground, and naval weapons systems; the majority of its weapons imports are from the US and some domestically-produced weapons are US-origin and manufactured under license (2022)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (maximum enlistment age 32); no conscription (2021)

note: as of 2020, women made up about 7% of the military's full-time personnel
Military deployments: approximately 180 Djibouti (2022)
Military - note: Japan was disarmed after its defeat in World War II; shortly after the Korean War began in 1950, US occupation forces in Japan created a 75,000-member lightly armed force called the National Police Reserve; the current Self Defense Force was founded in 1954

in addition to having one of the region’s largest and best equipped militaries, Japan’s alliance with the US (signed in 1951) is one of the cornerstones of the country’s security, as well as a large part of the US security role in Asia; as of 2022, approximately 55,000 US troops and other military assets, including aircraft and naval ships, were stationed in Japan and had exclusive use of more than 80 bases and facilities; in exchange for their use, the US guarantees Japan’s security; the Japanese Government provides about $2 billion per year to offset the cost of stationing US forces in Japan; in addition, it pays compensation to localities hosting US troops, rent for bases, and costs for new facilities to support the US presence

Japan has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments (2022)

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Japan-China-Taiwan: the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) are also claimed by China and Taiwan; Senkaku-shoto is situated near key shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and possibly significant oil and natural gas reserves Japan-Russia: the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities Japan-South Korea: Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South Korea since 1954Japan-China-Taiwan: the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) are also claimed by China and Taiwan; Senkaku-shoto is situated near key shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and possibly significant oil and natural gas reservesJapan-Russia: the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilitiesJapan-South Korea: Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South Korea since 1954
Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons: 707 (mid-year 2021)


Topic: Photos of Nauru

Topic: Introduction
Background: Nauru was inhabited by Micronesian and Polynesian settlers by around 1000 B.C., and the island was divided into 12 clans. Nauru developed in relative isolation because ocean currents made landfall on the island difficult. As a result, the Nauruan language does not clearly resemble any other in the Pacific region. In 1798, British sea captain John FEARN became the first European to spot the island. By 1830, European whalers used Nauru as a supply stop, trading firearms for food. In 1878, a civil war erupted on the island, reducing the population by more than a third. Germany forcibly annexed Nauru in 1888 by holding the 12 chiefs under house arrest until they consented to the annexation. Germany banned alcohol, confiscated weapons, instituted strict dress codes, and brought in Christian missionaries to convert the population. Phosphate was discovered in 1900 and heavily mined, although Nauru and Nauruans earned about one tenth of one percent of the profits from the phosphate deposits.

Australian forces captured Nauru from Germany during World War I, and in 1919, it was placed under a joint Australian-British-New Zealand mandate with Australian administration. Japan occupied Nauru during World War II and used its residents as forced labor elsewhere in the Pacific while destroying much of the infrastructure on the island. After the war, Nauru became a UN trust territory under Australian administration. Recognizing the phosphate stocks would eventually be depleted, in 1962, Australian Prime Minister Robert MENZIES offered to resettle all Nauruans on Curtis Island in Queensland, but Nauruans rejected that plan and opted for independence, which was achieved in 1968. In 1970, Nauru purchased the phosphate mining assets, and income from the mines made Nauruans among the richest people in the world. However, Nauru subsequently began a series of unwise investments in buildings, musical theater, and an airline. Nauru sued Australia in 1989 for the damage caused by mining when Australia administered the island. Widespread phosphate mining officially ceased in 2006.

Nauru went nearly bankrupt by 2000 and tried to rebrand itself as an offshore banking haven, although it ended that practice in 2005. In 2001, Australia set up the Nauru Regional Processing Center (NRPC), an offshore refugee detention facility, paying Nauru per person at the center. The NRPC was closed in 2008 but reopened in 2012. The number of refugees has steadily declined since 2014, and the remaining people were moved to a hotel in Brisbane, Australia, in 2020, effectively shuttering the NRPC. In a bid for Russian humanitarian aid, in 2008, Nauru recognized the breakaway Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates: 0 32 S, 166 55 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 21 sq km

land: 21 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 0 km
Coastline: 30 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Elevation: highest point: Command Ridge 70 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources: phosphates, fish
Land use: agricultural land: 20% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 20% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 80% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (2012)
Population distribution: extensive phosphate mining made approximately 90% of the island unsuitable for farming; most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Geography - note: Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind the Holy See (Vatican City) and Monaco; it is the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the the world's smallest independent republic; situated just 53 km south of the Equator, Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia
Map description: Nauru map shows some features on this island in the South Pacific Ocean.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 9,811 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Nauruan(s)

adjective: Nauruan
Ethnic groups: Nauruan 88.9%, part Nauruan 6.6%, I-Kiribati 2%, other 2.5% (2007 est.)
Languages: Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes I-Kiribati 2% and Chinese 2%) (2011 est.)

note: data represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12%
Religions: Protestant 60.4% (includes Nauru Congregational 35.7%, Assembly of God 13%, Nauru Independent Church 9.5%, Baptist 1.5%, and Seventh Day Adventist 0.7%), Roman Catholic 33%, other 3.7%, none 1.8%, unspecified 1.1% (2011 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.87% (male 1,337/female 1,684)

15-24 years: 15.68% (male 732/female 806)

25-54 years: 42.57% (male 2,115/female 2,050)

55-64 years: 6.97% (male 283/female 401)

65 years and over: 3.94% (2022 est.) (male 133/female 254)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: NA

youth dependency ratio: NA

elderly dependency ratio: NA

potential support ratio: NA
Median age: total: 27 years

male: 28.2 years

female: 25.9 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.42% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 21.1 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 6.32 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -10.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: extensive phosphate mining made approximately 90% of the island unsuitable for farming; most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast
Urbanization: urban population: 100% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.7 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 7.84 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 10.1 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.93 years

male: 64.38 years

female: 71.62 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.62 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: NA

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: NA

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 9.8% (2019)
Physicians density: 1.35 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 96.3% of population

rural: NA

total: 96.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 3.7% of population

rural: NA

total: 3.7% of population (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases: malaria
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 61% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 48.5% (2020 est.)

male: 47.8% (2020 est.)

female: 49.1% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: NA
Literacy: total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 26.6%

male: 20.9%

female: 37.5% (2013)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: limited natural freshwater resources, roof storage tanks that collect rainwater and desalination plants provide water; a century of intensive phosphate mining beginning in 1906 left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland; cadmium residue, phosphate dust, and other contaminants have caused air and water pollution with negative impacts on health; climate change has brought on rising sea levels and inland water shortages
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 12.53 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.05 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
Land use: agricultural land: 20% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 20% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 80% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 100% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases: malaria
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 6,192 tons (2016 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 10 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Nauru

conventional short form: Nauru

local long form: Republic of Nauru

local short form: Nauru

former: Pleasant Island

etymology: the island name may derive from the Nauruan word "anaoero" meaning "I go to the beach"
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: name: no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District

time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baitsi, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Independence: 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Constitution: history: effective 29 January 1968

amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament; amendments to constitutional articles, such as the republican form of government, protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and authorities of the executive and legislative branches, also require two-thirds majority of votes in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2018
Legal system: mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and customary law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Lionel AINGIMEA (since 27 August 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Lionel AINGIMEA (since 27 August 2019)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament (eligible for a second term); election last held on 27 August 2019 (next to be held in 2022)

election results: Lionel AINGIMEA elected president; Parliament vote - Lionel AINGIMEA (independent) 12, David ADEANG (Nauru First) 6
Legislative branch: description: unicameral parliament (19 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote using the "Dowdall" counting system by which voters rank candidates on their ballots; members serve 3-year terms)

elections: last held on 24 August 2019 (next to be held in September 2022)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 19; composition - men 17, women 2, percent of women 10.5%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several justices); note - in late 2017, the Nauruan Government revoked the 1976 High Court Appeals Act, which had allowed appeals beyond the Nauruan Supreme Court, and in early 2018, the government formed its own appeals court

judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president to serve until age 65

subordinate courts: District Court, Family Court
Political parties and leaders: Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party [David ADEANG]
International organization participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICCt, IFAD, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Margo DEIYE (since 1 December 2021)

chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Third Floor, New York, NY 10017

telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074

FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079

email address and website:
nauru@onecommonwealth.org

https://www.un.int/nauru/
Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
Flag description: blue with a narrow, horizontal, gold stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean, the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the gold stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru; the star's white color represents phosphate, the basis of the island's wealth
National symbol(s): frigatebird, calophyllum flower; national colors: blue, yellow, white
National anthem: name: "Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru)

lyrics/music: Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS

note: adopted 1968

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Revenues of this tiny island - a coral atoll with a land area of 21 square kilometers - traditionally have come from exports of phosphates. Few other resources exist, with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. Primary reserves of phosphates were exhausted and mining ceased in 2006, but mining of a deeper layer of "secondary phosphate" in the interior of the island began the following year. The secondary phosphate deposits may last another 30 years. Earnings from Nauru’s export of phosphate remains an important source of income. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist; estimates of Nauru's GDP vary widely.   The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future.   Although revenue sources for government are limited, the opening of the Australian Regional Processing Center for asylum seekers since 2012 has sparked growth in the economy. Revenue derived from fishing licenses under the "vessel day scheme" has also boosted government income. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant are deteriorating. The cost to Australia of keeping the Nauruan government and economy afloat continues to climb.Revenues of this tiny island - a coral atoll with a land area of 21 square kilometers - traditionally have come from exports of phosphates. Few other resources exist, with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. Primary reserves of phosphates were exhausted and mining ceased in 2006, but mining of a deeper layer of "secondary phosphate" in the interior of the island began the following year. The secondary phosphate deposits may last another 30 years. Earnings from Nauru’s export of phosphate remains an important source of income. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist; estimates of Nauru's GDP vary widely. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. Although revenue sources for government are limited, the opening of the Australian Regional Processing Center for asylum seekers since 2012 has sparked growth in the economy. Revenue derived from fishing licenses under the "vessel day scheme" has also boosted government income. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant are deteriorating. The cost to Australia of keeping the Nauruan government and economy afloat continues to climb.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $150 million (2019 est.)

$150 million (2018 est.)

$137 million (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 4% (2017 est.)

10.4% (2016 est.)

2.8% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $13,500 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$13,600 (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$10,667 (2017 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $114 million (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.1% (2017 est.)

8.2% (2016 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 6.1% (2009 est.)

industry: 33% (2009 est.)

services: 60.8% (2009 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 98% (2016 est.)

government consumption: 37.6% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 42.2% (2016 est.)

exports of goods and services: 11.2% (2016 est.)

imports of goods and services: -89.1% (2016 est.)
Agricultural products: coconuts, tropical fruit, vegetables, pork, eggs, pig offals, pig fat, poultry, papayas, cabbages
Industries: phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: note: most of the labor force is employed in phosphate mining, public administration, education, and transportationnote: most of the labor force is employed in phosphate mining, public administration, education, and transportation
Unemployment rate: 23% (2011 est.)

90% (2004 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 26.6%

male: 20.9%

female: 37.5% (2013)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA
Budget: revenues: 103 million (2017 est.)

expenditures: 113.4 million (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -9.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 62% of GDP (2017 est.)

65% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 90.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Current account balance: $5 million (2017 est.)

$2 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $30 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$110.3 million (2012 est.)
Exports - partners: Thailand 34%, Australia 16%, United States 13%, South Korea 10%, Philippines 9%, Japan 7%, France 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: fish, calcium phosphates, low-voltage protection equipment, air conditioners, leather apparel (2019)
Imports: $90 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$64.9 million (2016 est.)
Imports - partners: Taiwan 52%, Australia 28% (2019)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, construction vehicles, tug boats, poultry meats, cars (2019)
Debt - external: $33.3 million (2004 est.)
Exchange rates: Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

1.311 (2017 est.)

1.3452 (2016 est.)

1.3452 (2015 est.)

1.3291 (2014 est.)

1.1094 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 99.8% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 99.4% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 98.7% (2018)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 15,000 kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 34.216 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 400 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 449 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas: production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 66,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 66,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 0 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 1,900 (2009 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2009 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 10,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities; geography is a challenge for the islands; there is a need to service the tourism sector and the South Pacific Islands economy; mobile technology is booming (2018)

domestic: fixed-line 0 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscribership approximately 95 per 100 (2019)

international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: 1 government-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand sent via satellite or on videotape; 1 government-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, utilizes Australian and British programs (2019)
Internet country code: .nr
Internet users: total: 6,136 (2019 est.)

percent of population: 57% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 950 (2010 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2010 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 45,457 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7.94 million (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: C2
Airports: total: 1 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2021)
Roadways: total: 30 km (2002)

paved: 24 km (2002)

unpaved: 6 km (2002)
Merchant marine: total: 3

by type: oil tanker 1, other 2 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Nauru

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: no regular military forces; the police force, under the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, maintains internal security and, as necessary, external security
Military - note: Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none identifiednone identified
Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons: 133 (mid-year 2021)


Topic: Introduction
Background: Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 and became a kingdom. In 1974, it became a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981 Greece joined the EU.Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 and became a kingdom. In 1974, it became a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981 Greece joined the EU.

Topic: Geography
Area: total: 131,957 sq km

land: 130,647 sq km

water: 1,310 sq km
Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Natural resources: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Topic: People and Society
Population: 10,533,871 (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups: Greek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011 est.)
Languages: Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%
Religions: Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.34% (2022 est.)

Topic: Government
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: name: Athens
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ekaterini SAKELLAROPOULOU (since 13 March 2020)

head of government: Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 8 July 2019)
Legislative branch: description: unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; 280 members in multi-seat constituencies and 12 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by open party-list proportional representation vote; 8 members in single-seat constituencies elected by simple majority vote; members serve up to 4 years);  note - only parties surpassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% threshold

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: 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 Turkeytourism- 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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $292.4 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $27,300 (2020 est.)
Agricultural products: maize, olives, wheat, milk, peaches/nectarines, oranges, tomatoes, grapes, milk, potatoes
Industries: tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
Exports: $59.02 billion (2020 est.)
Exports - partners: Italy 10%, Germany 7%, Turkey 5%, Cyprus 5%, Bulgaria 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: refined petroleum, packaged medicines, aluminum plating, computers, cotton (2019)
Imports: $71.76 billion (2020 est.)
Imports - partners: Germany 11%, China 9%, Italy 8%, Iraq 7%, Russia 6%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, cars, ships (2019)Page last updated: Wednesday, Jun 15, 2022


This entry refers to the economic profits, expressed as a percentage of a country's GDP, from the harvesting of forests (e.g., lumber and timber industries). These profits equal forest gross revenues minus costs to harvest the forest. Other sources may refer to this field as forest rents.

Topic: Afghanistanforest revenues: 0.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Albaniaforest revenues: 0.18% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Algeriaforest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: American Samoaforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Andorraforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Angolaforest revenues: 0.36% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Antigua and Barbudaforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Argentinaforest revenues: 0.09% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Armeniaforest revenues: 0.28% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Arubaforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Australiaforest revenues: 0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Austriaforest revenues: 0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Azerbaijanforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bahamas, Theforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bahrainforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bangladeshforest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Barbadosforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Belarusforest revenues: 1.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Belgiumforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Belizeforest revenues: 0.31% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Beninforest revenues: 2.24% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bhutanforest revenues: 1.89% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Boliviaforest revenues: 0.33% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovinaforest revenues: 0.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Botswanaforest revenues: 0.23% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Brazilforest revenues: 0.62% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bruneiforest revenues: 0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bulgariaforest revenues: 0.22% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Burkina Fasoforest revenues: 4.54% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Burmaforest revenues: 1.69% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Burundiforest revenues: 10.31% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cabo Verdeforest revenues: 0.38% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cambodiaforest revenues: 0.84% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cameroonforest revenues: 2.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Canadaforest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cayman Islandsforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Central African Republicforest revenues: 8.99% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Chadforest revenues: 3.81% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Chileforest revenues: 0.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Chinaforest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Colombiaforest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Comorosforest revenues: 1.39% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of theforest revenues: 8.72% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Congo, Republic of theforest revenues: 3.17% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Costa Ricaforest revenues: 0.82% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cote d'Ivoireforest revenues: 2.04% of GDP (2016 est.)

Topic: Croatiaforest revenues: 0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cubaforest revenues: 0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Curacaoforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cyprusforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Czechiaforest revenues: 0.17% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Denmarkforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Djiboutiforest revenues: 0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Dominicaforest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Dominican Republicforest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Ecuadorforest revenues: 0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Egyptforest revenues: 0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: El Salvadorforest revenues: 0.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Equatorial Guineaforest revenues: 1.52% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Estoniaforest revenues: 0.85% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Eswatiniforest revenues: 2.25% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Ethiopiaforest revenues: 5.81% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: European Unionforest revenues: 0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Faroe Islandsforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Fijiforest revenues: 0.59% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Finlandforest revenues: 0.36% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Franceforest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Gabonforest revenues: 2.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Gambia, Theforest revenues: 2.47% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Gaza Stripforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Georgiaforest revenues: 0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Germanyforest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Ghanaforest revenues: 3.51% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Greeceforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Greenlandforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Grenadaforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Guamforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Guatemalaforest revenues: 0.78% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Guineaforest revenues: 4.81% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Guinea-Bissauforest revenues: 9.24% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Guyanaforest revenues: 4.56% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Haitiforest revenues: 0.68% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Hondurasforest revenues: 0.91% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Hong Kongforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Hungaryforest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Icelandforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Indiaforest revenues: 0.14% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Indonesiaforest revenues: 0.39% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Iranforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Iraqforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Irelandforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Isle of Manforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Israelforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Italyforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Jamaicaforest revenues: 0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Japanforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Jordanforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Kazakhstanforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Kenyaforest revenues: 1.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Kiribatiforest revenues: 0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Korea, Southforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Kosovoforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Kuwaitforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Kyrgyzstanforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Laosforest revenues: 1.48% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Latviaforest revenues: 0.85% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Lebanonforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Lesothoforest revenues: 3.34% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Liberiaforest revenues: 13.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Libyaforest revenues: 0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Liechtensteinforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Lithuaniaforest revenues: 0.31% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Luxembourgforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Macauforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Madagascarforest revenues: 4.34% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Malawiforest revenues: 6.19% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Malaysiaforest revenues: 1.57% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Maldivesforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Maliforest revenues: 2.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Maltaforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Marshall Islandsforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Mauritaniaforest revenues: 1.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Mauritiusforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Mexicoforest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States offorest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Moldovaforest revenues: 0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Monacoforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Mongoliaforest revenues: 0.14% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Montenegroforest revenues: 0.43% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Moroccoforest revenues: 0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Mozambiqueforest revenues: 6.46% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Namibiaforest revenues: 0.47% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Nauruforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Nepalforest revenues: 0.45% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Netherlandsforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: New Zealandforest revenues: 0.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Nicaraguaforest revenues: 1.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Nigerforest revenues: 4.41% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Nigeriaforest revenues: 1.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: North Macedoniaforest revenues: 0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Northern Mariana Islandsforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Norwayforest revenues: 0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Omanforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Pakistanforest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Palauforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Panamaforest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Papua New Guineaforest revenues: 2.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Paraguayforest revenues: 1.21% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Peruforest revenues: 0.12% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Philippinesforest revenues: 0.18% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Polandforest revenues: 0.17% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Portugalforest revenues: 0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Puerto Ricoforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Qatarforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Romaniaforest revenues: 0.16% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Russiaforest revenues: 0.29% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Rwandaforest revenues: 3.75% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Saint Kitts and Nevisforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Saint Luciaforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Samoaforest revenues: 0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: San Marinoforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Sao Tome and Principeforest revenues: 1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Saudi Arabiaforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Senegalforest revenues: 1.46% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Serbiaforest revenues: 0.38% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Seychellesforest revenues: 0.09% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Sierra Leoneforest revenues: 6.92% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Singaporeforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Slovakiaforest revenues: 0.22% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Sloveniaforest revenues: 0.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Solomon Islandsforest revenues: 20.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: South Sudanforest revenues: 2.65% of GDP (2015 est.)

Topic: Spainforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Sri Lankaforest revenues: 0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Sudanforest revenues: 3.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Surinameforest revenues: 2.36% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Swedenforest revenues: 0.21% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Switzerlandforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Tajikistanforest revenues: 1.12% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Tanzaniaforest revenues: 2.19% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Thailandforest revenues: 0.34% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Timor-Lesteforest revenues: 0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Togoforest revenues: 3.96% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Tongaforest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Trinidad and Tobagoforest revenues: 0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Tunisiaforest revenues: 0.21% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Turkey (Turkiye)forest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Turkmenistanforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Turks and Caicos Islandsforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Tuvaluforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Ugandaforest revenues: 7.32% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Ukraineforest revenues: 0.34% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: United Arab Emiratesforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: United Kingdomforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: United Statesforest revenues: 0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Uruguayforest revenues: 1.56% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Uzbekistanforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Vanuatuforest revenues: 0.54% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Vietnamforest revenues: 1.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Virgin Islandsforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: West Bankforest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Yemenforest revenues: 0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Zambiaforest revenues: 4.45% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Zimbabweforest revenues: 1.61% of GDP (2018 est.)