Am Ende eines Jahres sind die kompletten Statistiken noch nicht verfügbar, trotz aller in der Wirtschaft verwendeten Computer, denn diese sind glücklicherweise noch nicht realtime / online mit denen der Regierung oder einer sonstigen zentralen Institution verbunden. Obwohl wir dank der Meldepflicht bei Finanztransaktionen nicht mehr allzuweit davon entfernt sind. Hier will ich nur kurz anmerken, daß das Jahr 2004 so schlecht nicht wahr und daß das Jahr 2005 wahrscheinlich so schlecht nicht sein wird. Auf Details gehe ich in der Januarausgabe von BRASILIEN AKTUELL ein.

In der jetzigen Ausgabe möchte ich nachholen, was mir schon  länger am Herzen lag, nämlich einige Vergleiche zu ziehen zwischen Deutschland und Argentinien, Brasilien und Venezuela, alles Länder, in denen meine Firma EUROLATINA Büros unterhält. Das neueste Büro ist in Düsseldorf und wird von Frank Wombacher geleitet. Er hat viele Jahre Erfahrung als  Geschäftsentwickler und kennt sich u.a. sehr gut in der medizintechnischen Sparte aus. Kein Wunder, daß er in Düsseldorf - der Stadt der MEDICA - lebt, allerdings nicht nur aus diesem Grund.

Aber zurück zum Ländervergleich, hier sind Zahlen und Fakten, die dem bekannten CIA World Factbook entnommen sind und nicht so kurzlebig sind wie die des Jahres 2004:

	GERMANY	ARGENTINA	BRAZIL	Venezuela
	GEOGRAPHY
Location:	Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark	Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay	Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean	Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic coordinates:	51 00 N, 9 00 E	34 00 S, 64 00 W	10 00 S, 55 00 W	8 00 N, 66 00 W
Map references:	Europe	South America	South America	South America
Area:	total: 357,021 sq km water: 7,798 sq km land: 349,223 sq km	total: 2,766,890 sq km  land: 2,736,690 sq km  water: 30,200 sq km	total: 8,511,965 sq km  land: 8,456,510 sq km  note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo  water: 55,455 sq km	total: 912,050 sq km  water: 30,000 sq km  land: 882,050 sq km
Land boundaries:	total: 3,621 km border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km	total: 9,665 km  border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km	total: 14,691 km  border countries: Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km	total: 4,993 km  border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Coastline:	2,389 km	4,989 km	7,491 km	2,800 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation	territorial sea: 12 nm  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm  contiguous zone: 24 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm  continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin  contiguous zone: 24 nm  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm  contiguous zone: 15 nm  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:	temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind	mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest	mostly tropical, but temperate in south ????????	tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain:	lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south	rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border	mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt	Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m  highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m	lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz)  highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza)	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m  highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m  highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural resources:	coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land	fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium	bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Land use:	arable land: 33.85%  permanent crops: 0.59%  other: 65.56% (2001)	arable land: 12.31%  permanent crops: 0.48%  other: 87.21% (2001)	arable land: 6.96%  permanent crops: 0.9%  other: 92.15% (2001)	arable land: 2.95%  other: 96.13% (2001)  permanent crops: 0.92%
Irrigated land:	4,850 sq km (1998 est.)	15,610 sq km (1998 est.)	26,560 sq km (1998 est.)	540 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:	flooding	San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding	recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south	subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Environment current issues:	emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive	environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution  note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets	deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills	sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
Environment international agreements:	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, AntarcticEnvironmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants	Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate ChangeKyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation	party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate ChangeKyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
Geography note:	strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea	second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Cerro Aconcagua is South America's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere	largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador	on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
	PEOPLE
Population	82,424,609 (July 2004 est.)	39,144,753 (July 2004 est.)	184,101,109  note: Brazil took a count in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)	25,017,387 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:	0-14 years: 14.7% (male 6,197,490; female 5,879,052)  15-64 years: 67% (male 28,119,536; female 27,132,713) 65 years and over: 18.3% (male 6,096,106; female 8,999,712) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 25.9% (male 5,179,236; female 4,947,234)  15-64 years: 63.6% (male 12,452,566; female 12,457,451)  65 years and over: 10.5% (male 1,685,371; female 2,422,895) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 26.6% (male 24,915,902; female 23,966,713)  15-64 years: 67.6% (male 61,739,012; female 62,770,480) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 4,389,659; female 6,319,343) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 30.5% (male 3,930,413; female 3,687,744)  15-64 years: 64.5% (male 8,107,382; female 8,034,905)  65 years and over: 5% (male 571,289; female 685,654) (2004 est.)
Median age:	total: 41.7 years  male: 40.4 years  female: 43.2 years (2004 est.)	total: 29.2 years  male: 28.3 years  female: 30.1 years (2004 est.)	total: 27.4 years  male: 26.7 years  female: 28.2 years (2004 est.)	total: 25.2 years  male: 24.6 years  female: 25.8 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:	0.02% (2004 est.)	1.02% (2004 est.)	1.11% (2004 est.)	1.44% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:	8.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	17.19 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	17.25 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	19.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:	10.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	7.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration  rate:	2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	total: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births  female: 3.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)  male: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births	total: 15.66 deaths/1,000 live births  female: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)  male: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births	total: 30.66 deaths/1,000 live births  female: 26.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)  male: 34.47 deaths/1,000 live births	total: 22.99 deaths/1,000 live births  female: 19.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)  male: 26.18 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 78.54 years  male: 75.56 years  female: 81.6	total population: 75.7 years  male: 71.95 years  female: 79.65 years (2004 est.)	total population: 71.41 years  male: 67.45 years  female: 75.57 years (2004 est.)	total population: 74.06 years  male: 71.02 years  female: 77.32 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:	1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)	2.24 children born/woman (2004 est.)	1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)	2.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:	0.1% (2001 est.)	0.7% (2001 est.)	0.7% (2003 est.)	0.5% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS people living with HIV/AIDS:	41,000 (2001 est.)	130,000 (2001 est.)	660,000 (2003 est.)	62,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS deaths:	660 (2001 est.)	1,500 (2001 est.)	15,000 (2003 est.)	2,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:	noun: German(s)  adjective: German	noun: Argentine(s) adjective: Argentine	noun: Brazilian(s)  adjective: Brazilian	noun: Venezuelan(s)  adjective: Venezuelan
Ethnic groups:	German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)	white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo, Amerindian, or other nonwhite groups 3%	white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%	Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people
Religions:	Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%	nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%	Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%	nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
Languages:	German	Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French	Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French	Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy:definition:	age 15 and over can read and write  total population: 99% (1977 est.)  male: NA  female: NA	definition: age 15 and over can read and write  total population: 97.1%  male: 97.1%  female: 97.1% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write  total population: 86.4%  male: 86.1%  female: 86.6% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write  total population: 93.4%  male: 93.8%  female: 93.1% (2003 est.)
	GOVERNMENT
Country name:	conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany  conventional short form: Germany  local short form: Deutschland former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich  local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland	conventional long form: Argentine Republic  conventional short form: Argentina  local short form: Argentina  local long form: Republica Argentina	conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil  conventional short form: Brazil  local short form: Brasil local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil	conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela  conventional short form: Venezuela  local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela  local short form
Government type:	federal republic	republic	federative republic	federal republic
Capital:	Berlin	Buenos Aires	Brasilia	Caracas
Administrative divisions:	16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen	23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Tucuman  note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica	26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins	23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 federal district* (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia  note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Independence:	18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991	9 July 1816 (from Spain)	7 September 1822 (from Portugal)	5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday:	Unity Day, 3 October (1990)	Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)	Independence Day, 7 September (1822)	Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution:	23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990	1 May 1853; revised August 1994	5 October 1988	30 December 1999
Legal system:	civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal and mandatory	voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age	18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:	chief of state: President Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004)  elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; election last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held 23 May 2009); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006)  head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October 1998)  cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor  election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604 votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent of Federal Assembly vote 50.7%	chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); note - declared winner of a runoff election by default after Carlos Saul MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election; Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government  head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); note declared winner of a runoff election by default after Carlos Saul MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election; Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president  election results: results of the presidential primary of 27 April 2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other 8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; the last election held was the presidential primary election of 27 April 2003 (next election to be held NA 2007); a runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 between the two candidates receiving the highest votes in the primary was awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election	chief of state: President Luiz Inacio "Lula" DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government  election results: in runoff election 27 October 2002, Luiz Inacio "Lula" DA SILVA (PT) was elected with 61.3% of the vote; Jose SERRA (PSDB) 38.7%  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006); runoff election held 27 October 2002  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president  head of government: President Luiz Inacio "Lula" DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government	chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government  head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president  election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - 60%  note: a special presidential recall vote on 15 August 2004 resulted in a victory for CHAVEZ; percent of vote - 58% in favor of CHAVEZ fulfilling the remaining two years of his term, 42% in favor of terminating his presidency immediately  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2006)
Legislative branch:	bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (603 seats; elected by popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on population and are required to vote as a block)  elections: Federal Assembly - last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006); note - there are no elections for the Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election  election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - SPD 38.5%, CDU/CSU 38.5%, Alliance '90/Greens 8.6%, FDP 7.4%, PDS 4%; seats by party - SPD 251, CDU/CSU 248, Alliance '90/Greens 55, FDP 47, PDS 2; Federal Council - current composition - NA	bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a four-year term)  election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - PJ 41, UCR 16, provincial parties 15; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - PJ 133, UCR 46, IF 23, ARI 11, Socialist 6, other/provincial parties 38  elections: Senate - last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005); Chamber of Deputies - last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005)	bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each state or federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)  election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party PMBD 19, PFL 19, PT 14, PSDB 11, PDT 5, PSB 4, PL 3, PTB 3, PPS 1, PSD 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PT 91, PFL 84, PMDB 74, PSDB 71, PP 49, PL 26, PTB 26, PSB 22, PDT 21, PPS 15, PCdoB 12, PRONA 6, PV 5, other 11; note - many congressmen have changed party affiliation since the election  elections: Federal Senate - last held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate (next to be held NA October 2006 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006)	unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (165 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-government 108 (MVR 92, MAS 6, indigenous 3, other 7), opposition 57 (AD 33, COPEI 6, Justice First 5, other 13)  elections: last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
Judicial branch:	Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)	Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)	Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life)	Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)
Political parties and leaders:	Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS [Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Franz MUENTEFERING]	Action for the Republic or AR [Domingo CAVALLO]; Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso (a four-party coalition) [Dario Pedro ALESSANDRO]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including RECREAR) [leader NA]; Justicialist Party or PJ [leader NA] (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Angel ROZAS]; Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY]; Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; several provincial parties	Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Jose SERRA]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel ARRAES]; Brazilian Progressive Party or PP [Paulo Salim MALUF]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz DE FRANCA Penna]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jorge BORNHAUSEN]; Liberal Party or PL [Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Dr. Eneas CARNEIRO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Senator Roberto FREIRE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [leader NA]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose GENOINO]	Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Antonio HERRERA]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]
Political pressure groups and leaders:	business associations, employers' organizations; expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups	Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); business organizations; General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Peronist-dominated labor movement; Roman Catholic Church; students	left wing of the Catholic Church; Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions allied to leftist Workers' Party	FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
International organization participation:	AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC	AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MICAH, MINURSO, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC	AfDB, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISCHINGER  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco  FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249  telephone: [1] (202) 298-8140  chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007	chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON  chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York  FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171  telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400	chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto ABDENUR  FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco  chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008  telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700	chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ  chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)  FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820  telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214
Diplomatic representation from the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel R. COATS  embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin  mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265  telephone: [49] (30) 238-5174  FAX: [49] (30) 238-6290  consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich	chief of mission: Ambassador Lino GUTIERREZ  embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires  mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034  telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533  FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240	chief of mission: Ambassador Donna J. HRINAK  embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403900, Brasilia  mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030  telephone: [55] (61) 312-7000  FAX: [55] (61) 225-9136  consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo  consulate(s): Recife	chief of mission: Ambassador Charles S. SHAPIRO embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080  mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037  telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411  FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991
Flag description:	three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold	three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May	green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)	three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
	ECONOMY
Economy overview:	Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy- the fifth largest national economy in the world - has become one of the slowest growing economies in the entire euro zone, and a quick turnaround is not in the offing in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's ageing population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a national basis - have made unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities are further addressed. The government is also starting long-needed    structural reforms designed to revitalize the country's economy. In the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.	Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the country has suffered recurring economic problems of inflation, external debt, capital flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was a negative 0.8%, as both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the government's ability to pay debts and maintain the peso's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds, massive withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in consumer and investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a "zero deficit," to stabilize the banking system, and to restore economic growth proved inadequate in the face of the mounting economic problems. The peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso was floated in February; the exchange rate plunged and inflation picked up rapidly, but by mid2002 the economy had stabilized, albeit at a lower level. Strong demand for the peso compelled the Central Bank to intervene in foreign exchange markets to curb its appreciation in 2003. Led by record exports, the economy began to recover with output up 8% in 2003, unemployment falling, and inflation reduced to under 4% at year-end.	Possessing large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average, only 1.1% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President Lula DA SILVA. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, which have been reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment: in 2003, Brazil ran a record trade surplus and recorded the first current account surplus since 1992. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003, straining government finances, while Brazil's foreign debt (a mix of private and public debt) is large in relation to Brazil's modest (but growing) export base. Another challenge is maintaining economic growth over a period of time to generate employment and make the government debt burden more manageable.	Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector, which accounts for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Despite higher oil prices at the end of 2002 and into 2003, domestic political instability, culminating in a disastrous twomonth national oil strike from December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity. The economy remained in depression in 2003, declining by 9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002. In late 2003, President CHAVEZ committed himself to $1 billion in new social programs, money the government does not have.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $2.271 trillion (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $435.5 billion (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1.375 trillion (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $117.9 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:	-0.1% (2003 est.)	8.7% (2003 est.)	-0.2% (2003 est.)	-9.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:	purchasing power parity - $27,600 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $11,200 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2003 est.)
GDP composition by sector:	agriculture: 1%  industry: 31%  services: 68% (2002 est.)	by sector: agriculture: 11.1%  industry: 34.8%  services: 54.1% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 10.2%  industry: 38.7%  services: 51.2% (2003 est.	agriculture: 5%  industry: 50%  services: 45% (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):	17.7% of GDP (2003)	15.1% of GDP (2003)	18% of GDP (2003)	12.6% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:	NA	51.7% (May 2003)	22% (1998 est.)	47% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:	lowest 10%: 3.6%  highest 10%: 25.1% (1997)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: 0.7%   highest 10%: 48% (1998)	lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)
Distribution of family income Gini index:	30 (1994)	?	60.7 (1998)	49.5 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):	1.1% (2003 est.)	13.4% (2003)	14.7% (2003)	31.1% (2003 est.)
Labor force:	42.63 million (2003)	14.92 million (2003)	82.59 million (2003 est.)	11.38 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:	agriculture 2.8%, industry 33.4%, services 63.8% (1999)	agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA	agriculture 23%, industry 24%, services 53%	agriculture 13%, industry 23%, services 64% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:	10.5% (2003 est.)	?	12.3% (2003 est.)	18% (2003 est.)
Budget:revenues:	$1.079 trillion  expenditures: $1.173 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)	revenues: $26.62 billion  expenditures: $26 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)	revenues: $147.2 billion  expenditures: $172.4 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)	revenues: $19.33 billion  expenditures: $24.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (2003)
Public debt:	64.2% of GDP (2003)	65.7% of GDP (2003 est.)	58.5% of GDP (2003)	38.8% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture products:	potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry	sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock	coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef	corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Industries:	among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding; textiles	food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel	textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment	petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Industrial production growth rate:	0.2% (2003 est.)	16.2% (2003 est.)	0.4% (2003 est.)	-15.4% (2003 est.)
Electricity production:	544.8 billion kWh (2001)	97.17 billion kWh (2001)	321.2 billion kWh (2001)	87.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity  production by source:	hydro: 4.2%  other: 4.1% (2001)  nuclear: 29.9%	fossil fuel: 52.2%  hydro: 40.8%  other: 0.2% (2001)  nuclear: 6.7%	fossil fuel: 8.3%  hydro: 82.7%  other: 4.6% (2001)  nuclear: 4.4%	fossil fuel: 31.7%  hydro: 68.3%  other: 0% (2001)  nuclear: 0%
Electricity consumption:	506.8 billion kWh (2001)	92.12 billion kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity imports:	44 billion kWh (2001)	7.417 billion kWh (2001)	37.19 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:	85,860 bbl/day (2001 est.)	828,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)	1.561 million bbl/day (2001 est.)	3.08 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil consumption:	2.813 million bbl/day (2001 est.)	486,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)	2.199 million bbl/day (2001 est.)	505,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:	404,300 bbl/day (2001)	NA (2001)	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Oil - imports:	3.081 million bbl/day (2001)	NA (2001)	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:	327.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)	2.927 billion bbl (1 January 2002)	8.507 billion bbl (1 January 2002)	63.95 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas production:	22.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)	37.15 billion cu m (2001 est.)	5.95 billion cu m (2001 est.)	31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas consumption:	94.34 billion cu m (2001 est.)	31.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)	9.59 billion cu m (2001 est.)	31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas exports:	6.674 billion cu m (2001 est.)	6.05 billion cu m (2001 est.)	0 cu m (2001 est.)	0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas imports:	78.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)	0 cu m (2001 est.)	3.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)	0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas proved reserves:	298.3 billion cu m (1 January 2002)	768 billion cu m (1 January 2002)	221.7 billion cu m (1 January 2002)	4.202 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:	$57.24 billion (2003)	$7.855 billion (2003)	$3.52 billion (2003)	$9.659 billion (2003)
Exports:	$696.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)	$29.57 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)	$73.28 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)	$25.86 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports commodities:	machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles	edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles	transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos	petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports partners:	France 10.6%, US 9.3%, UK 8.4%, Italy 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Austria 5.3%, Belgium 5.1%, Spain 4.9%, Switzerland 4% (2003 est.)	Brazil 19.1%, Chile 10.7%, US 9.7%, China 7.7%, Spain 4.6% (2003 est.)	US 22.4%, China 6.9%, Germany 5.1%, Netherlands 4.4%, Mexico 4.2%, Argentina 4.1% (2003 est.)	US 48.1%, Netherlands Antilles 12.1%, Dominican Republic 2.7% (2003 est.)
Imports:	$585 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)	$13.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)	$48.25 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)	$10.71 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports commodities:	machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals	machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal manufactures, plastics	machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil	raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
Imports partners:	France 9.2%, Netherlands 8.4%, US 7.3%, Italy 6.3%, UK 6%, Belgium 4.9%, China 4.7%, Austria 4% (2003 est.)	Brazil 24.5%, US 21.5%, Germany 6.8%, Italy 4.3%, Spain 4.2% (2003 est.)	US 21.4%, Argentina 11%, Germany 8.7%, China 4.1% (2003 est.)	US 27.4%, Brazil 8.1%, Colombia 6.7%, Mexico 4.1% (2003 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:	$96.84 billion (2003)	$14.16 billion (2003)	$49.3 billion (2003)	$20.67 billion (2003)
Debt - external:	NA (2000 est.)	$145.6 billion (2003 est.)	$214.9 billion (2003)	$32.51 billion (2003)
Economic aid donor:	ODA, $5.6 billion (1998)	$10 billion (2001 est.)	$30 billion IMF disbursement (2002)	$74 million (2000)
Currency:	euro (EUR)  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries	Argentine peso (ARS)	real (BRL)	bolivar (VEB)
Currency code:	EUR	ARS	BRL	VEB
Exchange rates:	euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)	Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9003 (2003), 3.0633 (2002), 0.9995 (2001), 0.9995 (2000), 0.9995 (1999)	reals per US dollar - 3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002), 2.3577 (2001), 1.8301 (2000), 1.8147 (1999)  note: from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate was determined by a managed float; since 15 January 1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US dollar	bolivares per US dollar - 1,607.79 (2003), 1,160.95 (2002), 723.666 (2001), 679.96 (2000), 605.717 (1999)
Fiscal year:	calendar year	calendar year	calendar year	calendar year
	COMMUNICATIONS
Telephones main lines in use:	54.35 million (2003)	8,009,400 (2002)	38.81 million (2002)	2,841,800 (2002)
Telephones mobile cellular:	64.8 million (2003)	6.5 million (2002)	46,373,300 (2003)	6,463,600 (2002)
Telephone system:	general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the western part  domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign countries  international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable facilities as well as earth stations in the INMARSAT, INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, and INTERSPUTNIK satellite systems (2001)	general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of modern telecommunication technology; fiberoptic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is being improved; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and making telephone service universally available will take time  domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone use is rapidly expanding  international: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)	general assessment: good working system  domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations  international: country code - 55; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station	general assessment: modern and expanding  domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services  international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network
Radio broadcast stations:	AM 51, FM 787, shortwave 4 (1998)	AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)	AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)	AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)
Radios:	77.8 million (1997)	24.3 million (1997)	71 million (1997)	10.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:	373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)	42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)	138 (1997)	66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:	51.4 million (1998)	7.95 million (1997)	36.5 million (1997)	4.1 million (1997)
Internet country code:	.de	.ar	.br	???
Internet hosts:	2,686,119 (2004)	742,358 (2003)	3,163,349 (2003)	35,301 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):	200 (2001)	33 (2000)	50 (2000)	16 (2000)
Internet users:	39 million (2003)	4.1 million (2002)	14.3 million (2002)	1,274,400 (2002)
	TRANSPORTATION
Railways:	total: 46,039 km (20,100 km electrified)  standard gauge: 45,801 km 1.435-m gauge (20,084 km electrified)  narrow gauge: 214 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2003)	total: 34,091 km (167 km electrified)  broad gauge: 20,594 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)  standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)  narrow gauge: 10,375 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2003)	total: 29,412 km (1,610 km electrified)  broad gauge: 4,907 km 1.600-m gauge (942 km electrified)  standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge  dual gauge: 396 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2003)  narrow gauge: 23,915 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)	total: 682 km  standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Highways:	total: 230,735 km  paved: 230,735 km (including 11,515 km of expressways)  unpaved: 0 km (1999)	total: 215,471 km  paved: 63,348 km (including 734 km of expressways)  unpaved: 152,123 km (1999)	total: 1,724,929 km  paved: 94,871 km  unpaved: 1,630,058 km (2000)	total: 96,155 km  paved: 32,308 km  unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:	7,300 km  note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea (2004)	11,000 km (2004)	50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2004)	7,100 km  note: Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
Pipelines:	condensate 325 km; gas 25,289 km; oil 3,743 km; refined products 3,827 km (2003)	gas 26,797 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 3,668 km; refined products 2,945 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2003)	condensate/gas 243 km; gas 10,984 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km; oil 5,113 km; refined products 4,800 km (2003)	extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,262 km; oil 7,484 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:	Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Luebeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart	Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe, Ushuaia	Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria	Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon
Merchant marine:	total:278 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,721,495 GRT/6,810,631 DWT  by type: cargo 71, chemical tanker 14, container 169, liquefied gas 3, multifunctional large load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 5, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea/passenger 7  registered in other countries: 2,295 (2003 est.)  foreign-owned: Finland 4, Iceland 1, Netherlands 3	total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 149,007 GRT/212,620 DWT  by type: cargo 9, petroleum tanker 9, rail car carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 1  foreign-owned: Uruguay 1  registered in other countries: 26 (2003 est.)	total: 151 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,961,431 GRT/4,725,267 DWT  by type: bulk 29, cargo 22, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil 6, container 12, liquefied gas 12, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 48, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1  registered in other countries: 11 (2003 est.)  foreign-owned: Chile 2, Germany 7, Monaco 9, Panama 1, Spain 7	total: 48 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 740,919 GRT/1,191,483 DWT  registered in other countries: 4 (2003 est.)  foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Denmark 2, Greece 2, Spain 1, United States 2  by type: bulk 6, cargo 7, container 2, liquefied gas 5, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 16, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1
Airports:	550 (2003 est.)	1,335 (2003 est.)	Airports:    550 (2003 est.)     1,335 (2003 est.)    3,803 (2003 est.)    368 (2003 est.)	368 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:	total: 331  over 3,047 m: 13  2,438 to 3,047 m: 51  914 to 1,523 m: 71  under 914 m: 134 (2003 est.)  1,524 to 2,437 m: 62	total: 144  over 3,047 m: 4  2,438 to 3,047 m: 26  1,524 to 2,437 m: 62  914 to 1,523 m: 44  under 914 m: 8 (2003 est.)	total: 677  over 3,047 m: 7  2,438 to 3,047 m: 23  914 to 1,523 m: 445  under 914 m: 45 (2003 est.)  1,524 to 2,437 m: 157	total: 128  over 3,047 m: 5  2,438 to 3,047 m: 11  1,524 to 2,437 m: 31  914 to 1,523 m: 63  under 914 m: 18 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:	total: 219  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2  under 914 m: 185 (2003 est.)  914 to 1,523 m:	total: 1,191  over 3,047 m: 2  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2  1,524 to 2,437 m: 50  914 to 1,523 m: 570  under 914 m: 567 (2003 est.)	total: 3,126  1,524 to 2,437 m: 75  914 to 1,523 m: 1,434  under 914 m: 1,617 (2003 est.)	total: 240  1,524 to 2,437 m: 12  914 to 1,523 m: 89  under 914 m: 139 (2003 est.)
Heliports:	34 (2003 est.)		417 (2003 est.)
	MILITARY
Military branches:	Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche Marine; including Naval Air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe), Joint Support Service, Central Medical Service	Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes Naval Aviation and Marines), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA)	Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Brazilian Air Force (FAB)	National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada - including marines and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military manpower military age:	18 years of age (conscipts serve a nine-month tour of compulsory military service) (2004 est.)	18 years of age (2004)	18 years of age (2004 est.)	18 years of age (2004 est.)
Military manpower availability:	males age 15-49: 20,468,942 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 9,901,352 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 52,100,042 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:	males age 15-49: 17,338,435 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 8,042,304 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 34,799,098 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 4,953,803 (2004 est.)
Military manpower reaching military age annually:	males: 484,837 (2004 est.)	males: 327,738 (2004 est.)	males: 1,788,495 (2004 est.)	males: 250,730 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures dollar figure:	$35.063 billion (2003)	$4.3 billion (FY99)	$10,439.4 million (2003)	$1,125.6 million (2003)
Military expenditures percent of GDP:	1.5% (2003)	1.3% (FY00)	2.1% (2003)	1.3% (2003)
	TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES
Disputes international:	none	UK continues to reject sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, whose constitution still claims UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, but in 1995 ceded the right to settle the dispute by force; Beagle Channel islands dispute resolved through Papal mediation in 1984, but armed incidents persist since 1992 oil discovery; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question	unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina	claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that the Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and the Caribbean Sea; US, France and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation and other states' recognition of its
Illicit drugs:	source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs; major financial center	used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and the US; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing	illicit producer of cannabis; minor coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe and the US; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area	small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border

Wer sich diese Zahlen, auch wenn die variablen unter ihnen nicht immer dem neuesten Stand entsprechen, in Ruhe ansieht, wird Respekt vor der Groesse der aufgefuehrten suedamerikanischen Laender bekommen und eine Vorstellung, welche Anstrengungen notwendig sind, zum europaeischen Standard - wenn dies noch nicht geschehen ist - aufzuschliessen und diesen zu halten. Er wird allerdings auch den Sinn einiger Werte nicht gleich erkennen, falls dieser ueberhaupt erkannt werden kann, siehe z.B. die Anzahl der politischen Parteien in den suedamerikanischen Laendern.