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- U.S. Department of State
- Background Notes: Italy, July 1995
- Bureau of Public Affairs
-
- July 1995
- Official Name: Republic of Italy
-
- PROFILE
-
- Geography
-
- Area: 301,225 sq. km. (116,303 sq. mi.); about the size of Georgia
- and Florida combined.
- Cities: Capital--Rome (pop. 2.7 million). Other cities--Milan,
- Naples, Turin.
- Terrain: Mostly rugged and mountainous.
- Climate: Generally mild Mediterranean; cold northern winters.
-
- People
-
- Nationality: Noun and adjective--Italian(s).
- Population: 57 million.
- Annual growth rate: 0.2%.
- Ethnic groups: Primarily Italian, but small groups of German-,
- French-, Slovene-, and Albanian-Italians.
- Religion: Roman Catholic (majority).
- Language: Italian (official).
- Education: Years compulsory--14. Literacy--98%.
- Health: Infant mortality rate--8/1,000 live births. Life
- expectancy--74 yrs.
- Work force: 24 million; unemployment 11%. Services--60%. Industry
- and commerce--33%. Agriculture--7%.
-
- Government
-
- Type: Republic since June 2, 1946. Constitution: January 1, 1948.
- Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), Council of
- Ministers (cabinet), headed by the president of the council (prime
- minister). Legislative--bicameral parliament: 630-member Chamber of
- Deputies, 326-member Senate. Judicial--independent constitutional
- court and lower magistracy.
- Subdivisions: 94 provinces, 20 regions.
- Political parties: Forza Italia, Northern League, National Alliance,
- Democratic Party of the Left, Italian People's Party, Christian
- Democratic Center, Socialist,
- La Rete, Communist Renewal, Social Democratic, Republican, Liberal,
- Greens.
- Suffrage: Universal over 18.
-
- Economy
-
- GDP (1994): $1.02 trillion.
- Per capita income (1994): $21,300.
- GDP growth (1994): 2.2%.
- Natural resources: Fish, natural gas.
- Agriculture: Products--wheat, rice, grapes, olives, citrus fruits.
- Industry: Types--automobiles, machinery, chemicals, textiles, shoes.
- Trade (1994): Exports--$189 billion; partners--EU 54%, U.S. 8%, OPEC
- 4%; mechanical products, textiles and apparel, transportation
- equipment, metal products, chemical products, food and agricultural
- products, energy products. Imports--$167 billion; partners--EU 56%,
- OPEC 5%, U.S. 5%; machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs,
- ferrous and nonferrous metals, wool, cotton, energy products.
-
- PEOPLE AND HISTORY
-
- Italy is largely homogeneous linguistically and religiously but is
- diverse culturally, economically, and politically. Italy has the
- fifth-highest population density in Europe--about 200 persons per
- square kilometer (490/sq. mi.). Minority groups are small, the
- largest being the German-speaking people of Bolzano Province and the
- Slovenes around Trieste. Other groups comprise small communities of
- Albanian, Greek, Ladino, and French origin. Although Roman
- Catholicism is the majority religion--99% of the people are nominally
- Catholic--all religious faiths are provided equal freedom before the
- law by the constitution.
-
- Greeks settled in the southern tip of the Italian peninsula in the
- eighth and seventh centuries B.C.; Etruscans, Romans, and others
- inhabited the central and northern mainland. The peninsula
- subsequently was unified under the Roman Republic. The neighboring
- islands also came under Roman control by the third century B.C.; by
- the first century A.D., the Roman Empire effectively dominated the
- Mediterranean world. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the
- West in the fifth century A.D., the peninsula and islands were
- subjected to a series of invasions, and political unity was lost.
- Italy became an oft-changing succession of small states,
- principalities, and kingdoms which fought among themselves and were
- subject to ambitions of foreign powers. Popes of Rome ruled central
- Italy; rivalries between the popes and the Holy Roman Emperors, who
- claimed Italy as their domain, often made the peninsula a
- battleground.
-
- Commercial prosperity of northern and central Italian cities,
- beginning in the 11th century, and the influence of the Renaissance
- mitigated somewhat the effects of these medieval political rivalries.
- Although Italy declined after the 16th century, the Renaissance had
- strengthened the idea of a single Italian nationality. By the early
- 19th century, a nationalist movement developed and led to the
- reunification of Italy--except for Rome--in the 1860s. In 1861,
- Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy was proclaimed King of
- Italy. Rome was incorporated in 1870. From 1870 until 1922, Italy
- was a constitutional monarchy with a parliament elected under limited
- suffrage.
-
- ============================================
- Italy's Cultural Contributions
-
- Europe's Renaissance period began in Italy during the 14th and 15th
- centuries. Literary achievements--such as the poetry of Petrarch,
- Tasso, and Ariosto and the prose of Boccaccio, Machiavelli, and
- Castiglione--exerted a tremendous and lasting influence on the
- subsequent development of Western civilization, as did the painting,
- sculpture, and architecture contributed by giants such as da Vinci,
- Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, and Michelangelo.
-
- The musical influence of Italian composers Monteverdi, Palestrina,
- and Vivaldi proved epochal; in the 19th century, Italian romantic
- opera flourished under composers Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi,
- and Giacomo Puccini. Contemporary Italian artists, writers,
- filmmakers, architects, composers, and designers contribute
- significantly to Western culture.
- ============================================
-
- 20th-Century History
-
- During World War I, Italy renounced its standing alliance with
- Germany and Austria-Hungary and, in 1915, entered the war on the side
- of the Allies. Under the postwar settlement, Italy received some
- former Austrian territory along the northeast frontier. In 1922,
- Benito Mussolini came to power and, over the next few years,
- eliminated political parties, curtailed personal liberties, and
- installed a fascist dictatorship termed the Corporate State. The
- king, with little or no effective power, remained titular head of
- state.
-
- Italy allied with Germany and declared war on the United Kingdom and
- France in 1940. In 1941, Italy--with the other Axis powers, Germany
- and Japan--declared war on the United States and the Soviet Union.
- Following the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, the King dismissed
- Mussolini and appointed Marshal Pietro Badoglio as Premier. The
- Badoglio government declared war on Germany, which quickly occupied
- most of the country and freed Mussolini, who led a brief-lived regime
- in the north. An anti-fascist popular resistance movement grew
- during the last two years of the war, harassing German forces before
- they were driven out in April 1945. The monarchy was ended by a 1946
- plebiscite, and a constituent assembly was elected to draw up plans
- for the republic.
-
- Under the 1947 peace treaty, minor adjustments were made in Italy's
- frontier with France, the eastern border area was transferred to
- Yugoslavia, and the area around the city of Trieste was designated a
- free territory. In 1954, the free territory, which had remained
- under the administration of U.S.-U.K. forces (Zone A, including the
- city of Trieste) and Yugoslav forces (Zone B), was divided between
- Italy and Yugoslavia, principally along the zonal boundary. This
- arrangement was made permanent by the Italian-Yugoslav Treaty of
- Osimo, ratified in 1977 (currently being discussed by Italy,
- Slovenia, and Croatia). Under the 1947 peace treaty, Italy also gave
- up its overseas territories and certain Mediterranean islands.
-
- The Roman Catholic Church's status in Italy has been determined,
- since its temporal powers ended in 1870, by a series of accords with
- the Italian Government. Under the Lateran Pacts of 1929, which were
- confirmed by the present constitution, the state of Vatican City is
- recognized by Italy as an independent, sovereign entity. While
- preserving that recognition, in 1984, Italy and the Vatican updated
- several provisions of the 1929 accords. Included was the end of
- Roman Catholicism as Italy's formal state religion.
-
- GOVERNMENT
-
- Italy has been a democratic republic since June 2, 1946, when the
- monarchy was abolished by popular referendum. The constitution was
- promulgated on January 1, 1948.
-
- The Italian state is highly centralized. The prefect of each of the
- provinces is appointed by and answerable to the central government.
- In addition to the provinces, the constitution provides for 20
- regions with limited governing powers. Five regions--Sardinia,
- Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige, Valle d'Aosta, and Friuli-Venezia
- Giulia--function with special autonomy statutes. The other 15
- regions were established in 1970 and vote for regional "councils".
- The establishment of regional governments throughout Italy has
- brought some decentralization to the national governmental machinery.
-
- The 1948 constitution established a bicameral parliament (Chamber of
- Deputies and Senate), a separate judiciary, and an executive branch
- composed of a Council of Ministers (cabinet) which is headed by the
- president of the council (prime minister). The president of the
- republic is elected for seven years by the parliament sitting jointly
- with a small number of regional delegates. The president nominates
- the prime minister, who chooses the other ministers. The Council of
- Ministers--in practice composed mostly of members of parliament--must
- retain the confidence of both houses.
-
- The houses of parliament are popularly and directly elected by a
- mixed majoritarian and proportional representation system. Under
- 1993 legislation, Italy has single-member districts for 75% of the
- seats in parliament; the remaining 25% of seats are allotted on a
- proportional basis. The Chamber of Deputies has 630 members. In
- addition to 315 elected members, the Senate includes former
- presidents and several other persons appointed for life according to
- special constitutional provisions. Both houses are elected for a
- maximum of five years, but either may be dissolved before the
- expiration of its normal term. Legislative bills may originate in
- either house and must be passed by a majority in both.
-
- The Italian judicial system is based on Roman law modified by the
- Napoleonic code and subsequent statutes. There is only partial
- judicial review of legislation in the American sense. A
- constitutional court, which passes on the constitutionality of laws,
- is a post-World War II innovation. Its powers, volume, and frequency
- of decisions are not as extensive as those of the U.S. Supreme Court.
-
- Principal Government Officials
-
- President--Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
- Prime Minister--Lamberto Dini
- Foreign Minister--Susanna Agnelli
- Ambassador to the United States--Boris Biancheri
-
- Italy maintains an embassy in the United States at 1601 Fuller Street
- NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-328-5500).
-
- POLITICAL CONDITIONS
-
- There have been frequent government turnovers since 1945. The
- dominance of the Christian Democratic (DC) party during much of the
- postwar period lent continuity and comparative stability to Italy's
- political situation.
-
- From 1992 to 1995, Italy faced significant challenges as voters--
- disenchanted with past political paralysis, massive government debt,
- extensive corruption, and organized crime's considerable influence--
- demanded political, economic, and ethical reforms. In 1993
- referendums, voters approved substantial changes, including moving
- from a proportional to majoritarian electoral system and the
- abolishment of some ministries.
-
- Major political parties, beset by scandal and loss of voter
- confidence, underwent far-reaching changes. New political forces and
- new alignments of power emerged in March 1994 national elections--
- there was a major turnover in the new parliament, with 452 out of 630
- deputies and 213 out of 315 senators elected for the first time. The
- 1994 elections also swept media magnate Silvio Berlusconi--and his
- "Freedom Alliance" coalition--into office as Prime Minister.
- However, Berlusconi was forced to step down in January 1995 when one
- member of his coalition withdrew support.
-
- Italy's current Prime Minister, Lamberto Dini, is a respected
- economist who also heads the finance ministry. His government of
- technocrats has already implemented much of its ambitious reform
- program. Once the reforms are completed, Italy is expected to hold
- new national elections.
-
- In April 1995 regional elections, Italians confounded pollsters, who
- had predicted a big lead for former Prime Minister Berlusconi's
- "Forza Italia" movement. Instead, voters split almost evenly between
- center-right and center-left coalitions, making it difficult to
- predict the outcome of the next national elections.
-
- Political Parties
-
- Italy's dramatic self-renewal transformed the political landscape
- between 1992 and 1995. Scandal investigations touched thousands of
- politicians, administrators, and businessmen; the shift from a
- proportional to majoritarian voting system (with the requirement to
- obtain a minimum of 4% of the national vote to obtain representation)
- also altered political ground rules.
-
- Party changes were sweeping. The Christian Democratic party
- dissolved; the Italian People's Party and the Christian Democratic
- Center emerged. Other major parties, such as the Socialists, saw
- support plummet. New movements such as Forza Italia, led by former
- Prime Minister Berlusconi, gained wide support. The National
- Alliance broke from the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement. A trend
- toward two large coalitions--one on the center-left and the other on
- the center-right--emerged from the April 1995 regional elections.
- Should this trend continue, it would represent a major break from the
- fragmented, multi-party political landscape of the Italian postwar
- era.
-
- The largest parties in the Chamber are: Forza Italia (21%);
- Democratic Party of the Left--moderate successor to the Italian
- Communist Party--(20%); National Alliance (14%); Italian People's
- Party--primary successor to the DC--(11%); Northern League (8%); and
- Communist Renewal--hard-line successor to the Italian Communist
- Party--(6%). In the Senate, the largest groups are: Forza Italia-
- Northern League (20%); Forza Italia-National Alliance (14%);
- Progressive Alliance--PDS and others--(33%); Pact for Italy (17%);
- National Alliance (6%).
-
- ECONOMY
-
- The Italian economy has changed dramatically since the end of World
- War II. From an agriculturally based economy, it has developed into
- an industrial state that ranks as the world's fifth-largest
- industrial economy. Italy belongs to the Group of Seven (G-7)
- industrialized nations; it is a member of the European Union and the
- OECD.
-
- Italy has few natural resources. With much of the land unsuited for
- farming, it is a net food importer. There are no substantial
- deposits of iron, coal, or oil. Proven natural gas reserves, mainly
- in the Po Valley and offshore Adriatic, have grown in recent years
- and constitute the country's most important mineral resource. Most
- raw materials needed for manufacturing and more than 80% of the
- country's energy sources are imported. Italy's economic strength is
- in the processing and the manufacturing of goods, primarily in small
- and medium-sized family-owned firms. Its major industries are
- precision machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
- electrical goods, and fashion and clothing.
-
- Italy's economic performance improved in 1994 and early 1995. GDP
- rose 2.2% in 1994, and for 1995, GDP is forecast to improve by more
- than 3%. Italy's 1994 trade surplus was $22 billion, and its current
- account surplus was $16 billion. Continued competitive lira exchange
- rates should assist further export-led growth. Inflation was 4% in
- 1994, rising above 5% in early 1995.
-
- In coordination with the EU's planning for an eventual single market,
- Italy seeks to align its economic policies with those of the other
- major continental economies and to privatize large state-owned
- holding companies in a number of sectors. Italy faces several
- economic and political hurdles in achieving both goals while
- maintaining social cohesion. Moreover, under terms of the Maastricht
- Treaty, a convergence target of 3% has been set for public sector
- deficit as percentage of GDP--far below Italy's present rate. Also,
- Italy's public debt/GDP ratio does not put it realistically within
- reach of the treaty' s target of 60%.
-
- Italian Government efforts to reduce the relative sustained size of
- the public sector budget deficit have met some success. The public
- sector deficit dropped to about 9% of GDP in 1994 and should drop
- again to a forecast 8% of GDP in 1995, assuming continued reform.
- Italy's government debt was 124% of GDP in 1994. These deficit/GDP
- and debt/GDP ratios remain well above the rest of the group of major
- industrial economies and complicate efforts to coordinate Italy's
- economic policies with those of its major European partners.
-
- Italy's closest trade ties are with the other countries of the
- European Union, with whom it conducts about 55% of its total trade.
- Italy's largest EU trade partners, in order of market share, are
- Germany (19%), France (14%), and the United Kingdom (6%).
-
- U.S.-Italy Economic Relations
-
- The U.S.-Italian bilateral relationship is strong and growing. The
- U.S. and Italy cooperate closely on major economic issues, including
- within the G-7, which Italy chaired in 1994. With a large population
- and a high per capita income, Italy is one of the United States' most
- important trading partners. In 1994, the United States was the
- fifth-largest single foreign supplier of the Italian market (with a
- market share of 5%) and the largest outside the EU. Total trade
- between the United States and Italy exceeded $22 billion in 1994; the
- U.S. ran more than a $7 billion deficit with Italy.
-
- Significant changes are occurring in the composition of this trade
- which could narrow the gap. More value-added products such as office
- machinery and aircraft are becoming the principal U.S. exports to
- Italy. The change reveals the growing sophistication of the Italian
- market, and bilateral trade will expand further. During 1994, the
- United States imported about $15 billion in Italian goods while
- exporting about $8 billion in U.S. goods to Italy. U.S. foreign
- direct investment in Italy exceeds $14 billion; Italian investment in
- the U.S. is growing fast.
-
- Labor
-
- A rigid labor market and protective legislation for employed workers
- have compounded Italy's major problem of unemployment, which held at
- about 11% in 1994--with most job losses occurring in the industrial
- sector. For structural economic reasons, unemployment should
- continue to be a problem even with economic recovery and modest wage
- gains. Although skilled labor is in short supply in some categories,
- inefficient use of labor, structural unemployment, and
- underemployment persist, as does labor unreported for tax purposes.
- Adult and youth unemployment are more acute in southern than in
- northern Italy.
-
- Official estimates place the unionization rate of the labor force at
- 15%; this does not reflect union statistics, since it accounts only
- for dues-paying, active workers, omitting retiree/pensioner figures.
- Most Italian unions are grouped in three confederations, each of
- which has had traditional ties with a particular political party.
- With the collapse and near disappearance of the traditional ruling
- parties, these informal ties have ended, and the confederations now
- emphasize their autonomy from political parties. The three major
- confederations are the Italian Confederation of Labor Unions (CISL),
- the Italian General Confederation of Labor (CGIL), and the Union of
- Italian Labor (UIL). The approximate labor shares for the three
- confederations are: CGIL, 42%; CISL, 37%; and UIL, 20%.
-
- Agriculture
-
- Italy's agriculture is typical of the division between the
- agricultures of the northern and southern countries of the European
- Union. The northern part of Italy produces primarily grains, sugar
- beets, soybeans, meat, and dairy products, while the southern section
- specializes in producing fruits, vegetables, olive oil, wine, and
- durum wheat.
-
- Even though much of its mountainous terrain is unsuitable for
- farming, Italy has a large work force (1.6 million) employed in
- farming. Most farms are small, with the average farm only seven
- hectares.
-
- FOREIGN RELATIONS
-
- Italy was a founding member of the European Community--now the
- European Union (EU). Italy was admitted to the United Nations in
- 1955 and is a member and strong supporter of the North Atlantic
- Treaty Organization (NATO); the Organization for Economic Cooperation
- and Development (OECD); the General Agreement on Tariffs and
- Trade/World Trade Organization (GATT/WTO); the Organization for
- Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Western European Union
- (WEU); and the Council of Europe. It chaired the CSCE and the G-7 in
- 1994 and will chair the EU in 1996.
-
- Italy firmly supports the United Nations and its international
- security activities. Italy actively participated in and deployed
- troops in support of UN peacekeeping missions in Somalia,
- Mozambique, and Cambodia and provides critical support for NATO and
- UN operations in Bosnia.
-
- The Italian Government seeks to obtain consensus with other European
- countries on various defense and security issues within the WEU as
- well as NATO. European integration and the development of common
- defense and security policies will continue to be of primary interest
- to Italy.
-
- DEFENSE
-
- A strong NATO ally, Italy occupies an important strategic position in
- the Mediterranean, critical to regional security and for enhancing
- stability in the Balkans, North Africa, and the Middle East. To meet
- challenges of the post-Cold War era, Italy has proposed a "New
- Defense Model" that calls for the creation of more mobile and highly
- trained units staffed by career professionals. The Italian military
- is subordinate to civilian authority, which is vested in the Ministry
- of Defense. Under the authority of the Defense Minister, the armed
- forces have also been used in Italy for emergency relief and
- combating organized crime. For 1995, Italy's defense budget will
- equal 1% to 2% of GDP.
-
- U.S.-ITALY RELATIONS
-
- The United States enjoys warm and friendly relations with Italy. The
- two are NATO allies and cooperate in the United Nations, in various
- regional organizations, and bilaterally for peace, prosperity, and
- defense. Italy has worked closely with the United States and others
- on such issues as NATO and UN operation in Bosnia; sanctions against
- the former Yugoslavia; assistance to Russia and the New Independent
- States (NIS); Middle East peace process multilateral talks; Somalia
- and Mozambique peacekeeping; and combating drug trafficking and
- terrorism.
-
- Under long-standing bilateral agreements flowing from NATO
- membership, Italy hosts important U.S. military forces at Vincenza
- and Livorno (Army); Aviano (Air Force); and Sigonella, Gaeta, and
- Naples--home port for the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet. The United States
- has about 17,000 military personnel stationed in Italy. Italy hosts
- the NATO War College in Rome.
-
- Italy remains a strong and active trans-Atlantic partner which, along
- with the United States, has sought to foster democratic ideals and
- international cooperation in areas of strife and civil conflict.
- Toward this end, the Italian Government has cooperated with the U.S.
- in the formulation of defense, security, and peacekeeping policies.
-
- Principal U.S. Officials
-
- Ambassador--Reginald Bartholomew
- Deputy Chief of Mission--James Creagan
- Political Affairs--Shaun Byrnes
- Economic Affairs--Robert Smolik
- Public Affairs--Cynthia Miller
- Commercial Affairs--Keith Bovetti
- Agricultural Section--Frank Padovano
- Defense Attache--Capt. Philip Bozzelli, USN
-
- Consular Posts
-
- Consul General, Florence--Sue Patterson
- Consul General, Milan--George Griffin
- Consul General, Naples--Clarke Ellis
-
- The U.S. embassy in Italy is located at Via Veneto 119, Rome (tel.
- (39)(6) 46741).
-
- TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
-
- The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
- Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. Travel Warnings are
- issued when the Department of State recommends that Americans avoid
- travel to a certain country. Consular Information Sheets exist for
- all countries and include information on immigration practices,
- currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime
- and security information, political disturbances, and the addresses
- of the U.S. embassies and consulates in the subject country. They can
- be obtained by telephone at (202) 647-5225 or by fax at (202) 647-
- 3000. To access the Consular Affairs Bulletin Board by computer, dial
- (202) 647-9225, via a modem with standard settings. Bureau of
- Consular Affairs' publications on obtaining passports and planning a
- safe trip abroad are available from the Superintendent of Documents,
- U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (202) 783-
- 3238.
-
- Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be
- obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-
- 5225.
-
- While planning a trip, travelers can check the latest information on
- health requirements and conditions with the U.S. Centers for Disease
- Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at (404) 332-
- 4559 provides telephonic or fax information on the most recent health
- advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice
- on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A
- booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS
- publication number CDC-94-8280, price $7.00) is available from the
- Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
- Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.
-
- Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and
- customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to
- travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country's
- embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see
- "Principal Government Officials" listing in this publication).
-
- Upon their arrival in a country, U.S. citizens are encouraged to
- register with the U.S. embassy (see "Principal U.S. Embassy
- Officials" listing in this publication). Such information might
- assist family members in making contact en route in case of an
- emergency.
-
- Further Electronic Information:
-
- Consular Affairs Bulletin Board (CABB). Available by modem, the CABB
- provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and helpful
- information for travelers. Access at (202) 647-9225 is free of charge
- to anyone with a personal computer, modem, telecommunications
- software, and telephone line.
-
- Department of State Foreign Affairs Network. Available on the
- Internet, DOSFAN provides timely, global access to official U.S.
- foreign policy information. Updated daily, DOSFAN includes Background
- Notes; Dispatch, the official weekly magazine of U.S. foreign policy;
- daily press briefings; directories of key officers of foreign service
- posts; etc. DOSFAN is accessible three ways on the Internet:
-
- Gopher: dosfan.lib.uic.edu
-
- URL: gopher://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/
-
- WWW: http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/dosfan.html
-
- U.S. Foreign Affairs on CD-ROM (USFAC). Published on a quarterly
- basis by the U.S. Department of State, USFAC archives information on
- the Department of State Foreign Affairs Network, and includes an
- array of official foreign policy information from 1990 to the
- present. Priced at $80 ($100 foreign), one-year subscriptions include
- four discs (MSDOS and Macintosh compatible) and are available from
- the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
- P.O. Box 37194, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. To order, call (202) 512-
- 1800 or fax (202) 512-2250.
-
- Federal Bulletin Board (BBS). A broad range of foreign policy
- information also is carried on the BBS, operated by the U.S.
- Government Printing Office (GPO). By modem, dial (202) 512-1387. For
- general BBS information, call (202) 512-1530.
-
- National Trade Data Bank (NTDB). Operated by the U.S. Department of
- Commerce, the NTDB contains a wealth of trade-related information,
- including Country Commercial Guides. It is available on the Internet
- (gopher. stat-usa.gov) and on CD-ROM. Call the NTDB Help-Line at
- (202) 482-1986 for more information.
-
- Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
- Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
- DC -- July 1995 -- Managing Editor: Peter A. Knecht -- Editor:
- Marilyn J. Bremner
-
- Department of State Publication 9542 -- Background Notes series --
- This material is in the public domain and may be reprinted without
- permission; citation of this source is appreciated.
-
- For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
- Office, Washington, DC 20402.
-
- (###)
-