Royal Air Algeria

Background Notes: Brunei, October 1998Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsU.S. Department of StateOFFICIAL NAME: Brunei DarussalamPROFILEGeographyArea: 5,769 sq. km. (2,227 sq. mi.), slightly larger than Delaware.Cities: Capital--Bandar Seri Begawan.Terrain: East--flat coastal plains with beaches; west--hilly with a few mountain ridges.Climate: Equatorial; high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Bruneian(s).Population (1998 est.): 320,000.Annual growth rate: 2.5%.Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, other indigenous.Religion: Islam.Languages: Malay, English, Chinese; Iban and other indigenous dialects.Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--90%. (1996)Health: Life expectancy--74 years. Infant mortality rate(1996)--6.9/1,000. GovernmentType: Sultanate.Independence: January 1, 1984.Constitution: 1959.Branches: Executive--Sultan is both head of state and prime minister, presiding over an 11-member cabinet. Judicial (ba ... [Read More]

Saudi Arabia (09/04)

The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Int ... [Read More]

Foreign Entry Requirements

HONG KONG, SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION - *Passport and onward/return transportation by sea/air required. Visa not required for tourist/business stay of up to 90 days. Confirmed hotel and flight reservations recommended during peak travel months. Departure tax 80 Hong Kong dollars (approx. $10.30) and airport security tax 33 HK dollars (approx. $4.29) paid at airport. Visa required for work or study. For other types of travel, consult the Visa Section of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (202/338-6688). Internet: www.china-embassy.org ... [Read More]

US and Coalition 2001

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta announced that U.S. airspace would be reopened to commercial air traffic. Airports would re-open on a case-by-case basis under more intense security. The only major airport that remained closed was Reagan National, in view of its proximity to downtown Washington. ...

October 9, 2001: As the air campaign continued in Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld hinted that direct air support might be provided to the Northern Alliance and other opponents of the Taliban. Gen. Myers reported that U.S. forces had achieved "air supremacy over Afghanistan." ... [Read More]

Appendix A -- Chronology of Significant International Terrorist Incidents, 2003 (Revised 6/22/04)

On 31 March 2003, in Havana, Cuba, a man armed with two grenades hijacked a domestic airliner with 46 passengers and crew aboard in an attempt to reach the United States. After making an emergency landing in Havana airport due to insufficient fuel, the plane was kept all night on the runway of Havana airport. ...

On the next day, 1 April 2003, more than 20 passengers left the aircraft, apparently unharmed. With at least 25 passengers on board, the hijacked plane then departed Havana airport and safely landed in Key West, Florida. ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATEBACKGROUND NOTES: MOROCCO, NOVEMBER 1994PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSNovember 1994Official Name: Kingdom of MoroccoPROFILEGeographyArea: 446,550 sq. km. (172,413 sq. mi.); slightly largerthan California.Cities: Capital--Rabat (pop. 1.2 million in urbanprefecture of Rabat-Sale). Other cities--Casablanca (3million), Marrakech, Fez, Tangier.Terrain: Coastal plain, mountains, desert. Climate:Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Moroccan(s).Population (est.): 28 million.Annual growth rate (est.): 2.2%.Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%. Religions: Muslim,Christian 1%, Jewish 0.2%.Languages: Arabic (official), several Berber dialects;French is often the language of business, government, anddiplomacy.Education: Years compulsory--7. Literacy--43%.Health: Infant mortality rate--53/1,000. Life expectancy--66 years male, 69 years female.Work force (7.4 million): Agriculture--50% ... [Read More]

Foreign Entry Requirements

MONTENEGRO - Passport required. Visa not required for stays of up to 90 days. For longer stays, contact the Embassy of Serbia and Montenegro, 2134 Kalorama Road, N.W., Washington, DC 20008 (202/332-0333 ext. 103) or the Consulate General of Serbia and Montenegro, 201 East Ohio St., Suite 200, Chicago, Illinois 60611 (312/670-6707 ext. 108). MONTSERRAT - (See West Indies, British) MOROCCO - *Passport required. Visa not required for st ... [Read More]

Department of State, International Information Programs, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, December 1999 - "Preventing Conflict: Military Engagement in Peacetime"

The coalition forces trained together for a little over a week to conduct this precise demonstration by sea, air, and land units. It began with an inflatable raiding craft launch from amphibious units at sea as Egyptian F-16s soared overhead engaging French Mirage 2000 aircraft representing hostile intruders. The forces began their beach landing with Egyptian Rangers, Naval Special Operations Forces from the Egyptian Navy, and forces from the U.K./Netherlands Landing Force hitting the sand, first, to carry out reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition. Close air support followed the landing with Harrier aircraft from the U.S. Marine Corps' 22nd MEU (SOC) (Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable) from the USS BATAAN. Then, aviation patrols with a pair of AH-1W (Huey) Cobra helicopters swept in from the 22nd MEU (SOC), followed by a Gazelle Light Observation helicopter and a Lynx TOW armed helicopter from the U.K./Netherlands Air Force. ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Estonia is primarily a source and transit country for a small number of women and children trafficked internally and abroad — to surrounding Nordic and EU countries for the purpose of sexual exploitation. New information shows that Estonian victims include both ethnic Estonians and those that are Russian-speaking natives from the country’s northeast. Victims transiting through Estonia are mainly from neighboring countries, such as Russia and Latvia. The Government of Estonia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The deputy under secretaries of four principal ministries met regularly during the reporting period to coordinate Estonia’s efforts to combat trafficking in persons. In 2004, police raided and closed 28 of an estimated 45 brothels in Estonia. Still, the number of tra ... [Read More]