World Statistics Pocketbook

Technical notes - Statistical sources - References

Technical notes

Country nomenclature

The geographical designations and presentation of the material in this publication have been adopted solely for the purpose of providing a convenient geographical basis for the statistical series. Because of space limitations, the country or area names used in the tables are generally the commonly employed short names in use in the United Nations, the full names being used only when a short form is not available. Countries or areas are listed in English alphabetical order.

Country notes

China: For statistical purposes the data for China do not include those for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Province of China, except for statistics relating to population of Taiwan Province.

China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: Pursuant to the Joint Declaration signed on 19 December 1984, the United Kingdom restored Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997; the People's Republic of China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over the territory with effect from that date.

China, Macao Special Administrative Region: Pursuant to the Joint Declaration signed on 13 April 1987, Portugal restored Macao to the People's Republic of China with effect from 20 December 1999; the People's Republic of China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over the territory with effect from that date.

Symbols and abbreviations

...	Data not available
–	Magnitude zero
<	Magnitude not zero, but less than half of the unit employed
–<	Magnitude not zero, but negative and less than half of the unit employed
60+	Aged sixty years and over
.	Decimal figures are always preceded by a period (.)
avg.	Average
CFA	Coopération financière en Afrique centrale
m	Men
MT	Metric tons
w	Women

Notes on the indicators

Terms given below are arranged in alphabetical order and are defined in the Definitions, which follows this section.

Below are brief descriptions of the indicators presented in the country profiles. The terms are arranged in alphabetical order. Numbers in square brackets refer to the primary sources of the data, listed in the Statistical sources section.

Agricultural production index: The indices are calculated by the Laspeyres formula based on the sum of price-weighted quantities of different agricultural commodities produced. The commodities covered in the computation of indices of agricultural production are all crops and livestock products originating in each country. Practically all products are covered, with the main exception of fodder crops. Production quantities of each commodity are weighted by the average international commodity prices in the base period and summed for each year. To obtain the index, the aggregate for a given year is divided by the average aggregate for the base period 1999-2001. Indices are calculated without any deductions for feed and seed and are referred to as “gross” by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Source of the data: FAOSTAT database [2] of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, available at http://faostat.fao.org/site/612/default.aspx#ancor (last accessed 29 September 2009).

Balance of payments is a statement summarizing the economic transactions between the residents of a country and nonresidents during a specific period, usually a year. It includes transactions in goods, services, income, transfers and financial assets and liabilities. Generally, the balance of payments is divided into two major components: the current account and the capital and financial account. The data on balance of payments presented in the World Statistics Pocketbook correspond to the current account category. The current account is a record of all transactions in the balance of payments covering the exports and imports of goods and services, payments of income, and current transfers between residents of a country and nonresidents.

Source of the data: International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics [5], available at http://www.imfstatistics.org/imf/ (last accessed 4 November 2009).

CO₂ emission estimates represent the volume of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) produced during the combustion of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels, and from gas flaring and the manufacture of cement. Original data were converted to CO₂emissions by using the conversion formula: 1 gram Carbon = 3.664 grams CO₂, as per http://cdiac.ornl.gov/pns/convert.html#3.

Source of the data: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center [1], available at http://cdiac.ornl.gov/ftp/ndp030/CSV-FILES/nation.1751_2006.csv (last accessed 29 October 2009).

Contraceptive prevalence refers to the percentage of women married or in-union aged 15 to 49 who are currently using, or whose sexual partner is using, at least one method of contraception, regardless of the method used. Contraceptive methods include modern methods such as sterilization, oral hormonal pills, the intra-uterine device, the condom, injectables, the implant, vaginal barrier methods and emergency contraception and traditional methods such as the rhythm, withdrawal, lactational amenorrhea method and folk methods. The data contain the most recent estimates of contraceptive prevalence between the years 2006 and 2009 available as of May 2009.

Source of the data: World Contraceptive Use 2009 database [11], produced by the United Nations Population Division using data from nationally representative surveys including the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), the Fertility and Family Surveys (FFS), the CDC-assisted Reproductive Health Surveys (RHS), the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and national family planning, or health, or household, or socio-economic surveys.

CPI: Consumer price index measures changes over time in the general level of prices of goods and services that a reference population acquires, uses or pays for consumption. A consumer price index is estimated as a series of summary measures of the period-to-period proportional change in the prices of a fixed set of consumer goods and services of constant quantity and characteristics, acquired, used or paid for by the reference population. Each summary measure is constructed as a weighted average of a large number of elementary aggregate indices. Each of the elementary aggregate indices is estimated using a sample of prices for a defined set of goods and services obtained in, or by residents of, a specific region from a given set of outlets or other sources of consumption goods and services. Unless otherwise noted, the indices here generally refer to “all items” and to the country as a whole.

Source of the data: LABORSTA Internet [4], an International Labour Organization database, table 7A Consumer prices, general indices, at http://laborsta.ilo.org (last accessed 23 September 2009).

Currency refers to those notes and coins in circulation that are commonly used to make payments. The official currency names and the ISO currency codes are those officially in use, and may be subject to change.

Source of the information: United Nations Treasury’s [23] website at http://www.un.org/Depts/treasury/ as of 1 November 2009.

Deaths by assault: The rates are the annual number of deaths purposely inflicted by other persons, reported by sex for the year per 100 000 corresponding mid-year population. The data refer to the latest available year between 2005 and 2006.

Source of the data: United Nations Statistics Division’s Demographic Yearbook 2006 [17], Table 21, Death and death rates by cause, classified under External causes, assaults. See also http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm.

Education: Female third-level students percentages are the number of female students at the third-level of education expressed as a percentage of the total number of students (males and females) at the same level in a given school year. Third-level education is that which is provided at university, teachers’ college, higher professional school, and which requires, as a minimum condition of admission, the successful completion of education at the second level, or evidence of the attainment of an equivalent level of knowledge. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the latest available year between 2005 and 2008.

Source of the data: the website of the UNESCO Institute of Statistics [8], table 14 Tertiary indicators, available at http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=167 (last accessed 28 October 2009).

Education: Government expenditure (% of GDP): Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the latest available year between 2005 and 2008. They show the trends in general government expenditures for educational affairs and services at pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels and subsidiary services to education expressed as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product.

Source of the data: the website of UNESCO Institute for Statistics [8], Table 19: Finance Indicators by ISCED level, available at http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=172 (last accessed 28 October 2009).

Education: Primary and secondary gross enrolment ratio is the total enrolment in first and second levels of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population corresponding to the same level of education in a given school year. Education at the first level provides the basic elements of education (e.g. at elementary school or primary school). Education at the second level is provided at middle school, secondary school, high school, teacher-training school at this level and schools of a vocational or technical nature. Enrolment is at the beginning of the school or academic year. The gross enrolment ratio at the first and second level should include all pupils whatever their ages, whereas the population is limited to the range of official school ages. Therefore, for countries with almost universal education among the school-age population, the gross enrolment ratio will exceed 100 if the actual age distribution of pupils extends beyond the official school ages. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the latest available year between 2005 and 2008.

Source of the data: The website of the UNESCO Institute of Statistics [8], Table 5 Enrolment ratios by ISCED level, available at http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=182 (last accessed 28 October 2009).

Employment in agricultural and in industrial sectors: The “employed” comprise all persons above a specified age who, during a specified brief period, either one week or one day, were in "paid employment” or in "self-employment” as defined below. "Persons in paid employment” comprise all persons in the following categories: (a) "at work": persons who during the reference period performed some work for wages, salary or related payments, in cash or in kind; or (b) "with a job but not at work": persons who, having already worked in their present job, were absent during the reference period and continued to have a strong attachment to their job. "Persons in self-employment” comprise all persons (a) "at work": persons who during the reference period performed some work for profit or family gain, in cash or in kind; or (b) "with an enterprise but not at work": persons with an enterprise, which may be a business enterprise, a farm or a service undertaking, who were temporarily not at work during the reference period for any specific reason. Employers, own-account workers and members of producers' co-operatives should be considered as in self-employment and should be classified as "at work” or "not at work”, as the case may be. (See ILO’s Current International Recommendations on Labour Statistics). Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the 15 years and over age group who perform any work at all in the reference period, for pay or profit in industry (mining, manufacturing, electricity, gas and water and construction) and agriculture. Agriculture comprises the following divisions of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), Rev. 4: crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities, forestry and lodging, and fishing and aquaculture.

Source of the data: The Key Indicators of the Labour Market database [3], prepared by the International Labour Organization (ILO), available at http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/kilm/ (last accessed 5 October 2009).

Energy consumption per capita: Data on consumption refers to “apparent consumption”, which is derived from the formula “production + imports - exports - bunkers +/- stock changes”.

Source of the data: The Energy Statistics database of the United Nations Statistics Division (last accessed 7 December 2009) and the Energy Statistics Yearbook [18].

Energy production, primary, refers to the first stage of production of various forms of energy (from sources that involve only extraction or capture, with or without separation from contiguous material, cleaning or grading, before the energy embodied in that source can be converted into heat or mechanical work, converted into a common unit (metric ton of oil equivalent) (see United Nations publication Concepts and Methods in Energy Statistics, with Special Reference to Energy Accounts and Balances, 1982).

Source of the data: The Energy Statistics database of the United Nations Statistics Division (last accessed 7 December 2009) and the Energy Statistics Yearbook [18].

Exchange rates are shown in units of national currency per US dollar and refer to end-of-period quotations. The exchange rates are classified into broad categories, reflecting both the role of the authorities in the determination of the exchange and/or the multiplicity of exchange rates in a country. The market rate is used to describe exchange rates determined largely by market forces; the official rate is an exchange rate determined by the authorities, sometimes in a flexible manner. For countries maintaining multiple exchange arrangements, the rates are labelled principal rate, secondary rate, and tertiary rate.

Source of the data: The International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics [5], available at http://www.imfstatistics.org/imf/ (last accessed 11 November 2009). For those currencies for which the IMF does not publish exchange rates, non-commercial rates derived from the operational rates of exchange for United Nations programmes are shown, as published by the United Nations Treasury [23] at http://www.un.org/Depts/treasury/.

Fertility rate: The total fertility rate is a widely used summary indicator of fertility. It refers to the number of children that would be born per woman, assuming no female mortality at child bearing ages and the age-specific fertility rates of a specified country and reference period. Unless otherwise indicated the data are the five-year average for the reference period 2005-2010.

Source of the data: The Social Indicators website of the Demographic and Social Statistics Branch of the United Nations Statistics Division at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind/childbearing.htm [16] (June 2009 update).

Food production index covers commodities that are considered edible and contain nutrients. Accordingly, coffee and tea are excluded because they have practically no nutritive value. The index numbers shown may differ from those produced by countries themselves because of differences in concepts of production, coverage, weights, time reference of data, and methods of evaluation. The data include estimates made by FAO in cases where no official or semi-official figures are available from the countries.

Source of the data: The FAOSTAT database [2] of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, available at http://faostat.fao.org/site/612/default.aspx#ancor (last accessed 29 September 2009).

Forested area refers to the percentage of land area occupied by forest. Forest is defined in the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Forest Resources Assessment as land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 metres and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.

Source of the data: The FAOSTAT database [2] of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, available at http://faostat.fao.org/ (last accessed 9 November 2009).

GDP: Gross domestic product is an aggregate measure of production equal to the sum of gross value added of all resident producer units plus that part (possibly the total) of taxes on products, less subsidies on products, that is not included in the valuation of output. It is also equal to the sum of the final uses of goods and services (all uses except intermediate consumption) measured at purchasers’ prices, less the value of imports of goods and services, and equal to the sum of primary incomes distributed by resident producer units (see System of National Accounts 2008). The data in the World Statistics Pocketbook are in current United States dollars and are estimates of the total production of goods and services of the countries represented in economic terms, not as a measure of the standard of living of their inhabitants. In order to have comparable coverage for as many countries as possible, these US dollar estimates are based on official GDP data in national currency, supplemented by national currency estimates prepared by the Statistics Division using additional data from national and international sources. The estimates given here are in most cases those accepted by the United Nations General Assembly’s Committee on Contributions for determining United Nations members’ contributions to the United Nations regular budget. The exchange rates for the conversion of GDP national currency data into United States dollars are the average market rates published by the International Monetary Fund, in International Financial Statistics [5]. Official exchange rates are used only when free market rates are not available. For non-members of the Fund, the conversion rates used are the average of United Nations operational rates of exchange. It should be noted that the conversion from local currency into US dollars introduces deficiencies in comparability over time and among countries which should be considered when using the data. For example, comparability over time is distorted when exchange rate fluctuations differ substantially from domestic inflation rates.

Source of the data: The National Accounts Database (October 2009 update) compiled from national data provided to the United Nations Statistics Division and National Accounts Statistics: Analysis of Main Aggregates [21]. See also http://unstats.un.org/unsd/snaama/dnllist.asp.

GDP: Growth rate at constant 1990 prices is derived on the basis of constant price series in national currency. The figures are computed as the geometric mean of annual rates of growth expressed in percentages for the years indicated.

Source of the data: The National Accounts Database, available at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/snaama/dnllist.asp (October 2009 update), compiled from national data provided to the United Nations Statistics Division and National Accounts Statistics: Analysis of Main Aggregates [21].

GDP per capita estimates are the value of all goods and services produced in the economy divided by the population.

GNI: Gross national income per capita estimates are the aggregate value of the balances of gross primary incomes for all sectors in the economy divided by the population. GNI is equal to GDP less primary incomes payable to non-resident units plus primary incomes receivable from non-resident units. In other words, GNI is equal to GDP less taxes (less subsidies) on production and imports, compensation of employees and property income payable to the rest of the world plus the corresponding items receivable from the rest of the world. Thus GNI at market prices is the sum of gross primary incomes receivable by resident institutional units/sectors. It is worth noting that GNI at market prices was called gross national product in the 1953 SNA, and it was commonly denominated GNP. In contrast to GDP, GNI is not a concept of value added, but a concept of income (see System of National Accounts 2008).

Source of the data: The National Accounts Database available at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/snaama/dnllist.asp (October 2009 update) compiled from national data provided to the United Nations Statistics Division and National Accounts Statistics: Analysis of Main Aggregates [21].

Gross fixed capital formation is measured by the total value of a producer’s acquisitions, less disposals, of fixed assets during the accounting period plus certain specified expenditure on services that adds to the value of non-produced assets (see System of National Accounts 2008). The data are based on the percentage distribution of GDP in current prices.

Source of the data: The National Accounts Database available at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/snaama/dnllist.asp (October 2009 update) compiled from national data provided to the United Nations Statistics Division and National Accounts Statistics: Analysis of Main Aggregates [21].

Industrial production index: The data shown here generally cover, unless otherwise noted, the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, Revision 4 (ISIC Rev. 4) sections B, C, D and E (i.e., mining and quarrying; manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; and water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities). The data that are footnoted as referring to ISIC Rev. 3 cover Tabulation Categories C, D and E (mining and quarrying; manufacturing; and electricity, gas and water supply).

Source of the data: Table 5 of the United Nations Monthly Bulletin of Statistics [20], September 2009. See also http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mbs/.

Infant mortality rate (per 1 000 live births) is the ratio of infant deaths (the deaths of children under one year of age) in a given year to the total number of live births in the same year. Unless otherwise noted, the rates are the five-year projected averages for the reference period 2005-2010.

International migrant stock generally represents the number of persons born in a country other than that in which they live. When information on country of birth was not recorded, data on the number of persons having foreign citizenship was used instead. In the absence of any empirical data, estimates were imputed. Data refer to mid-2010. Figures for international migrant stock as a percentage of the population are the outcome of dividing the estimated international migrant stock by the estimated total population and multiplying the result by 100.

Source of the data: The United Nations Population Division, Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2008 Revision [10] available at www.unmigration.org. Estimates of total population are obtained from the United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision available at http://www.unpopulation.org and include information received by UNSD as of 16 October 2009.

Internet users per 100 inhabitants are based on nationally reported data for users divided by the total population and then multiplied by 100. There are variations in data collection among countries: some use surveys that give a more precise figure for the number of Internet users, while others base their estimates on derivations from reported Internet Service Provider subscriber counts, calculated by multiplying the number of subscribers by a multiplier. Surveys may differ across countries in the user age and frequency of use they cover. Some figures may refer to only users above a certain age.

Source of the data: The World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database 2009 (19^th Edition) of the International Telecommunication Union [7], available at http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/publications/world/world.html (last accessed 30 September 2009).

Labour force participation rate is calculated by expressing the number of persons in the labour force as a percentage of the working-age population. The labour force is the sum of the number of persons employed and the number of unemployed (see ILO’s Current International Recommendations on Labour Statistics). The working-age population is the population above a certain age, prescribed for the measurement of economic characteristics. Unless otherwise noted, the data refer to the age group of 15 years and over.

Source of the data: The Key Indicators of the Labour Market database [3], produced by the International Labour Organization, available at http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/kilm/ (last accessed 24 November 2009).

Largest urban agglomeration shows the population of the largest urban agglomeration or, if unavailable, largest city according to its administrative boundaries for each country or area. Urban agglomeration comprises a city or town proper and also the suburban fringe or thickly settled territory lying outside, but adjacent to, its boundaries. A single large urban agglomeration may comprise several cities or towns and their suburban fringes (United Nations, 2008). The data refer to the year 2007.

Source of the data: Urban Agglomerations, 2007, Wall Chart [12], produced by the United Nations Population Division, available at http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wup2007/2007urban_agglo.htm.

Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years of life at birth (age 0) according to the expected mortality rates by age estimated for the reference year and population. Unless otherwise indicated, the data are the five-year projected averages for the reference period 2005-2010.

Major trading partners shows the largest trade partners (countries of destination and origin) in international merchandise trade transactions. Data are expressed as percentages of total exports and of total imports of the country or area.

Source of the data: The United Nations Statistics Division’s Commodity Trade Statistics Database [15] (COMTRADE, see http://comtrade.un.org) and the United Nations International Trade Statistics Yearbook [19].

Population aged 0-14 years refers to the population aged 0-14 years of both sexes as a percentage of total population. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the year 2009.

Population aged 60 years and over refers to elderly men as a percentage of all males and elderly women as a percentage of all females. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the year 2009.

Population density refers to population per square kilometre of surface area. Data are derived from the population estimates for 2008 divided by the surface area. See also population estimates and surface area.

Population estimates: The total population of a country may comprise either all usual residents of the country (de jure population) or all persons present in the country (de facto population) at the time of the census. For purposes of international comparisons, the de facto definition is recommended.

Source of the data: Estimates for 2008 were prepared by the United Nations Population Division and published in the World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision [14], available at http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp2008/index.htm.

Population growth rate is the average annual percentage change in total population size. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the period 2005-2010.

Rainfall, total mean data are computed by adding average monthly measurements from the weather stations in the largest urban agglomeration or city, unless otherwise noted. The data are official climatological information supplied by national meteorological and hydrological services. Since the definition of mean rainfall and averaging periods may be different for different countries, care should be taken when comparing city climatologies. See also largest urban agglomeration.

Source of the data: The World Meteorological Organization website [27] at http://www.worldweather.org/ (last accessed 14 November 2009).

Refugees: The 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees spells out that a refugee is someone who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, is outside the country of his or her nationality and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his or her former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to return to it. In this series, refugees refer to persons granted a humanitarian status and/or those granted temporary protection. Included are persons who have been granted temporary protection on a group basis. The series also includes returned refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced internally within their own country for reasons that would make them of concern to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) if they were outside their country of origin.

Source of the data: The 2008 Global Trends, Table 1. Refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees (refugees and IDPs), stateless persons, and others of concern to UNHCR by country/territory of asylum, end-2008 [9], available at http://www.unhcr.org/statistics.html (2008 Annexes, last accessed 24 September 2009).

Region: Macro geographical regions arranged according to continents and component geographical regions used for statistical purposes.

Source of the data: The Standard Country or Area Codes and Geographical Regions for Statistical Use, Revision 4 (United Nations publication) [22], available at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm.

Rural population growth rate data are based on the number of persons defined as rural according to national definitions of this concept. In most cases these definitions are those used in the most recent population census.

Source of the data: The Urban and Rural Areas, 2007, Wall Chart [13], produced by the United Nations Population Division and available at http://www.un.org/ esa/population/publications/wup2007/2007urban_rural.htm.

Seats held by women in national parliaments refer to the number of women in the lower chamber of national parliaments expressed as a percentage of total occupied seats in the lower or single House.

Source of the data: The Inter-Parliamentary Union [6], Women in National Parliaments, Situation as of 30 September 2009, available at http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm.

Sex ratio is calculated as the ratio of the number of men to that of 100 women. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the year 2009.

Surface area, unless otherwise noted, refers to land area plus inland water.

Source of the data: The United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2007 [17], Table 3, available at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2007.htm (last accessed 29 October 2009).

Telephone subscribers, total per 100 inhabitants refer to the sum of main telephone lines and cellular mobile subscribers divided by the population and multiplied by 100.

Source of the data: The World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database 2009 (13^th Edition) of the International Telecommunication Union [7], available at http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/publications/ world/world.html (last accessed 23 September 2009).

Temperature, mean °C (minimum and maximum): Data were computed from average monthly measurements from the weather stations in the largest urban agglomeration or city, unless otherwise noted. The data are official climatological information supplied by national meteorological and hydrological services worldwide. Since the definition of mean temperature and averaging periods may be different for different countries, care should be taken when comparing city climatologies. See also largest urban agglomeration.

Source of the data: The World Meteorological Organization website [27], available at http://www.worldweather.org/ (last accessed 14 November 2009).

Threatened species represents the number of plants and animals that are most in need of conservation attention and are compiled by the World Conservation Union IUCN/ Species Survival Commission (SSC).

Source of the data: Table 5 of the 2009 review of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [26], available at www.iucnredlist.org (last accessed 9 February 2010).

Total trade: exports and imports show the movement of goods out of and into a country. Goods simply being transported through a country (goods in transit) or temporarily admitted (except for goods for inward processing) do not add to the stock of material resources of a country and are not included in the international merchandise trade statistics. In the “general trade system”, the definition of the statistical territory of a country coincides with its economic territory. In the “special trade system”, the definition of the statistical territory comprises only a particular part of the economic territory, mainly that part which coincides with the free circulation area for goods. “The free circulation area” is a part of the economic territory of a country within which goods “may be disposed of without Customs restrictions”. In the case of exports, the transaction value is the value at which the goods were sold by the exporter, including the cost of transportation and insurance, to bring the goods onto the transporting vehicle at the frontier of the exporting country (a FOB type valuation). In the case of imports, the transaction value is the value at which the goods were purchased by the importer plus the cost of transportation and insurance to the frontier of the importing country (a CIF-type valuation). Both imports and exports are shown in United States dollars. Conversion from national currencies is made by means of currency conversion factors based on official exchange rates (par values or weighted averages).

Source of the data: The United Nations Statistics Division’s Commodity Trade Statistics Database [15] (Comtrade, see http://comtrade.un.org) and the United Nations International Trade Statistics Yearbook [19].

Tourist arrivals at national borders: An international tourist is any person who travels to a country other than that in which he or she has his or her usual residence but outside his/her usual environment for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose of visit is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from with the country visited, and who stays at least one night in a collective or private accommodation in the country visited (see Recommendations on Tourism Statistics of the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization).

Source of the data: The United Nations World Tourism Organization Yearbook of Tourism Statistics [25]. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to arrivals of non-resident tourists at national borders, and include information received by UNSD as of 14 October 2009.

Unemployment refers to persons above a specified age who during a specified reference period were: “without work”, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment as defined under employment; “currently available for work”, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and “seeking work”, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. In circumstances where employment opportunities are particularly limited and where persons not working do not have easy access to formal channels for seeking employment or face social and cultural barriers when looking for a job, the “seeking work” criterion should be relaxed. National definitions of unemployment often differ from the recommended international standard definitions and thereby limit international comparability. Inter-country comparisons are also complicated by the different types of data collection systems used to obtain information on unemployed persons. Unless otherwise indicated, the data refer to the 15 years and over age group and are national employment office statistics, usually labour force surveys, compiled by the ILO. (See ILO’s Current International Recommendations on Labour Statistics, 2000 Edition).

Source of the data: The LABORSTA Internet [4] an ILO database, table 3A, Unemployment, general level, available at http://laborsta.ilo.org (last accessed 5 October 2009.

United Nations membership dates: The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization whose members are the countries of the world. Currently there are 192 Member States of the United Nations, some of which joined the UN by signing and ratifying the Charter of the United Nations in 1945; the other countries joined the UN later, through the adoption of a resolution admitting them to membership. The process usually follows these steps: first, the country applies for membership and makes a declaration accepting the obligations of the Charter; second, the Security Council adopts a resolution recommending that the General Assembly admit the country to membership and finally the General Assembly adopts a resolution admitting the country.

Source of the data: The List of Member States, available at http://www.un.org/Overview/unmember.html [24].

Urban population and urban population growth rate series are based on the number of persons defined as urban according to national definitions of this concept. In most cases these definitions are those used in the most recent population census.

Source of the data: The Urban and Rural Areas, 2007, Wall Chart [13], produced by the United Nations Population Division and available at http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wup2007/2007urban_rural.htm.