Public debt has increased steadily since 2007, reaching 131% of GDP in 2017. Its Torre d'Arnolfo (Arnolfo Tower) is 94m (308 ft) high and is a symbol of the city. The election results subfield lists percent of vote by party/coalition an . Services cover government activities, communications, transportation, finance, and all other economic activities that do not produce material goods. Its upper floor was filled by offices; a road divided it from the lower floor, which held shops. The town is renowned for its spa resorts. Van meester-glasblazer en kunstenaar Angelo Ballarin uit Murano, Italië komen deze 2 kunstwerken. . Most of the stones used for construction of the building were taken by citizens of Rome in the Middle Ages for construction of other buildings in the city. This entry provides an ordered listing of ethnic groups starting with the largest and normally includes the percent of total population. This entry gives the average annual number of deaths during a year per 1,000 population at midyear; also known as crude death rate. The Return of The Ornament. Arms acquisition information is an overview of major arms suppliers over a specific period of time, including second-hand arms delivered as aid, with a focus on m . School life expectancy (SLE) is the total number of years of schooling (primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive, assuming that the probability of his or her being enrolled in school at any particular future age is equal to the current enrollment ratio at that age. The dome of St. Peter's Basilica appears in the background. . In some instances, the number of containers handled or ship visits were also considered. BUSTE MONUMENTAL EN MARBRE REPRESENTANT JUPITER D'OTRICOLI , D'APRES L'ANTIQUE, ITALIE, FIN DU XVIIIE OU DEBUT DU XIXE SIECLE. The distribution gives the percentage contribution of agriculture, industry, and services to total GDP, and will total 100 percent of GDP if the data are complete. Your diverse skills. Title: Basrelief Antique représentant des Trophêes, from Recueil de divers Monumens Anciens répandus en plusieurs endroits de L'Italie Artist: after Jean Barbault (French, Viarmes 1718–1762 Rome) Printer: Giunchi Heritiers de Komarek Publisher: Bouchard & Gravier (Rome) Published in: Rome Date: 1770 Medium: This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Agriculture includes farming, fishing, and forestry. Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Victor Emmanuel was the first king of a unified Italy, ruling from 1861-1878. . Image courtesy of NASA. View of the town of Savoca in northeast Sicily. Statistics vary from country to country and may include users who access the Internet at least several times a week to those who access it only once within a period of several months. . Funerary altar and statue of Marcus Nonium Balbus in Herculaneum. Pieta by Michelangelo in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. This entry gives GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and expressed as a percent. This entry contains the total labor force figure. Discover the CIA history, mission, vision and values. REPRESENTANT DE L'ITALIE AU COMITE SCIENTIFIQUE Date(s) 1958-01-21 (Creation) Level of description. The government still faces pressure from investors and European partners to sustain its efforts to address Italy's longstanding structural economic problems, including labor market inefficiencies, a sluggish judicial system, and a weak banking sector. Not all countries have national symbols; a few countries have more than one. The island has almost 1,700 hills and mountains, and is carved by an extensive network of rivers. By postal mail: Central Intelligence Agency Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20505, Contact the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties, Contact the Employment Verification Office. View of the city of Positano on the rugged Amalfi Coast showing the church Our Lady of the Assumption in the foreground and homes built vertically on a cliff in the background. It includes former airports used exclusively for helicopter operations but excludes heliports limited to day operations and natural clearings that could support helicopter landings and takeoffs. View on the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) with shops (mostly jewelry boutiques) lining the roadway and the dome of the Duomo (Cathedral) in the background. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution. This entry includes the following claims, the definitions of which are excerpted from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which alone contains the full and definitive descriptions: territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal state extends beyond its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea in the UNCLOS (Part II); this sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as its underlying s . This indicator is significantly affected by age distribution, and most countries will eventually show a rise in the overall death rate, in spite of continued decline in mortality at all ages, as declining . . Most ports service multiple classes of vessels including bulk carriers (dry and liquid), break bulk cargoes (goods loaded individually in bags, boxes, crates, or drums; sometimes palletized), containers, roll-on/roll-off, and passenger ships. . This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. . The Church of Saint Nicholas in Savoca in northeast Sicily. The Adriatic Sea is on the other side of Italy, and beyond it to the east and north can be seen parts of several other European nations. 23 mars 2016 - Coupe Capodimonte représentant une scène mythologique-pièce unique Très bel objet ancien en faience fine. An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. This entry provides a summary description of the population dispersion within a country. A view of some of the remarkably well-preserved buildings in Herculaneum. Obelisk in Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter's Square) in Rome. (cost, insurance, and freight) or f.o.b. Working Group on Labour Mobility (1952-1957) Repository. Please check our site map, search View of homes in Positano on the rugged Amalfi Coast. . This entry is the total amount of crude oil produced, in barrels per day (bbl/day). Image courtesy of USGS. The Campanile (Bell Tower) of the Duomo (Cathedral) in Pisa also goes by the name of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The definition of a refugee according to a UN Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a . Factbook photos - obtained from a variety of sources - are in the public domain Rich in antiquities and picturesque landscapes, the island provinces of Corsica, France, (top) and Sardinia, Italy, (bottom) have captured the imaginations of historians and poets alike for centuries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide due to a strong preference for sons. The southwestern end of the Alps Mountains separates the two countries. The total population presents one overall measure of the potential impact of the country on the world and within its region. Above the altar is a 13th century Byzantine Black Madonna and Child. DEPART DU REPRESENTANT PERMANENT DE L'ITALIE Date(s) 1959-05-05 (Creation) Level of description. The Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistry of St. John) in front of the Duomo (Cathedral) in Florence is one of the oldest buildings in the city. They relate the number of individuals that are likely to be economically "dependent" on the support of others. 3D picture frame GP F1 Italy Autodromo Nazionale Monza 2016 WINNER NICO ROSBERG Limited Edition 1/50 pcs Design piece for every car enthusiast and design junkie A beautiful and stylish addition to any interior Frame: black on black 25x25x5 cm (wood/plexiglass) Car is new, on a 1/43 scale Mercedes W07 Hybrid #6 Item These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels. It depicts Neptune's chariot being led by Tritons with sea horses - one wild and one docile - representing the various moods of the sea. . The concentration of lighter colored areas along the shoreline identifies the location of Messina (Sicily) and Reggio di Calabria (Italy). Nations use different standards and procedures in collecting and adjusting the data. The bronze horses were originally installed at the Hippodrome in Constantinople and so date back to at least the 4th century. After 2G was launched, the previous mobile wireless network systems were retroactively dubbed 1G. a single keyframe), and the browser will infer the other end of the animation if it is able to. This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way. Documents The four typical types of gauges are: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. An urban agglomeration is defined as comprising the city or town proper and also the suburban fringe or thickly settled territory lying outside of, but adjacent to, the boundaries of the city. This entry provides a listing of the highest-valued exported products; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value. This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m (over 10,000 ft), (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft), (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m (5,000 to 8,000 ft), (4) 914 to 1,523 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft), and (5) under 914 m (under 3,000 ft). Due to summit eruptions, Mt. The facade of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flowers) in Florence. Amalfi was a maritime power with 70,000 residents until 1343 when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused most of the city and population to fall into the sea and destroyed the port. The First Greek Temple of Hera at Paestum in southern Italy. . The Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistry of St. John) in Pisa dates to 1153. This entry is the country's total consumption of refined petroleum products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). For other active volcanoes in Italy, see the Natural hazards-volcanism subfield in the Geography section. The temple was dedicated to the classical gods. This entry gives the annual percentage increase in industrial production (includes manufacturing, mining, and construction). Close-up of some of the arches of the Roman Colosseum. This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year. The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) in Florence is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Absolute monarchy - a form of government where the monarch rules unhindered, i.e., without any laws, constitution, or legally organized opposition. This entry provides a listing of languages spoken in each country and specifies any that are official national or regional languages. An Egyptian obelisk in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. Sculpture et Objets d'art européens. Dawn in Assisi reveals the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (St. Mary of the Angels). regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto; autonomous regions: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardegna (Sardinia), Sicilia (Sicily), Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German), Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallee d'Aoste (French), Governing Coalition: Northern League (Lega Nord) or Lega [Matteo SALVINI]Five Star Movement or M5S [Vito CRIMI, acting leader] Left-center-right opposition: Democratic Party or PD [Nicola ZINGARETTI]Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]Brothers of Italy [Giorgia MELONI] Free and Equal (Liberi e Uguali) or LeU [Pietro GRASSO]More Europe or +EU [Emma BONINO]Popular Civic List or CP [Beatrice LORENZIN], Other parties and parliamentary groups:Possible [Beatrice BRIGNONE]Us with Italy [Raffaele FITTO]South Tyrolean People's Party or SVP [Philipp ACHAMMER] Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party (Partito Autonomista Trentino Tirolese) or PATT [Franco PANIZZA, secretary] Article One or Art.1-MDP [Roberto SPERANZA], note: adopted 1946; the anthem, originally written in 1847, is also known as "L'Inno di Mameli" (Mameli's Hymn), and "Fratelli D'Italia" (Brothers of Italy). A grapevine at a vineyard in the town of San Giovanni. Luca Desolei The Grand Canal, one of the major water-traffic corridors in Venice, as seen from the Rialto Bridge. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings. Mt. Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydroca . This entry is the country's total imports of refined petroleum products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). . Changes in the dependency ratio provide an indication of potential social support requirements resulting from changes in population age structures. news, press releases, information and more, B: International Organizations and Groups, C: Selected International Environmental Agreements, D: Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes, E: Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes, F: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names, School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education), International law organization participation, Household income or consumption by percentage share, Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy, Electricity - from other renewable sources, Electricity - installed generating capacity, Civil aircraft registration country code prefix, Military and security service personnel strengths, Military equipment inventories and acquisitions, Refugees and internally displaced persons, https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/coronavirus-italy, Employment The fortress was built for the Medici family in the late 16th Century. . This entry is the total capacity of currently installed generators, expressed in kilowatts (kW), to produce electricity. This entry provides information on a country’s constitution and includes two subfields. Name of creator. The fortress was the residence of the Counts of Tyrol until 1363 when the Hapsburgs took possession. The World Health Organization estimates that f . This entry is the annual electricity generated expressed in kilowatt-hours. The structure was in turn a fortress, a castle, and a museum. . The listing le . Nestled in the valley are three towns: Ortisei, the main settlement; Selva, the best known ski resort; and Santa Cristina, which lies between the other two towns. We reply first to messages of greater interest The legal systems of nearly all countries are generally modeled upon elements of five main types: civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law); common law (including United State law); customary law; mixed or pluralistic law; and religious law (including Islamic law). almost twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona, regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice, volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (3,330 m), which is in eruption as of 2010, is Europe's most active volcano; flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, which remains a threat to the millions of nearby residents in the Bay of Naples area, have both been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Stromboli, on its namesake island, has also been continuously active with moderate volcanic activity; other historically active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Ischia, Larderello, Pantelleria, Vulcano, and Vulsini, 15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma). . Church towers and the dome (in the far background) of the Duomo (Cathedral) in Florence. . We go to great lengths to keep these channels secure, but any communication via the internet poses some risk. The Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace), built between 1298 and 1314, is the traditional seat of the Florentine government. This entry provides a list of US State Department designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) that are assessed to maintain a presence in each country. This entry provides the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people; it serves as a general measure of inpatient service availability. The World Bank Group Doing Business project measures business regulations and enforcement mechanisms across economies and selected cities. This entry includes those persons residing in a country as refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), or stateless persons. This entry gives the total number of mobile cellular telephone subscribers, as well as the number of subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. As the season progresses, snow begins to whiten the Alps. Pour un … Depending on what you provide, we may offer you compensation. Altar inside the church Our Lady of the Assumption in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Note that boundary representations on these maps are not necessarily authoritative. To the right is the Duomo (Cathedral) and the Campanile (Leaning Tower). Light is provided by an oculus, a 9 m (29.5 ft) opening in the dome. This entry includes rounded latitude and longitude figures for the centroid or center point of a country expressed in degrees and minutes; it is based on the locations provided in the Geographic Names Server (GNS), maintained by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on behalf of the US Board on Geographic Names. Please know, CIA does not engage in law enforcement. In general, products appear only if they make a significant contribution to the economy, or are likely to do so in the future. This entry is an ordered listing of major crops and products starting with the most important. This entry furnishes the annual percent change in consumer prices compared with the previous year's consumer prices. Verification Office, Because of safety concerns for the prospective applicant, as well as security and communication Closing daily exchange rates are not presented in The World Factbook, but are used to convert stock values - e.g., the . . . This entry provides the average annual price of a country's monetary unit for the time period specified, expressed in units of local currency per US dollar, as determined by international market forces or by official fiat. Its construction dates to between 1059 and 1128. . . The Fountain of the Naiads was construced in 1901. Countryside view from the top of Mount Vesuvius. The edifice has a commanding view of the city and the port. The baroque fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732. are not included. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m (over 10,000 ft), (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft), (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m (5,000 to 8,000 ft), (4) 914 to 1,523 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft), and (5) under 914 m (under 3,000 ft). It has been banned at certain times in Venice's history, but after 1979 it became a growing tourist attraction. . Hallmarked silver 800 Bunch of grapes with branch Dimensions 40x30x30, weight 9 g Context area. This entry separates country participation in international environmental agreements into two levels - party to and signed, but not ratified. The numbers are based on a wide-range of publicly available information. As it has for centuries, the bridge still houses shops on either side of the roadway. . Taxes include personal and corporate income taxes, value added taxes, excise taxes, and tariffs. This entry gives the basic form of government. It cannot be opened, it was a pendant with an amethyst. Substantial underemployment might be noted. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres). This entry gives the total length of the boundary between the land area (including islands) and the sea. The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) is the single point of contact for all inquiries about the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Industry includes mining, manufacturing, energy production, and construction. The mild eruptions of Italy's Stromboli volcano are so frequent and numerous that an entire style of volcanism - strombolian - is named after the volcano. The Vittorio Emanuele Bridge over the Tiber River in Rome with Vatican City (and St. Peter's Basilica) in the background. Airports or airfields that are no longer recognizable (overgrown, no facilities, etc.) On either side of and above the Alps are the countries of (from left to right) France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovenia, while below the Alps is Italy. The lean has been stabilized at 4 degrees. . The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. This entry contains the total length of all land boundaries and the individual lengths for each of the contiguous border countries. For smaller countries, lacking urban centers of 750,000 or more, only the population of the capital is presented. This entry measures the capacity of plants that generate electricity by using renewable energy sources other than hydroelectric (including, for example, wind, waves, solar, and geothermal), expressed as a share of the country's total generating capacity. Angelo Ballarin is beroemd geworden door zijn verfijnde filigrana-techniek, maar vooral door zijn Pezzato-techniek. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population. Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur dioxi . The basilica is the burial place of Galileo, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and other famous Italian figures. This entry is the stock of proved reserves of natural gas in cubic meters (cu m). Learn more about Career Opportunities at CIA. View inside the caldera of Mount Vesuvius. Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones. Counseling centré sur la personne. Head of government includes the name, title of the top executive designated to manage the executive branch of the government, a . Decorated doors leading into Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Italia Giovanni and Gregorio Nordio. Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Only airports with usable runways are included in this listin . This entry gives an estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS. and are copyright free. residency requirement for naturalization: This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted. This entry records a country's net trade in goods and services, plus net earnings from rents, interest, profits, and dividends, and net transfer payments (such as pension funds and worker remittances) to and from the rest of the world during the period specified. This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. Your talent. Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought about by the absence of governmental authority. During the summer, tourists enjoy hiking in the area. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country. A view of San Giorgio Maggiore Island in Venice across the sparkling waters of the lagoon with gondolas in the foreground. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. Italy also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 17% of GDP. total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030: This entry provides the population of the capital and up to six major cities defined as urban agglomerations with populations of at least 750,000 people. The Greek Theater at Taormina on the east coast of Sicily. A view of the Cathedral of St. Mark's in Venice showing some of the saints adorning its roof, and a peek at its bell tower. . A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. A gondola winds its way through a Venice canal. The Cathedral dates from 1064. This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. Medieval Gold Engraved Finial with Crystal Medieval gold piece, worked with amethyst inside. As fertility leve . It cannot be opened, it was a pendant with an amethyst. Construction on the tower began in 1173. This entry gives the current bond ratings for a country/territory from the three credit bureaus. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. This is known as aliasing in other languages. Closer view of the city of Naxos in Sicily on the slopes of Mount Etna. This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations. This entry is the total amount of crude oil exported, in barrels per day (bbl/day). A view of San Giorgio Maggiore Island in Venice showing the Benedictine monastery established in 982 and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore (St. George the Great) designed by Palladio, which was begun in 1566 and completed in 1610. . Services cover government activities, communications, transportation, finance, and all other private economic activities that do not prod . Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows. Pompeii is a short distance from the Gulf of Naples and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) spans the Arno River in Florence at its narrowest point. . Photo courtesy of NASA. 1 page. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. Its guiding focus is to encourage the unity of all peoples on the earth so that justice and peace m . The entire cathedral complex consists of the church itself, the free-standing campanile (bell tower), and the Baptistery, which stands across the square (portion seen in upper left). The growth rates are year-over-year, and not compounded. May 2, 2018 - Résultat de recherche d'images pour "calligraphie arabe représentant un objet" The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions are described below. This entry identifies the beginning and ending months for a country's accounting period of 12 months, which often is the calendar year but which may begin in any month. The current eruption has continued uninterrupted since 1932. The Spanish Steps in the Plaza di Spagna in Rome. Hospital beds include inpatient beds available in public, private, general, and specialized hospitals and rehabilitation centers. The most up-to-date CIA news, press releases, information and more. Object Details. In-Person: Outside the U.S., go to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate and inform a U.S. The Greek Temple of Athena at Paestum in southern Italy dates to circa 500 B.C. It was moved to Saint Peter's Square by Pope Sixtus V in 1586. The rate may be positive or negative. Succeeding emperors were also entombed there. The originals of the figures were moved to the Villa Borghese in 1871. The entry on Geographic coordinates may be helpful in finding some smaller countries. Elections Législatives 8ème circonscription des Français de l'Etranger 26 mai 2013 -- 9 juin 2013 Meyer HABIB et Eric VERON candidats de l'UDI! This entry provides a rank ordering of industries starting with the largest by value of annual output. This entry shows who does the spending in an economy: consumers, businesses, government, and foreigners. Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. Image courtesy of NASA. However, with limited staff and resources, we simply cannot respond to all who write to us. household consumption consists of expenditures by resident households, and by nonprofit insti . It is also useful in understanding, past, present, and future fertility trends, especially in developing countries.