FAX: (91) 587-2303

consulate(s) general: Barcelona

Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar

Spain Economy

Economy - overview: Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment has been steadily falling under the AZNAR administration but remains the highest in the EU at 14%. The government intends to make further progress in changing labor laws and reforming pension schemes, which are key to the sustainability of both Spain's internal economic advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe - and further reducing unemployment - will pose challenges to Spain in the next few years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $720.8 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4%

industry: 31%

services: 65% (1999)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 17 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 28%, agriculture 8% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $105 billion

expenditures: $109 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2000 est.)

Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 197.694 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.71%

hydro: 12.1%

nuclear: 28.28%

other: 1.91% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 189.57 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 6.23 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 11.945 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

Exports: $120.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, other consumer goods

Exports - partners: EU 71% (France 20%, Germany 12%, Italy 9%,
Portugal 9%, UK 8%), Latin America 6%, US 5% (2000)

Imports: $153.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997)

Imports - partners: EU 68% (France 18%, Germany 16%, Italy 9%, UK 7%, Benelux 8%), US 8%, OPEC 5%, Latin America 4%, Japan 3% (1999)

Debt - external: $90 billion (1993 est.)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.3 billion (1995)

Currency: Spanish peseta (ESP); euro (EUR)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Spain at a fixed rate of 166.386 Spanish pesetas per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code: ESP; EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); pesetas per US dollar - 149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997), 126.66 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Spain Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 17.336 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 8.394 million (1999)

Telephone system: general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons

domestic: NA

international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 13.1 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)

note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)

Televisions: 16.2 million (1997)

Internet country code: .es

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 56 (2000)

Internet users: 4.6 million (2000)

Spain Transportation

Railways: total: 13,950 km

broad gauge: 12,781 km 1.668-m gauge (6,358 km electrified; 2,295 km double track)

standard gauge: 525 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 644 km 1.000-m gauge (438 km electrified) (1998)

Highways: total: 346,858 km

paved: 343,389 km (including 9,063 km of expressways)

unpaved: 3,469 km (1997)

Waterways: 1,045 km (of minor economic importance)

Pipelines: crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas 1,666 km

Ports and harbors: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena,
Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary
Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
(Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo

Merchant marine: total: 135 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,208,730 GRT/1,773,378 DWT

ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 26, chemical tanker 10, container 9, liquefied gas 2, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 35, short-sea passenger 8, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3 (2000 est.)

Airports: 110 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 75

over 3,047 m: 15

2,438 to 3,047 m: 10

1,524 to 2,437 m: 18

914 to 1,523 m: 19

under 914 m: 13 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 9

under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)

Spain Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard,
National Police, Coastal Civil Guard

Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 10,551,945 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 8,448,150 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 281,043 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6 billion (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.1% (FY97)

Spain Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Gibraltar issue with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas

Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin

@Spratly Islands

Spratly Islands Introduction Top of Page

Background: Rich fishing grounds and the potential for gas and oil deposits have caused this archipelago to be claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties have occupied certain islands or reefs, and occasional clashes have occurred between Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces

Spratly Islands Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines

Geographic coordinates: 8 38 N, 111 55 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area: total: less than 5 sq km

land: less than 5 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea

Area - comparative: NA

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 926 km

Maritime claims: NA

Climate: tropical

Terrain: flat

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential

Land use: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Spratly Islands People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants

note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2001 est.)

Spratly Islands Government

Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Spratly Islands Economy

Economy - overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.

Spratly Islands Transportation

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 4 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Spratly Islands Military

Military - note: Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Spratly Islands Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island; in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure

@Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Introduction

Background: Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester.

Sri Lanka Geography

Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 81 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 65,610 sq km

land: 64,740 sq km

water: 870 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,340 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 14%

permanent crops: 15%

permanent pastures: 7%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 32% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,500 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Sri Lanka People

Population: 19,408,635 (July 2001 est.)

note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.99% (male 2,578,618; female 2,464,928)

15-64 years: 67.39% (male 6,369,881; female 6,708,852)

65 years and over: 6.62% (male 615,253; female 671,103) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.87% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 16.58 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.09 years

male: 69.58 years

female: 74.73 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 7,500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 490 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s)

adjective: Sri Lankan

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%

Religions: Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%

note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 90.2%

male: 93.4%

female: 87.2% (1995 est.)

Sri Lanka Government

Country name: conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

conventional short form: Sri Lanka

former: Serendib, Ceylon

Government type: republic

Capital: Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North
Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note -
North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and
Eastern

Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 February (1948)

Constitution: adopted 16 August 1978

Legal system: a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ratnasiri WICKRAMANAYAKE (since 10 August 2000) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist

head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ratnasiri WICKRAMANAYAKE (since 10 August 2000) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2005)

election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA) 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms)

elections: last held 10 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2006)

election results: percent of vote by party - PA 45.11%, UNP 40.22%, JVP 6%, NUA 2.29%, SU 1.48%, TULF 1.23%, other 3.67%; seats by party - PA 107, UNP 89, JVP 10, TULF 5, EPDP 4, NUA 4, TELO 3, ACTC 1, SU 1, independent 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC
[Nalliah GURUPAUAN]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CLDC [Arumugam
THONDAMAN]; Communist Party [Raja COLLURE]; Democratic United
National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF [Srimani ATHULATHMUDALI]; Eelam
People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam
People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF [Suresh
PREMACHANDRA]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Tilvan SILVA];
National Unity Alliance or NUA [leader NA]; People's Alliance or PA
[Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's Liberation
Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDDATHAN]; Sihala Urumaya
or SU [leader NA]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika
Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff
HAKEEM and Ferial ASHRAFF]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF
[leader NA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO
[SUBRAMANIUM]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [R. SAMPATHAN];
United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Upcountry
People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and
Muslim parties, represented in either parliament or provincial
councils

Political pressure groups and leaders: Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE (insurgent group fighting for a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups

International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Warnasena RASAPUTRAM

chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 483-4025 (through 4028)