Z (part 12)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Democratic
Party or DS [Ludovit KANIK]; Direction (Smer) [Robert FICO];
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia-People's Party or HZDS-LS
[Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party
of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Slovak Communist
Party or KSS [Jozef SEVC]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or
SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and
Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal
Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG

International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMISET,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: (202) 237-6438 telephone: (202) 237-1054

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald WEISER embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (2) 5443-3338 FAX: (2) 5441-5148

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist
side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

Economy Slovakia

Economy - overview:
Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a
centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA
government has made excellent progress in 2001-03 in macroeconomic
stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly
complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands,
and foreign investment has picked up. Slovakia's economy exceeded
expectations in 2001-03, despite the general European slowdown.
Unemployment, at an unacceptable 15% in 2003, remains the economy's
Achilles heel. The government faces other strong challenges in 2004,
especially the cutting of budget and current account deficits, the
containment of inflation, and the strengthening of the health care
system.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $67.34 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.4% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $12,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.5%
industry: 34.1%
services: 61.4% (2000)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.3 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
3 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: industry 29.3%, agriculture 8.9%, construction 8%, transport and communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994)

Unemployment rate:
17.2% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $5.2 billion
expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1999)

Industries:
metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas,
coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery;
paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles;
textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products

Industrial production growth rate:
4.4% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
30.29 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 30.3% hydro: 16% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 53.6%

Electricity - consumption:
24.41 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
5.141 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.381 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
82,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
4.5 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
292 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
7.932 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
7.205 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
7.504 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products

Exports:
$12.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 39.4%, intermediate manufactured
goods 27.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%, chemicals 8%
(1999)

Exports - partners:
Germany 30.1%, Czech Republic 16.4%, Austria 10.7%, Italy 7.2%,
Poland 5.7%, Hungary 4.6% (2002)

Imports:
$15.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 37.7%, intermediate manufactured
goods 18%, fuels 13%, chemicals 11%, miscellaneous manufactured
goods 9.5% (1999)

Imports - partners:
Germany 24.8%, Czech Republic 16%, Russia 13.5%, Austria 7%, Italy
6.4%, France 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$9.6 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $113 million (2000),; $92 million EU structural adjustment
funds (2000 est.)

Currency:
Slovak koruna (SKK)

Currency code:
SKK

Exchange rates:
koruny per US dollar - 45.33 (2002), 48.35 (2001), 46.04 (2000),
41.36 (1999), 35.23 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Slovakia

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,934,558 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
736,662 (April 1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: a modernization and privatization program is
increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing the waiting
time for new subscribers, and generally improving service quality
domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving
digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,
especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been
added
international: three international exchanges (one in Bratislava and
two in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in
several international telecommunications projects that will increase
the availability of external services

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
3.12 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
38 (plus 864 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
2.62 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
700,000 (2000)

Transportation Slovakia

Railways:
total: 3,668 km
broad gauge: 106 km 1.520-m gauge
narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (2002)
standard gauge: 3,511 km 1.435-m gauge (1,567 km electrified)

Highways:
total: 42,717 km
paved: 37,036 km (including 296 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,681 km (2000)

Waterways:
172 km (all on the Danube)

Pipelines:
gas 6,769 km; oil 449 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Bratislava, Komarno

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 11,574 GRT/16,330 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
37 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 9 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 7 (2002)

Heliports: 1 (2002)

Military Slovakia

Military branches:
Army (Ground Forces), Air and Air Defense Forces, Home Guards
(Territorial Defense Forces), Civil Defense Force, Railway Armed
Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Transportation, Post, and
Telecommunications)

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,484,950 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,135,612 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 44,287 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$406 million (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.89% (2002)

Transnational Issues Slovakia

Disputes - international:
small boundary changes made with Poland in 2003; Hungary has yet to
amend status law extending special social and cultural benefits to
ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, who protest the law

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western
Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Slovenia

Introduction Slovenia

Background:
The Slovene lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria
until 1918 when the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming
a new nation, renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II,
Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though
Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with
the exercise of power of the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded
in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war.
Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable
democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern
state. In December 2002, Slovenia received an invitation to join
NATO, and it is scheduled to accede to the EU along with nine other
states on 1 May 2004. In a March 2003 referendum on NATO and EU
membership, Slovenes voted 90% in favor of joining the EU and 66% in
favor of joining NATO.

Geography Slovenia

Location:
Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between
Austria and Croatia

Geographic coordinates:
46 07 N, 14 49 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 20,273 sq km
water: 122 sq km
land: 20,151 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 1,334 km
border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km,
Hungary 102 km

Coastline:
46.6 km

Maritime claims:
NA

Climate:
Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild
to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the
east

Terrain:
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region
adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with
numerous rivers to the east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Triglav 2,864 m

Natural resources:
lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower,
forests

Land use: arable land: 11.48% permanent crops: 2.68% other: 85.84% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding and earthquakes

Environment - current issues: Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some
of Europe's major transit routes

People Slovenia

Population:
1,935,677 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.3% (male 152,341; female 144,189)
15-64 years: 70% (male 687,939; female 666,194)
65 years and over: 14.7% (male 105,837; female 179,177) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 38.6 years
male: 37.1 years
female: 40.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.14% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
9.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
10.15 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.51 years
male: 71.65 years
female: 79.58 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
280 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Slovene(s)
adjective: Slovenian

Ethnic groups:
Slovene 88%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Bosniak 1%, Yugoslav 0.6%,
Hungarian 0.4%, other 5% (1991)

Religions:
Roman Catholic (Uniate 2%) 70.8%, Lutheran 1%, Muslim 1%, atheist
4.3%, other 22.9%

Languages:
Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 6%, other 3%

Literacy: definition: NA total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

Government Slovenia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia
conventional short form: Slovenia
local short form: Slovenija
local long form: Republika Slovenija

Government type:
parliamentary democratic republic

Capital:
Ljubljana

Administrative divisions:
182 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban
municipalities* (mestne obcine , singular - mestna obcina )
Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled, Bloke,
Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Braslovce, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica,
Cankova, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno,
Cerkvenjak, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik, Divaca,
Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec,
Dobrovnik-Dobronak, Dolenjske Toplice, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale,
Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja
Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Grosuplje, Hajdina,
Hoce-Slivnica, Hodos-Hodos, Horjul, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina,
Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola-Isola, Jesenice,
Jezersko, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje,
Kocevje, Komen, Komenda, Koper-Capodistria*, Kostel, Kozje, Kranj*,
Kranjska Gora, Krizevci, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart,
Lendava-Lendva, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska
Dolina, Loski Potok, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk,
Maribor*, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na
Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Moravce,
Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje,
Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica,
Pesnica, Piran-Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka,
Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Ptuj*, Puconci,
Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na
Koroskem, Razkrizje, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogasovci, Rogaska
Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Salovci, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic,
Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju,
Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*,
Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob
Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sostanj, Starse,
Store, Sveta Ana, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij,
Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic,
Trzin, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej,
Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica,
Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica,
Zuzemberk, Zrece
note: there may be 45 more municipalities

Independence:
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday:
Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

Constitution:
adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Janez DRNOVSEK (since 22 December 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Anton ROP (since 11 December 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
elected by the National Assembly
election results: Janez DRNOVSEK elected president; percent of vote
- Janez DRNOVSEK 56.5%, Barbara BREZIGAR 43.5%; Anton ROP elected
prime minister; National Assembly vote - 63 to 24
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 10 November and 1 December 2002 (next to be held
in the fall of 2007); following National Assembly elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
is usually nominated to become prime minister by the president and
elected by the National Assembly; election last held 6 December 2002
(next National Assembly elections to be held NA October 2004)

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90 seats, 40 are
directly elected and 50 are selected on a proportional basis; note -
the numbers of directly elected and proportionally elected seats
varies with each election; members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - LDS 36%, SDS 16%, ZLSD
12%, SLS/SKD 10%, NSi 9%, SMS 4%, SNS 4%, DeSUS 5%, other 4%; seats
by party - LDS 34, SDS 13, ZLSD 11, SLS 10, NSi 8, SMS 4, SNS 4,
DeSUS 4, Hungarian and Italian minorities 1 each
note: the National Council or Drzavni Svet is an advisory body with
limited legislative powers; it may propose laws and ask to review
any National Assembly decisions; in the election of November 1997,
40 members were elected to represent local, professional, and
socioeconomic interests
elections: National Assembly - last held 15 October 2000 (next to be
held NA October 2004)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly on the
recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court
(judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and
nominated by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Retired (Persons) of Slovenia or DeSUS [Anton
ROUS]; Liberal Democratic or LDS [Anton ROP]; New Slovenia or NSi
[Andrej BAJUK]; Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC];
Slovene People's Party or SLS [Franc BUT]; Slovene Youth Party or
SMS [Dominic CERNJAK]; Social Democratic Party of Slovenia or SDS
[Janez JANSA]; United List of Social Democrats or ZLSD [Borut PAHOR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT (observer), BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest),
NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTSO,
UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Davorin KRACUN
FAX: (202) 667-4563
consulate(s) general: New York and Cleveland
telephone: (202) 667-5363
chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Johnny YOUNG embassy: Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana mailing address: American Embassy Ljubljana, Department of State, 7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140 telephone: (1) 200-5500 FAX: (1) 200-5555

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, with
the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's
highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center;
beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and
above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted
triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of
Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early
15th centuries); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the
flag centered in the white and blue bands

Economy Slovenia

Economy - overview:
Slovenia, with its historical ties to Western Europe, enjoys a GDP
per capita substantially higher than that of the other transitioning
economies of Central Europe. Privatization of the economy proceeded
at an accelerated pace in 2002-3, and the budget deficit dropped
from 3.0% of GDP in 2002 to 1.9% in 2003. Despite the economic
slowdown in Europe in 2001-03, Slovenia maintained 3% growth.
Structural reforms to improve the business environment allow for
greater foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and help to
lower unemployment. Further measures to curb inflation are also
needed. Corruption and the high degree of coordination between
government, business, and central bank policy are issues of concern
in the run-up to Slovenia's scheduled 1 May 2004 accession to the
European Union.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $37.06 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 36.3%
services: 60.5% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 23% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.4% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
857,400

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
11% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $8.11 billion
expenditures: $8.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)

Industries:
ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting,
electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power
equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools

Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (2002)

Electricity - production:
13.69 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 35.2% hydro: 27.3% other: 0.7% (2001) nuclear: 36.8%

Electricity - consumption:
13.83 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
4.1 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
20 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
53,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.04 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
1.04 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products: potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry

Exports:
$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,
food

Exports - partners:
Germany 23.9%, Italy 12.7%, Austria 9.5%, Croatia 8%, France 7.4%,
Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.4% (2002)

Imports:
$11.1 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals,
fuels and lubricants, food

Imports - partners:
Germany 20%, Italy 19%, Austria 11.3%, France 10.5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$7.9 billion (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $62 million (2000 est.)

Currency:
tolar (SIT)

Currency code:
SIT

Exchange rates:
tolars per US dollar - 240.25 (2002), 242.75 (2001), 222.66 (2000),
181.77 (1999), 166.13 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Slovenia

Telephones - main lines in use:
722,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1 million (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: 100% digital (2000)
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17, FM 160, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
805,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
48 (2001)

Televisions:
710,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.si

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)

Internet users:
600,000 (2001)

Transportation Slovenia

Railways: total: 1,201 km standard gauge: 1,201 km 1.435-m gauge (499 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 20,177 km
paved: 20,157 km (including 427 km of expressways)
unpaved: 20 km (2000)

Waterways:
NA

Pipelines:
gas 2,526 km; oil 11 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Izola, Koper, Piran

Airports:
16 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Military Slovenia

Military branches:
Slovenian Army (includes Air and Naval Forces)

Military manpower - military age:
19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 520,037 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 413,453 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 13,704 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$370 million (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Slovenia

Disputes - international:
parliamentarians are far from ratifying the Croatia-Slovenia land
and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of
Piran Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to
Croatia

Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound
for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Solomon Islands

Introduction Solomon Islands

Background:
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the
1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on
these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence
two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and
endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society.

Geography Solomon Islands

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua
New Guinea

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 159 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 28,450 sq km
water: 910 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
5,313 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM

Climate:
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Land use: arable land: 1.5% permanent crops: 0.64% other: 97.86% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with
frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs
are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean,
the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea

People Solomon Islands

Population:
509,190 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 111,333; female 107,062)
15-64 years: 54% (male 139,072; female 135,721)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,754; female 8,248) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.2 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.83% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
32.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
4.12 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 26.03 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.1 years
male: 69.64 years
female: 74.68 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%,
Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%

Religions:
Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian)
12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%,
indigenous beliefs 4%

Languages:
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English
is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population
note: 120 indigenous languages

Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Government Solomon Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands

Government type:
parliamentary democracy tending toward anarchy

Capital:
Honiara

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul (Lauru),
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell/Bellona,
Temotu, Western

Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution:
7 July 1978

Legal system:
English common law, which is widely disregarded

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir John LAPLI (since NA 1999)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five
years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime
minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members
of Parliament
head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17
December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December
2001)

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from
single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP
20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents
18
elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than
December 2005)

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party
or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh
Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or
SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP
[Joses TUHANUKU]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid
coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Colin BECK
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: (212) 661-8925

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed
July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the
Solomon Islands

Flag description:
divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five
white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower
triangle is green

Economy Solomon Islands

Economy - overview:
The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and
forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured
goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich
in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and
gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business
enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious
economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of
crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation)
have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and
attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the
nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance
staff many of whom have left the country.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-10% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11%
services: 47% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.8% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
26,842

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $38 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Industries:
fish (tuna), mining, timber

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
32 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
29.76 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1,250 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products: cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish

Exports:
$47 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

Exports - partners:
Japan 21.2%, China 18.8%, South Korea 16.3%, Philippines 8.9%,
Thailand 7.6%, Singapore 4.1% (2002)

Imports:
$82 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Australia 31.3%, Singapore 19.7%, New Zealand 5.1%, Fiji 4.6%,
Papua New Guinea 4.5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$137 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$28 million mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ (2001 est.)

Currency:
Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)

Currency code:
SBD

Exchange rates:
Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2002), NA (2001), 5.09
(2000), 4.84 (1999), 4.82 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Solomon Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
8,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
658 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
57,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Televisions:
3,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sb

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
8,400 (2002)

Transportation Solomon Islands

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
32 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 20 (2002)

Military Solomon Islands

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance
and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues Solomon Islands

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Somalia

Introduction Somalia

Background:
The SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil,
factional fighting, and anarchy have followed for twelve years. In
May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of
Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal,
Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized
by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence,
aided by the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic
infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American
military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal and
northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state
of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998, but does not
aim at independence; it has also made strides towards reconstructing
a legitimate, representative government, but has suffered civil
strife in 2002. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it
also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993,
a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able
to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995,
having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been
restored. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG),
created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expires in August 2003 and
a new interim government was being created at peace talks held in
Kenya. Numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control
of Mogadishu and the other southern regions. Suspicion of Somali
links with global terrorism further complicates the picture.

Geography Somalia

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean,
east of Ethiopia

Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 49 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 637,657 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km
land: 627,337 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 2,340 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

Coastline:
3,025 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 NM

Climate:
principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon,
moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October
- southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south,
irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between
monsoons

Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m

Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum,
bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

Land use: arable land: 1.66% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 98.3% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
2,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in
summer; floods during rainy season

Environment - current issues:
famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health
problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to
Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

People Somalia

Population:
8,025,190
note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in
1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is
complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements
in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,802,154; female 1,792,749)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,120,934; female 2,093,699)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 93,682; female 121,972) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
3.43% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
46.42 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
17.64 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
5.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 120.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 110.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 129.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.34 years
male: 45.67 years
female: 49.05 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
43,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali

Ethnic groups:
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)

Religions:
Sunni Muslim

Languages:
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8%
male: 49.7%
female: 25.8% (2001 est.)

Government Somalia

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic

Government type:
no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary
national government

Capital:
Mogadishu

Administrative divisions:
18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool,
Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe,
Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha
Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Independence:
1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became
independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland,
which became independent from the Italian-administered UN
trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)

National holiday:
Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June
(1960) in Somaliland

Constitution:
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National Government formed in August 2000 has
a mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within
three years

Legal system:
no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some
localities

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan (since 26 August 2000);
note - as of December 2002, there was no executive branch in
southern Somalia; Interim President ABDIKASSIM was chosen for a
three-year term by a 245-member National Assembly serving as a
transitional government but has little power and was due to leave
office in August 2003; the political situation, particularly in the
south, with interclan fighting and random banditry, remains fluid
election results: ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan was elected president of
an interim government at the Djibouti-sponsored Arta Peace
Conference on 26 August 2000 by a broad representation of Somali
clans that comprised a transitional National Assembly
head of government: Prime Minister HASSAN Abshir Farah (since 12
November 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and sworn in on 20
October 2000; as of 1 January 2002, the Cabinet was in caretaker
status following a no-confidence vote in October 2001 that ousted
HASSAN's predecessor

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly
note: fledgling parliament; a transitional 245-member National
Assembly began to meet on 13 August 2000 in the town of Arta,
Djibouti and is now based in Mogadishu

Judicial branch:
following the breakdown of national government, most regions have
reverted to either Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal
of all sentences, or traditional clan-based arbitration

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8
May 1991); note - the TNG and other factions have representatives in
Washington and at the United Nations

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at Mombasa Road; mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: (2) 537800; FAX (2) 537810

Flag description:
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue
field influenced by the flag of the UN

Government - note:
although an interim government was created in 2000 other governing
bodies continue to exist and control various cities and regions of
the country, including Somaliland, Puntland, and traditional clan
and faction strongholds

Economy Somalia

Economy - overview:
Somalia's economic fortunes are being driven by its deep political
divisions. The northern area has declared its independence as
"Somaliland"; the central area, Puntland, is a self-declared
autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is riddled with
the struggles of rival factions. Economic life continues, in part
because much activity is local and relatively easily protected.
Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally
accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings,
but Saudi Arabia's recent ban on Somali livestock, because of Rift
Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads and
semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood,
make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish,
charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar,
sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports.
Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of
agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap
metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has
managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms provide
wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest
international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a
formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted
throughout the country, handling between $200 million and $500
million in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a
variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels
continue to operate, and security is provided by militias. The
ongoing civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have
interfered with any broad-based economic development and
international aid arrangements. In 2002 Somalia's overdue financial
obligations to the IMF continued to grow.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $4.27 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 65%
industry: 10%
services: 25% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
over 100% (businesses print their own money)

Labor force:
3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services
29%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries:
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles,
petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
245.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
227.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (37257)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.832 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish

Exports:
$126 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal

Exports - partners:
UAE 45.6%, Yemen 24.3%, Oman 9.5% (2002)

Imports:
$343 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction
materials, qat

Imports - partners:
Djibouti 29.8%, Kenya 13.6%, Brazil 10.5%, Thailand 4.7%, UK 4.4%,
UAE 4.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$2.6 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$60 million (1999 est.)

Currency:
Somali shilling (SOS)

Currency code:
SOS

Exchange rates:
Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620
(January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996
est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995)
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent
country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own
currency, the Somaliland shilling

Fiscal year:
NA

Communications Somalia

Telephones - main lines in use:
15,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost
completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and
charge the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: international connections are available from
Mogadishu by satellite

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in
Somaliland (2001)

Radios:
470,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4
note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)

Televisions:
135,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.so

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000)

Internet users:
200 (2000)

Transportation Somalia

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 22,100 km paved: 2,608 km unpaved: 19,492 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
crude oil 15 km

Ports and harbors:
Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
60 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 over 3,047 m: 4 2438 to 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 54 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 30 under 914 m: 3 (2002)

Military Somalia

Military branches:
A Somali National Army was attempted under the interim government;
numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the
Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own
security and police forces

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,942,244 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,072,689 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$17.1 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Somalia

Disputes - international:
"Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked
Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states;
"Puntland" secessionists clash with "Somaliland" secessionists to
establish territorial limits and clan loyalties, each seeking
support from neighboring states; Ethiopia maintains only an
administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and
maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the
unrecognized Transitional National Government in Mogadishu

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@South Africa

Introduction South Africa

Background:
After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many
of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own
republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred
wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native
inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were
defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South
Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate
development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid
politically and ushered in black majority rule.

Geography South Africa

Location:
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Geographic coordinates:
29 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,219,912 sq km
land: 1,219,912 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince
Edward Island)
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491
km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Coastline:
2,798 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool
nights

Terrain:
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal
plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Natural resources:
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium,
salt, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.77%
other: 87.1% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
13,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts

Environment - current issues:
lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water
conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing
supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban
discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion;
desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely
surrounds Swaziland

People South Africa

Population:
42,768,678
note: South Africa took a census October 1996 that showed a
population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8%
underenumeration based on a postenumeration survey); estimates for
this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy,
higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex
than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 6,460,273; female 6,377,090)
15-64 years: 65% (male 13,807,922; female 13,970,088)
65 years and over: 5% (male 864,441; female 1,288,864) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.5 years
male: 24 years
female: 25 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.01% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
18.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
18.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 60.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 56.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 64.73 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.56 years
male: 46.57 years
female: 46.54 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
20.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
360,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality: noun: South African(s) adjective: South African

Ethnic groups:
black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

Religions:
Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of
blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of
Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%

Languages:
11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi,
Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 87%
female: 85.7% (2003 est.)

Government South Africa

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
conventional short form: South Africa
former: Union of South Africa
abbreviation: RSA

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and
Bloemfontein the judicial center

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape

Independence:
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in
1961 following an October 1960 referendum

National holiday:
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Constitution:
10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the
Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3
February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 2 June 1999 (next scheduled for
sometime between May and July 2004)
head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National
Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)
note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400
seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of
proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the
National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each
of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special
powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of
cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note -
following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February
1997 the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National
Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and
party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities
have been changed somewhat by the new constitution
elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces -
last held 2 June 1999 (next to be held by 2 August 2004)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC
66.4%, DP 9.6%, IFP 8.6%, NNP 6.9%, UDM 3.4%, ACDP 1.4%, FF 0.8%,
other 2.9%; seats by party - ANC 266, DP 38, IFP 34, NNP 28, UDM 14,
ACDP 6, FF 3, other 11; National Council of Provinces - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ANC 61, NNP 17, FF 4, IFP 5,
DP 3

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts;
Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders:
African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE,
president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI,
president]; Democratic Alliance (formed from the merger of the
Democratic Party or DP and the New National Party or NNP; note - NNP
split from DP in 2001) [Anthony LEON]; Freedom Front or FF [Dr.
Pieter MULDER, president]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu
BUTHELEZI, president]; New National Party or NNP [Marthinus VAN
SCHALKWYK]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA,
president]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI,
general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade
NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics
Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note
- COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, BIS, C, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SACU,
SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX: (202) 265-1607
telephone: (202) 232-4400
chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron H. HUME
embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
telephone: (12) 342-1048
FAX: (12) 342-2244
consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

Flag description:
two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by
a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of
which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black
isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow
yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green
band and its arms by narrow white stripes

Economy South Africa

Economy - overview:
South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant
supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal,
communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that
ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure
supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers
throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to
lower South Africa's high unemployment rate; and daunting economic
problems remain from the apartheid era, especially poverty and lack
of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. High crime
and HIV/AIDS infection rates also deter investment. South African
economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on
targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job
growth and household income.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $427.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.4% industry: 28.9% services: 66.7% (2001)

Population below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
59.3 (1993-94)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
17 million economically active

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
37% (includes workers no longer looking for employment) (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $22.6 billion
expenditures: $24.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
billion (FY 02/03)

Industries:
mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium),
automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and
steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs

Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
195.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 93.5% hydro: 1.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 5.5%

Electricity - consumption:
181.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
6.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
6.2 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
196,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
460,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
7.84 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
1.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
14.16 million cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Exports:
$31.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and
equipment (1998 est.)

Exports - partners:
UK 12.8%, US 12.7%, Germany 9%, Japan 8.8%, Italy 5.8% (2002)

Imports:
$26.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific
instruments, foodstuffs (2000 est.)

Imports - partners:
Germany 15.4%, US 9.4%, UK 9%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Japan 5.8%,
France 5%, China 4.9%, Iran 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$24.7 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$487.5 million (2000)

Currency:
rand (ZAR)

Currency code:
ZAR

Exchange rates:
rand per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11
(1999), 5.53 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications South Africa

Telephones - main lines in use:
more than 5 million (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.06 million (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is the best developed and most
modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
17 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
6 million (2000)

Internet country code:
.za

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
150 (2001)

Internet users:
3.068 million (2002)

Transportation South Africa

Railways:
total: 22,298 km
narrow gauge: 21,984 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 314
km 0.610-m gauge
note: includes a 2,228 km commuter rail system (2002)

Highways:
total: 362,099 km
paved: 73,506 km (including 2,032 km of expressways)
unpaved: 288,593 km (2000)

Waterways:
NA

Pipelines:
condensate 100 km; gas 741 km; oil 847 km; refined products 1,354
km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth,
Richards Bay, Saldanha

Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,235 GRT/35,904 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 3, Netherlands 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 2

Airports:
727 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 143 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 50 914 to 1,523 m: 67 under 914 m: 11 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 584 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 298 under 914 m: 252 (2002)

Military South Africa

Military branches:
South African National Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air
Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 11,865,280 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 7,211,075 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 471,578 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.746 billion (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (FY02)

Military - note:
with the end of Apartheid and the establishment of majority rule,
former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces
were integrated into the South African National Defense Force
(SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete

Transnational Issues South Africa

Disputes - international: managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River

Illicit drugs:
transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and possibly
cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for
illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through
various east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana;
attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of
organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Southern Ocean

Introduction Southern Ocean

Background:
A decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the
spring of 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean -
from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and
Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of
Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with
the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth
largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).

Geography Southern Ocean

Location:
body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica

Geographic coordinates:
65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique
distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally
encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies
between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and
encompasses 360 degrees of longitude

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 20.327 million sq km
note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake
Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and
other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of the US

Coastline:
17,968 km

Climate:
sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees
Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and
frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between
ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to
the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere
on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south
latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the
Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees
Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds
from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter

Terrain:
the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most of its
extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic
continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge
lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133
meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6
million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square
kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the
Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves
perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,
transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100
times the flow of all the world's rivers

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich
Trench
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the
continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits,
sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals -
none exploited; krill, fishes

Natural hazards:
huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller
bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 meter
thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large
annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by
glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and
large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October;
most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue

Environment - current issues:
increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic
ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity
(phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish;
illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years,
especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more
Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to
affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental
mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish
note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong
comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries

Environment - international agreements:
the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements
regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these
agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling
Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south
[south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees
west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits
sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (regulates fishing)
note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource
exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front
(Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic
Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very
cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the
north

Geography - note:
the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and
Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best
natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it
is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar
Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters to the
south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current
extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees
south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South
Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds

Economy Southern Ocean

Economy - overview:
Fisheries in 2000-01 (1 July to 30 June) landed 112,934 metric
tons, of which 87% was krill and 11% Patagonian toothfish.
International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce
illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01
season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and
antarctic toothfish. In the 2000-01 antarctic summer 12,248
tourists, most of them seaborne, visited the Southern Ocean and
Antarctica, compared to 14,762 the previous year.

Transportation Southern Ocean

Ports and harbors:
McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica
note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the
Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short
periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without
icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government
research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to
commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60
degrees south are subject to inspection by Antarctic Treaty
observers (see Article 7)

Transportation - note:
Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal

Transnational Issues Southern Ocean

Disputes - international:
Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), but
Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assert
claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in the
Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in
extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS) to include undersea ridges;
the US and most other states do not recognize the land or maritime
claims of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US
and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal claims have
been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@South Georgia and the South Sandwich

Introduction South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Background:
The islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands
and have been under British administration since 1908, except for a
brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on
South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station.
Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to
his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some
20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a
successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the
Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and
is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from
the British Antarctic Survey. The islands have large bird and seal
populations, and, recognizing the importance of preserving the
marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the
exclusive fishing zone from 12 NM to 200 NM around each island.

Geography South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east
of the tip of South America

Geographic coordinates:
54 30 S, 37 00 W

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 3,903 sq km
note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia
Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist
of some nine islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 3,903 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
NA km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year
interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as
snow

Terrain:
most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and
mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep,
glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of
volcanic origin with some active volcanoes

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some
sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that
generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also
subject to active volcanism

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which
provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 21st
century, live on South Georgia

People South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March
2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the
British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on
Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2003
est.)

Government South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
conventional short form: none

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina;
administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is
concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen
ELIZABETH II; Grytviken, formerly a whaling station on South
Georgia, is a scientific base

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution:
adopted 3 October 1985

Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate
from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms
centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a
shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur
seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears
above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM
PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)

Economy South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Economy - overview:
Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential
source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands
receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of
fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels.
Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.

Communications South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Radio broadcast stations:
0 (2003)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (2003)

Internet country code:
.gs

Transportation South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Grytviken

Airports:
none (2002)

Military South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Disputes - international:
briefly occupied by military force in 1982 - claimed by Argentina
in constitution but declares it will no longer seek settlement by
force

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Spain

Introduction Spain

Background:
Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries
ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent
failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused
the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic
and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II,
but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). In the
second half of the 20th century, Spain has played a catch-up role in
the western international community; it joined the EU in 1986.
Continuing concerns are Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)
terrorism and further reductions in unemployment.

Geography Spain

Location:
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean
Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of
France

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 504,782 sq km
water: 5,240 sq km
note: there are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands
and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the
coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon
de Velez de la Gomera
land: 499,542 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 1,917.8 km
border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km,
Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Coastline:
4,964 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy
along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and
cool along coast

Terrain:
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Natural resources:
coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar,
gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower,
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 28.6%
permanent crops: 9.56%
other: 61.84% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
36,400 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents
from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and
quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification

Geography - note:
strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People Spain

Population:
40,217,413 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,985,705; female 2,808,791)
15-64 years: 68% (male 13,721,053; female 13,626,121)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,962,646; female 4,113,097) (2003
est.)

Median age: total: 38.7 years male: 37.4 years female: 40.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.16% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
10.08 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
9.48 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.23 years
male: 75.87 years
female: 82.8 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.26 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,300 (2001 est.)

Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish

Ethnic groups:
composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

Religions:
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Languages:
Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
note: Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other
languages are official regionally

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9%
male: 98.7%
female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

Government Spain

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
conventional short form: Spain
local short form: Espana

Government type:
parliamentary monarchy

Capital:
Madrid

Administrative divisions:
19 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular -
comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic
Islands), Ceuta, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La
Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian,
Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra,
Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
note: three small Spanish possessions are located off the coast of
Morocco: Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de
la Gomera; Ceuta and Melilla gained limited autonomous status in 1994

Independence:
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent
kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in the early 8th
Century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian
redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately,
culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed
the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered
the forging of present-day Spain

National holiday:
Hispanic Day, 12 October

Constitution:
6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

Legal system:
civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir
Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR
Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President (and Minister of
Economy) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 4 September 2003) and Second
Vice President (and Minister of the Presidency) Javier ARENAS (since
4 September 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
consultative organ of the government
election results: Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president;
percent of National Assembly vote - 44.54%; note - the Popular Party
(PP) obtained an absolute majority of seats in both the Congress of
Deputies and the Senate as a result of the March 2000 elections
elections: the monarch is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and
elected by the National Assembly; election last held 12 March 2000
(next to be held NA March 2004); vice presidents appointed by the
monarch on the proposal of the president

Legislative branch:
bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes
Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members
directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the
regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of
Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are
elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 44.6%, PSOE
34.1%, CiU 4.2%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1.1%, PIL 0%; seats by party - PP 127,
PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of Deputies - percent
of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%, IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%,
CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE 125, CiU 15, IU 8,
PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5
elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA
March 2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to
be held NA March 2004)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo

Political parties and leaders:
Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Xabier ARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian
Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO];
Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi PUJOL i Soley, secretary
general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or
CDC [Jordi PUJOL i Soley] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or
UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG
[Xose Manuel BEIRAS]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote or PIL
[Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; Spanish
Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO];
United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and
other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor
unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of
Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or
USO; university students; Workers Confederation or CC.OO; Nunca Mais
(Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil tanker
Prestige oil spill)

International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC,
EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Javier RUPEREZ Rubio
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: (202) 833-5670
telephone: (202) 452-0100, 728-2340

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador George L. ARGYROS
embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642
telephone: (91) 587-2200
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

Economy Spain

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 (the euro) 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 high at 11.7%. 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. A general strike in mid-2002 reduced
cooperation between labor and government. Growth of 2.4% in 2003 was
satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy.
Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an
integrated Europe - and reducing unemployment - will pose challenges
to Spain over the next few years.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $850.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $21,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 31%
services: 65% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.5 (1990)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
17.1 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 29%, agriculture 7% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
11.3% (2002 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:
1.2% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
222.5 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 50.4% hydro: 18.2% other: 4.1% (2001) nuclear: 27.2%

Electricity - consumption:
210.4 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
4.138 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
7.588 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
7,099 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.497 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
135,100 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
1.582 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
10.5 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
516 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
17.96 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
17.26 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
254.9 million cu m (37257)

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

Exports:
$122.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
France 19%, Germany 11.4%, UK 9.6%, Portugal 9.5%, Italy 9.3%, US
4.6% (2002)

Imports:
$156.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
France 17%, Germany 16.5%, Italy 8.6%, UK 6.4%, Netherlands 4.8%
(2002)

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

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1.33 billion (1999)

Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions
of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions with the member countries

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Spain

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:
7.89 million (2002)

Transportation Spain

Railways:
total: 14,189 km
broad gauge: 11,804 km 1.668-m gauge (6,409 km electrified)
standard gauge: 455 km 1.435-m gauge (455 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,902 km 1.000-m gauge (781 km electrified); 28 km
0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 663,795 km
paved: 657,157 km (including 10,317 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,638 km (1999)

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

Pipelines:
gas 7,290 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,110 km; unknown
(oil/water) 397 km (2003)

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: 140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,585,563 GRT/2,022,104 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 31, chemical tanker 10, container 13,
liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker
22, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 33, short-sea passenger
6, vehicle carrier 4
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Croatia 1, Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 7, Italy 1,
Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Uruguay 3 (2002 est.)

Airports:
152 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 93 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 27 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 59 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 43 (2002)

Heliports: 7 (2002)

Military Spain

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

Military manpower - military age:
20 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 10,524,715 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 8,391,612 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 255,826 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$8.6 billion (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.15% (2002)

Transnational Issues Spain

Disputes - international:
Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against
"total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and
UK to change 300-year rule over colony; Morocco protests Spain's
control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de
Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas
Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco also rejected Spain's
unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in
2002 to set limits to undersea resource exploration and refugee
interdiction; Morocco allowed Spanish fishermen to fish temporarily
off the coast of Western Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanish
fishing grounds; Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to
territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain

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

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Spratly Islands

Introduction Spratly Islands

Background:
The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or
reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially
by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by
China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia
and the Philippines. About 50 islands are occupied by China (about
450 soldiers), Malaysia (70-90), the Philippines (about 100), and
Vietnam (about 1,500). Brunei is a claimant but has no outposts.

Geography Spratly Islands

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
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
water: 0 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km

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% other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

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

People Spratly Islands

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several
claimant states (July 2003 est.)

Government Spratly Islands

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Economy Spratly Islands

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.

Transportation Spratly Islands

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
3 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military Spratly Islands

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

Transnational Issues Spratly Islands

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; claimants in November 2002 signed the
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a
mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding
"code of conduct"

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Sri Lanka

Introduction Sri Lanka

Background:
The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C.,
probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in
about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed
at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa
1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th
century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and
established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th
century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded
to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was
united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent
in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka 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. After two decades of fighting, the government
and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began a ceasefire in December
2001, with Norway brokering peace negotiations.

Geography Sri Lanka

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
water: 870 sq km
land: 64,740 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,340 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

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: 13.43%
permanent crops: 15.78%
other: 70.79% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
6,510 sq km (1998 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

People Sri Lanka

Population:
19,742,439 (2003 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 yearend 2000,
approximately 65,000 were housed in 131 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 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.2% (male 2,543,336; female 2,431,223)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 6,518,145; female 6,890,424)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 641,708; female 717,603) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.7 years
male: 27.7 years
female: 29.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.83% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
16.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 16.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.62 years
male: 70.09 years
female: 75.29 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,800 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
250 (2001 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: 92.3%
male: 94.8%
female: 90% (2003 est.)

Government Sri Lanka

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 - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December
2001) is the prime minister; the president is considered both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA
(since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9
December 2001) is the prime minister; the president is considered
both the chief of state and head of government
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 7 December 2001 (next to be held NA December
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance -
UNP, SLMC and CWC 46.8%, PA and EPDP 38%, JVP 9.1%, TNA 3.89%, PLOTE
0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114,
PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, TNA 15, PLOTE 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 [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers
Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D.
GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF
[Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP
[Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP
[Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF];
People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA];
People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader
NA]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; Sri Lanka Freedom
Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim
Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF
[P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO
[SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [Nadarajah RAVIRAJ];
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 [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](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, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Devinda R. SUBASINGHE consulate(s): New York consulate(s) general: Los Angeles FAX: (202) 232-7181 telephone: (202) 483-4025 (through 4028) chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador E. Ashley WILLS
embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
telephone: (1) 448007
FAX: (1) 437345

Flag description:
yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal
vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is
a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and
there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears
as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels

Economy Sri Lanka

Economy - overview:
In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import
substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and
export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food
processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages,
telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996 plantation
crops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while
textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average
annual rate of 5.5% in the early 1990s until a drought and a
deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The
economy rebounded in 1997-2000 with average growth of 5.3%, but 2001
saw the first contraction in the country's history, -1.4%, due to a
combination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the
global slowdown, and continuing civil strife. Growth recovered to
3.2% in 2002. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in the
Middle East. They send home about $1 billion a year.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $73.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20% industry: 26% services: 54% (2001)

Population below poverty line: 22% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 28% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.4 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.6% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
6.6 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8% (2002)

Budget:
revenues: $2.8 billion
expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural
commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate:
1.1% (2002)

Electricity - production:
6.36 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 51.7% hydro: 48.3% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
5.915 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
75,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products: rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef

Exports: $4.6 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities: textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products

Exports - partners:
US 39.1%, UK 12.9%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4.5% (2002)

Imports:
$5.4 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
textiles, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and
equipment

Imports - partners:
India 11%, Hong Kong 7.6%, Singapore 7.1%, China 6.3%, Taiwan 5.9%,
South Korea 5.7%, Japan 5.3%, Iran 4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$9.8 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$577 million (1998)

Currency:
Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

Currency code:
LKR

Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 95.66 (2002), 89.38 (2001), 77.01
(2000), 70.64 (1999), 64.45 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sri Lanka

Telephones - main lines in use:
494,509 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
228,604 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularly
in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization of national
telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good
international service (1999)
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition
is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low
at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)
international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
3.85 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
21 (1997)

Televisions:
1.53 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.lk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
121,500 (2001)

Transportation Sri Lanka

Railways:
total: 1,508 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 96,695 km
paved: 91,860 km
unpaved: 4,835 km (1999)

Waterways:
430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft)

Pipelines:
crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)

Ports and harbors:
Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee

Merchant marine:
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 62,157 GRT/84,898 DWT
ships by type: cargo 13, container 1, petroleum tanker 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 9, Hong Kong 1, UAE 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
15 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military Sri Lanka

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 5,383,661 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,172,921 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 186,691 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$719 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.2% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Sri Lanka

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Sudan

Introduction Sudan

Background:
Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have
dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956.
Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war for all but 10 years of this
period (1972-82). The wars are rooted in northern economic,
political, and social domination of non-Muslim, non-Arab southern
Sudanese. Since 1983, the war and war- and famine-related effects
have led to more than 2 million deaths and over 4 million people
displaced. The ruling regime is a mixture of military elite and an
Islamist party that came to power in a 1989 coup. Some northern
opposition parties have made common cause with the southern rebels
and entered the war as a part of an anti-government alliance. Peace
talks gained momentum in 2002-03 with the signing of several
accords, including a cease-fire agreement.

Geography Sudan

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,505,810 sq km
water: 129,810 sq km
land: 2.376 million sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 7,687 km
border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km,
Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605
km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km

Coastline:
853 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by
region (April to November)

Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,
northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m

Natural resources:
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc,
tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 7.03% permanent crops: 0.08% other: 92.89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
19,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations
threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification;
periodic drought

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

People Sudan

Population:
38,114,160 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 8,562,412; female 8,195,201)
15-64 years: 53.8% (male 10,260,581; female 10,246,045)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 468,898; female 381,023) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.7 years
male: 17.5 years
female: 17.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.71% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
36.48 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
9.59 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 65.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 66.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 57.73 years
male: 56.59 years
female: 58.93 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
450,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
23,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sudanese

Ethnic groups:
black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5%
(mostly in south and Khartoum)

Languages:
Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic,
Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
note: program of "Arabization" in process

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.1%
male: 71.8%
female: 50.5% (2003 est.)

Government Sudan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
conventional short form: Sudan
local short form: As-Sudan
local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Government type:
authoritarian regime - ruling military junta took power in 1989;
government is run by an alliance of the military and the National
Congress Party (NCP), formerly the National Islamic Front (NIF),
which espouses an Islamist platform

Capital:
Khartoum

Administrative divisions:
26 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil, Al Bahr al
Ahmar, Al Buhayrat, Al Jazirah, Al Khartum, Al Qadarif, Al Wahdah,
An Nil al Abyad, An Nil al Azraq, Ash Shamaliyah, Bahr al Jabal,
Gharb al Istiwa'iyah, Gharb Bahr al Ghazal, Gharb Darfur, Gharb
Kurdufan, Janub Darfur, Janub Kurdufan, Junqali, Kassala, Nahr an
Nil, Shamal Bahr al Ghazal, Shamal Darfur, Shamal Kurdufan, Sharq al
Istiwa'iyah, Sinnar, Warab

Independence:
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1956)

Constitution:
12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim
constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June
1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially
suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR

Legal system:
based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991,
the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in
the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the
northern states regardless of their religion; some separate
religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad
TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR
(since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 13-23 December 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
note: Lt. Gen. al-BASHIR assumed supreme executive power in 1989 and
retained it through several transitional governments in the early
and mid-1990s before being popularly elected for the first time in
March 1996
election results: Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected
president; percent of vote - Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%,
Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a
combined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of
guarantees for a free and fair election
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the
National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front
or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad
TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR
(since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (360 seats; 270 popularly elected, 90
elected by supra assembly of interest groups known as National
Congress; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held NA
December 2004)
note: on 12 December 1999, BASHIR dismissed the National Assembly
during an internal power struggle between the president and the
speaker of the National Assembly Hassan al-TURABI
election results: NCP 355, others 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts

Political parties and leaders:
the government allows political "associations" under a 1998 law
revised in 2000; to obtain government approval parties must accept
the constitution and refrain from advocating or using violence
against the regime; approved parties include the National Congress
Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR], Popular National Congress or PNC
[Hassan al-TURABI], and over 20 minor, pro-government parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Democratic Unionist Party [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI]; National
Congress Party [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR]; National Democratic Alliance
[Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI, chairman]; Sudan People's Liberation
Movement/Army [Dr. John GARANG]; Umma [Sadiq al-MAHDI]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affairs, Ad Interim
Khidir Haroun AHMED (since April 2001)
telephone: (202) 338-8565
FAX: (202) 667-2406
chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
US Embassy in Khartoum is located on Sharia Abdul Latif Avenue;
mailing address - P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829; telephone -
(11) 774611 or 774700; FAX - (11) 774137

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a
green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Economy Sudan

Economy - overview:
Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic
policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces
formidable economic problems, notably the low level of per capita
output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF
macroeconomic reforms. In 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil and
in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which,
along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate.
Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded
export processing zones helped maintain GDP growth at 5.1% in 2002.
Agriculture production remains Sudan's most important sector,
employing 80% of the work force and contributing 43% of GDP, but
most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Chronic
domestic instability, lagging reforms, adverse weather, and weak
world agricultural prices - but, above all, the low starting point -
ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the
poverty line for years.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $52.9 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 43%
industry: 17%
services: 40% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
11 million (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
18.7% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap
distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments,
automobile/light truck assembly

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
2.389 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.1% hydro: 47.9% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
2.222 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
209,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
50,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
631.5 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
99.11 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic,
sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet
potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock

Exports:
$1.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts,
gum arabic, sugar

Exports - partners:
China 55.7%, Japan 14%, Saudi Arabia 4.9% (2002)

Imports:
$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment,
medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

Imports - partners:
China 19.7%, Saudi Arabia 7.4%, Germany 5.5%, India 5.5%, UK 5.4%,
Indonesia 4.7%, Australia 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$15.8 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$187 million (1997)

Currency:
Sudanese dinar (SDD)

Currency code:
SDD

Exchange rates:
Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001), 257.12
(2000), 252.55 (1999), 200.8 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sudan

Telephones - main lines in use:
400,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
20,000 (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
1996 and have expanded substantially
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone
communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite
system with 14 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
7.55 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (1997)

Televisions:
2.38 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sd

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2002)

Internet users:
56,000 (2002)

Transportation Sudan

Railways:
total: 5,978 km
narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge
plantation line (2002)

Highways:
total: 11,900 km
paved: 4,320 km
unpaved: 7,580 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
5,310 km

Pipelines:
gas 156 km; oil 2,297 km; refined products 810 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin

Merchant marine:
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 29,854 GRT/39,084 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1, roll on/roll off 2
(2002 est.)

Airports:
63 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 51
under 914 m: 10 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 24

Heliports:
2 (2002)

Military Sudan

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force Militia

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 9,032,834 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,558,462 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 429,334 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$581 million (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.5% (1999)

Transnational Issues Sudan

Disputes - international:
the north-south civil war has drawn Sudan's neighbors into the
fighting, sheltering refugees, and infiltration by rebel groups -
Kenya and Uganda have acted as mediators; Sudan accuses Eritrea of
supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous
boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan;
Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan,
creating the "Ilemi triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to
administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the
1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn
their military presence; Egypt is economically developing the
"Hala'ib triangle"

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Suriname

Introduction Suriname

Background:
Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years
later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that
soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to rule through a
succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when
international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In
1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a
democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991.

Geography Suriname

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
French Guiana and Guyana

Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 56 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: total: 1,707 km border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small
amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 0.37%
permanent crops: 0.06%
note: there are 95,000 hectares of arable land, 7,000 hectares of
permanent crops, and 15,000 hectares of permanent pastures (1998
est.)
other: 99.57%

Irrigated land:
490 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues: deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly
tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for
the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development;
relatively small population, mostly along the coast

People Suriname

Population:
435,449 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.7% (male 68,536; female 65,165)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 141,048; female 134,699)
65 years and over: 6% (male 11,686; female 14,315) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.5 years
male: 25.1 years
female: 26 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.37% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
19.4 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-8.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 28.93 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.23 years
male: 66.79 years
female: 71.78 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,700 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
330 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese

Ethnic groups:
Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors
emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th
century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%,
"Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in
the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior)
10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2%
(predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%

Languages:
Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo
(Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of
Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca
among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 95%
female: 91% (1995 est.)

Government Suriname

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
local long form: Republiek Suriname

Government type:
constitutional democracy

Capital:
Paramaribo

Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo,
Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo,
Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Independence:
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987

Legal system:
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August
2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12 August
2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12
August 2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12
August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president from among
the members of the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate
receives a constitutional majority in the National Assembly after
two votes, by the larger People's Assembly (869 representatives from
the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms;
election last held 6 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)
election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN elected president by the
National Assembly; percent of legislative vote - Runaldo Ronald
VENETIAAN 72.5%; Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP) 19.6%; total votes cast -
Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (New Front) 37 votes, Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP)
10 votes
note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to the
call for elections a year early

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NF 33, MC 10, DNP 2000 3, DA '91 2, PVF 2, PALU 1
note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to the
call for elections a year early
elections: last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)

Judicial branch:
Court of Justice (justices are nominated for life)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Alternative '91 or DA '91 (a coalition of the
Alternative Forum or AF and Party for Brotherhood and Unity in
Politics or BEP, formed in January 1991) [Winston JESSURUN];
Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP 2000 (coalition of two
parties, Democratic Party and Democrats of the 21st Century) [Jules
WIJDENBOSCH]; Independent Progressive Democratic Alternative or OPDA
[Joginder RAMKHILAWAN]; Millennium Combination or MC (a coalition of
three parties, Democratic Alternative, Party for National Unity and
Solidarity, and National Democratic Party) [leader NA]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; Naya Kadam or NK [leader
NA]; Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN]; Party
of National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA]; Pertjaja
Luhur [Paul SOMOHARDJO]; Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers'
Union or PALU [Ir Iwan KROLIS]; The New Front or NF (a coalition of
four parties Suriname National Party or NPS, Progressive Reform
Party or VHP, Suriname Labor Party or SPA, and Pertjaja Luhur)
[Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN]; The Progressive Development Alliance (a
combination of three parties, Renewed Progressive Party or HPP,
Party of the Federation of Land Workers or PVF, and Suriname
Progressive People's Party or PSV) [Harry KISOENSINGH]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie
BRUNSWIJK]; Mandela Bushnegro Liberation Movement [Leendert ADAMS];
Tucayana Amazonica [Alex JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO]; Union for
Liberation and Democracy [Kofi AFONGPONG]

International organization participation:
ACP, Caricom, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDB,
IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS,
OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henry Lothar ILLES FAX: (202) 244-5878 consulate(s) general: Miami telephone: (202) 244-7488 chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel A. JOHNSON embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo mailing address: Department of State, 3390 Paramaribo Place, Washington, DC, 20521-3390 telephone: 472900 FAX: 420800

Flag description:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red
(quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a
large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band

Economy Suriname

Economy - overview:
The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts
for more than 15% of GDP and 70% of export earnings. Suriname's
economic prospects for the medium term will depend on renewed
commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the
introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote
competition. The government of Ronald VENETIAAN has begun an
austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control spending.
However, in 2002, President VENETIAAN agreed to a large pay raise
for civil servants, which threatens his earlier gains in stabilizing
the economy. The Dutch Government has agreed to restart the aid
flow, which will allow Suriname to access international development
financing. The short-term economic outlook depends on the
government's ability to control inflation and on the development of
projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.469 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13% industry: 22% services: 65% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
70% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
100,000

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
17% (2000)

Budget:
revenues: $393 million
expenditures: $403 million, including capital expenditures of $34
million (1997 est.)

Industries:
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production, oil, lumbering, food
processing, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (1994 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.959 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 25.2% hydro: 74.8% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
1.822 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
37 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; forest products; shrimp

Exports:
$445 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Exports - partners:
US 25.3%, Norway 20.4%, France 8.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.4%,
Iceland 6%, Canada 5.9%, Netherlands 5.6% (2002)

Imports:
$300 million f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
US 22.2%, Netherlands 15.6%, China 11.9%, Trinidad and Tobago
11.2%, France 7.5%, Netherlands Antilles 7.2%, Japan 5.7% (2002)

Debt - external:
$321 million (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
Netherlands provided $37 million for project and program
assistance, European Development Fund $4 million, Belgium $2 million
(1998)

Currency:
Surinamese guilder (SRG)

Currency code:
SRG

Exchange rates:
Surinamese guilders per US dollar - 2,346.75 (2002), 2,178.5
(2001), 1,322.47 (2000), 859.44 (1999), 401 (1998)
note: during 1998, the exchange rate splintered into four distinct
rates; in January 1999 the government floated the guilder, but
subsequently fixed it when the black-market rate plunged; the
government currently allows trading within a band of SRG 500 around
the official rate

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Suriname

Telephones - main lines in use:
64,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,090 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
300,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus seven repeaters) (2000)

Televisions:
63,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
14,500 (2002)

Transportation Suriname

Railways:
total: 166 km (single-track)
standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge
note: Suriname railroads are not in operation (2001)
narrow gauge: 86 km 1.000-m gauge

Highways:
total: 4,492 km
paved: 1,168 km
unpaved: 3,324 km (2000)

Waterways:
1,200 km
note: most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with
drafts ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways

Pipelines:
oil 51 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Albina, Moengo, New Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,421 GRT/2,990 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, container 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
46 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 41 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 35 (2002)

Military Suriname

Military branches:
National Army (including small Navy and Air Force elements), Civil
Police

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 123,159 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 72,039 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.6% (FY97 est.)

Transnational Issues Suriname

Disputes - international:
area disputed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere
Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); area disputed by Guyana
between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari [Kutari]
rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea boundary
with Guyana is in dispute

Illicit drugs:
growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for
Europe and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Svalbard

Introduction Svalbard

Background:
First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands
served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th
centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years
later it officially took over the territory.

Geography Svalbard

Location:
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,
Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway

Geographic coordinates:
78 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:
Arctic Region

Area:
total: 62,049 sq km
note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
water: 0 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
3,587 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but
not recognized by Russia
territorial sea: 4 NM

Climate:
arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold
winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of
Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year

Terrain:
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast
clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north
coasts

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m

Natural resources:
coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and
cloudberry) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for
coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the
northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main
islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area

People Svalbard

Population: 2,811 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.02% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
NA (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0% (2001)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
0 (2001)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
0 (2001)

Ethnic groups:
Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)

Languages:
Russian, Norwegian

Literacy:
NA

Government Svalbard

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as
Spitzbergen)

Dependency status:
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the
Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in
Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty
was awarded to Norway

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Longyearbyen

Independence:
none (territory of Norway)

National holiday:
NA

Legal system:
NA

Executive branch:
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA November 1998)
and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD (since NA)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant
governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of
Justice

International organization participation:
none

Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used

Economy Svalbard

Economy - overview:
Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty
of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit
mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK,
Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only
companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on
Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned
coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the
island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the
local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar
bear, fox, and walrus.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $NA

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Labor force:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 58% other: 0% hydro: 42% nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Exports:
$NA

Imports:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$8.2 million from Norway (1998)

Currency:
Norwegian krone (NOK)

Currency code:
NOK

Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001),
8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998)

Communications Svalbard

Telephones - main lines in use:
NA

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for
communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.sj

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Svalbard

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
4 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Military Svalbard

Military - note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)

Transnational Issues Svalbard

Disputes - international: despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Swaziland

Introduction Swaziland

Background:
Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the
British in the late 19th century; independence was granted 1968.
Student and labor unrest during the 1990s have pressured the
monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow
political reform and greater democracy.

Geography Swaziland

Location:
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Geographic coordinates:
26 30 S, 31 30 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 17,363 sq km
water: 160 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: total: 535 km border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
varies from tropical to near temperate

Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m

Natural resources:
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold
and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Land use: arable land: 9.77% permanent crops: 0.7% other: 89.53% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
690 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
drought

Environment - current issues:
limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being
depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil
degradation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

People Swaziland

Population:
1,161,219
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.4% (male 242,762; female 238,141)
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 317,526; female 321,709)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 18,040; female 23,041) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.5 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 18.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.83% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
29.37 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
21.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 67.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 70.79 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 39.47 years
male: 41.02 years
female: 37.87 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.92 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
33.4% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
170,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
12,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi

Ethnic groups:
African 97%, European 3%

Religions:
Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship)
40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist,
Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Languages:
English (official, government business conducted in English),
siSwati (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6%
male: 82.6%
female: 80.8% (2003 est.)

Government Swaziland

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland

Government type:
monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

Capital:
Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital

Administrative divisions:
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Independence:
6 September 1968 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

Constitution:
none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973;
a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but was not
formally presented to the people; since then a few more outlines for
a constitution have been compiled under the Constitutional Review
Commission (CRC), but so far none have been accepted

Legal system:
based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and
Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age

Executive branch:
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November
2003)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by
the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the
Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20
appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the
House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55
elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be
held NA October 2008)
election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a
nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local
council of each constituency and for each constituency the three
candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are
narrowed to a single winner by a second round

Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed
by the monarch

Political parties and leaders:
political parties are banned by the constitution - the following
are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement
or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC
[Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or
PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or
SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
OAU, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA
FAX: (202) 244-8059
telephone: (202) 362-6683
chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James D. McGEE embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane telephone: 404-6441 through 404-6445 FAX: 404-5959

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue;
the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large
black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated
with feather tassels, all placed horizontally

Economy Swaziland

Economy - overview:
In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies
more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has
diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain
important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in
importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines
remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short
border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South
Africa from which it receives nine-tenths of its imports and to
which it sends more than two-thirds of its exports. Customs duties
from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from
South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income.
The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign
investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes
floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of
the population needed emergency food aid in 2002 because of drought,
and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by
HIV/AIDS.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $5.542 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.6% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17% industry: 44% services: 39% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.8% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
383,200 (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
34% (2000 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $448 million
expenditures: $506.9 million, including capital expenditures of $147
million (FY 01/02)

Industries:
mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile
and apparel

Industrial production growth rate:
3.7% (FY 95/96)

Electricity - production:
348.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 58% hydro: 42% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
962.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
639 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
3,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products: sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

Exports: $820 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities: soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners:
South Africa 72%, EU 14.2%, Mozambique 3.7%, US 3.5%, UK (1999)

Imports:
$938 million f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs,
petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
South Africa 88.8%, EU 5.6%, Japan 0.6%, Singapore 0.4% (1999)

Debt - external:
$320 million (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$104 million (2001)

Currency:
lilangeni (SZL)

Currency code:
SZL

Exchange rates:
emalangeni per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000),
6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Swaziland

Telephones - main lines in use:
38,500 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
45,000 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system
domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and
low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2001)

Radios:
170,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
5 plus 7 relay stations (2001)

Televisions:
23,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
.sz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2002)

Internet users:
7,000 (2002)

Transportation Swaziland

Railways: total: 301 km narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)

Highways: total: 3,247 km paved: NA unpaved: NA (1998)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
18 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2002)

Military Swaziland

Military branches:
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 284,530 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 165,005 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$20 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.75% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Swaziland

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Sweden

Introduction Sweden

Background:
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not
participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality
was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic
formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare
elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment, rising
maintenance costs, and a declining position in world markets.
Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic
integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU until 1995,
and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Geography Sweden

Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Geographic coordinates:
62 00 N, 15 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 449,964 sq km
water: 39,030 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 2,205 km border countries: Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline:
3,218 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
territorial sea: 12 NM (adjustments made to return a portion of
straits to high seas)

Climate:
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly
cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Terrain:
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad
-2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Natural resources:
zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 6.8% permanent crops: 0% other: 93.2% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of
Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Environment - current issues:
acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and
the Baltic Sea

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North
Seas

People Sweden

Population:
8,878,085 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.7% (male 804,296; female 763,213)
15-64 years: 65% (male 2,933,183; female 2,835,835)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male 654,575; female 886,983) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.1 years
male: 39 years
female: 41.4 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.01% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
9.71 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
10.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.97 years
male: 77.31 years
female: 82.78 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.54 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,300 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish

Ethnic groups:
indigenous population: Swedes and Finnish and Sami minorities;
foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs,
Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Religions:
Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish,
Buddhist

Languages:
Swedish
note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1979 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Sweden

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden
local short form: Sverige
local long form: Konungariket Sverige

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Stockholm

Administrative divisions:
21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas,
Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar,
Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane,
Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens,
Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands

Independence:
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)

National holiday:
Flag Day, 6 June

Constitution:
1 January 1975

Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973);
Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of
the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Goran PERSSON (since 21 March
1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the prime minister is elected by the Parliament; election
last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006)
election results: Goran PERSSON reelected prime minister with 131
out of 349 votes

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by
popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held NA September
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 39.8%,
Moderates 15.2%, Liberal Party 13.3%, Christian Democrats 9.1%, Left
Party 8.3%, Center Party 6.1%, Greens 4.6%; seats by party - Social
Democrats 144, Moderates 55, Liberal Party 48, Christian Democrats
33, Left Party 30, Center Party 22, Greens 17

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the
prime minister and the cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Alf
SVENSSON]; Green Party [no formal leader but party spokespersons are
Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or VP (formerly
Communist) [Ulla HOFFMAN (acting)]; Liberal People's Party [Lars
LEIJONBORG]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT];
Social Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jan ELIASSON consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York FAX: (202) 467-2699 telephone: (202) 467-2600 chancery: 1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1702

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. HEIMBOLD, Jr. embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds VAG 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 (pouch) telephone: (08) 783 53 00 FAX: (08) 661 19 64

Flag description:
blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag;
the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the
style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Sweden

Economy - overview:
Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole 20th century, Sweden
has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of
high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern
distribution system, excellent internal and external communications,
and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore
constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward
foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of
industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50%
of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and
2% of the jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline
resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut
by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown,
revenue declines, and spending increases. The Swedish central bank
(the Riksbank) is focusing on price stability with its inflation
target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003. On September 14,
2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system,
concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $230.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.9% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $26,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 29%
services: 69% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 20.1% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
25 (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
4.4 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $119 billion
expenditures: $110 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone
parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods,
motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate:
0.9% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
152.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 4% hydro: 50.8% other: 2.3% (2001) nuclear: 43%

Electricity - consumption:
134.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
18.45 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
11.14 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
328,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
203,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
553,100 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
949 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
968 million cu m (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk

Exports:
$80.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron
and steel products, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 11.6%, Germany 10.1%, Norway 9%, UK 8.2%, Denmark 5.9%, Finland
5.6%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 5.1%, Belgium 4.7% (2002)

Imports:
$68.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor
vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners:
Germany 18.5%, Denmark 8.8%, UK 8.6%, Norway 8.2%, Netherlands
6.7%, France 5.4%, Finland 5.2%, US 5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$66.5 billion (1994)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1.7 billion (1997)

Currency:
Swedish krona (SEK)

Currency code:
SEK

Exchange rates:
Swedish kronor per US dollar - 9.74 (2002), 10.33 (2001), 9.16
(2000), 8.26 (1999), 7.95 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sweden

Telephones - main lines in use:
6.017 million (December 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.835 million (October 1998)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
additional telephone channels
international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic
and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth
station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
and Norway)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
8.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
4.6 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.se

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
29 (2000)

Internet users:
6.02 million (2002)

Transportation Sweden

Railways: total: 11,481 km standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (7,527 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 212,402 km
paved: 166,523 km (including 1,499 km of expressways)
unpaved: 45,879 km (2000)

Waterways: 2,052 km note: navigable to small steamers and barges

Pipelines:
gas 798 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall, Kalmar,
Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall

Merchant marine:
total: 166 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,329,925 GRT/1,609,986 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 8, Finland 8, Germany 3, Italy 3, Japan 2,
Norway 7 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 35, chemical tanker 31, combination
ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 35, short-sea
passenger 8, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 21

Airports:
245 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 145 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 25 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 82

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 100 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 90 (2002)

Heliports: 2 (2002)

Military Sweden

Military branches:
Army, Royal Navy (including Coast Artillery and Naval Helicopter
Service), Air Force

Military manpower - military age:
19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,060,044 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,800,376 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 52,692 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.395 billion (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Sweden

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Switzerland

Introduction Switzerland

Background:
Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by
the major European powers, and Switzerland was not involved in
either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration
of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role
in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened
Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not
officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active
in many UN and international organizations, but retains a strong
commitment to neutrality.

Geography Switzerland

Location:
Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 41,290 sq km
water: 1,520 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy
winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain:
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central
plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m

Natural resources:
hydropower potential, timber, salt

Land use: arable land: 10.57% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 88.82% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
avalanches, landslides, flash floods

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid
rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural
fertilizers; loss of biodiversity

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with
southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has
the highest elevations in the Alps

People Switzerland

Population:
7,318,638 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.6% (male 623,428; female 591,709)
15-64 years: 67.8% (male 2,519,302; female 2,439,560)
65 years and over: 15.6% (male 470,257; female 674,382) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.2 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 41.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.21% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
9.59 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.99 years
male: 77.11 years
female: 83.02 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.48 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
19,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss

Ethnic groups:
German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none 8.9% (1990)

Languages:
German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian
(official) 7.6%, Romansch (official) 0.6%, other 8.9%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male:
female:

Government Switzerland

Country name:
conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera
(Italian)
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German),
Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
Bern

Administrative divisions:
26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular
- cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau,
Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft,
Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura,
Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen,
Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Independence:
1 August 1291 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation)

National holiday:
Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

Constitution:
18 December 1998

Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general
obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January 2003);
Vice President Ruth METZLER (since 1 January 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January
2003); Vice President Ruth METZLER (since 1 January 2003); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal
(in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal
Assembly usually from among its own members for a four-year term
elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year
terms that run concurrently; election last held NA December 2002
(next to be held NA December 2003)
election results: Pascal COUCHEPIN elected president; percent of
Federal Assembly vote - NA%; Ruth METZLER elected vice president;
percent of legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German),
Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian)
consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil
des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats
- members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or
Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio
Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular
vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year
terms)
elections: Council of States - last held NA 1999 (each canton
determines when the next election will be held); National Council -
last held 19 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2007)
election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - FDP 18, CVP 15, SVP 7, SPS 6; National Council
- percent of vote by party - SVP 27.7%, SPS 24.2%, FDP 16%, CVP
12.9%, Greens 7.7%, other small parties all under 5%; seats by party
- SVP 55, SPS 52, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green Party 13, other small
parties 16

Judicial branch:
Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the
Federal Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische
Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or
PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Philipp STAEHELIN,
president]; Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti
Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I
Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER and
Patrice MUGNY, co-presidents]; Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti
Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale
Svizzero or PLR) [Christiane LANGENBERGER, president]; Social
Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS,
Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS,
Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Christiane BRUNNER,
president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP,
Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or
UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president];
and other minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNU, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christian BLICKENSTORFER
consulate(s): Boston
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco
FAX: (202) 387-2564
telephone: (202) 745-7900
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mercer REYNOLDS III embassy: Jubilaeumsstrasse 93, 3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (031) 357 70 11 FAX: (031) 357 73 44

Flag description:
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that
does not extend to the edges of the flag

Economy Switzerland

Economy - overview:
Switzerland is a prosperous and stable modern market economy with
low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP
larger than that of the big western European economies. The Swiss in
recent years have brought their economic practices largely into
conformity with the EU's to enhance their international
competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors,
because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up
the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic
conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to
0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $233.4 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $32,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 34%
services: 64% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 25.2% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.1 (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
4 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 69.1%, industry 26.3%, agriculture 4.6% (1998)

Unemployment rate:
1.9% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $30 billion
expenditures: $30 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments

Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (2001)

Electricity - production:
68.68 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.3% hydro: 59.5% other: 2% (2001) nuclear: 37.1%

Electricity - consumption:
53.43 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
34.54 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
24.1 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
290,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
10,420 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
289,500 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
3.093 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
3.093 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs

Exports:
$100.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products

Exports - partners:
Germany 19.2%, US 10.2%, Italy 9.6%, France 8.9%, UK 7.7% (2002)

Imports:
$94.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products,
textiles

Imports - partners:
Germany 27.4%, France 11.4%, Italy 9.7%, US 8.5%, Russia 5.8%, UK
5.4%, Austria 4.6%, Netherlands 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1.1 billion (1995)

Currency:
Swiss franc (CHF)

Currency code:
CHF

Exchange rates:
Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.56 (2002), 1.69 (2001), 1.69 (2000),
1.5 (1999), 1.45 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Switzerland

Telephones - main lines in use:
4.82 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.967 million (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean
and Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
7.1 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ch

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
44 (Switzerland and Liechtenstein) (2000)

Internet users:
3.85 million (2002)

Transportation Switzerland

Railways:
total: 4,511 km
standard gauge: 3,483 km 1.435-m gauge (3,472 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 982 km 1.000-m gauge (975 km electrified); 46 km
0.800-m gauge (46 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 71,011 km
paved: 71,011 km (including 1,638 of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000)

Waterways:
65 km
note: The Rhine carries heavy traffic on the Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee stretches; there are also 12 navigable lakes

Pipelines:
gas 1,831 km; oil 212 km; refined products 7 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Basel

Merchant marine:
total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 597,049 GRT/1,051,380 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: UK 6, US 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 16, cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, container 2,
passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, specialized tanker 1

Airports:
66 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 41 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 14 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25 1524 to 2437 m: 1 under 914 m: 24 (2002)

Heliports: 1 (2002)

Military Switzerland

Military branches:
Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards

Military manpower - military age:
20 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,834,638 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,552,728 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 42,761 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2.548 billion (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Switzerland

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
because of more stringent government regulations, used
significantly less as a money-laundering center; transit country for
and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Syria

Introduction Syria

Background:
Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I,
Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In
the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel.
Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly
in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have
held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

Geography Syria

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and
Turkey

Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 185,180 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
water: 1,130 sq km
land: 184,050 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than North Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
375 km, Turkey 822 km

Coastline:
193 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 41 NM
territorial sea: 35 NM

Climate:
mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild,
rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with
snow or sleet periodically in Damascus

Terrain:
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron
ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 25.96% permanent crops: 4.08% other: 69.96% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
12,130 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water
pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate
potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)

People Syria

Population:
17,585,540 (July 2002 est.)
note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and
about 20,000 Israeli settlers (February 2003 est.) (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.6% (male 3,494,473; female 3,290,699)
15-64 years: 58.2% (male 5,238,026; female 4,991,588)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 274,744; female 296,010) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.6 years
female: 19.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.45% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
29.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.04 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 31.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 31.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 31.89 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.39 years
male: 68.18 years
female: 70.67 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%,
Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus,
Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Languages:
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely
understood; French, English somewhat understood

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.9%
male: 89.7%
female: 64% (2003 est.)

Government Syria

Country name:
conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic
conventional short form: Syria
local short form: Suriyah
former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah

Government type:
republic under military regime since March 1963

Capital:
Damascus

Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al
Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az
Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus

Independence:
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 April (1946)

Constitution:
13 March 1973

Legal system:
based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious
courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice
Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and
Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10
September 2003), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS
(since 11 March 1984), Farouk al-SHARA (since 13 December 2001), Dr.
Muhammad al-HUSAYN (since 13 December 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of
President Hafez al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held
NA 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister
and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th
Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name
to the People's Council on 25 June 2000
election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote
- Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%

Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents
33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the
constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF
alliance) receives one-half of the seats
elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year
terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation;
State Security Courts

Political parties and leaders:
National Progressive Front or NPF (includes Arab Socialist
Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [President Bashar
al-ASAD, secretary general], Socialist Unionist Democratic Party
[Ahmad al ASAD], Syrian Communist Party [leader NA], Unionist
Socialist Party [leader NA], Arab Socialist Party [Abd al-Ghani
QANNUT], and Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Sami SUFAN])
[President Bashar al-ASAD, chairman]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or
ASP [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL];
Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in
exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective
political influence

International organization participation:
AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UN Security
Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (acting) Imad MUSTAFA chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: (202) 234-9548 telephone: (202) 232-6313

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Theodore H. KATTOUF embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus telephone: (11) 333-1342 FAX: (11) 331-9678

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with
two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain
white band, and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic
inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also
similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in
the white band

Economy Syria

Economy - overview:
Syria's predominantly statist economy has been growing, on average,
more slowly than its 2.4% annual population growth rate, causing a
persistent decline in per capita GDP. Recent legislation allows
private banks to operate in Syria, although a private banking sector
will take years and further government cooperation to develop.
External factors such as the international war on terrorism, the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the war between the US-led
coalition and Iraq probably will drive real annual GDP growth levels
back below their 3.5% spike in 2002. A long-run economic constraint
is the pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth,
industrial expansion, and increased water pollution.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $63.48 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.6% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27% industry: 23% services: 50% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
15%-25%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
5.2 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture, industry, services NA (2002)

Unemployment rate:
20% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $6 billion
expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.6
billion (2002 est.)

Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate
rock mining

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
23.26 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.6% hydro: 42.4% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
21.63 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
522,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
265,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2.4 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
5.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
5.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
240.7 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Exports: $6.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil 70%, petroleum products 7%, fruits and vegetables 5%,
cotton fiber 4%, clothing 3%, meat and live animals 2% (2000 est.)

Exports - partners:
Germany 19.1%, Italy 17.5%, Turkey 7.8%, France 7.5%, Lebanon 5.2%
(2002)

Imports:
$4.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%,
metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10%
(2000 est.)

Imports - partners:
Italy 8.3%, Germany 7.4%, China 5.7%, South Korea 4.8%, France
4.6%, US 4.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$22 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$199 million (1997 est.)

Currency:
Syrian pound (SYP)

Currency code:
SYP

Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds per US dollar - (Official rate): 11.23 (2002), 11.23
(2001), 11.23 (2000), 11.23 (1999), 11.23 (1998), (Free market
rate): 49.65 (2001), 49.4 (2000), 51.7 (1999), 52 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Syria

Telephones - main lines in use:
1.313 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant
improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
4.15 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
1.05 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sy

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
60,000 (2002)

Transportation Syria

Railways:
total: 2,743 km
standard gauge: 2,425 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 318 km 1.050-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 43,381 km
paved: 10,021 km (including 877 km of expressways)
unpaved: 33,360 km (1999)

Waterways:
870 km (minimal economic importance)

Pipelines:
gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Merchant marine:
total: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 450,135 GRT/645,296 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 2, Italy 1, Lebanon 10 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 109, container 2, livestock carrier 3,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1

Airports:
92 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 24 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 under 914 m: 1 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 68 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 55 (2002)

Heliports: 7 (2002)

Military Syria

Military branches:
Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (includes
Air Defense Forces), Police and Security Force

Military manpower - military age:
19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,715,386 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,629,148 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 210,941 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.9% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Syria

Disputes - international:
Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in
Golan Heights; Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon since
October 1976; Syria protests Turkish hydrological projects
regulating upper Euphrates waters; Turkey is quick to rebuff any
perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province

Illicit drugs:
a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and
Western markets

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Taiwan

Introduction Taiwan

Background:
In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. It
reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the
Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists
fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947
constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades,
the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the
native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan
underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist
to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the
island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers."
The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship
between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual
unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Geography Taiwan

Location:
Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea,
South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off
the southeastern coast of China

Geographic coordinates:
23 30 N, 121 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 35,980 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
water: 3,720 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,566.3 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to
August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

Terrain:
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling
plains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

Natural resources:
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 75%

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
earthquakes and typhoons

Environment - current issues:
air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw
sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in
endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's
international status
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of
Taiwan's international status

Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon
Strait

People Taiwan

Population:
22,603,001 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 2,366,560; female 2,175,886)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 8,095,741; female 7,871,954)
65 years and over: 9.3% (male 1,074,112; female 1,018,747) (2003
est.)

Median age: total: 33.2 years male: 32.9 years female: 33.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.65% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
12.74 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 7.34 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.87 years
male: 74.12 years
female: 79.88 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.57 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Chinese/Taiwanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese/Taiwanese

Ethnic groups:
Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

Religions:
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%,
other 2.5%

Languages:
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86%
male: 93%
female: 79% (1980)
note: literacy for the total population has reportedly increased to
94% (1998)

Government Taiwan

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Taiwan local short form: T'ai-wan local long form: none former: Formosa

Government type:
multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly-elected president
and unicameral legislature

Capital:
Taipei

Administrative divisions:
the central administrative divisions include the provinces of
Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including
Quemoy and Matsu) and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the
Pescadores islands); Taiwan is further subdivided into 16 counties
(hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and
plural), and 2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and
plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*,
Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou,
P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*,
T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**, T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the
provincial capital is at Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un
note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization

National holiday:
Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October
(1911)

Constitution:
1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999

Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000) and
Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000)
election results: CHEN Shui-bian elected president; percent of vote
- CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu) (PFP)
36.84%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) 0.63%,
LEE Ao (CNP) 0.13%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 18 March
2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); premier appointed by the
president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the premier
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) YU
Shyi-kun (since 1 February 2002) and Vice Premier (Vice President of
the Executive Yuan) LIN Hsin-yi (since 1 February 2002)
cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular
vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of islandwide votes
received by participating political parties, eight elected from
overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the proportion of
islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight
elected by popular vote among the aboriginal populations; members
serve three-year terms) and unicameral National Assembly (300 seat
nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by
proportional representation within three months of a Legislative
Yuan call to amend the Constitution, impeach the president, or
change national borders)
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 8 December 2001 (next to be
held NA December 2004); note - the National Assembly is a
nonstanding body and is called into session
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP
39%, KMT 30%, PFP 20%, TSU 6%, independents and other parties 5%;
seats by party - DPP 87, KMT 68, PFP 46, TSU 13, independents and
other parties 11

Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of
the National Assembly; note - beginning in 2003, justices will be
appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [CHEN Shui-bian, chairman];
Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; People
First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu), chairman]; Taiwan
Solidarity Union or TSU [HUANG Chu-wen, chairman]; other minor
parties including the Chinese New Party or CNP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmental
groups
note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the
mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization
and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's
legislature have opened public debate on the island's national
identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan
currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate
outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's
people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan
independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify
with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement
include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the
UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the
World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for
Taiwan Nation Building

International organization participation:
APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office located at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: (703) 525-8474, FAX: (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices located at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: (2) 2709-2000, FAX: (2) 2702-7675; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, telephone: (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX: (7) 223-8237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: (2) 2720-1550, FAX: (2) 2757-7162

Flag description:
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

Economy Taiwan

Economy - overview:
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing
guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities.
In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and
industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the
primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is
substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest.
Agriculture contributes 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. While
Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia, China has
become the largest destination for investment and has overtaken the
US to become Taiwan's largest export market. Because of its
conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths,
Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the
Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn,
combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration
and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in
2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment
also reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in
the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence,
and bad bank loans. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant
long-term factor. Exports to China - mainly parts and equipment for
the assembly of goods for export to developed countries - drove
Taiwan's economic recovery in 2002.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $406 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 31% services: 67% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 1% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 6.4% highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.6 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
10 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 58%, industry 35%, agriculture 7% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
5.2% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $36 billion
expenditures: $36.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002 est.)

Industries:
electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and
steel, machinery, cement, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2002)

Electricity - production:
151.1 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 6% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 22.6%

Electricity - consumption:
140.5 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
1,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
750 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
410 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
38.23 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish

Exports:
$130 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 54%, metals, textiles, plastics,
chemicals (2002)

Exports - partners:
Hong Kong 23.9%, US 20.8%, Japan 9.3%, China 7.7% (2002)

Imports:
$113 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision
instruments (2002)

Imports - partners:
Japan 24.3%, US 16.1%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.9% (2002)

Debt - external:
$24.7 billion (2002)

Currency:
new Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Currency code:
TWD

Exchange rates:
34.88 (2002), 34.74 (2001), 33.09 (2000), 31.6 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000
for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Communications Taiwan

Telephones - main lines in use:
12.49 million (September 2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
16 million (September 2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every
business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa),
Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia,
Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)

Radios:
16 million (1994)

Television broadcast stations:
29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
8.8 million (1998)

Internet country code:
.tw

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)

Internet users:
11.6 million (2001)

Transportation Taiwan

Railways:
total: 1,108 km
narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)
note: there also are 1,255 km of 1.067-m gauge routes belonging to
the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used
to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2002)

Highways:
total: 35,931 km
paved: 31,583 km (including 608 km of expressways)
unpaved: 4,348 km (2000)

Waterways:
NA

Pipelines:
condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung

Merchant marine:
total: 142 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,973,958 GRT/6,306,361 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Hong Kong 3, Japan 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 41, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, combination
bulk 3, container 45, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 9,
roll on/roll off 2

Airports:
39 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 37 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports:
3 (2002)

Military Taiwan

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard
Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service
Forces Command

Military manpower - military age:
19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,583,604 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,019,268 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 189,967 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$7.574 billion (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.7% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Taiwan

Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China,
Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claimants in
November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell
short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; Paracel Islands
occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; claims
Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as
does China

Illicit drugs:
regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major
problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Tajikistan

Introduction Tajikistan

Background:
Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a
five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the
USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and
implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total
control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise
and forge alliances among factions. Attention by the international
community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought
increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs
and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early
stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined
NATO's Partnership for Peace.

Geography Tajikistan

Location:
Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 71 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 143,100 sq km
water: 400 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries:
total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870
km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to
polar in Pamir Mountains

Terrain:
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley
in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead,
zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Land use: arable land: 5.41% permanent crops: 0.92% other: 93.67% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
7,200 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes and floods

Environment - current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in
the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai
Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain
in the former USSR

People Tajikistan

Population:
6,863,752 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.8% (male 1,376,244; female 1,353,108)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 1,896,509; female 1,915,334)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 140,993; female 181,564) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.3 years
male: 19 years
female: 19.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.13% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
32.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
8.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 113.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 99.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 126.58 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.37 years
male: 61.39 years
female: 67.5 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.17 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani

Ethnic groups:
Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of
emigration), other 6.6%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%

Languages:
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.1% (2003 est.)

Government Tajikistan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local short form: Tojikiston
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Dushanbe

Administrative divisions:
2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous
province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni
Badakhshon* (Khorugh), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati
Sughd (Khujand)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Independence:
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)

Constitution:
6 November 1994

Legal system:
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994;
head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January
1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
by the Supreme Assembly
election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of
vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat USMON 2%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 6 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2006); prime
minister appointed by the president; Tajikistan held a
constitutional referendum on 22 June 2003 that, among other things,
set a term limit of two seven-year terms for the president

Legislative branch:
bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the Assembly
of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (33
seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local
deputies, 8 appointed by the president; all serve five-year terms)
election results: Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - PDPT 65%, Communist Party 20%, Islamic Rebirth Party 7.5%,
other 7.5%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
elections: last held 27 February and 12 March 2000 for the Assembly
of Representatives (next to be held NA 2005) and 23 March 2000 for
the National Assembly (next to be held NA 2005)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV, chairman]; Islamic
Revival Party [Said Abdullo NURI, chairman]; People's Democratic
Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic
Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Sherali
KENJAYEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
there are two unregistered political parties with 1,000 or more
members: Progressive Party [Suton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatuko
SAIDOV]

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM, ITU,
OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Khamrokhon ZARIPOV
chancery: 1725 K Sreet NW, Suite 409, Washington, DC 20006
FAX: (202) 223-6091
telephone: (202) 223-6090

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND embassy: 10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734003; note - the embassy in Dushanbe is not yet fully operational; most business is still handled in Almaty at 531 Sayfullin Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, telephone 7-3272-58-79-61, FAX 7-3272-58-79-68 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (372) 21-03-48 (Dushanbe) FAX: (372) 21-03-62

Flag description:
three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and
green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is
located in the center of the white stripe

Economy Tajikistan

Economy - overview:
Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the 15 former Soviet
republics. Only 8% to 10% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the
most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in
amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry
consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and
small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food
processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already
weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in
industrial and agricultural production. Even though 60% of its
people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has
experienced steady economic growth since 1997. Continued
privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises will
further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation,
however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural
reforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and the external
debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia
in December 2002, including an interest rate of 4%, a 3-year grace
period, and a US $49.8 million credit to the Central Bank of
Tajikistan.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $8.476 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 19% industry: 26% services: 55% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 60% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 25.2% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.7 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
3.187 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
40% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $502 million
expenditures: $520 million, including capital expenditures of $86
million (2002 est.)

Industries:
aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable
oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers

Industrial production growth rate:
10.3% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
14.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.9% hydro: 98.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
14.52 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
3.909 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
5.242 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
250 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Natural gas - production:
50 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
1.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Exports:
$710 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 29.4%, Turkey 16.1%, Russia 11.9%, Uzbekistan 9.9%,
Switzerland 9.3%, Hungary 5.4%, Latvia 4.2% (2002)

Imports:
$830 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Russia 22.7%, Uzbekistan 18.4%, Ukraine 11.2%, Kazakhstan 10%,
Turkmenistan 6.5%, Azerbaijan 5.7%, India 4.4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$1 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$60.7 million from US (2001)

Currency:
somoni

Currency code:
TJS

Exchange rates:
Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.37 (2001), 2.08
(2000), 1.24 (1999), 0.78 (1998)
note: the new unit of exchange was introduced on 30 October 2000,
with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the old Tajikistani rubles

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Tajikistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
363,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,500 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many
towns are not reached by the national network
domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other
CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international
gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway
switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 2
Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)

Radios:
1.291 million (1991)

Television broadcast stations:
13 (2001)

Televisions:
820,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tj

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
4 (2002)

Internet users:
5,000 (2002)

Transportation Tajikistan

Railways: total: 482 km broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)

Highways: total: 27,767 km paved: NA unpaved: NA (2000)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
gas 540 km; oil 38 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
66 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 53
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 36 (2002)

Military Tajikistan

Military branches:
Army, Air Force and Air Defense Force, Presidential National Guard,
Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,704,457 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,397,188 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 82,490 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$35.4 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.9% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Tajikistan

Disputes - international:
prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing difficulties for
Amu Darya river states; boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede
1,000 sq km of Pamir Mountain range to China in return for China
relinquishing claims to 28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands;
negotiations with China resolved the longstanding boundary dispute;
talks have begun with Uzbekistan to demine and delimit border;
disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with
Kyrgyzstan

Illicit drugs:
major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and,
to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit
cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan
seizes roughly 80 percent of all drugs captured in Central Asia and
stands third world-wide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

@Tanzania

Introduction Tanzania

Background:
Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form
the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in
1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since
the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition
have led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling
party won despite international observers' claims of voting
irregularities.

Geography Tanzania

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and
Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 35 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 945,087 sq km
note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
water: 59,050 sq km
land: 886,037 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,861 km
border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217
km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km

Coastline:
1,424 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Terrain:
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones,
gold, natural gas, nickel

Land use: arable land: 4.24% permanent crops: 1.02% other: 94.74% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,550 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought

Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of
coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected
marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and
trade, especially for ivory

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the
largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's
second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the
world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest

People Tanzania

Population:
35,922,454
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.3% (male 7,988,898; female 7,938,979)
15-64 years: 53.1% (male 9,429,959; female 9,634,102)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 405,803; female 524,713) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.5 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.72% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
39.5 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
17.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-4.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 103.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 93.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 113.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.56 years
male: 43.33 years
female: 45.83 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
7.8% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.5 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
140,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tanzanian(s)
adjective: Tanzanian

Ethnic groups:
mainland - native African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of
more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and
Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, native African, mixed Arab and native African

Religions:
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%;
Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Languages:
Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for Swahili in
Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce,
administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in
Zanzibar), many local languages
note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people
living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili
is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety
of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the
lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of
most people is one of the local languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili),
English, or Arabic
total population: 78.2%
male: 85.9%
female: 70.7% (2003 est.)

Government Tanzania

Country name:
conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
conventional short form: Tanzania
former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Dar es Salaam; note - legislative offices have been transferred to
Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital; the National
Assembly now meets there on regular basis

Administrative divisions:
25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma,
Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba
North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida,
Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar
Urban/West

Independence:
26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from
UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19
December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April
1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed
United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964

National holiday:
Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)

Constitution:
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts
limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23 November
1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23
November 1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July
2001); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government
note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for
matters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was elected to that
office on 29 October 2000
cabinet: Cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, are
appointed by the president from among the members of the National
Assembly
election results: Benjamin William MKAPA reelected president;
percent of vote - Benjamin William MKAPA 71.7%, Ibrahim Haruna
LIPUMBA 16.3%, Augustine Lyatonga MREME 7.8%, John Momose CHEYO 4.2%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 29 October
2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister appointed by
the president

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats - 232 elected by
popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the president, five
to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; members serve
five-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws that apply to
the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts laws
that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own House of
Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar
House of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by universal
suffrage to serve five-year terms)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - CCM 244, CUF 16, CHADEMA 4, TLP 3, UDP 2,
Zanzibar representatives 5; Zanzibar House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CCM 34, CUF 16
elections: last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held NA October
2005)

Judicial branch:
Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court of
Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court
(consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by the
president; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts;
Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to the
higher courts)

Political parties and leaders:
Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and
Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM
(Revolutionary Party) [Benjamin William MKAPA]; Civic United Front
or CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party (unregistered)
[Christopher MTIKLA]; Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Augustine
Lyatonga MREMA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, EADB, ECA, FAO, G- 6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Mhando DARAJA chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: (202) 797-7408 telephone: (202) 939-6125

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert V. ROYALL embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam telephone: (22) 2666-010 through 2666-015 FAX: (22) 2666-701, 2668-501

Flag description:
divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the
lower triangle is blue

Economy Tanzania

Economy - overview:
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy
depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP,
provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force.
Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops
to only 4% of the land area. Industry traditionally featured the
processing of agricultural products and light consumer goods. The
World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors
have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date economic
infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Growth in 1991-2002
featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial
increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Oil and gas exploration
and development played an important role in this growth. Recent
banking reforms have helped increase private sector growth and
investment. Continued donor support and solid macroeconomic policies
should support continued real GDP growth of 5% in 2003.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $20.42 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 48.1% industry: 15.4% services: 36.5% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: 36% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 30.1% (1993)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
38.2 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.8% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
13.495 million

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $1.01 billion
expenditures: $1.38 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY 00/01 est.)

Industries:
agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine),
diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement, textiles, wood
products, fertilizer, salt

Industrial production growth rate:
8.4% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
2.906 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 18.9% hydro: 81.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
2.752 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
50 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
17,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (37257)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
11.33 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from
chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava
(tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Exports:
$863 million f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities:
gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton

Exports - partners:
India 15.2%, Japan 12.4%, Netherlands 9.2%, UK 6.8%, Belgium 6.5%,
Kenya 5.9%, Germany 4.8% (2002)

Imports:
$1.67 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial
raw materials, crude oil

Imports - partners:
South Africa 12.7%, China 7.9%, Kenya 6.6%, India 6.3%, UK 6%,
Japan 4.5%, US 4%, Australia 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$6.8 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$963 million (1997)

Currency:
Tanzanian shilling (TZS)

Currency code:
TZS

Exchange rates:
Tanzanian shillings per US dollar - NA (2002), 876.41 (2001),
800.41 (2000), 744.76 (1999), 664.67 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Tanzania

Telephones - main lines in use:
127,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
30,000 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system operating below capacity and being
modernized for better service; VSAT (very small aperture terminal)
system under construction
domestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio
relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
made digital
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 11, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
8.8 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (1999)

Televisions:
103,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
300,000 (2002)

Transportation Tanzania

Railways: total: 3,690 km narrow gauge: 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge; 969 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)

Highways: total: 88,200 km paved: 3,704 km unpaved: 84,496 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
note: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa are principal
avenues of commerce between Tanzania and its neighbors on those lakes

Pipelines:
gas 5 km; oil 866 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Kilwa Masoko, Lindi, Mtwara, Mwanza,
Pangani, Tanga, Wete, Zanzibar

Merchant marine:
total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,781 GRT/33,805 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, roll
on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 2 (2002 est.)

Airports:
123 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 112 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 60 under 914 m: 34 (2002)

Military Tanzania

Military branches:
Tanzanian People's Defense Force (including Army, Navy, and Air
Force), paramilitary Police Field Force Unit (including Police
Marine Unit and Police Air Wing), territorial militia

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 8,477,193 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,911,235 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$19.68 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.2% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Tanzania

Disputes - international: disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant