P (continued 22)
Reading edition
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Ernest LEIGH chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph MELROSE; note—embassy closed in late December 1998 embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
Economy
Economy—overview: Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. The period of AFRC/RUF junta rule (May 1997-February 1998) led to UN sanctions and 20% drop in GDP in 1997. The continued fighting at yearend 1997 set back what small progress had been made by the KABBAH government in recovering from the junta period and reestablishing a viable economy. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Bauxite and rutile mines have been shut down by civil strife. The major source of hard currency is found in the mining of diamonds, the large majority of which are smuggled out of the country. The fate of the economy in 1999 depends on the outcome of negotiations to end the civil strife.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$2.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 0.7% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$530 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 52% industry: 16% services: 32% (1996)
Population below poverty line: 68% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 37.4% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.369 million (1981 est.) note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $96 million expenditures: $150 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries: mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 230 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 230 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Exports: $41 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
Exports—partners: Belgium 49%, Spain 10%, US 8%, UK 3% (1997)
Imports: $166 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants
Imports—partners: UK 16%, US 9%, Cote d'Ivoire 8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 3% (1997)
Debt—external: $1.15 billion (1998)
Economic aid—recipient: $203.7 million (1995)
Currency: 1 leone (Le) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: leones (Le) per US$1—1,630.5 (January 1999), 1,597.2 (1998), 981.48 (1997), 920.73 (1996), 755.22 (1995), 586.74 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June
Communications
Telephones: 17,526 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: marginal telephone and telegraph service domestic: national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave NA
Radios: 980,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 45,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 84 km used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways: total: 11,700 km paved: 1,287 km unpaved: 10,413 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round
Ports and harbors: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 10 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army
Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 1,119,239 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 543,210 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $46 million (FY96/97)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2% (FY96/97)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: none
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@Singapore ————-
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 647.5 sq km land: 637.5 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: 5% other: 87% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment—current issues: industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography—note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
People
Population: 3,531,600 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 387,786; female 364,018) 15-64 years: 72% (male 1,265,291; female 1,268,458) 65 years and over: 7% (male 109,418; female 136,629) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.15% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 13.38 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 3.84 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.84 years male: 75.79 years female: 82.14 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore
Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.1% male: 95.9% female: 86.3% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Singapore conventional short form: Singapore
Data code: SN
Government type: republic within Commonwealth
Capital: Singapore
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
National holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993) head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1993 (next to be held NA August 1999); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: ONG Teng Cheong elected president in the country's first popular election for president; percent of vote—ONG Teng Cheong 59%, CHUA Kim Yeow 41%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 2 January 1997 (next to be held by 2002) election results: percent of vote by party—PAP 65% (in contested constituencies), other 35%; seats by party—PAP 81, WP 1, SPP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders: general]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, Australia Group (observer), BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Steven J. GREEN embassy: 27 Napier Street, Singapore 258508 mailing address: FPO AP 96534-0001
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
Economy
Economy—overview: Singapore has an open economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links derived from its entrepot history. Extraordinarily strong fundamentals allowed Singapore to weather the effects of the Asian financial crisis better than its neighbors, but the crisis did pull GDP growth down to 1.3% in 1998 from 6% in 1997. Projections for 1999 GDP growth are in the -1% to 1% range. Rising labor costs and appreciation of the Singapore dollar against its neighbors' currencies continue to be a threat to Singapore's competitiveness. The government's strategy to address this problem includes cutting costs, increasing productivity, improving infrastructure, and encouraging higher value-added industries. In applied technology, per capita output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has key attributes of a developed country.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$91.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 1.3% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$26,300 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: NEGL% industry: 28% services: 72%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.856 million (1997 est.)
Labor force—by occupation: financial, business, and other services 33.5%, manufacturing 25.6%, commerce 22.9%, construction 6.6%, other 11.4% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues: $16.3 billion expenditures: $13.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY97/98 est.)
Industries: electronics, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
Electricity—production: 28 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 28 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture—products: rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables; poultry
Exports: $128 billion (1998 est.)
Exports—commodities: computer equipment, rubber and rubber products, petroleum products, telecommunications equipment
Exports—partners: Malaysia 19%, US 18%, Hong Kong 9%, Japan 8%, Thailand 6% (1995)
Imports: $133.9 billion (1997 est.)
Imports—commodities: aircraft, petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports—partners: Japan 21%, Malaysia 15%, US 15%, Thailand 5%, Taiwan 4%, South Korea 4% (1995)
Debt—external: $NA
Economic aid—recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1—1.6781 (January 1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March
Communications
Telephones: 1.4 million (1997 est.)
Telephone system: good domestic facilities; good international service domestic: NA international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997)
Televisions: 1.05 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 38.6 km narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge note: there is a 67 km mass transit system with 42 stations
Highways: total: 3,017 km paved: 2,936 km (including 148 km of expressways) unpaved: 81 km (1997 est.)
Ports and harbors: Singapore
Merchant marine: total: 875 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,734,146 GRT/31,442,482 DWT ships by type: bulk 142, cargo 132, chemical tanker 51, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 6, container 154, liquefied gas tanker 27, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 291, refrigerated cargo 8, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 30 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 22 countries among which are Japan 41, Denmark 35, Sweden 28, Thailand 28, Hong Kong 26, Germany 19, Taiwan 19, and Indonesia 11 (1998 est.)
Airports: 9 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 9 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 1,042,587 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 757,940 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $4.244 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 5.1% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World; also a money-laundering center
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@Slovakia ————
Introduction
Background: After centuries under foreign rule, mainly by Hungary, the Slovaks joined with their neighbors to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989, and Czechoslovakia once more was an independent country turning toward the West. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia has experienced more difficulty than the Czech Republic in developing a modern market economy.
Geography
Location: Central Europe, south of Poland
Geographic coordinates: 48 40 N, 19 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 48,845 sq km land: 48,800 sq km water: 45 sq km
Area—comparative: about twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries: total: 1,355 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain: rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m highest point: Gerlachovka 2,655 m
Natural resources: brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt
Land use: arable land: 31% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 17% forests and woodland: 41% other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 800 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment—current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests
Environment—international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note: landlocked
People
Population: 5,396,193 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20% (male 551,847; female 528,236) 15-64 years: 69% (male 1,837,788; female 1,861,305) 65 years and over: 11% (male 237,710; female 379,307) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 9.52 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.43 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.48 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.46 years male: 69.71 years female: 77.4 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.2 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak
Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.7%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about 500,000), Czech 1%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%
Languages: Slovak (official), Hungarian
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local long form: Slovenska Republika local short form: Slovensko
Data code: LO
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Bratislava
Administrative divisions: 8 departments (kraje, singular—kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky
Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
National holiday: Slovak Constitution Day, 1 September (1992); Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, 29 August (1944)
Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993
Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President (vacant); note—President NOVAC retired at the end of his term; the government has announced its intention to hold direct presidential election in early 1999; in the meantime the prime minister takes over the president's duties head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30 October 1998) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by National Council secret ballot that must yield a three-fifths majority for a five-year term; election last held NA March 1998 but no candidate was able to win a three-fifths majority required by law (next to be held NA 1999); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president election results: presidency vacant
Legislative branch: unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovensky Repubiky (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25-26 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2003) election results: percent of vote by party—HZDS 27%, SDK 16.3%, SDL 14.7%, SMK 9.1%, SNS 9.1%, SOP 8%; seats by party—governing coalition 93 (SDK 42, SDL 23, SMK 15, SOP 13), opposition 57 (HZDS 43, SNS 14)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Council; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Movement for a Democratic Slovakia Hungarian Coalition or SMK (includes MKDH, MOS, and Coexistence) LUPTAK, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Slovakia or SSDS chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Party of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen of Slovakia; Christian Social Union; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG; Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUA, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Martin BUTORA chancery: (temporary) Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph R. JOHNSON embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address
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
Economy—overview: Slovakia, continuing the difficult transition from a centrally controlled economy to a modern market-oriented economy, begins 1999 with clouds on the horizon: GDP growth is slowing sharply; budget and current account deficits are too large; external debt is growing uncomfortably fast; unemployment is high and rising; corrupt insider deals persist; and demand is weakening for Slovakia's key primary goods exports, especially as Russia and Ukraine slump and as EU growth slows. International credit rating agencies have downgraded Slovak debt to below investment grade. The new government intends to address the economy's ills by giving priority to joining the OECD and EU, cutting government wage and infrastructure spending, boosting some taxes and regulated prices, expanding privatization to companies formerly considered strategic, restructuring the financial section, encouraging foreign investment, and reenergizing the social partnership with labor and employers. Government officials believe as long as two years may be needed before its structural reforms improve economic performance. In 1999, the government expects GDP growth to slow from 5% in 1998 to 2%, inflation to rise from 6% to 10%, and unemployment to rise from less than 14% to 15% or 16%, but hopes to bring the budget deficit down to no more than 2% of GDP and the current account deficit down to 5% to 6% of GDP.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$44.5 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$8,300 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 4.8% industry: 33.4% services: 61.8% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.4% (1998)
Labor force: 3.32 million (1997)
Labor force—by occupation: industry 29.3%, agriculture 8.9%, construction 8%, transport and communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 14% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $5.4 billion expenditures: $6.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Industries: metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, and 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: 2.7% (1997)
Electricity—production: 25.81 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 35.57% hydro: 20.81% nuclear: 43.62% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 26.353 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 2.607 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 3.15 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Exports: $10.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: machinery and transport equipment 37%; intermediate manufactured goods 30%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%; chemicals 9%; raw materials 4% (1998)
Exports—partners: EU 56% (Germany 29%), Czech Republic 20%, Austria 7%, Poland 7% (1998)
Imports: $12.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: machinery and transport equipment 40%; intermediate manufactured goods 18%; fuels 11%; chemicals 11%; miscellaneous manufactured goods 10% (1998)
Imports—partners: EU 50% (Germany 26%), Czech Republic 18%, Russia 10%, Italy 6% (1998)
Debt—external: $10.7 billion (1997)
Economic aid—recipient: $421.9 million (1995)
Currency: 1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov
Exchange rates: koruny (Sk) per US$1—36.207 (January 1999), 35.233 (1998). 33.616 (1997), 30.654 (1996), 29.713 (1995), 32.045 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1,362,178 (1992 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note—there are 22 private broadcast stations and two public (state) broadcast stations
Radios: 915,000 (1995 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 41 (1997)
Televisions: 1.2 million (1995 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 3,660 km broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1424 km electrified) narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (1996)
Highways: total: 38,000 km paved: 37,500 km (including 280 km of expressways) unpaved: 500 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 172 km on the Danube
Pipelines: petroleum products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km
Ports and harbors: Bratislava, Komarno
Merchant marine: total: 3 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,041 GRT/19,517 DWT (1998 est.)
Airports: 15 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 10 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Reserve Force (Home Guards), Civil Defense Force
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 1,478,729 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,130,482 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually: males: 45,919 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $436 million (1998)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.1% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: ongoing Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Hungary is before the International Court of Justice; unresolved property issues with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property
Illicit drugs: minor, but increasing, transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish bound for Western Europe
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@Slovenia ————
Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 20,256 sq km land: 20,256 sq km water: 0 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 mountain 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
Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 24% forests and woodland: 54% other: 7% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 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, 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
People
Population: 1,970,570 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16% (male 163,816; female 155,509) 15-64 years: 70% (male 693,382; female 687,060) 65 years and over: 14% (male 99,121; female 171,682) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.04% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 8.97 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.62 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.28 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.36 years male: 71.71 years female: 79.21 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.23 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Slovene(s) adjective: Slovenian
Ethnic groups: Slovene 91%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Muslim 1%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 70.8% (including 2% Uniate), Lutheran 1%, Muslim 1%, atheist 4.3%, other 22.9%
Languages: Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 6%, other 3%
Literacy: definition: NA total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia conventional short form: Slovenia local long form: Republika Slovenije local short form: Slovenija
Data code: SI
Government type: parliamentary democratic republic
Capital: Ljubljana
Administrative divisions: 136 municipalities (obcine, singular—obcina) and 11 urban municipalities* (obcine mestne, singular—obcina mestna) Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Bled, Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica, Cankova-Tisina, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik-Trnovska Vas, Divaca, Dobrepolje, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale, Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grosuplje, Hodos Salovci, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina, Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola, Jesenice, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje, Kocevje, Komen, Koper*, Kozje, Kranj*, Kranjska Gora, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart, Lendava, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska Dolina, Loski Potok, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk, Maribor*, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mislinja, Moravce, Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje, Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Ormoz, Osilnica, Pesnica, Piran, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podvelka-Ribnica, Postojna, Preddvor, Ptuj*, Puconci, Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne-Prevalje, Ribnica, Rogasevci, Rogaska Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Semic, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju, Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob Paki, Sostanj, Starse, Store, Sveti Jurij, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trzic, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velike Lasce, Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Ziri, Zrece
Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: National 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 Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 November 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); 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 10 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000) election results: Milan KUCAN elected president; percent of vote—Milan KUCAN 56.3%, Janez PODOBNIK 18%; Janez DRNOVSEK elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote—51%
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) elections: National Assembly—last held 10 November 1996 (next to be held Fall 2000) election results: percent of vote by party—LDS 27.01%, SLS 19.38%, SDS 16.13%, SKD 9.62%, ZLDS 9.03%, DeSUS 4.32%, SNS 3.22%; seats by party—LDS 25, SLS 19, SDS 16, SKD 10, ZLSD 9, DeSUS 5, SNS 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1; note—seating as of January 1997 is as follows: LDS 25, SLS 19, SDS 16, SKD 9, ZLSD 9, DeSUS 5, SNS 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1, independents 1 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 NA November 1997, 40 members were elected to represent local, professional, and socioeconomic interests (next election to be held in the fall of 2002)
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: Liberal Democratic or LDS [Janez PETERLE, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Slovenia or SDS PODOBNIK, chairman]; United List (former Communists and allies) or JELINCIC, chairman]; Democratic Party of Retired (Persons) of
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation: CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dimitrij RUPEL chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires J. Paul REID embassy: address NA, Ljubljana mailing address: P.O. Box 254, Prazakova 4, 1000 Ljubljana; American Embassy Ljubljana, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7140
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, there are three six-sided 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
Economy—overview: Today, Slovenia exhibits one of the highest per capita GDPs of the transition economies of the region, fairly moderate inflation, and a comfortable level of international reserves. Slovenia received an invitation in 1997 to begin accession negotiations with the EU—a reflection of its sound economic footing. Slovenia must press on with privatization, enterprise restructuring, institution reform, and liberalization of financial markets, thereby creating conditions conducive to foreign investment and the maintenance of a stable tolar. Critical to the future success of the economy is the development of export sales in increasingly competitive international markets.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$20.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 3.6% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$10,300 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 35% services: 60% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 24.5% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 857,400
Labor force—by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $8.48 billion expenditures: $8.53 billion, including capital expenditures of $455 million (1996 est.)
Industries: ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools
Industrial production growth rate: 0.8% (1996)
Electricity—production: 12.075 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 34.58% hydro: 29.31% nuclear: 36.11% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 11.295 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 2.03 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 1.25 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry
Exports: $9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: manufactured goods 45%, machinery and transport equipment 30%, chemicals 10%, food 3% (1997)
Exports—partners: Germany 29%, Italy 15%, Croatia 10%, France, Austria, US (1997)
Imports: $9.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: machinery and transport equipment 31%, manufactured goods 31%, chemicals 11%, fuels and lubricants, food (1997)
Imports—partners: Germany 21%, Italy 17%, France 10%, Austria 8%, Croatia 5%, Hungary, US (1997)
Debt—external: $4.4 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: ODA, $5 million (1993)
Currency: 1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins
Exchange rates: tolars (SlT) per US$1—162.50 (January 1999), 166.13 (1998), 159.69 (1997), 135.36 (1996), 118.52 (1995), 128.81 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 691,240 (1997 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: 70% digital; full digitalization scheduled by 2000 international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 0 note: there are more than 20 regional and local radio broadcast stations
Radios: 596,100 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 23 (consisting of 20 network stations and three private stations; there are also about 400 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 454,400 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 1,201 km standard gauge: 1,201 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 489 km) (1998)
Highways: total: 14,830 km paved: 12,309 km (including 251 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,521 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: NA
Pipelines: crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km
Ports and harbors: Izola, Koper, Piran
Airports: 14 (1998 est.)
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 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Slovenian Army (includes Air and Naval Forces)
Military manpower—military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 530,182 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 421,864 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually: males: 15,294 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $272 million (1998)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.8% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: significant progress has been made with Croatia toward resolving a maritime border dispute over direct access to the sea in the Adriatic; Italy and Slovenia made progress in resolving bilateral issues
Illicit drugs: transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe and for precursor chemicals
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@Solomon Islands ———————-
Introduction
Background: In 1893, Britain made the southern Solomon Islands a protectorate. Other islands were added to the group, including some ceded to Britain by Germany. The Solomon Islands were occupied by the Japanese during World War II. Following the war, internal self-government was established in 1976, and independence from the UK came two years later. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control.
Geography
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 land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 5,313 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 88% other: 9% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Environment—current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
People
Population: 455,429 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 103,844; female 99,972) 15-64 years: 52% (male 120,518; female 117,298) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,808; female 6,989) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.18% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 35.92 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.11 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.09 years male: 69.55 years female: 74.75 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.96 children born/woman (1999 est.)
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 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, traditional beliefs 4%
Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population note: 120 indigenous languages
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands
Data code: BP
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Honiara
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western note: there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: English common law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU (since 27 August 1997); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since 27 August 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament 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
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001) election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: characterized by fluid coalitions; TAUSINGA] (leader of opposition); People's Alliance Party or PAP
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Rex HOROI (represents the country as both the Permanent Representative to the UN and the ambassador to the US) chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
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
Economy—overview: The bulk of the population depend 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. Economic troubles in Southeast Asia led to a steep downturn in the timber industry, and economic output declined by about 10% in 1998. The government instituted public service pay cuts and other retrenchments.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$1.15 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: -10% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,600 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.8% (1996)
Labor force: 26,842
Labor force—by occupation: services 41.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 23.7%, commerce, transport, and finance 21.7%, construction, manufacturing, and mining 13.1% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $147 million expenditures: $168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 30 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 30 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Exports: $184 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Exports—commodities: timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra
Exports—partners: Japan 50%, Spain 16%, UK, Thailand 5% (1996)
Imports: $151 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Imports—commodities: plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel
Imports—partners: Australia 42%, Japan 10%, Singapore 9%, NZ 8%, US 5% (1996)
Debt—external: $145 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $46.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1—4.9334 (January 1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.5664 (1997), 3.4059 (1995), 3.2914 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 5,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 38,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: 2,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 33 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 21 (1998 est.)
Military
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
Disputes—international: none
======================================================================
@Somalia ———-
Geography
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: 637,660 sq km land: 627,340 sq km water: 10,320 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 2,366 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 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
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 69% forests and woodland: 26% other: 3% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer
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 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
Population: 7,140,643 (July 1999 est.) note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1987 by the Somali Government with the cooperation of the UN and the US Bureau of the Census; population estimates are updated between censuses by factoring in growth rates and by taking account of refugee movements and losses due to famine; lower estimates of Somalia's population in mid-1996 (on the order of 6.0 million to 6.5 million) have been made by aid and relief agencies, based on the number of persons being fed; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large numbers of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (male 1,588,025; female 1,584,770) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,898,794; female 1,865,487) 65 years and over: 3% (male 92,419; female 111,148) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.13% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 47.98 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 18.62 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 11.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 125.77 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.23 years male: 44.66 years female: 47.85 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.25 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Somali(s) adjective: Somali
Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 24% male: 36% female: 14% (1990 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
Data code: SO
Government type: none
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: NA
Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: Somalia has no functioning government; the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Major General Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the present political situation is one of anarchy, marked by interclan fighting and random banditry
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Golaha Shacbiga note: not functioning
Judicial branch: (not functioning); note—following the breakdown of national government, most regions have reverted to Islamic law with a provision for appeal of all sentences
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, Intelsat, 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)
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi at Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue; mail address: P.
Flag description: light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory)
Government—note: While chaos and clan fighting continue in most of Somalia, some orderly government has been established in the northern part. In May 1991, the elders of clans in former British Somaliland established the independent Republic of Somaliland, which, although not recognized by any government, maintains a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of the ruling clan and the economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian and American military assistance programs. The economy has been growing and in February 1996 the EU agreed to finance the reconstruction of the port of Berbera; since then, other aid projects have been assumed by the EU and by a non-governmental Italian organization.
Economy
Economy—overview: One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. After livestock, bananas are the principal export; sugar, sorghum, corn, and fish are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. Moreover, as of early 1999, ongoing civil disturbances in Mogadishu and outlying areas are interfering with any substantial economic advance.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: NA%
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$600 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 59% industry: 10% services: 31% (1995 est.)
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: 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)(1993 est.)
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 small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 258 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 258 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: bananas, sorghum, corn, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish
Exports: $123 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
Exports—commodities: livestock, bananas, hides, fish (1997)
Exports—partners: Saudi Arabia 55%, Yemen 19%, Italy 11%, UAE, US (1996 est.)
Imports: $60 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
Imports—commodities: manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials (1995)
Imports—partners: Kenya 28%, Djibouti 21%, Brazil 6%, Pakistan (1996 est.)
Debt—external: $2.6 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $191.5 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1—2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992) note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling (So. Sh.)
Fiscal year: NA
Communications
Telephones: 9,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems domestic: recently, 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 NA, FM NA, shortwave 5
Radios: 300,000
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 118,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 22,100 km paved: 2,608 km unpaved: 19,492 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 15 km
Ports and harbors: Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 61 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 54 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: NA; note—no functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to battle for control of key economic or political prizes
Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 1,730,450 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 962,545 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: most of the southern half of the boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden
======================================================================
@South Africa ——————
Geography
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 water: 0 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
Area—comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,750 km border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 855 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline: 2,798 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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: 10% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 67% forests and woodland: 7% other: 15% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,700 sq km (1993 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 threatens to outpace 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 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
Population: 43,426,386 (July 1999 est.) note: South Africa took a census 10 October 1996 which showed a population of 37,859,000 (after a 6.8% adjustment for underenumeration based on a post-enumeration survey); this figure is still about 10% below projections from earlier censuses; since the full results of that census have not been released for analysis, the numbers shown for South Africa do not take into consideration the results of this 1996 census
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34% (male 7,541,840; female 7,403,235) 15-64 years: 61% (male 13,180,925; female 13,312,917) 65 years and over: 5% (male 798,825; female 1,188,644) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.32% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 25.94 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 12.81 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 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: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 51.99 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.76 years male: 52.68 years female: 56.9 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.09 children born/woman (1999 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), traditional and animistic 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: 81.8% male: 81.9% female: 81.7% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa abbreviation: RSA
Data code: SF
Government type: republic
Capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Northern Province, Western Cape
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)
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 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 Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Executive Deputy President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Executive Deputy President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and executive deputy presidents elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 9 May 1994 (next scheduled for sometime between May and July 1999) election results: Nelson MANDELA elected president; percent of National Assembly vote—100% (by acclamation); Thabo MBEKI and Frederik W. DE KLERK elected executive deputy presidents; percent of National Assembly vote—100% (by acclamation) note: the initial governing coalition, made up of the ANC, the IFP, and the NP, which constituted a Government of National Unity or GNU, no longer includes the NP which was withdrawn by DE KLERK on 30 June 1996 when he voluntarily gave up his position as executive deputy president and distanced himself from the programs of the ANC
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 Senate—last held 26-29 April 1994 (next to be held 2 June 1999); note—the Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces on 6 February 1997 election results: National Assembly—percent of vote by party—ANC 62.6%, NP 20.4%, IFP 10.5%, FF 2.2%, DP 1.7%, PAC 1.2%, ACDP 0.5%, other 0.9%; seats by party—ANC 252, NP 82, IFP 43, FF 9, DP 7, PAC 5, ACDP 2; Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—ANC 61, NP 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 SCHALKWYK, executive director]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC note: 11 other parties won votes in the April 1994 elections but not enough to gain seats in the National Assembly
Political pressure groups and leaders: Congress of South African secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO in a formal alliance with the ANC
International organization participation: AfDB, BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James A. JOSEPH embassy: 877 Pretorius St., Arcadia 0083 mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 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, embracing 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 note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one—three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
Economy
Economy—overview: South Africa is a middle-income, developing country with an abundant supply of 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 cut into the 30% unemployment, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially the problems of poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. Other problems are crime and corruption. The new government demonstrated its commitment to open markets, privatization, and a favorable investment climate with the release of its macroeconomic strategy in June 1996. Called "Growth, Employment and Redistribution," this policy framework includes the introduction of tax incentives to stimulate new investment in labor-intensive projects, expansion of basic infrastructure services, the restructuring and partial privatization of state assets, continued reduction of tariffs, subsidies to promote economic efficiency, improved services to the disadvantaged, and integration into the global economy. Serious structural rigidities remain, including a complicated and relatively protectionist trade regime, and concentration of wealth and economic control.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$290.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 0.3% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,800 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 39% services: 56% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 47.3% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 15 million economically active (1997)
Labor force—by occupation: services 35%, agriculture 30%, industry 20%, mining 9%, other 6%
Unemployment rate: 30% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $30.5 billion expenditures: $38 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Industrial production growth rate: -1% (1998 est.)
Electricity—production: 186.949 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 93% hydro: 0.7% nuclear: 6.3% other: NA% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 181.404 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 5.575 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 30 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Exports: $28.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: gold 20%, other minerals and metals 20%-25%, food 5%, chemicals 3% (1997)
Exports—partners: UK, Italy, Japan, US, Germany (1997)
Imports: $27.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, textiles, scientific instruments (1997)
Imports—partners: Germany, US, UK, Japan (1997)
Debt—external: $23.5 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $676.3 million
Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1—5.98380 (January 1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995), 3.55080 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March
Communications
Telephones: 4.2 million (1997)
Telephone system: the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, and radiotelephone communication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations—3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 164, shortwave 1
Radios: 7.5 million (1999 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 556 (includes 156 network stations and 400 privately-owned low-power stations; in addition, there are 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 7.5 million
Transportation
Railways: total: 21,431 km narrow gauge: 20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 331,265 km paved: 137,475 km (including 1,142 km of expressways) unpaved: 193,790 km (1995 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas 322 km
Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
Merchant marine: total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 274,797 GRT/270,837 DWT ships by type: container 6, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 749 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 144 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 45 914 to 1,523 m: 75 under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 605 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 304 under 914 m: 266 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: South African National Defense Force or SANDF (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service or SAPS
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 11,330,692 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 6,889,631 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually: males: 453,610 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $2 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.2% (FY95/96)
Military—note: the National Defense Force continues to integrate former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: Swaziland has asked South Africa to open negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom
Illicit drugs: transshipment center for heroin and 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
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@South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ——————————————————————
Geography
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: 4,066 sq km land: 4,066 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island
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 2,915 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
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
Environment—international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography—note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia
People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a small military garrison on South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Survey has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited
Government
Country name: conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none
Data code: SX
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Island by a UK civil commissioner; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Capital: none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Legal system: NA
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: the flag of the UK is used
Economy
Economy—overview: Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK.
Budget: revenues: $291,777 expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Communications
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Transportation
Ports and harbors: Grytviken
Airports: none
Military
Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: claimed by Argentina
======================================================================
@Spain ——-
Introduction
Background: A powerful world empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain ultimately yielded command of the seas to England, beginning with the defeat of the Armada in 1588. Spain subsequently failed to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions and fell behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II. In the second half of the 20th century Spain played a catch-up role in the western international community. Continuing problems are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist movement.
Geography
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: 504,750 sq km land: 499,400 sq km water: 5,350 sq km note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco—Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Area—comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 1,919.1 km border countries: Andorra 65 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: 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
Land use: arable land: 30% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 21% forests and woodland: 32% other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 34,530 sq km (1993 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 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
Population: 39,167,744 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15% (male 3,012,907; female 2,835,455) 15-64 years: 68% (male 13,411,046; female 13,406,214) 65 years and over: 17% (male 2,702,654; female 3,799,468) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 9.99 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.41 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.71 years male: 73.97 years female: 81.71 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.24 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages: Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 98% female: 94% (1986 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain conventional short form: Spain local short form: Espana
Data code: SP
Government type: parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular—comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country) note: there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are administered as autonomous communities; Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera are under direct Spanish administration
Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
National holiday: National Day, 12 October
Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept 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 Francisco ALVAREZ CASCOS Fernandez (since 5 May 1996) and Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 5 May 1996) 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 elections: the monarch is hereditary; president proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections; election last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by NA April 2000); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of the president election results: Jose Maria AZNAR elected president; percent of National Assembly vote—NA
Legislative branch: bicameral; the General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (256 seats—208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 48 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) elections: Senate—last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by April 2000); Congress of Deputies—last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by April 2000) election results: Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—PP 132, PSOE 96, CiU 11, PNV 6, IU 2, others 9; Congress of Deputies—percent of vote by party—PP 38.9%, PSOE 37.5%, IU 10.7%, CiU 4.6%; seats by party—PP 156, PSOE 141, IU 21, CiU 16, other 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders: principal national parties, from right to left: Popular Party or PP Gonzalez] Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence
Political pressure groups and leaders: on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty or ETA and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use terrorism to oppose the unions (authorized in April 1977); Workers Confederation or CC.OO; the Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio OYARZABAL MARCHESI 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)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edward L. ROMERO embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: APO AE 09642 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
Economy—overview: Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is three-fourths that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency on 1 January 1999. The deficit-to-GDP ratio is 2.1%, the debt-to-GDP ratio is around 68%, and inflation is approximately 2%. Moreover, the AZNAR administration has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment, nonetheless, remains the highest in the EU at 20%. The government, for political reasons, has made only limited progress in changing labor laws or reforming pension schemes, which are key to the sustainability of both Spain's internal economic advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. Adjustment to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe will pose difficult challenges to Spain in the next few years.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$645.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 3.5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$16,500 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 3.4% industry: 33.3% services: 63.3% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 16.2 million
Labor force—by occupation: services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 28%, agriculture 8% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $113 billion expenditures: $139 billion, including capital expenditures of $15 billion (1995)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (1998)
Electricity—production: 163.468 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 43.17% hydro: 23.92% nuclear: 32.74% other: 0.17% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 164.568 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 5.7 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 6.8 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Exports: $111.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports—commodities: cars and trucks, other machinery and manufactured goods, foodstuffs, and other consumer goods
Exports—partners: EU 70% (France 20%, Germany 18%, Italy 10%, Portugal 9%, UK 8%), US 4.4% (1997)
Imports: $132.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports—commodities: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals (1997)
Imports—partners: EU 65% (France 17%, Germany 15%, Italy 9%, UK 8%, Benelux 7%), US 6%, Japan 3% (1997)
Debt—external: $90 billion (1993 est.)
Economic aid—donor: ODA, $1.3 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1—143.39 (January 1999), 149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997), 126.66 (1996), 124.69 (1995), 133.96 (1994) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 166.386 pesetas per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 12.6 million (1990 est.)
Telephone system: generally adequate, modern facilities domestic: NA international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat, NA Inmarsat, and NA Marecs; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 190, FM 406 (repeaters 134), shortwave 0
Radios: 12 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 542 (382 network stations, 160 low-power stations, and one US Air Force Europe station) (1997)
Televisions: 15.7 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 15,079 km broad gauge: 12,781 km 1.668-m gauge (6,355 km electrified; 2,295 km double track) standard gauge: 525 km 1.435-m gauge (480 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,773 km 1.000-m gauge (594 km electrified) (1996)
Highways: total: 346,858 km paved: 343,389 km (including 9,063 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,469 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: 1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
Pipelines: crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas 1,666 km
Ports and harbors: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine: total: 137 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,094,408 GRT/1,695,708 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 29, chemical tanker 10, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 25, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 6, roll-on/roll-off cargo 35, short-sea passenger 6, specialized tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 99 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 66 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 9 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 21 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard
Military manpower—military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 10,374,314 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 8,346,155 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually: males: 311,350 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $6.3 billion (1995)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.4% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: Gibraltar issue with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco—the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
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@Spratly Islands ———————-
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Geographic coordinates: 8 38 N, 111 55 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: less than 5 sq km land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
Area—comparative: NA
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 926 km
Maritime claims: NA
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
Environment—current issues: NA
Environment—international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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
Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Data code: PG
Economy
Economy—overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Transportation
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 4 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military—note: Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island
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@Sri Lanka ————-
Geography
Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 81 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 65,610 sq km land: 64,740 sq km water: 870 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,340 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay
Land use: arable land: 14% permanent crops: 15% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 32% other: 32% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 5,500 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Environment—current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff
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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography—note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
People
Population: 19,144,875 (July 1999 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 late 1996, 63,068 were housed in refugee camps in south India, another 30,000-40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought political asylum in the West
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27% (male 2,650,135; female 2,535,092) 15-64 years: 67% (male 6,231,987; female 6,500,782) 65 years and over: 6% (male 592,539; female 634,340) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.1% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 18.16 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.12 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.67 years male: 69.89 years female: 75.59 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.2% male: 93.4% female: 87.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Ceylon
Data code: CE
Government type: republic
Capital: Colombo
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence and National 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—Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note—Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 9 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 2000) election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA elected president; percent of vote—Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (People's Alliance) 62%, Srima DISSANAYAKE (United National Party) 37%, other 1%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system to serve six-year terms) elections: last held 16 August 1994 (next to be held by August 2000) election results: percent of vote by party—PA 49.0%, UNP 44.0%, SLMC 1.8%, TULF 1.7%, SLPF 1.1%, EPDP 0.3%, UPF 0.3%, PLOTE 0.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party—PA 105, UNP 94, EPDP 9, SLMC 7, TULF 5, PLOTE 3, SLPF 1, UPF 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission; Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders: All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil APPUHAMY]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either parliament or provincial councils
Political pressure groups and leaders: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE; other radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups; Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor unions
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Warnasena RASAPUTRAM chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Shaun E. DONNELLY embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
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 that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
Economy
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 industries 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 annual average rate of 5.5% throughout the 1990s until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-98 with growth of 6.4% and 4.7%. For the next round of reforms, the central bank of Sri Lanka recommends that Colombo expand market mechanisms in nonplantation agriculture, dismantle the government's monopoly on wheat imports, and promote more competition in the financial sector. A continuing cloud over the economy is the fighting between the Sinhalese and the minority Tamils, which has cost 50,000 lives in the past 15 years. The global slowdown will temper growth in 1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$48.1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 4.7% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,500 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 31% services: 51% (1997)
Population below poverty line: 35.3% (1990-91 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.3% (1998)
Labor force: 6.2 million (1997)
Labor force—by occupation: services 46%, agriculture 37%, industry 17% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $3 billion expenditures: $4.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1997 est.)
Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (1996 est.)
Electricity—production: 5.05 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 4.95% hydro: 95.05% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 5.05 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds and other gems, coconut products, rubber products, petroleum products (1997)
Exports—partners: US 36%, UK 11%, Japan 6%, Germany 5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4% (1997)
Imports: $5.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, building materials, sugar (1997)
Imports—partners: India 10%, Japan 9%, South Korea 8%, Hong Kong 7%, Taiwan 7% (1997)
Debt—external: $8.8 billion (1998)
Economic aid—recipient: $559.3 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees (SLRes) per US$1—67.948 (January 1999), 64.593 (1998), 58.995 (1997), 55.271 (1996), 51.252 (1995), 49.415 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 352,681 (1997 est.); 114,888 cellular telephone subscribers (1997 est.)
Telephone system: very inadequate domestic service, but expanding with the entry of two wireless loop operators and privatization of national telephone company; good international service domestic: NA international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 5, shortwave 0
Radios: 3.6 million (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 21 (19 network stations, two low-power stations) (1997)
Televisions: 1.6 million (1996 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 1,501 km broad gauge: 1,442 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 99,200 km paved: 39,680 km unpaved: 59,520 km (1996 est.)
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: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 178,867 GRT/276,363 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 14, container 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 5 (1998 est.)
Airports: 13 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (1998 est.)