Introductory material (continued 12)

Birth rate: 39.23 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 20.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 102.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 112.22 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 40.88 years male: 40.03 years female: 41.75 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.44 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.5 million (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 120,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: typhoid fever, malaria, leishmaniasis (cutaneous), schistosomiasis, rabies overall degree of risk: high (2004)

Nationality: noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian

Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%

Religions: Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%

Languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.7% male: 50.3% female: 35.1% (2003 est.)

Government Ethiopia

Country name: conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia conventional short form: Ethiopia local short form: Ityop'iya former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik abbreviation: FDRE

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Addis Ababa

Administrative divisions: 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples)

Independence: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years

National holiday: National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)

Constitution: ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995

Legal system: currently transitional mix of national and regional courts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001) head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994 constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives elections: president elected by the House of People's Representatives for a six-year term; election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be held NA October 2007); prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives - 100%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or lower chamber (548 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005) note: irregularities and violence at some polling stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies; voting postponed in Somali regional state because of severe drought election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - OPDO 177, ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10, ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional political groupings 22, independents 8; note - 43 seats unconfirmed

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council)

Political parties and leaders: Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA]; Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM [ADDISU Legesse]; Bench Madji People's Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA]; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [leader NA]; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF); Gedeyo People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or GPRDF [leader NA]; Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM [leader NA]; Kafa Shaka People's Democratic Organization or KSPDO [leader NA]; Kembata, Alabaa and Tembaro or KAT [leader NA]; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO [JUNEDI Sado]; Sidamo People's Democratic Organization or SPDO [leader NA]; South Omo People's Democratic Movement or SOPDM [leader NA]; Tigrayan People's Liberation Front or TPLF [MELES Zenawi]; Walayta, Gamo, Gofa, Dawro, and Konta People's Democratic Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA]; dozens of small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF [leader NA]; Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] (1) 550666 FAX: [251] (1) 551328

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors

Economy Ethiopia

Economy - overview: Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $156 million in 2002, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001 Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 2% decline in GDP in 2003. Return to normal weather patterns late in 2003 should help agricultural and GDP growth recover in 2004. The government estimates that annual growth of 7% is needed to reduce poverty.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $46.81 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -3.8% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $700 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 46% industry: 12.6% services: 41.4% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 17% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line: 50% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 33.7% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force: NA (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, industry and construction 8%, government and services 12% (1985)

Unemployment rate: NA (2002)

Budget: revenues: $1.813 billion expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $788 million (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products: cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle, sheep, goats

Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Industrial production growth rate: 6.7% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production: 1.713 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 1.594 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption: 23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 214,000 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 12.46 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance: $-408 million (2003)

Exports: $537 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds

Exports - partners: Djibouti 13.4%, Germany 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Japan 6.8%, Italy 6.4%, US 5.1% (2003)

Imports: $1.964 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities: food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 24.1%, US 17%, China 6.4%, Italy 4.1% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $956 million (2003)

Debt - external: $2.9 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $308 million (FY00/01)

Currency: birr (ETB)

Currency code: ETB

Exchange rates: birr per US dollar - NA (2003), 8.5678 (2002), 8.4575 (2001), 8.2173 (2000), 7.9423 (1999) note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank

Fiscal year: 8 July - 7 July

Communications Ethiopia

Telephones - main lines in use: 435,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 97,800 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: open-wire and microwave radio relay system; adequate for government use domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios: 15.2 million (2002)

Television broadcast stations: 1 plus 24 repeaters (2002)

Televisions: 682,000 (2002)

Internet country code: .et

Internet hosts: 9 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002)

Internet users: 75,000 (2003)

Transportation Ethiopia

Railways: total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2003)

Highways: total: 31,571 km paved: 3,789 km unpaved: 27,782 km (2000)

Ports and harbors: none; Ethiopia is landlocked and was by agreement with Eritrea using the ports of Assab and Massawa; since the border dispute with Eritrea flared, Ethiopia has used the port of Djibouti for nearly all of its imports

Merchant marine: total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 81,933 GRT/101,287 DWT by type: cargo 5, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2004 est.)

Airports: 82 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.)

Military Ethiopia

Military branches: Ethiopian National Defense Force: Ground Forces, Air Force, Mobilized Militia note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 15,748,632 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 8,234,442 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 760,868 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $345 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.2% (2003)

Transnational Issues Ethiopia

Disputes - international: Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 independent boundary commission's delimitation decision, but demarcation has been delayed, despite intense international intervention, by Ethiopian insistence that the decision ignored "human geography," made technical errors in the delimitation, and incorrectly awarded Badme - the focus of the 1998-2000 war - and other areas to Eritrea and Eritrea's insistence on not deviating from the commission's decision; Ethiopia maintains only an administrative line and no international border with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local clans in opposition to the Transitional National Government, which lost its mandate in August 2003, in Mogadishu; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Sudan have been delayed by civil war

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 93,032 (Sudan), 23,578 (Somalia) IDPs: 132,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2004)

Illicit drugs: Transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Europa Island

Introduction Europa Island

Background: A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.

Geography Europa Island

Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique

Geographic coordinates: 22 20 S, 40 22 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 28 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 28 sq km

Area - comparative: about 0.16 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 22.2 km

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

Climate: tropical

Terrain: low and flat

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 24 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mangrove forests and woodlands) (2001)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: wildlife sanctuary

People Europa Island

Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a small French military garrison and a few meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2004 est.)

Government Europa Island

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Europa Island local short form: Ile Europa local long form: none

Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Flag description: the flag of France is used

Economy Europa Island

Economy - overview: no economic activity

Communications Europa Island

Communications - note: 1 meteorological station

Transportation Europa Island

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Europa Island

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Europa Island

Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@European Union

Introduction European Union

Preliminary statement: The evolution of the European Union (EU) from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's supranational organization of 25 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe. On a few occasions even country-level unions were arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples - but for such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is truly unique. Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future, many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded. Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entry in The World Factbook. However, because of the EU's special status, this description is placed after the regular country entries.

Background:

Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all of Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.

The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since.

In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined to the EU, raising the membership total to 15.

A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except Great Britain, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29 October 2004, gives member states two years to ratify the document before it is scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006.

Despite the expansion of membership and functions, "Eurosceptics" in various countries have raised questions about the erosion of national cultures and the imposition of a flood of regulations from the EU capital in Brussels. Failure by member states to ratify the constitution or the inability of newcomer countries to meet euro currency standards might force a loosening of some EU agreements and perhaps lead to several levels of EU participation. These "tiers" might eventually range from an "inner" core of politically integrated countries to a looser "outer" economic association of members.

Geography European Union

Location: Europe between Eastern Europe and the North Atlantic Ocean

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 3,976,372 sq km

Area - comparative: less than one-half the size of the US

Land boundaries: total: 11,214.8 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania 443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km note: data for European Continent only

Coastline: 65,413.9 km

Maritime claims: NA

Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south

Terrain: fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m highest point: Mount Blanc, France/Italy 4,807 m

Natural resources: iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish

Land use: arable land: NA permanent crops: NA

Irrigated land: 115,807 sq km

Natural hazards: flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements: Hazardous Wastes, Biodiversity, Air Pollution, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94, Ozone Layer Protection, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Law of the Sea, Desertification, Climate Change; has signed, but not yet ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

People European Union

Population: 456,285,839 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.3% 15-64 years: 67.2% 65 years and over: 16.6% (July 2004 est.)

Median age: NA

Population growth rate: 0.17% (July 2004 est.)

Birth rate: 10.2 births/1,000 population (July 2004 est.)

Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (July 2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (July 2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: NA under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (July 2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (July 2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.1 years male: 74.9 years female: 81.4 years (July 2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.48 children born/woman (July 2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish

Languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official languages are listed

Government European Union

Union name: conventional long form: European Union abbreviation: EU

Political structure: a hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization

Capital: Brussels, Belgium

Member states: 25 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK; note - Canary Islands (Spain), Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion (France) are sometimes listed separately even though they are legally a part of Spain, Portugal, and France; candidate countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Turkey

Independence: 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)

National holiday: Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that Robert Schuman proposed the creation of an organized Europe

Constitution: based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastrict) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in 2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gives member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it is scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004) election results: European Parliament approved the European Commission by an approval vote of 449-149 with 82 abstentions elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004 (next to be held 2009) cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy areas) note: the European Council brings together heads of state and government and the president of the European Commission and meets at least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major political issues relating to European integration and to issue general policy guidelines

Legislative branch: Council of the European Union (25 member-state ministers having 321 votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU; European Parliament (732 seats; seats allocated among member states by proportion to population); members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED 268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN 27, independents 28 elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)

Judicial branch: European Court of Justice (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25 Justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25 justices appointed for a six-year term

Political parties and leaders: Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Union for Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]

International organization participation: European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member), EBRD, IDA, OAS (observer), OECD, WTO European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, G-10, NSG (observer), UN (observer) European Central Bank: BIS European Investment Bank: WADB (nonregional member)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037 FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766 telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rockwell SCHNABEL embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat (Rue Zinner), B-1000 Brussels mailing address: same as above telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222 FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720

Flag description: on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle, representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars is fixed

Economy European Union

Economy - overview: Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income (from $10,000 to $28,000) and historic national animosities, the European Community faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example, both Germany and France since 2003 have flouted the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU admitted 10 central and eastern European countries that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the existing 15. The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), an associated organization, introduced the euro as the common currency on 1 January 1999. The UK, Sweden, and Denmark do not now participate; the 10 new countries may choose to join the EMU when they meet its fiscal and monetary criteria and the member states so agree.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.05 trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,700 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.3% industry: 28.3% services: 69.4% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): percent of GDP - NA (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25.2% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 31.1 (2003 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 211.1 million

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 4.3%, industry 29%, services 66.8% (2000)

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes, dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish

Industries: among the world's largest and most technologically advanced industries, including iron and steel, aluminum, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, aircraft, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools, electronics, telecommunications equipment, fishing, food processing, furniture, paper, textiles and clothing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 0.8% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 2.822 trillion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 2.635 trillion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 234.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 245.7 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 3.244 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - consumption: 14.48 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - exports: 6.429 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 16.97 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 7.467 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 243.8 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - consumption: 463.6 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - exports: 77.04 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - imports: 292.2 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 3.262 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance: $NA

Exports: $850.3 billion (2002)

Exports - commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic beverages.

Exports - partners: NA

Imports: $887.1 billion (2002)

Imports - commodities: machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals, textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners: NA

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $NA

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - donor: $NA

Currency: euro; pound (Cyprus), koruna (Czech Republic), krone (Denmark), kroon (Estonia), forint (Hungary), lat (Latvia), litas (Lithuania), lira (Malta), zloty (Poland), koruna (Slovakia), tolar (Slovenia), krona (Sweden), pound (UK)

Currency code: EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year: NA

Communications European Union

Telephones - main lines in use: 238,763,162 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 314,644,700 (2002)

Telephone system: note - see individual country entries of member states

Radio broadcast stations: AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)

Television broadcast stations: 2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of indiviual country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Eurovision)

Internet country code: .eu (effective 2005); note - see country entries of member states for individual country codes

Internet hosts: 22,000,414 (2004); note - sum of individual country Internet hosts

Internet users: 206,032,067 (September 2004)

Transportation European Union

Railways: total: 222,293 km broad gauge: 28,438 km narrow gauge: 7,427 km standard gauge: 186,405 km other: 23 km (2003)

Highways: total: 4,634,810 km (including 56,704 km of expressways) paved: 4,161,318 km unpaved: 473,492 km (1999-2000)

Waterways: 53,512 km

Ports and harbors: Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Bremen (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia)

Airports: total: 3,130 with paved runways: 1,834 with unpaved runways: 1,296 (2003)

Heliports: 94 (2003)

Military European Union

Military - note: In October 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a "constitutional treaty" that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade and the Multinational Command Support Brigade and will command EUFOR, which will take over from SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command - committments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began operations. As of November 2004, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France had proposed creation of three 1,500-man rapid-reaction "battle groups."

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Introduction Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Background: Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.

Geography Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

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

Geographic coordinates: 51 45 S, 59 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 12,173 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands water: 0 sq km land: 12,173 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate: cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate

Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m

Natural resources: fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2001)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: strong winds persist throughout the year

Environment - current issues: overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chornobyl disaster

Geography - note: deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

People Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Population: 2,967 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.44% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: NA male: NA female: NA (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island

Ethnic groups: British

Religions: primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist

Languages: English

Government Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Government type: NA

Capital: Stanley

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution: 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998

Legal system: English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March 2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders: none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders: none

International organization participation: ICFTU, UPU

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

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

Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Economy Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Economy - overview: The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $75 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 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): 3.6% (1998)

Labor force: 1,100 (est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)

Unemployment rate: full employment; labor shortage (2001)

Budget: revenues: $66.2 million expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.)

Agriculture - products: fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products

Industries: fish and wool processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - production: 16.33 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 15.19 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption: 200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Exports: $82 million (2002)

Exports - commodities: wool, hides, meat

Exports - partners: Spain 80%, UK 9.3%, US 3.6% (2003)

Imports: $53 million (2002)

Imports - commodities: fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing

Imports - partners: UK 62%, Spain 30.4%, Italy 2.5% (2003)

Debt - external: NA (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: none (1997 est.)

Currency: Falkland pound (FKP)

Currency code: FKP

Exchange rates: Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.6125 (2003), 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.618 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Telephones - main lines in use: 2,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (2001)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 1,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)

Televisions: 1,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .fk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: NA; however one-half of all households are reported to have internet access (2002)

Transportation Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Highways: total: 440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002)

Ports and harbors: Stanley note: the primary port is located in Stanley Harbour and known locally as FIPASS (Falkland Interim Port and Storage System); the facility consists of seven permanently moored barges providing 300 meters of berthing space; it was installed by the military after 1982 and handed over to the Falkland Islands Government in 1988

Airports: 5 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Military Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Military branches: no regular military forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Disputes - international: claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Faroe Islands

Introduction Faroe Islands

Background: The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was attained in 1948.

Geography Faroe Islands

Location: Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 7 00 W

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 1,399 sq km water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams) land: 1,399 sq km

Area - comparative: eight times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,117 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Natural resources: fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Land use: arable land: 2.14% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2001)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

People Faroe Islands

Population: 46,662 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.6% (male 5,056; female 5,041) 15-64 years: 64.6% (male 15,975; female 14,187) 65 years and over: 13.7% (male 2,877; female 3,526) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 35.1 years male: 34.6 years female: 35.8 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.66% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 13.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 8.68 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 6.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 7.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.05 years male: 75.6 years female: 82.51 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.22 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA note: probably the same as Denmark proper

Government Faroe Islands

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Faroe Islands local short form: Foroyar local long form: none

Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948

Government type: NA

Capital: Torshavn

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 49 municipalities

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

National holiday: Olaifest, 29 July

Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system: Danish

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001) election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - NA% note: coalition of Social Democrats, Union Party, and People's Party elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3 February 2004) cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%, Social Democrats 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by party - Union Party 7, Social Democrats 7, Republican Party 8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1 note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 20 November 2001 (next to be held 8 February 2005); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, Union Party 1 elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008)

Judicial branch: none

Political parties and leaders: Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Helena Dam a NEYSTABO]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Lisbeth PETERSEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Flag description: white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Faroe Islands

Economy - overview: The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is falling and there are signs of labor shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget surpluses, which in turn help to reduce the large public debt, most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1 billion (2001 est.)

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

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27% industry: 11% services: 62% (1999)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.1% (1999)

Labor force: 24,250 (October 2000)

Labor force - by occupation: fishing, fish processing, and manufacturing 33%, construction and private services 33%, public services 34%

Unemployment rate: 1% (October 2000)

Budget: revenues: $488 million expenditures: $484 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1999)

Agriculture - products: milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish

Industries: fishing, fish processing, shipbuilding, construction, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production: 160.4 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 149.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption: 4,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Exports: $408 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities: fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999)

Exports - partners: Denmark 36.7%, UK 32.1%, Netherlands 6.1%, Nigeria 5.6%, Norway 5.4% (2003)

Imports: $466 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 29%, consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, fuels, fish and salt (1999)

Imports - partners: Denmark 52.7%, Norway 22.5%, Iceland 4.7%, Germany 4.2%, UK 4% (2003)

Debt - external: $64 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient: $135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998)

Currency: Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code: DKK

Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 6.5877 (2003), 7.89 (2002), 8.323 (2001), 8.083 (2000), 6.976 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Faroe Islands

Telephones - main lines in use: 23,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 30,700 (2002)

Telephone system: general assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 26,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions: 15,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .fo

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 25,000 (2002)

Transportation Faroe Islands

Highways: total: 463 km paved: 454 km unpaved: 9 km (1999)

Ports and harbors: Torshavn, Klaksvik, Tvoroyri, Runavik, Fuglafjordhur

Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 24,051 GRT/11,998 DWT by type: cargo 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Denmark 2, Norway 1, United Kingdom 1

Airports: 1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Faroe Islands

Military branches: no regular military forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Transnational Issues Faroe Islands

Disputes - international: Faroese are considering proposals for full independence; Denmark dispute with Iceland over the Faroe Islands fisheries median line boundary of 200 nm; Denmark disputes with Iceland, the UK, and Ireland the Faroe Islands claim extending its continental shelf boundary beyond 200 nm

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Fiji

Introduction Fiji

Background: Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). A 1990 constitution favored native Melanesian control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government and gave a mandate to the government of Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE.

Geography Fiji

Location: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates: 18 00 S, 175 00 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 18,270 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 18,270 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,129 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 10.95% permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2001)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited

People Fiji

Population: 880,874 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.7% (male 142,412; female 136,754) 15-64 years: 64.3% (male 283,690; female 283,027) 65 years and over: 4% (male 16,047; female 18,944) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 24 years male: 23.6 years female: 24.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.41% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 22.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 12.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.2 years male: 66.74 years female: 71.79 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian

Ethnic groups: Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.)

Religions: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2% note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)

Languages: English (official), Fijian, Hindustani

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 95.5% female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Government Fiji

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands conventional short form: Fiji

Government type: republic note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987

Capital: Suva (Viti Levu)

Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western

Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)

Constitution: promulgated on 25 July 1990 and amended on 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty government mandatory; entered into force 28 July 1998; note - the May 1999 election was the first test of the amended constitution and introduced open voting - not racially prescribed - for the first time at the national level

Legal system: based on British system

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18 July 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note - there is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs, which consists of the highest ranking members of the traditional chief system elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (34 seats; 24 appointed by the President on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the president, and one appointed by the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1 September, 19 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2006) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - FLP 26.5%, SDL 27.5%, NFP 1.2%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, UGP .3%, independents 1.4%; seats by party - FLP 27, SDL 32, MV 6, NFP 1, NLUP 2, UGP 1, independents 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts

Political parties and leaders: Bai Kei Viti Party or BKV [Ratu Tevita MOMOEDONU]; Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or MV [Ratu Rakuita VAKALALABURE]; Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic Party or FDP [Felipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association Party or FAP [Adi Kuini SPEED], Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Felipe BOLE], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Tupeni BABA]); Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDRHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP [leader NA] (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP [leader NA]; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM [leader NA]; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR [leader NA]; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of National Unity or PANU [Meli BOGILEKA]; Party of the Truth or POTT [leader NA]; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United General Party or UGP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Mr. Paula NAVUNISARAVI (Charge D'Affaires ad Interim) FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996 telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320 chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David L. LYON embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 331-4466 FAX: [679] 330-0081

Flag description: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove

Economy Fiji

Economy - overview: Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry - with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's ability to manage its budget. Yet short-run economic prospects are good, provided tensions do not again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.012 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.6% industry: 22.4% services: 61% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: 25.5% (1990-91)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 137,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture, including subsistence agriculture 70% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (1999)

Budget: revenues: $427.9 million expenditures: $531.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products: sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish

Industries: tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small cottage industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - production: 520.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 483.7 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption: 5,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Exports: $609 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities: sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil

Exports - partners: US 23.7%, Australia 18.4%, UK 13.6%, Samoa 6%, Japan 4.8% (2003)

Imports: $835 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals

Imports - partners: Australia 35.1%, Singapore 19.2%, New Zealand 17.2%, Japan 4.9% (2003)

Debt - external: $188.1 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $40.3 million (1995)

Currency: Fijian dollar (FJD)

Currency code: FJD

Exchange rates: Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002), 2.2766 (2001), 2.1286 (2000), 1.9696 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Fiji

Telephones - main lines in use: 102,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 109,900 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center domestic: NA international: country code - 679; access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 541,476 (1999)

Television broadcast stations: NA

Televisions: 88,110 (1999)

Internet country code: .fj

Internet hosts: 493 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 55,000 (2003)

Transportation Fiji

Railways: total: 597 km narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2003)

Highways: total: 3,440 km paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 203 km note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges (2004)

Ports and harbors: Lambasa, Lautoka, Levuka, Malau, Savusavu, Suva, Vuda

Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,372 GRT/7,453 DWT foreign-owned: Australia 1, Singapore 1 (2004 est.) by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 1

Airports: 28 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.)

Military Fiji

Military branches: Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Division

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 239,221 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 131,349 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 9,302 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $34 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.2% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Fiji

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Finland

Introduction Finland

Background: Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.

Geography Finland

Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 64 00 N, 26 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 338,145 sq km water: 33,672 sq km land: 304,473 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries: total: 2,690 km border countries: Norway 736 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

Coastline: 1,250 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm) continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden

Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Halti 1,328 m

Natural resources: timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone

Land use: arable land: 7.19% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 92.78% (2001)

Irrigated land: 640 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

People Finland

Population: 5,214,512 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.5% (male 466,036; female 448,339) 15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,760,472; female 1,719,917) 65 years and over: 15.7% (male 323,082; female 496,666) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 40.7 years male: 39.1 years female: 42.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.18% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 10.56 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 3.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 3.91 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.24 years male: 74.73 years female: 81.89 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish

Ethnic groups: Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1%

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%

Languages: Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% (2000 est.) male: NA female: NA

Government Finland

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local short form: Suomi local long form: Suomen Tasavalta

Government type: republic

Capital: Helsinki

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Russia)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Constitution: 1 March 2000

Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June 2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Antti KALLIOMAKI (since 17 April 2003); note - former Prime Minister Anneli JAATTEENMAKI resigned cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 16 January 2000 and 6 February 2000 (next to be held February 2006); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after Parliamentary elections and the Parliament must approve the appointment note: government coalition - KESK, SDP, and SFP election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%, Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party - Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, others 4 elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka Robert VALTASAARI consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Earle I. MACK embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 616250 FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800

Flag description: white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Finland

Economy - overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2003 was held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2004 provided the world economy suffers no further blows.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $142.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.3% industry: 32.7% services: 62.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 18% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 25.6 (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 2.599 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public services 32%

Unemployment rate: 9% (2003 est.)

Budget: revenues: $87.03 billion expenditures: $81.62 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Public debt: 48.7% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products: barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Industries: metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 0.8% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production: 71.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 76.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 1.81 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 11.77 billion kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption: 211,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 101,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 318,300 bbl/day (2001)

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

Natural gas - consumption: 4.557 billion cu m (2001 est.)

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

Natural gas - imports: 4.567 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance: $10.3 billion (2003)

Exports: $54.28 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999)

Exports - partners: Germany 11.8%, Sweden 9.9%, US 8.2%, UK 8%, Russia 7.5%, Netherlands 4.8% (2003)

Imports: $37.35 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains (1999)

Imports - partners: Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 11.7%, Netherlands 6.3%, Denmark 5.7%, UK 5.3%, France 4.3% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $11.17 billion (2003)

Debt - external: $30 billion (December 1993)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $379 million (2001)

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

Currency code: EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Finland

Telephones - main lines in use: 2.548 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 4.7 million (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: modern system with excellent service domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive cellular network provide domestic needs international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland Estonia Connection); satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 7.7 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999)

Televisions: 3.2 million (1997)

Internet country code: .fi

Internet hosts: 1,219,173 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2002)

Internet users: 2.65 million (2002)

Transportation Finland

Railways: total: 5,851 km broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2003)

Highways: total: 78,137 km paved: 50,398 km (including 750 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,739 km (2003)

Waterways: 7,842 km note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2004)

Pipelines: gas 694 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus

Merchant marine: total: 90 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,152,175 GRT/1,053,906 DWT registered in other countries: 39 (2004 est.) by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 9, roll on/roll off 28, short-sea/passenger 10 foreign-owned: Estonia 1

Airports: 148 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 75 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 69 (2004 est.)

Military Finland

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (October 2004)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,226,890 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,013,961 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 32,058 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.8 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY98/99)

Transnational Issues Finland

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@France

Introduction France

Background: Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy.

Geography France

Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 547,030 sq km land: 545,630 sq km note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas administrative divisions water: 1,400 sq km

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

Land boundaries: total: 2,889 km border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km

Coastline: 3,427 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)

Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

Land use: arable land: 33.53% permanent crops: 2.07% other: 64.4% (2001)

Irrigated land: 20,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean

Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note: largest West European nation

People France

Population: 60,424,213 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.5% (male 5,724,185; female 5,446,716) 15-64 years: 65.1% (male 19,698,497; female 19,663,776) 65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,049,970; female 5,841,069) (2004 est.)

Median age: total: 38.6 years male: 37 years female: 40.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.39% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 12.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 4.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 4.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.44 years male: 75.8 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.85 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 120,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 1,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French

Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities

Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1980 est.)

Government France

Country name: conventional long form: French Republic conventional short form: France local long form: Republique Francaise local short form: France

Government type: republic

Capital: Paris

Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)

Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)

National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in 1993; amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to a five-year term

Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May 2002) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held 21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round April 2007, second round May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN (FN) 18.04% cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years); note - between now and 2010, 25 new seats will be added to the Senate for a total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 3 for overseas territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members will be indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms, with one-half the seats being renewed every three years; and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 355, PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22 elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held September 2007); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next to be held not later than June 2007)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (three members appointed by the president, three appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat

Political parties and leaders: Citizen and Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly RAD. and PRG) [Jacques PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Greens [Gilles LEMAIRE, Francine BAVAY, Jean DESESSARD, Christophe PORQUIER, Maud LELIEVRE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including RPR, DL, and a part of UDF) [Nicolas SARKOZY]

Political pressure groups and leaders: historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed); left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed); independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members (claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. LEACH embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris Cedex 08 mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777 telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22 FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83 consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands; the official flag for all French dependent areas

Economy France

Economy - overview: France is in the midst of transition, from a well-to-do modern economy that has featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The Socialist-led government partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers, but the government retains controlling stakes in several leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales, and is dominant in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and welfare. The current government has lowered income taxes and introduced measures to boost employment. The government is focusing on the problems of the high cost of labor and labor market inflexibility resulting from the 35-hour workweek and restrictions on lay-offs. The government is also pushing for pension reforms and simplification of administrative procedures. The tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (43.8% of GDP in 2003). The current economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the 2003 deficit to 4% of GDP, above the EU's 3% debt limit. Business investment remains listless because of low rates of capital utilization, sluggish demand, high debt, and the steep cost of capital.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.661 trillion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 0.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.7% industry: 24.4% services: 72.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 19.2% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line: 6.5% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32.7 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 27.39 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 4.1%, industry 24.4%, services 71.5% (1999)

Unemployment rate: 9.7% (2003 est.)

Budget: revenues: $882.8 billion expenditures: $955.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $23 billion (2003 est.)

Public debt: 68.8% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish

Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: -0.3% (2003)

Electricity - production: 520.1 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 415.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 72.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 4.2 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production: 34,920 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 2.026 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 409,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 2.281 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 144.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 1.898 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 42.01 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 1.725 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 40.26 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 12.86 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance: $13.8 billion (2003)

Exports: $346.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Exports - partners: Germany 14.9%, Spain 9.6%, UK 9.4%, Italy 9.3%, Belgium 7.2%, US 6.8% (2003)

Imports: $339.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals

Imports - partners: Germany 19.1%, Belgium 9.4%, Italy 9%, Spain 7.4%, Netherlands 7%, UK 7%, US 5.4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $70.76 billion (2003)

Debt - external: NA

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)

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

Currency code: EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications France

Telephones - main lines in use: 33,905,400 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 41,683,100 (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system international: country code - 33; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 55.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 34.8 million (1997)

Internet country code: .fr

Internet hosts: 2,396,761 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 62 (2000)

Internet users: 21.9 million (2003)

Transportation France

Railways: total: 32,175 km standard gauge: 32,008 km 1.435-m gauge (14,320 km electrified) narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 894,000 km paved: 894,000 km (including 11,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2000)

Waterways: 8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000)

Pipelines: gas 14,232 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg (2003)

Merchant marine: total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 703,639 GRT/889,705 DWT by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 6, container 2, liquefied gas 4, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea/passenger 4 registered in other countries: 118 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Germany 1, Monaco 2, New Caledonia 1, Sweden 5

Airports: 477 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 283 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28 914 to 1,523 m: 82 under 914 m: 65 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 95