Introductory material (continued 13)

Exports - partners: Finland 26.3%, Sweden 13.2%, Latvia 8.8%, Russia 6.5%, Germany 6.2%, Lithuania 4.6% (2005)

Imports: $12.03 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)

Imports - partners: Finland 19.8%, Germany 13.9%, Russia 9.2%, Sweden 8.9%, Lithuania 6%, Latvia 4.7% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.344 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $13.94 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $108 million (2000)

Currency (code): Estonian kroon (EEK)

Currency code: EEK

Exchange rates: krooni per US dollar - 12.5153 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003), 16.612 (2002), note - the krooni is pegged to the euro

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Estonia

Telephones - main lines in use: 442,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.445 million (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are available throughout most of the country domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services is available throughout the country international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios: 1.01 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (2001)

Televisions: 605,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .ee

Internet hosts: 52,241 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 38 (2001)

Internet users: 690,000 (2005)

Transportation Estonia

Airports: 24 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Heliports: 1 (2006)

Pipelines: gas 859 km (2006)

Railways: total: 958 km broad gauge: 958 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 56,856 km paved: 13,384 km (including 99 km of expressways) unpaved: 43,472 km (2004)

Waterways: 500 km (2005)

Merchant marine: total: 35 ships (1000 GRT or over) 388,723 GRT/98,393 DWT by type: cargo 7, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 2) registered in other countries: 72 (Antigua and Barbuda 12, Bahamas 1, Belize 3, Cyprus 6, Dominica 11, Isle of Man 2, Liberia 1, Malta 4, Norway 1, Panama 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 25, Slovakia 1, Vanuatu 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Kopli, Kuivastu, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu

Military Estonia

Military branches: Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28; conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17 years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60 (2006)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 291,696 females age 18-49: 304,961 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 200,382 (in 2004, 51% of the young men called up for service were determined to be unfit; main obstacles to conscription were psychiatric and behavioral) females age 18-49: 250,351 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 11,146 females age 18-49: 10,605 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $155 million (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Estonia

Disputes - international: in 2005, Russia refuses to sign the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia when Estonia prepares a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe to Scandinavia; increasing domestic drug abuse problem; possible precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@Ethiopia

Introduction Ethiopia

Background: Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990's ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.

Geography Ethiopia

Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 1,127,127 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km water: 7,444 sq km

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

Land boundaries: total: 5,328 km border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m

Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 10.01% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 89.34% (2005)

Irrigated land: 2,900 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean

People Ethiopia

Population: 74,777,981 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.7% (male 16,373,718/female 16,280,766) 15-64 years: 53.6% (male 19,999,482/female 20,077,014) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 929,349/female 1,117,652) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 17.8 years male: 17.7 years female: 17.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.31% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 37.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 14.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 93.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 103.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 49.03 years male: 47.86 years female: 50.24 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.22 children born/woman (2006 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: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and hepatitis E vectorborne diseases: malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2007)

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 long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik local short form: Ityop'iya former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa abbreviation: FDRE

Government type: federal republic

Capital: name: Addis Ababa geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be held 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 (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPRDF 327, CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1, others 6, undeclared 2 note: irregularities at some polling stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies

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; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democracy or CUD [HAILU Shawel]; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopean People's Democratic Front or SEPDF, and TigrAyan Peoples' Liberation Front or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; dozens of small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFA chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200 FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Donald Y. YAMAMOTO embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] (1) 517-4000 FAX: [251] (1) 517-4888

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, accounting 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, and in December 2005 the International Monetary Fund voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body. 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. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in 2004-06.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $71.63 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $9.789 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 8.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 49.2% industry: 9.1% services: 41.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 27.27 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 8% services: 12% (1985)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 30 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.5% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 21.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $2.565 billion expenditures: $3.165 billion; including capital expenditures of $788 million (2006 est.)

Public debt: 78.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Electricity - production: 2.294 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.3% hydro: 97.6% nuclear: 0% other: 1.2% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 2.133 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

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

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-1.34 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $1.085 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners: Germany 15.5%, China 10.5%, Japan 8.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Djibouti 6.8%, Switzerland 6.4%, Italy 5.9%, US 5.5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

Imports: $4.105 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 14.7%, China 12.6%, US 12.4%, India 6.7%, Italy 4.6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.186 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $2.789 billion (2006 est.)

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

Currency (code): birr (ETB)

Currency code: ETB

Exchange rates: birr per US dollar - 8.69 (2006), 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004), 8.5997 (2003), 8.5678 (2002), 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: 610,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 410,600 (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: 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: 88 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002)

Internet users: 113,000 (2005)

Transportation Ethiopia

Airports: 84 (2006)

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 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 70 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 23 (2006)

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 (2005)

Roadways: total: 36,469 km paved: 6,980 km unpaved: 29,489 km (2004)

Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 79,441 GRT/97,669 DWT by type: cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2 (2006)

Ports and terminals: Ethiopia is landlocked and uses the port of Djibouti

Military Ethiopia

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

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

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 14,568,277 females age 18-49: 14,482,885 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 8,072,755 females age 18-49: 7,902,660 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 803,777 females age 18-49: 801,789 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $295.9 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Ethiopia

Disputes - international: Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but mutual animosities, accusations, and armed posturing prevail, preventing demarcation despite international intervention; Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until technical errors made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications; Ethiopia has only an administrative line and no international border with the Oromo region of southern Somalia where it maintains alliances with local clans in opposition to the unrecognized Somali Interim Government 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): 73,927 (Sudan), 15,901 (Somalia), 10,700 (Eritrea) IDPs: 100,000-280,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2006)

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 8 February, 2007

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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 27 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 entity 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 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 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 the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the 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 - and in 2007 Bulgaria and Romania joined, bringing the current membership to 27. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the Treaty of Nice (in force as of 1 February 2003) set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29 October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 rejected the proposed constitution. This development set back the ratification effort and left the longer-term political integration of the EU in limbo.

Geography European Union

Location: Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 4,324,782 sq km

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

Land boundaries: total: 12,440.8 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 394 km, Moldova 450 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 945 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 446 km, Ukraine 1,257 km note: data for European Continent only

Coastline: 65,992.9 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: Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border between France and Italy

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

Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% other: NA%

Irrigated land: 168,050 sq km (2003 est.)

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: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94 signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

People European Union

Population: 486,642,177 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351) 15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619) 65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821) (2006 est.)

Median age: NA

Population growth rate: 0.15% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 10 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.3 years male: 75.1 years female: 81.6 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (2006 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: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, 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: name: Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, the European Parliament meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, France, and the Court of Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg

Member states: 27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK; note - Canary Islands (Spain), Azores and Madeira (Portugal), 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: Croatia, Macedonia, 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 the European Coal and Steel Community to achieve 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 (Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in 2003; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 dealt a severe setback to the ratification process, though it has continued more slowly with Finland ratifying in December 2006; as of January 2007, 18 countries have ratified the Constitutional Treaty; Germany has made revival of the EU Constitution a goal of its EU Presidency in 2007

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004) cabinet: European Commission (composed of 27 members, one from each member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy areas) elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by member governments and is confirmed by the European Parliament; working from member state recommendations, the Commission president then assembles a "college" of Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; the last confirmation process was held 18 November 2004 (next to be held 2009) election results: European Parliament approved the European Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions note: the European Council brings together heads of state and government and the president of the European Commission and meets at least four times 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 (27 member-state ministers having 345 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 (785 seats (as of 1 January 2007); seats allocated among member states by proportion to population); members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009) 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; note - seats by party as of 1 January 2007 - EPP-ED 277, PES 218, ALDE 106, UEN 44, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 23, ITS 20, independents 14

Judicial branch: Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU; resolve constitutional issues among the EU institutions) - 27 justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 13 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 27 justices appointed for a six-year term

Political parties and leaders: Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Joseph DAUL]; Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty Group [Bruno GOLLNISCH]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; 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), IDA, OAS (observer), UN (observer), WTO European Community: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, EBRD, G-10, NAM (observer), NSG (observer), OECD, UNRWA, ZC (observer) European Central Bank: BIS European Investment Bank: EBRD, WADB (nonregional member)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador C. Boyden GRAY 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: Internally, 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 among member states (from $8,000 to $61,000) and historic national animosities, the European Union faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example, since 2003 Germany and France have flouted the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004 and 2007, the EU admitted 10 and two countries, respectively, that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the other 15. Twelve established EU member states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January 1999, but the UK, Sweden, and Denmark chose not to participate. Of the 12 most recent member states, only Slovenia has adopted the euro (1 January 2007); the remaining eleven are legally required to adopt the currency upon meeting EU's fiscal and monetary convergence criteria.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $12.82 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $13.62 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $29,300 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.1% industry: 27.3% services: 70.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 221.5 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.4% industry: 27.3% services: 67% note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector industries and services (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.8% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: see individual country listings

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.4% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32 (2003 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 20.4% of GDP (2006 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, the European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production: 2.98 trillion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - consumption: 2.77 trillion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - exports: 278.7 billion kWh

Electricity - imports: 277.1 billion kWh

Oil - production: 3.172 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption: 14.7 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - exports: 5.318 million bbl/day

Oil - imports: 15.74 million bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves: 7.335 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 238.1 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - consumption: 507.4 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - exports: 78.89 billion cu m

Natural gas - imports: 347.7 billion cu m

Natural gas - proved reserves: 3.219 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance: $NA

Exports: $1.33 trillion; note - external exports, excluding intra-EU trade (2005)

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: US 23.3%, Switzerland 7.6%, Russia 5.2%, China 4.8% (2005)

Imports: $1.466 trillion; note - external imports, excluding intra-EU trade (2005)

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

Imports - partners: US 13.8%, China 13.4%, Russia 8.2%, Japan 6.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $NA

Currency (code): euro, British pound, Bulgarian lev, Cypriot pound, Czech koruna, Danish krone, Estonian kroon, Hungarian forint, Latvian lat, Lithuanian litas, Maltese lira, Polish zloty, Romanian leu, Slovak koruna, Swedish krona; Romanian leu and Bulgarian lev added, beginning in 2007

Currency code: EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.79669 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

Fiscal year: NA

Communications European Union

Telephones - main lines in use: 238 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 466 million (2005)

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

Radio broadcast stations: AM 930, FM 13,655, shortwave 71 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)

Television broadcast stations: 2,700 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of individual 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: 50.5 million (2005); note - sum of individual country Internet hosts

Internet users: 247 million (2006)

Transportation European Union

Airports: 3,393 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: 2,020 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,373 (2006)

Heliports: 100 (2006)

Railways: total: 235,199 km broad gauge: 28,327 km standard gauge: 198,913 km narrow gauge: 7,936 km other: 23 km (2005)

Roadways: total: 2,294,641 km (including 61,522 km of expressways) paved: 1,809,821 km unpaved: 584,820 km (2005)

Waterways: 52,332 km (2006)

Ports and terminals: Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), 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), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)

Military European Union

Military - note: In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" 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 and 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, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command - commitments 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. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis. Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops. France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by 2007. (2005)

Transnational Issues European Union

Disputes - international: as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries, but Estonia and Latvia have no land boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco; the EU has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 13 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the total current membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal matters; the 12 new member states that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 eventually are expected to participate in Schengen, following a transition period to upgrade their border controls and procedures

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

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) (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

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 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.44% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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

Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

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

Literacy: NA

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: name: Stanley geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 41 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends third Sunday in April

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) head of government: Governor Alan HUCKLE (since 25 August 2006); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since 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 elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - two ex officio, eight elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8

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 was once 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 Falkland Islands' 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 (official exchange rate): NA

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP): $25,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 95% industry: NA% services: NA%

Labor force: 1,724 (est.) (1996)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) industry and services: 5%

Unemployment rate: full employment; labor shortage (2001)

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)

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 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption: 14.88 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 230 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports: $125 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: wool, hides, meat

Exports - partners: Spain 81.9%, US 6%, UK 4.5% (2005)

Imports: $90 million (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners: UK 72.5%, US 15.1%, Netherlands 8.5% (2005)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $0 (1997 est.)

Currency (code): Falkland pound (FKP)

Currency code: FKP

Exchange rates: Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 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 note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 (FM) and Radio 2 (AM) service (2006)

Radios: 1,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as islanders) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2006)

Televisions: 1,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .fk

Internet hosts: 103 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 1,900 (2002)

Transportation Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Airports: 5 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Roadways: total: 440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2003)

Ports and terminals: Stanley

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: Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

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% (2005)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements: party to: Marine Dumping -associate member to the London Convention

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: 47,246 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.9% (male 4,940/female 4,952) 15-64 years: 65.1% (male 16,247/female 14,522) 65 years and over: 13.9% (male 2,976/female 3,609) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 35 years male: 34.7 years female: 35.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.58% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 14.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 6.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.35 years male: 75.91 years female: 82.8 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.17 children born/woman (2006 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 100%, the same as Denmark proper

Government Faroe Islands

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

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

Government type: NA

Capital: name: Torshavn geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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 34 municipalities

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

National holiday: Olaifest (Olavasoka), 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) head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3 February 2004) cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister 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) election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - NA

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) elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%, Social Democratic Party 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 Democratic Party 7, Republican Party 8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1 note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, People's Party 1

Judicial branch: none

Political parties and leaders: Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Arctic Council, 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 minimal 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 have helped 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 (about 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 (official exchange rate): NA

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

GDP - per capita (PPP): $31,000 (2001 est.)

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

Labor force: 24,250 (October 2000)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 33% industry: 33% services: 34%

Unemployment rate: 1% (October 2000)

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)

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, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts

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

Electricity - production: 292.6 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 62.4% hydro: 37.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 272.1 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 4,550 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports: $533 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Exports - partners: Denmark 38%, UK 29.4%, Nigeria 8.9%, Norway 6.1%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Imports: $639 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners: Denmark 47.4%, Norway 18.7%, Germany 8.4%, Spain 7.8%, Iceland 4.9% (2005)

Debt - external: $64 million (1999)

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

Currency (code): Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code: DKK

Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.93667 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Faroe Islands

Telephones - main lines in use: 23,800 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 42,500 (2005)

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 hosts: 6,915 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 33,000 (2005)

Transportation Faroe Islands

Airports: 1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways: total: 458 km note: no roads between towns (2003)

Merchant marine: total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,265 GRT/9,171 DWT by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Torshavn

Military Faroe Islands

Military branches: no regular military forces

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 10,695 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 8,852 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 366 (2005 est.)

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: because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferred; Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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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). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji, led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led 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 led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president. In January 2007, BAINIMARAMA was appointed interim prime minister.

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 land: 18,270 sq km water: 0 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 territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added

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% (2005)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (2003)

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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited

People Fiji

Population: 905,949 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.1% (male 143,847/female 138,061) 15-64 years: 64.6% (male 293,072/female 292,312) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 17,583/female 21,074) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 24.6 years male: 24.1 years female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.4% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 22.55 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.82 years male: 67.32 years female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (2006 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

Languages: English (official), Fijian (official), 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 local long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti local short form: Fiji/Viti

Government type: republic

Capital: name: Suva (on Viti Levu) geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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: enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998

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); note - ILOILOVATU was reaffirmed as president by the Great Council of Chiefs in a statement issued on 22 December, and reappointed by the coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA in January 2007 head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000); note - although QARASE is still the legal prime minister, he has been confined to his home island; the president appointed Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA interim prime minister under the military regime cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note - coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA has appointed an interim cabinet elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006 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 (32 seats; 14 appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime Minister, 8 on the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed on the advice of the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 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 6-13 May 2006 (next to be held 2011) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - SDL 44.59%, FLP 39.18%, UPP .84%, independents 4.89%; seats by party - SDL 36, FLP 31, UPP 2, independents 2

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

Political parties and leaders: Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic Party or FDP [Filipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association Party or FAP, Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Sitiveni RABUKA], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Ofa SWANN]); Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of National Unity or PANU [Ponipate LESAVUA]; Party of the Truth or POTT; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United Peoples Party or UPP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jesoni VITUSAGAVULU chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER 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, remittances from Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union markets, but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity but is not efficient. Fiji's tourism industry was damaged by the 2006 coup and is facing an uncertain recovery time. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's ability to manage its budget. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased significantly.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.504 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $2.038 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $6,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.9% industry: 13.5% services: 77.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 137,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 70% industry and services: 30% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (1999)

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): 3% (2005)

Budget: revenues: $720.5 million expenditures: $728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005)

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: 817 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 18.5% hydro: 81.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 759.8 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 10,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $-465.8 million

Exports: $719.6 million f.o.b. (2005)

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

Exports - partners: US 19.7%, Australia 17%, UK 12.3%, Japan 5.4%, Samoa 4.1% (2005)

Imports: $1.462 billion c.i.f. (2005)

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

Imports - partners: Singapore 27.5%, Australia 23.7%, NZ 19%, Thailand 4.5% (2005)

Debt - external: $127 million (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $63.9 million (2004)

Currency (code): Fijian dollar (FJD)

Currency code: FJD

Exchange rates: Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Fiji

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

Telephones - mobile cellular: 142,200 (2004)

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; 2 satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (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: 8,987 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 61,000 (2004)

Transportation Fiji

Airports: 28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 18 (2006)

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) (2005)

Roadways: total: 3,440 km paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1999)

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

Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,867 GRT/8,432 DWT by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Lambasa, Lautoka, Suva

Military Fiji

Military branches: Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Forces (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 215,104 females age 18-49: 212,739 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 163,960 females age 18-49: 178,714 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 9,266 females age 18-49: 8,916 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $36 million (2004)

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

Transnational Issues Fiji

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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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. A member of the European Union since 1995, 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 land: 304,473 sq km water: 33,672 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries: total: 2,681 km border countries: Norway 727 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) contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

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

Land use: arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 93.44% (2005)

Irrigated land: 640 sq km (2003)

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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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: none of the selected agreements

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

People Finland

Population: 5,231,372 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.1% (male 455,420/female 438,719) 15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,766,674/female 1,724,858) 65 years and over: 16.2% (male 337,257/female 508,444) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 41.3 years male: 39.7 years female: 42.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.14% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 10.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.5 years male: 74.99 years female: 82.17 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2006 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: Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003)

Languages: Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)

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

Government Finland

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland local short form: Suomi/Finland

Government type: republic

Capital: name: Helsinki geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 58 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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 Eero HEINALUOMA (since 24 September 2005) cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 January 2006 (next to be held January 2012); 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 election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti Vanhanen (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA (VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held 29 January 2006 - HOLONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2% note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007) 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, other 4

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 [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Martti KORHONEN]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Stefan WALLIN]

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marilyn WARE embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 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; exports equal two-fifths of GDP. Finland excels in high-tech exports, e.g., mobile phones. 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. High unemployment remains a persistent problem.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $171.7 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $196.2 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.9% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $32,800 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.7% industry: 30.3% services: 67% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 2.62 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and forestry 4.4%, industry 4.4%, construction 6%, commerce 17.5%, finance, insurance, and business services 12%, transport and communications 6%, public services 30.2%

Unemployment rate: 7% (2006 est.)

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: 26.9 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 18.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $105.6 billion expenditures: $101 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Public debt: 37.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

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

Industries: metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production: 81.6 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 39% hydro: 18.7% nuclear: 30.4% other: 11.8% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 80.79 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 6.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 11.7 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 9,105 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 220,400 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 4.86 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 4.866 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $8.749 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $84.72 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners: Russia 11.2%, Sweden 10.7%, Germany 10.5%, UK 6.6%, US 6.2%, Netherlands 4.8% (2005)

Imports: $71.69 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners: Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 13.9%, Netherlands 6.2%, Denmark 4.6%, UK 4.3%, China 4.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $6.561 billion (August 2006 est.)

Debt - external: $251.9 billion (30 June 2006)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $850,536,746.4905 (2005)

Currency (code): 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 - 0.79987 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Finland

Telephones - main lines in use: 2.12 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 5.231 million (2005)

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; note - the IANA has assigned the ccTLD of .ax to the Aland Islands

Internet hosts: 1,633,614 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2002)

Internet users: 3.286 million (2005)

Transportation Finland

Airports: 148 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 76 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: 14 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 72 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 67 (2006)

Pipelines: gas 694 km (2006)

Railways: total: 5,741 km broad gauge: 5,741 km 1.524-m gauge (2,619 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways: total: 78,189 km paved: 50,633 km (including 653 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,556 km (2006)

Waterways: 7,842 km note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2005)

Merchant marine: total: 87 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,250,600 GRT/952,072 DWT by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 22, chemical tanker 6, container 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 20, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 25 foreign-owned: 3 (Norway 1, Russia 1, UK 1) registered in other countries: 48 (Bahamas 8, Germany 2, Gibraltar 3, Luxembourg 4, Marshall Islands 2, Netherlands 13, Norway 4, Sweden 11, UK 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma, Turku

Military Finland

Military branches: Finnish Defense Forces: Army, Navy (includes coastal defense forces), Air Force (2003)

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

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,121,275 females age 18-49: 1,076,684 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 913,617 females age 18-49: 875,689 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 32,040 females age 18-49: 30,519 (2005 est.)

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

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

Transnational Issues Finland

Disputes - international: various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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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 French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E

Map references: Europe French Guiana: South America Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean Reunion: World

Area: total: 643,427 sq km; 547,030 sq km (metropolitan France) land: 640,053 sq km; 545,630 sq km (metropolitan France) water: 3,374 sq km; 1,400 sq km (metropolitan France) note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion

Area - comparative: slightly less than the size of Texas

Land boundaries: metropolitan France - 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 Guadeloupe - total: 10.2 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km French Guiana - total: 1,183 km border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km

Coastline: total: 4,668 km metropolitan France: 3,427 km

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

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 French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devasting cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

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 French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

Land use: arable land: 33.46% permanent crops: 2.03% other: 64.51% note: French Guiana - arable land 0.13%, permanent crops 0.04%, other 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other); Guadeloupe - arable land 11.70%, permanent crops 2.92%, other 85.38%; Martinique - arable land 9.09%, permanent crops 10.0%, other 80.91%; Reunion - arable land 13.94%, permanent crops 1.59%, other 84.47% (2005)

Irrigated land: total: 26,190 sq km; metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones), flooding, volcanic activity (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion)

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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: largest West European nation

People France

Population: total: 62,752,136 note: 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.3% (male 5,704,152/female 5,427,213) 15-64 years: 65.3% (male 19,886,228/female 19,860,506) 65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,103,883/female 5,894,154) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 39.1 years male: 37.6 years female: 40.7 years (2006 est.)