$NA
Reading edition
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.45 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 7 $2.976 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.132 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $1.8 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.323 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Industries:
textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Electricity - production:
283.2 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - consumption:
276.1 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - exports:
16.92 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
5.88 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
28,130 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - consumption:
1.562 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Oil - exports:
226,900 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Oil - imports:
1.813 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Oil - proved reserves:
150 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - production:
17 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - consumption:
38.18 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - imports:
38.59 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Current account balance:
-$154.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189 -$145.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$285.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $256.7 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
Exports - partners:
France 18.4%, Germany 10.6%, Portugal 8.7%, Italy 8%, UK 6.7%, US 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$415.5 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $380.2 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments
Imports - partners:
Germany 14.5%, France 11.1%, Italy 7.4%, China 6.3%, UK 4.6%, Netherlands 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$20.25 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $19.05 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.317 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 8 $2.299 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$636.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $570.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$605.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $687.4 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Spain
Telephones - main lines in use:
20.2 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 15
Telephones - mobile cellular:
49.682 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 20
Telephone system:
general assessment: well developed, modern facilities; fixed-line teledensity is roughly 50 per 100 persons
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 175 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 18, FM 250, shortwave 2 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
379 (2008)
Internet country code:
.es
Internet hosts:
3.537 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 23
Internet users:
25.24 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 12
Transportation ::Spain
Airports:
153 (2009) country comparison to the world: 35
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 95
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 23 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 58
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 39 (2009)
Heliports:
9 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 7,738 km; oil 560 km; refined products 3,445 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 15,288 km country comparison to the world: 18 broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,949 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 681,224 km country comparison to the world: 10 paved: 681,224 km (includes 13,872 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
1,000 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 65
Merchant marine:
total: 158 country comparison to the world: 41 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 14, chemical tanker 11, container 22, liquefied gas 11, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 47, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 26 (Canada 4, Denmark 2, Germany 5, Italy 2, Mexico 3, Norway 5, UK 5)
registered in other countries: 110 (Angola 1, Argentina 2, Bahamas 14, Belize 1, Brazil 9, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 6, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 50, Portugal 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, UK 1, Uruguay 6, Venezuela 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia
Military ::Spain
Military branches:
Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,033,069
females age 16-49: 9,764,937 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 8,139,020
females age 16-49: 7,899,157 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 199,124
female: 187,224 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Transnational Issues ::Spain
Disputes - international:
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
Illicit drugs:
despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Spratly Islands (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Spratly Islands
Background:
The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim.
Geography ::Spratly Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Geographic coordinates:
8 38 N, 111 55 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: less than 5 sq km country comparison to the world: 246 land: less than 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
Area - comparative:
NA
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
926 km
Maritime claims:
NA
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
flat
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Natural resources:
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
People ::Spratly Islands
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states
Government ::Spratly Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Economy ::Spratly Islands
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Transportation ::Spratly Islands
Airports:
4 (2009) country comparison to the world: 188
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Spratly Islands
Military - note:
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues ::Spratly Islands
Disputes - international:
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands
page last updated on September 24, 2009
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@Sri Lanka (South Asia)
Introduction ::Sri Lanka
Background:
The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in the ethnic conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006 and the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. In May 2009, the government announced that its military had finally defeated the remnants of the LTTE and that its leader, Velupillai PRABHAKARAN, had been killed.
Geography ::Sri Lanka
Location:
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Geographic coordinates:
7 00 N, 81 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 65,610 sq km country comparison to the world: 121 land: 64,630 sq km
water: 980 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,340 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Natural resources:
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 13.96%
permanent crops: 15.24%
other: 70.8% (2005)
Irrigated land:
7,430 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
50 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 12.61 cu km/yr (2%/2%/95%)
per capita: 608 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
People ::Sri Lanka
Population:
21,324,791 country comparison to the world: 53 note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.9% (male 2,594,815/female 2,493,002)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,089,307/female 7,418,123)
65 years and over: 8.1% (male 803,172/female 926,372) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.9 years
male: 29.9 years
female: 31.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.904% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Birth rate:
16.26 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Death rate:
6.13 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Net migration rate:
-1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Urbanization:
urban population: 15% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.57 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 111 male: 20.33 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.14 years country comparison to the world: 84 male: 73.08 years
female: 77.28 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.99 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and chikungunya
water contact disease: leptospirosis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups:
Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Religions:
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Languages:
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%
note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.7%
male: 92.3%
female: 89.1% (2001 census)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Sri Lanka
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
conventional short form: Sri Lanka
local long form: Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
local short form: Shri Lamka/Ilankai
former: Serendib, Ceylon
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Colombo
geographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 E
time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
Administrative divisions:
8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
note: in October 2006, a Sri Lankan Supreme Court ruling voided a presidential directive merging the North and Eastern Provinces; many have defended the merger as a prerequisite for a negotiated settlement to the ethnic conflict; a parliamentary decision on the issue is pending
Independence:
4 February 1948 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Constitution:
adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; amended 20 December 2000
Legal system:
a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Kandyan, and Jaffna Tamil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE (since 21 November 2005) holds the largely ceremonial title of prime minister
head of government: President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 November 2005 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: Mahinda RAJAPAKSA elected president; percent of vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSA 50.3%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 48.4%, other 1.3%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of an open-list, proportional representation system by electoral district to serve six-year terms)
elections: last held on 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - SLFP and JVP (no longer in United People's Freedom Alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.8%, TNA 6.8%, JHU 6%, SLMC 2%, UPF 0.5%, EPDP 0.3%, other 1%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4, Communist Party 2, JHU dissidents 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 1, UNP dissident 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:
All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [G.PONNAMBALAM]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D. GUNASEKERA]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Somawansa AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP [Tissa VITHARANA]; Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D. GUNAWARDENE]; National Heritage Party or JHU [Ellawala METHANANDA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Mahinda RAJAPAKSA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO [Selvam ADAIKALANATHAN]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [R. SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V. ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) or Karuna Faction [Vinayagamurthi MURALITHARAN] (paramilitary breakaway from LTTE and fighting LTTE)
other: Buddhist clergy; labor unions; radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
International organization participation:
ADB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jaliya Chitran WICKRAMASURIYA
chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 through 4028
FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert O. BLAKE, Jr.
embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500
FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345
Flag description:
yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
Economy ::Sri Lanka
Economy - overview:
In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for more market-oriented policies, export-oriented trade, and encouragement of foreign investment. Recent changes in government, however, have brought some policy reversals. Currently, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party has a more statist economic approach, which seeks to reduce poverty by steering investment to disadvantaged areas, developing small and medium enterprises, promoting agriculture, and expanding the already enormous civil service. The government has halted privatizations. Although suffering a brutal civil war that began in 1983, Sri Lanka saw GDP growth average 4.5% in the last 10 years with the exception of a recession in 2001. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left more than 6,300 missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an estimated $1.5 billion worth of property. Government spending on development and fighting the LTTE drove GDP growth to about 7% per year in 2006-07 before the global recession slow growth in 2008, but high government spending and high oil and commodity prices also raised inflation to around 15% in 2008. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In 2008, plantation crops made up only about 20% of exports (compared with more than 90% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for more than 40%. About 1.5 million Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% of them in the Middle East. They send home more than $2.5 billion a year. The 25-year civil conflict between LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka has been a serious impediment to economic activities. By mid February 2009, the LTTE remained in control of small and shrinking area in the North. The conflict continues to cast a shadow over the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$92.09 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $86.88 billion (2007 est.)
$81.35 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$39.6 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 6.8% (2007 est.)
7.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 $4,200 (2007 est.)
$3,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.4%
industry: 29.4%
services: 57.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
7.569 million country comparison to the world: 59 note: excludes northern and eastern provinces (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 34.7%
industry: 26.1%
services: 39.2% (30 September 2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
22% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 39.7% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49 (2004) country comparison to the world: 28 34.4 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
24.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Budget:
revenues: $7.8 billion
expenditures: $11 billion (2009 est.)
Public debt:
76.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 104.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 208 15.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
15% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13 15% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
18.89% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$2.55 billion (30 September 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $2.465 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$9.01 billion (30 September 2008) country comparison to the world: 54 $10.46 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$15.92 billion (30 September 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $14.82 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$4.326 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76 $7.553 billion (31 December 2007)
$7.769 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish
Industries:
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services
Industrial production growth rate:
5.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Electricity - production:
9.507 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Electricity - consumption:
7.946 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Oil - consumption:
89,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Oil - exports:
968.4 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Oil - imports:
87,690 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 194
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Current account balance:
-$3.876 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 -$1.464 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$8.137 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 $7.741 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish
Exports - partners:
US 21.6%, UK 11.9%, India 6.8%, Germany 5.1%, Belgium 4.8%, Italy 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$12.61 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $10.17 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment
Imports - partners:
India 20.3%, China 12.2%, Iran 7.6%, Singapore 7.4%, South Korea 4.7% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.655 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $3.644 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$16.78 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $12.2 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$250.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar - 108.33 (2008), 110.78 (2007), 103.99 (2006), 100.498 (2005), 101.194 (2004)
Communications ::Sri Lanka
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.446 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 44
Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.082 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 56
Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone services have improved significantly and are available in most parts of the country
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing
international: country code - 94; the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 15, FM 52, shortwave 4 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
14 (2006)
Internet country code:
.lk
Internet hosts:
6,090 (2009) country comparison to the world: 134
Internet users:
1.164 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 83
Transportation ::Sri Lanka
Airports:
18 (2009) country comparison to the world: 138
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,449 km country comparison to the world: 82 broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2007)
Roadways:
total: 97,286 km country comparison to the world: 44 paved: 78,802 km
unpaved: 18,484 km (2003)
Waterways:
160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2008) country comparison to the world: 101
Merchant marine:
total: 26 country comparison to the world: 89 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 18, chemical tanker 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 5 (Germany 5)
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Colombo
Military ::Sri Lanka
Military branches:
Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 5-year service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,458,720
females age 16-49: 5,594,006 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,498,667
females age 16-49: 4,693,895 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 173,256
female: 167,645 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 63
Transnational Issues ::Sri Lanka
Disputes - international:
none
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 460,000 (both Tamils and non-Tamils displaced due to long-term civil war between the government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Sri Lanka is a source and destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; Sri Lankan men and women migrate willingly to the Persian Gulf, Middle East, and East Asia to work as construction workers, domestic servants, or garment factory workers, where some find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude when faced with restrictions on movement, withholding of passports, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and debt bondage; children are trafficked internally for commercial sexual exploitation and, less frequently, for forced labor
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for a second consecutive year, Sri Lanka is on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of human trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement; the government failed to arrest, prosecute, or convict any person for trafficking offenses and continued to punish some victims of trafficking for crimes committed as a result of being trafficked; Sri Lanka has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Sudan (Africa)
Introduction ::Sudan
Background:
Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972 but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than four million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than two million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years. After which, a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A separate conflict, which broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003, has displaced nearly two million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. The UN took command of the Darfur peacekeeping operation from the African Union on 31 December 2007. As of early 2009, peacekeeping troops were struggling to stabilize the situation, which has become increasingly regional in scope, and has brought instability to eastern Chad, and Sudanese incursions into the Central African Republic. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad. Armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.
Geography ::Sudan
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 2,505,813 sq km country comparison to the world: 10 land: 2.376 million sq km
water: 129,813 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 7,687 km
border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
Coastline:
853 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Natural resources:
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 6.78%
permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 93.05% (2005)
Irrigated land:
18,630 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
154 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 37.32 cu km/yr (3%/1%/97%)
per capita: 1,030 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
People ::Sudan
Population:
41,087,825 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 8,535,551/female 8,173,616)
15-64 years: 56.8% (male 11,745,683/female 11,603,906)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 532,968/female 496,101) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.1 years
male: 18.9 years
female: 19.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.143% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Birth rate:
33.74 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Death rate:
12.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Net migration rate:
0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Urbanization:
urban population: 43% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 82.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 16 male: 82.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 82.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.42 years country comparison to the world: 204 male: 50.49 years
female: 52.4 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.48 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
320,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
25,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sudanese
Ethnic groups:
black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Languages:
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages
note: program of "Arabization" in process
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.1%
male: 71.8%
female: 50.5% (2003 est.)
Education expenditures:
6% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 42
Government ::Sudan
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
conventional short form: Sudan
local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
local short form: As-Sudan
former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Government type:
Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in 1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national elections in 2009
Capital:
name: Khartoum
geographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile), Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat (Lakes), Al Jazira (Gezira), Al Khartoum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahda (Unity), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile), Ash Shimaliyya (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Central Equatoria), Gharb al Istiwa'iyya (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al Ghazal (Western Bahr el Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Junqoley (Jonglei), Kassala (Kassala), Nahr an Nil (River Nile), Shimal Bahr al Ghazal (Northern Bahr el Ghazal), Shimal Darfur (Northern Darfur), Shimal Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al Istiwa'iyya (Eastern Equatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab (Warab)
Independence:
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Constitution:
Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005
note: under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Interim National Constitution was ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of Southern Sudan was signed December 2005
Legal system:
based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; however, the CPA establishes some protections for non-Muslims in Khartoum; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under the CPA following the civil war; Islamic law will not apply to the southern states
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held February 2010
election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of guarantees for a free and fair election
note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for the first time in March 1996
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Legislature consists of a Council of States (50 seats; members indirectly elected by state legislatures to serve six-year terms) and a National Assembly (450 seats; members presently appointed, but in the future 60% from geographic constituencies, 25% from a women's list, and 15% from party lists; to serve six-year terms)
elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held February 2010)
election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court; National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National Judiciary
Political parties and leaders:
National Congress Party or NCP [Umar Hassan al-BASHIR]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva KIIR]; and elements of the National Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of the Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI] and Umma Party; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Umma Party [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]; Darfur rebel groups including the Justice and Equality Movement or JEM [Khalil IBRAHIM] and the Sudan Liberation Movement or SLM [various factional leaders]
International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Akec Khoc ACIEW Khoc
chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert E. WHITEHEAD
embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Street, Khartoum
mailing address: P.O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829
telephone: [249] (183) 774700 through 704
FAX: [249] (183) 774137
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
Economy ::Sudan
Economy - overview:
Until the second half of 2008, Sudan's economy boomed on the back of increases in oil production, high oil prices, and large inflows of foreign direct investment. GDP growth registered more than 10% per year in 2006 and 2007. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been working with the IMF to implement macroeconomic reforms, including a managed float of the exchange rate. Sudan began exporting crude oil in the last quarter of 1999. Agricultural production remains important, because it employs 80% of the work force and contributes a third of GDP. The Darfur conflict, the aftermath of two decades of civil war in the south, the lack of basic infrastructure in large areas, and a reliance by much of the population on subsistence agriculture ensure much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years despite rapid rises in average per capita income. In January 2007, the government introduced a new currency, the Sudanese Pound, at an initial exchange rate of $1.00 equals 2 Sudanese Pounds.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$88.37 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $82.9 billion (2007 est.)
$75.22 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$58.03 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 10.2% (2007 est.)
11.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185 $2,100 (2007 est.)
$1,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
industry: 34.7%
services: 34.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
11.92 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry: 7%
services: 13% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:
18.7% (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Population below poverty line:
40% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
18.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Budget:
revenues: $11.55 billion
expenditures: $12.67 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
100% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 79.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187 8% (2007 est.)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$5.549 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$4.068 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$8.659 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock
Industries:
oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly
Industrial production growth rate:
0.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Electricity - production:
4.341 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Electricity - consumption:
3.438 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
480,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Oil - consumption:
86,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Oil - exports:
303,800 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Oil - imports:
11,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Oil - proved reserves:
5 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 111
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Natural gas - proved reserves:
84.95 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Current account balance:
-$1.314 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 -$3.447 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$11.67 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 $8.879 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar
Exports - partners:
China 49.8%, Japan 33.4%, Indonesia 5.5% (2008)
Imports:
$8.229 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $7.722 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
Imports - partners:
China 20%, Saudi Arabia 8.4%, UAE 6.2%, India 6.1%, Egypt 5.5%, Italy 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.399 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $1.378 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$33.72 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $29.42 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar - 2.1 (2008 est.), 2.06 (2007), 2.172 (2006), 2.4361 (2005), 2.5791 (2004)
note: in October 2007 Sudan redenominated its currency by transforming 100 units of Sudanese dinar into one unit of Sudanese pound
Communications ::Sudan
Telephones - main lines in use:
356,100 (2008) country comparison to the world: 108
Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.186 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 55
Telephone system:
general assessment: well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially with wide coverage of most major cities
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, fiber optic, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
international: country code - 249; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (1997)
Internet country code:
.sd
Internet hosts:
48 (2009) country comparison to the world: 207
Internet users:
4.2 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 48
Transportation ::Sudan
Airports:
121 (2009) country comparison to the world: 49
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 102
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 56
under 914 m: 28 (2009)
Heliports:
4 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 156 km; oil 4,070 km; refined products 1,613 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 5,978 km country comparison to the world: 30 narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2008)
Roadways:
total: 11,900 km country comparison to the world: 133 paved: 4,320 km
unpaved: 7,580 km (2000)
Waterways:
4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2008) country comparison to the world: 25
Merchant marine:
total: 3 country comparison to the world: 139 by type: cargo 2, carrier 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Port Sudan
Military ::Sudan
Military branches:
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Land Forces, Navy (includes Marines), Sudanese Air Force (Sikakh al-Jawwiya as-Sudaniya), Popular Defense Forces; Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA): Land Forces (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-33 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 12-24 month service obligation (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 9,639,923
females age 16-49: 9,321,106 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,836,971
females age 16-49: 5,942,043 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 498,376
female: 479,005 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Transnational Issues ::Sudan
Disputes - international:
the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia fighting since the mid-20th century have penetrated all of the neighboring states; as of 2006, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda provided shelter for over half a million Sudanese refugees, which includes 240,000 Darfur residents driven from their homes by Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military forces; Sudan, in turn, hosted about 116,000 Eritreans, 20,000 Chadians, and smaller numbers of Ethiopians, Ugandans, Central Africans, and Congolese as refugees; in February 2006, Sudan and DROC signed an agreement to repatriate 13,300 Sudanese and 6,800 Congolese; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia proceed slowly due to civil and ethnic fighting in eastern Sudan; the boundary that separates Kenya and Sudan's sovereignty is unclear in the "Ilemi Triangle," which Kenya has administered since colonial times; Sudan claims to administer the Hala'ib Triangle north of the 1899 Treaty boundary with Egypt along the 22nd Parallel; both states withdrew their military presence in the 1990s, but Egypt has invested in and effectively administers the area; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations along the border with the Central African Republic
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 157,220 (Eritrea); 25,023 (Chad); 11,009 (Ethiopia); 7,895 (Uganda); 5,023 (Central African Republic)
IDPs: 5.3 - 6.2 million (civil war 1983-2005; ongoing conflict in Darfur region) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Sudan is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked internally for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; Sudan is also a transit and destination country for Ethiopian women trafficked abroad for domestic servitude; Sudanese women and girls are trafficked within the country, as well as possibly to Middle Eastern countries for domestic servitude; the terrorist rebel organization, Lord's Resistance Army, continues to harbor small numbers of Sudanese and Ugandan children in the southern part of the country for use as cooks, porters, and combatants; some of these children are also trafficked across borders into Uganda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo; militia groups in Darfur, some of which are linked to the government, abduct women for short periods of forced labor and to perpetrate sexual violence; during the two decades-long north-south civil war, thousands of Dinka women and children were abducted and subsequently enslaved by members of the Missiriya and Rezeigat tribes; while there have been no known new abductions of Dinka by members of Baggara tribes in the last few years, inter-tribal abductions continue in southern Sudan
tier rating: Tier 3 - Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; combating human trafficking through law enforcement or prevention measures was not a priority for the government in 2007 (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Suriname (South America)
Introduction ::Suriname
Background:
First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party New Front coalition - returned to power in 1991 and has ruled since; the coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005.
Geography ::Suriname
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 56 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 163,820 sq km country comparison to the world: 91 land: 156,000 sq km
water: 7,820 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,703 km
border countries: Brazil 593 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline:
386 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 0.36%
permanent crops: 0.06%
other: 99.58% (2005)
Irrigated land:
510 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
122 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.67 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%)
per capita: 1,489 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast
People ::Suriname
Population:
481,267 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.1% (male 66,603/female 64,035)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 159,525/female 160,871)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 13,004/female 17,229) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.9 years
male: 27.5 years
female: 28.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.103% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Birth rate:
16.8 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Death rate:
5.51 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Net migration rate:
-0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Urbanization:
urban population: 75% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.81 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 109 male: 22.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.73 years country comparison to the world: 97 male: 71 years
female: 76.65 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.99 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever, Mayaro virus, and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese
Ethnic groups:
Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Languages:
Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.6%
male: 92%
female: 87.2% (2004 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 13 years (2002)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Suriname
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local long form: Republiek Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
Government type:
constitutional democracy
Capital:
name: Paramaribo
geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
Independence:
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987; effective 30 October 1987
Legal system:
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Ramdien SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election last held on 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN reelected president; percent of vote - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN 62.9%, Rabin PARMESSAR 35.4%, other 1.7%; note - after two votes in the parliament failed to secure a two-thirds majority for a candidate, the vote then went to a special session of the United People's Assembly on 3 August 2005
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NF 39.7%, NDP 22.2%, VVV 13.8%, A-Com 7.2%, A-1 5.9%, other 11.2%; seats by party - NF 23, NDP 15, VVV 5, A-Com 5, A-1 3
Judicial branch:
Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court (justices are nominated for life); member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
Political parties and leaders:
Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Amazone Party of Suriname or APS [Kenneth VAN GENDEREN], Democrats of the 21st Century or D-21 [Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen Nanan PANDAY], Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL], Trefpunt 2000 or T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); General Interior Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition that includes A-Combination or A-Com, Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91, an independent, business-oriented party [Winston JESSURUN], National Party Suriname or NPS [Ronald VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ramdien SARDJOE], Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Marten SCHALKWIJK]; People's Alliance for Progress or VVV (a coalition of Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP-2000 [Jules WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for Progression, Justice, and Perseverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN], Pendawalima or PL [Raymond SAPOEN]); Progressive Laborers and Farmers Union or PALU [Jim HOK]; Progressive Political Party or PPP [Surinder MUNGRA]; Seeka [Paul ABENA]; Union of Progressive Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj PANDAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE]; Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE]; Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]
International organization participation:
ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jacques Ruben Constantijn KROSS
chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878
consulate(s) general: Miami
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa Bobbie SCHREIBER HUGHES
embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo
mailing address: US Department of State, PO Box 1821, Paramaribo
telephone: [597] 472-900
FAX: [597] 410-025
Flag description:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band
Economy ::Suriname
Economy - overview:
The economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of alumina, gold, and oil accounting for about 85% of exports and 25% of government revenues, making the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. Prospects for local onshore oil production are good, and a drilling program is underway. Offshore oil drilling was given a boost in 2004 when the State Oil Company (Staatsolie) signed exploration agreements with several Western oil companies. Bidding on these new offshore blocks was completed in July 2006. The short-term economic outlook depends on the government's ability to control inflation and on the development of projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors, though investment in these projects may slow with the tightening of global credit markets. Suriname has received aid for these projects from Netherlands, Belgium, and the European Development Fund. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. In 2000, the government of Ronald VENETIAAN, returned to office and inherited an economy with inflation of over 100% and a growing fiscal deficit. He quickly implemented an austerity program, raised taxes, attempted to control spending, and tamed inflation. The VENETIAAN administration also has created a stabilization fund to insulate future revenue from commodity shocks. These economic policies are likely to remain in effect during VENETIAAN's third term.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.226 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164 $3.987 billion (2007 est.)
$3.779 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.933 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 5.5% (2007 est.)
4.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 $8,500 (2007 est.)
$8,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.8%
industry: 24.4%
services: 64.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
165,600 (2007) country comparison to the world: 171
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 14%
services: 78% (2004)
Unemployment rate:
9.5% (2004) country comparison to the world: 122
Population below poverty line:
70% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $392.6 million
expenditures: $425.9 million (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.23% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 89 9.71% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$484.7 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 95 $416.6 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.018 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 95 $824.4 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$793.1 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 112 $651 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products
Industries:
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (1994 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Electricity - production:
1.605 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Electricity - consumption:
1.467 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
15,280 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Oil - consumption:
14,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Oil - exports:
4,308 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Oil - imports:
6,296 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Oil - proved reserves:
79.6 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 140
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Current account balance:
$24 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Exports:
$1.391 billion (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Exports - commodities:
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
Exports - partners:
Canada 36.2%, Belgium 12.5%, Norway 12.4%, UAE 8.9%, US 7.7% (2008)
Imports:
$1.297 billion (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 31.2%, Netherlands 15.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.2%, China 7.7%, Japan 6.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$263.3 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 142
Debt - external:
$504.3 million (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Exchange rates:
Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar - 2.745 (2007), 2.745 (2006), 2.7317 (2005), 2.7336 (2004), 2.6013 (2003)
note: in January 2004, the government replaced the guilder with the Surinamese dollar, tied to a US dollar-dominated currency basket
Communications ::Suriname
Telephones - main lines in use:
81,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 149
Telephones - mobile cellular:
416,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 159
Telephone system:
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceed 100 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus 7 repeaters) (2000)
Internet country code:
.sr
Internet hosts:
162 (2009) country comparison to the world: 193
Internet users:
50,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 170
Transportation ::Suriname
Airports:
50 (2009) country comparison to the world: 91
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 45
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 40 (2009)
Pipelines:
oil 50 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 4,304 km country comparison to the world: 154 paved: 1,130 km
unpaved: 3,174 km (2003)
Waterways:
1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2008) country comparison to the world: 61
Merchant marine:
total: 1 country comparison to the world: 151 by type: cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Paramaribo, Wageningen
Military ::Suriname
Military branches:
National Army (Nationaal Leger, NL; includes Naval Wing, Air Wing) (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary, with personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 130,534
females age 16-49: 130,243 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 107,367
females age 16-49: 111,000 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 4,251
female: 4,265 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Transnational Issues ::Suriname
Disputes - international:
area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
Illicit drugs:
growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Svalbard (Europe)
Introduction ::Svalbard
Background:
First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory.
Geography ::Svalbard
Location:
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
Geographic coordinates:
78 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 62,045 sq km country comparison to the world: 124 land: 62,045 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
3,587 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
Climate:
arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Terrain:
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (no trees; the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government
People ::Svalbard
Population:
2,116 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 231
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.023% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Sex ratio:
NA (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
NA (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0% (2001) country comparison to the world: 170
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
0 (2001) country comparison to the world: 165
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
0 (2001) country comparison to the world: 156
Ethnic groups:
Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)
Languages:
Norwegian, Russian
Literacy:
NA
Government ::Svalbard
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen)
Dependency status:
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Longyearbyen
geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 33 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
Independence:
none (territory of Norway)
Legal system:
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Executive branch:
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Per SEFLAND (since 1 October 2005); Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since 2003)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
none
Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used
Economy ::Svalbard
Economy - overview:
Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
Labor force:
NA
Budget:
revenues: $25.07 million
expenditures: $NA (2004 est.)
Exports:
$197.6 million
Imports:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar - 5.6361 (2008), 5.86 (2007), 6.418 (2006), 6.445 (2005), 6.7327 (2004)
Communications ::Svalbard
Telephones - main lines in use:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Internet country code:
.sj
Transportation ::Svalbard
Airports:
4 (2009) country comparison to the world: 187
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden
Military ::Svalbard
Military branches:
no regular military forces
Military - note:
Svalbard is a territory of Norway, demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920
Transnational Issues ::Svalbard
Disputes - international:
despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone
page last updated on September 24, 2009
======================================================================
@Swaziland (Africa)
Introduction ::Swaziland
Background:
Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, the world's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but political parties remain banned. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
Geography ::Swaziland
Location:
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
26 30 S, 31 30 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 17,364 sq km country comparison to the world: 158 land: 17,204 sq km
water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 535 km
border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Natural resources:
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Land use:
arable land: 10.25%
permanent crops: 0.81%
other: 88.94% (2005)
Irrigated land:
500 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
4.5 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.04 cu km/yr (2%/1%/97%)
per capita: 1,010 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
drought
Environment - current issues:
limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
People ::Swaziland
Population:
1,123,913 country comparison to the world: 156 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.4% (male 223,420/female 219,420)
15-64 years: 56.9% (male 308,251/female 331,623)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 15,261/female 25,938) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.8 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 19.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.459% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 225
Birth rate:
26.25 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Death rate:
30.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 25% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 68.63 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 27 male: 71.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 31.99 years country comparison to the world: 224 male: 31.69 years
female: 32.3 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.24 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
26.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
190,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
10,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi
Ethnic groups:
African 97%, European 3%
Religions:
Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%
Languages:
English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6%
male: 82.6%
female: 80.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 10 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
7% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 23
Government ::Swaziland
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland
local long form: Umbuso weSwatini
local short form: eSwatini
Government type:
monarchy
Capital:
name: Mbabane
geographic coordinates: 26 18 S, 31 06 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)
Administrative divisions:
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
6 September 1968 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
Constitution:
signed by the King in July 2005 went into effect on 8 February 2006
Legal system:
based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age
Executive branch:
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 16 October 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch
elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among the elected members of the House of Assembly
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 10 members appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 10 members appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 19 September 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round
Judicial branch:
High Court; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Political parties and leaders:
the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the new (2006) Constitution and currently being debated - the following are considered political associations; African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Stanley MAUNDZISA, president]; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; Swaziland and Solidarity Network or SSN
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ephraim Mandla HLOPHE
chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002
FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Maurice S. PARKER
embassy: 2350 Mbabane Place, Mbabane
mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
telephone: [268] 404-2445
FAX: [268] 404-2059
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
Economy ::Swaziland
Economy - overview:
In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. In 2007, the sugar industry increased efficiency and diversification efforts, in response to a 17% decline in EU sugar prices. Mining has declined in importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it receives more than nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends 60% of its exports. Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand, subsuming Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union, which may equal as much as 70% of government revenue this year, and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income. Swaziland is not poor enough to merit an IMF program; however, the country is struggling to reduce the size of the civil service and control costs at public enterprises. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. With an estimated 40% unemployment rate, Swaziland's need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and attract foreign direct investment is acute. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2006-07 because of drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.826 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 $5.673 billion (2007 est.)
$5.481 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.84 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 135 3.5% (2007 est.)
2.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 $4,400 (2007 est.)
$4,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 46%
services: 42.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
457,900 (2007) country comparison to the world: 154
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
40% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Population below poverty line:
69% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 40.7% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.4 (2001) country comparison to the world: 22
Investment (gross fixed):
18.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Budget:
revenues: $1.055 billion
expenditures: $1.083 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 8.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
11% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 33 11% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.83% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 58 13.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$211.8 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 106 $244.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$441.5 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 110 $529.4 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$51.55 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 126 $204.1 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 106 $203.1 million (31 December 2007)
$199.9 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Industries:
coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textiles and apparel
Industrial production growth rate:
1.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Electricity - production:
441 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Electricity - consumption:
1.266 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008)
Electricity - imports:
770 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Oil - consumption:
4,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Oil - imports:
4,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 86
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Current account balance:
-$33 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $4 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.756 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 135 $1.95 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Imports:
$1.855 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 $1.926 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$752 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 $774.2 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$554 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 $524 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
emalangeni per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.4 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
Communications ::Swaziland
Telephones - main lines in use:
44,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 167
Telephones - mobile cellular:
457,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 157
Telephone system:
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system
domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity approaching 45 telephones per 100 persons; telephone system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)
Internet country code:
.sz
Internet hosts:
2,609 (2009) country comparison to the world: 144
Internet users:
48,200 (2008) country comparison to the world: 171
Transportation ::Swaziland
Airports:
14 (2009) country comparison to the world: 148
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Railways:
total: 301 km country comparison to the world: 122 narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 3,594 km country comparison to the world: 160 paved: 1,078 km
unpaved: 2,516 km (2002)
Military ::Swaziland
Military branches:
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes air wing) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 266,311 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 124,132
females age 16-49: 118,570 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 15,985
female: 15,754 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 21
Transnational Issues ::Swaziland
Disputes - international:
in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Sweden (Europe)
Introduction ::Sweden
Background:
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.
Geography ::Sweden
Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
Geographic coordinates:
62 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 450,295 sq km country comparison to the world: 55 land: 410,335 sq km
water: 39,960 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km
Coastline:
3,218 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Terrain:
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 5.93%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 94.06% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,150 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
179 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.68 cu km/yr (37%/54%/9%)
per capita: 296 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
Environment - current issues:
acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
People ::Sweden
Population:
9,059,651 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.7% (male 733,597/female 692,194)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 3,003,358/female 2,927,038)
65 years and over: 18.8% (male 753,293/female 950,171) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.5 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 42.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.158% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Birth rate:
10.13 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Death rate:
10.21 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Net migration rate:
1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Urbanization:
urban population: 85% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.75 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 222 male: 2.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.86 years country comparison to the world: 10 male: 78.59 years
female: 83.26 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.67 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: