Y (continued 39)
Reading edition
Oil - proved reserves:
9 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Natural gas - production:
103 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - consumption:
6.493 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Natural gas - exports:
15 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - imports:
6.974 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Natural gas - proved reserves:
14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Current account balance:
-$1.93 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 156 -$2.819 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$64.18 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $55.32 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 35.9%, vehicles 21%, base metals 11.3%, chemicals and minerals 8.1%, plastics 4.9% (2009 est.)
Exports - partners:
Germany 20.1%, Czech Republic 12.9%, France 7.8%, Poland 7.2%, Hungary 6.3%, Italy 6.1%, Austria 5.8%, UK 4.8% (2009)
Imports:
$62.43 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $53.67 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 31%, mineral products 13%, vehicles 12%, base metals 9%, chemicals 8%, plastics 6% (2009 est.)
Imports - partners:
Germany 16.8%, Czech Republic 12.3%, Russia 9%, South Korea 6.8%, China 5.8%, Hungary 5.3%, Poland 4% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$1.16 billion (31 January 2010 est.)
Debt - external:
$59.33 billion (30 June 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $52.53 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$52.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $50.26 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$2.643 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $2.743 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Slovak koruny (SKK) per US dollar - 0.774 (2010), 0.718 (2009), 21.05 (2008), 24.919 (2007), 29.611 (2006)
Communications ::Slovakia
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.022 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 77
Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.498 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 92
Telephone system:
general assessment: Slovakia has a modern telecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recent years with the growth in cellular services
domestic: analog system is now receiving digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger cities; 3 companies provide nationwide cellular services
international: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services
Broadcast media:
state-owned public broadcaster, Slovak Television (STV), operates 3 national TV stations; roughly 35 privately-owned television broadcast stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 40% of households are connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV systems; channels from the Czech Republic and Hungary are widely viewed; state-owned public radio operates multiple national and regional networks; more than 20 privately-owned radio stations (2008)
Internet country code:
.sk
Internet hosts:
1.133 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 41
Internet users:
4.063 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 58
Transportation ::Slovakia
Airports:
36 (2010) country comparison to the world: 107
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 10 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 6,769 km; oil 416 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 3,622 km country comparison to the world: 48 broad gauge: 99 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 3,473 km 1.435-m gauge (1,577 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 43,761 km country comparison to the world: 85 paved: 38,085 km (includes 384 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,676 km (2008)
Waterways:
172 km (on Danube River) (2009) country comparison to the world: 100
Merchant marine:
total: 23 country comparison to the world: 97 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 19, refrigerated cargo 3
foreign-owned: 21 (Germany 4, Greece 1, Ireland 1, Italy 2, Montenegro 1, Poland 2, Slovenia 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine 7) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Bratislava, Komarno
Military ::Slovakia
Military branches:
Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky): Land Forces (Pozemne Sily), Air Forces (Vzdusne Sily) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,413,079
females age 16-49: 1,377,754 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,162,282
females age 16-49: 1,147,526 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 33,915
female: 32,448 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.87% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Transnational Issues ::Slovakia
Disputes - international:
bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continued in 2006 between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovakia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market; consumer of ecstasy
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Slovenia (Europe)
Introduction ::Slovenia
Background:
The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the eurozone in 2007.
Geography ::Slovenia
Location:
Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia
Geographic coordinates:
46 07 N, 14 49 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 20,273 sq km country comparison to the world: 154 land: 20,151 sq km
water: 122 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,086 km
border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 455 km, Hungary 102 km, Italy 199 km
Coastline:
46.6 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east
Terrain:
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Triglav 2,864 m
Natural resources:
lignite coal, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower, forests
Land use:
arable land: 8.53%
permanent crops: 1.43%
other: 90.04% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
32.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.9
per capita: 457 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
flooding; earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, 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, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes
People ::Slovenia
Population:
2,003,136 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 139,880/female 131,826)
15-64 years: 69.9% (male 707,219/female 695,470)
65 years and over: 16.5% (male 129,662/female 201,635) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.1 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 43.7 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.142% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 211
Birth rate:
8.92 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 212
Death rate:
10.74 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Net migration rate:
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Urbanization:
urban population: 48% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.066 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.21 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 200 male: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.12 years country comparison to the world: 61 male: 73.45 years
female: 81.03 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.29 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
280 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Nationality:
noun: Slovene(s)
adjective: Slovenian
Ethnic groups:
Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or unspecified 12% (2002 census)
Religions:
Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census)
Languages:
Slovenian (official) 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4%, Italian (official) Only in municipalities where Hungarian national communities reside, Hungarian (official) Only in municipalities where Hungarian national communities reside (2002 census)
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6%
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 18 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 57
Government ::Slovenia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia
conventional short form: Slovenia
local long form: Republika Slovenija
local short form: Slovenija
former: People's Republic of Slovenia, Socialist Republic of Slovenia
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Ljubljana
geographic coordinates: 46 03 N, 14 31 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
Administrative divisions:
210 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) including 11 urban municipalities* (mestne obcine, singular - mestna obcina) Ajdovscina, Apace, Beltinci, Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled, Bloke, Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Braslovce, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica, Cankova, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno, Cerkvenjak, Cirkulane, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik, Divaca, Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Polhov Gradec, Dobrovnik/Dobronak, Dolenjske Toplice, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale, Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gorje, Gornja Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Grosuplje, Hajdina, Hoce-Slivnica, Hodos, Horjul, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina, Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola/Isola, Jesenice, Jezersko, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje, Kocevje, Komen, Komenda, Koper-Capodistria*, Kosanjevica na Krki, Kostel, Kozje, Kranj*, Kranjska Gora, Krizevci, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart, Lendava/Lendva, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Log-Dragomer, Logatec, Loska Dolina, Loski Potok, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk, Makole, Maribor*, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Mokronog-Trebelno, Moravce, Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje, Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica, Pesnica, Piran/Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka, Poljcane, Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Ptuj*, Puconci, Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na Koroskem, Razkrizje, Recica ob Savinji, Rence-Vogrsko, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogaska Slatina, Rogasovci, Rogatec, Ruse, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic, Sevnica, Sezana, Slovenj Gradec*, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sredisce ob Dravi, Starse, Straza, Sveta Ana, Sveta Trojica v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij, Sveti Jurij v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Tomaz, Salovci, Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur, Sentrupert, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smarjeske Toplice, Smartno ob Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sostanj, Store, Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic, Trzin, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej, Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica, Zrece, Zuzemberk
Independence:
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday:
Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 23 December 1991, amended 14 July 1997 and 25 July 2000
Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Danilo TURK (since 22 December 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Borut PAHOR (since 7 November 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 October and 11 November 2007 (next to be held on 8 October 2012); following National Assembly elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually nominated to become prime minister by the president and elected by the National Assembly; election last held on 21 September 2008 (next National Assembly elections to be held in 8 October 2012)
election results: Danilo TURK elected president; percent of vote - Danilo TURK 68.2%, Alojze PETERLE 31.8%; Borut PAHOR elected prime minister by National Assembly vote
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of a National Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve five-year terms; note - this is primarily an advisory body with limited legislative powers; it may propose laws, ask to review any National Assembly decision, and call national referenda) and the National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 40 members directly elected and 50 are elected on a proportional basis; note - the number of directly elected and proportionally elected seats varies with each election; the constitution mandates 1 seat each for Slovenia's Hungarian and Italian minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held on 8 October 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - SD 30.5%, SDS 29.3%, ZARES 9.4%, DeSUS 7.5%, SNS 5.5%, SLS+SMS 5.2%, LDS 5.2%, other 7.4%; seats by party - SD 29, SDS 28, ZARES 9, DeSUS 7, SNS 5, SLS+SMS 5, LDS 5, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court (judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and nominated by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia or DeSUS [Karl ERJAVEC]; Liberal Democracy of Slovenia or LDS [Katarina KRESAL]; New Slovenia or NSi [Ljudmila NOVAK (acting)]; Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC]; Slovene People's Party or SLS [Radovan ZERJAV]; Slovene Youth Party or SMS [Darko KRANJC]; Slovenian Democratic Party or SDS [Janez JANSA]; Social Democrats or SD [Borut PAHOR] (formerly ZLSD); ZARES [Gregor GOLOBIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Slovenian Roma Association [Jozek Horvat MUC]
other: Catholic Church
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roman KIRN
chancery: 2410 California Street N.W., Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 386-6601
FAX: [1] (202) 386-6633
consulate(s) general: Cleveland, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Bradley FREDEN
embassy: Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana
mailing address: American Embassy Ljubljana, US Department of State, 7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140
telephone: [386] (1) 200-5500
FAX: [386] (1) 200-5555
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, derive from the medieval coat of arms of the Duchy of Carniola; the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early 15th centuries) appears in the upper hoist side of the flag centered on the white and blue bands
National anthem:
name: "Zdravljica" (A Toast)
lyrics/music: France PRESEREN/Stanko PREMRL
note: adopted 1989; the anthem was originally written in 1848; the full poem, whose seventh verse is used as the anthem, speaks of pan-Slavic nationalism
Economy ::Slovenia
Economy - overview:
Slovenia became the first 2004 European Union entrant to adopt the euro (on 1 January 2007) and has become a model of economic success and stability for the region. With the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe, Slovenia has excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe. Privatization has lagged since 2002, and the economy has one of highest levels of state control in the EU. Structural reforms to improve the business environment have allowed for somewhat greater foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and have helped to lower unemployment. In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the World Bank. In December 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the accession process for joining the OECD. Despite its economic success, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia has lagged behind the region average, and taxes remain relatively high. Furthermore, the labor market is often seen as inflexible, and legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in China, India, and elsewhere. In 2009, the world recession caused the economy to contract - through falling exports and industrial production - by more than 8%, and unemployment to rise above 9%. Although growth resumed in 2010, the unemployment rate continued to rise, topping 10%.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$56.81 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $56.24 billion (2009 est.)
$61.2 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$46.44 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 -8.1% (2009 est.)
3.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$28,400 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $28,000 (2009 est.)
$30,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 31%
services: 66.6% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
930,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 35%
services: 62.8% (2009)
Unemployment rate:
10.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 9.2% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
12.3% (2008)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 24.6% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.4 (2008) country comparison to the world: 120 23.8 (2004)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Public debt:
35.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 82 31.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 0.9% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1.75% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 123 3% (31 December 2008)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.47% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 7.41% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$10.47 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 71 $10.33 billion (31 December 2009 est)
note: the figure for 2006 represents the US dollar value of tolars in circulation prior to Slovenia joining the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Stock of broad money:
$24.03 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $25.65 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$52.67 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $50.46 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$11.77 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 59 $22.1 billion (31 December 2008)
$28.96 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting; electronics (including military electronics), trucks, automobiles, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools
Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Electricity - production:
13 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Electricity - consumption:
14.7 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Electricity - exports:
7.82 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
6.218 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
5 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Oil - consumption:
60,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Oil - imports:
57,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Natural gas - consumption:
1.05 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Natural gas - imports:
1.05 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Current account balance:
-$598 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 -$732.4 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$24.97 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65 $22.53 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Exports - partners:
Germany 19.36%, Italy 11.31%, Croatia 7.75%, Austria 7.42%, France 7.35% (2009)
Imports:
$25.96 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 $23.5 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food
Imports - partners:
Germany 16.46%, Italy 15.89%, Austria 11.81%, France 4.98%, Croatia 4.32% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$1.08 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$51.57 billion (30 June 2010) country comparison to the world: 56 $54.61 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$15.73 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 74 $15.13 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$9.001 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $7.901 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.77399 (2010), 0.72 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007)
Communications ::Slovenia
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.034 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 76
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.1 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 132
Telephone system:
general assessment: well-developed telecommunications infrastructure
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 150 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 386
Broadcast media:
public television broadcaster, Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTV), operates a system of national and regional TV stations; 35 domestic commercial television stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 60% of households are connected to multi-channel cable TV systems; public radio broadcaster operates 3 national and 4 regional stations; more than 75 regional and local commercial and non-commercial radio stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.si
Internet hosts:
137,494 (2010) country comparison to the world: 72
Internet users:
1.298 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 92
Transportation ::Slovenia
Airports:
16 (2010) country comparison to the world: 143
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 840 km; oil 11 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,228 km country comparison to the world: 85 standard gauge: 1,228 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2007)
Roadways:
total: 38,873 km country comparison to the world: 90 paved: 38,873 km (includes 696 km of expressways) (2008)
Waterways:
some transport on Drava River (2010)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 25 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 1, Cyprus 4, Liberia 5, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Singapore 1, Slovakia 1) (2010) country comparison to the world: 93
Ports and terminals:
Koper
Military ::Slovenia
Military branches:
Slovenian Army (includes air and naval forces)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2003 (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 483,488
females age 16-49: 470,325 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 397,440
females age 16-49: 385,505 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 9,979
female: 9,610 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Transnational Issues ::Slovenia
Disputes - international:
the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Piran Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains unratified and in dispute; Slovenia also protests Croatia's 2003 claim to an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovenia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia
Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Solomon Islands (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Solomon Islands
Background:
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Geography ::Solomon Islands
Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 159 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 28,896 sq km country comparison to the world: 143 land: 27,986 sq km
water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
5,313 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 m
Natural resources:
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 2.04%
other: 97.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
44.7 cu km (1987)
Natural hazards:
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis
volcanism: Tinakula (elev. 851 m, 2,792 ft) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (elev. 485 m, 1,591 ft) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara; the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit
People ::Solomon Islands
Population:
559,198 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.5% (male 119,875/female 115,127)
15-64 years: 57.1% (male 171,792/female 168,023)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 9,849/female 10,947) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.6 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 20.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.27% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Birth rate:
28.6 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Death rate:
3.96 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Net migration rate:
-1.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Urbanization:
urban population: 18% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.1% 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: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.41 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 103 male: 20.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.94 years country comparison to the world: 106 male: 71.37 years
female: 76.63 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.67 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
Religions:
Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)
Languages:
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 9 years
female: 9 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (1999) country comparison to the world: 167
Government ::Solomon Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Honiara
geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Independence:
7 July 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution:
7 July 1978
Legal system:
English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Danny PHILIP (since 25 August 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually elected prime minister by parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 4 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Solomon Islands Democratic Party 13, Our Party 3, Reformed Democratic Party 3, Independent Democratic Party 2, PAP 2, SIPRA 2, Peoples Congress Party 1, Peoples Federation Party 1, Rural Development Party 1, Rural and Urban Political Party 1, Solomon Islands Liberal Party 1, Solomon Islands National Party 1, independents 19
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Flag description:
divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green; blue represents the ocean; green the land; and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands
National anthem:
name: "God Save Our Solomon Islands"
lyrics/music: Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA
note: adopted 1978
Government - note:
by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of police and troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72 military advisers from 15 countries across the region
Economy ::Solomon Islands
Economy - overview:
The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of RAMSI, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI's efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.559 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 194 $1.517 billion (2009 est.)
$1.553 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$674 million (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 131 -2.3% (2009 est.)
7.4% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 $2,800 (2009 est.)
$2,900 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11%
services: 47% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
202,500 (2007) country comparison to the world: 168
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 75%
industry: 5%
services: 20% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15.26% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 14.44% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$139.9 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 176 $124.4 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$227.1 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 180 $195.9 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$221.9 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173 $183.8 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Agriculture - products:
cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish
Industries:
fish (tuna), mining, timber
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
71 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Electricity - consumption:
66.03 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Oil - consumption:
2,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 173
Oil - imports:
1,323 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
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: 177
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Current account balance:
-$143 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Exports:
$237 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 177
Exports - commodities:
timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners:
China 54.07%, South Korea 6.19%, Philippines 6.04%, Spain 4.87% (2009)
Imports:
$256 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 197
Imports - commodities:
food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Singapore 24.69%, Australia 23.06%, NZ 5.2%, Fiji 4.47%, Papua New Guinea 4.34%, Malaysia 3.98% (2009)
Debt - external:
$166 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 176
Exchange rates:
Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 7.3447 (2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003)
Communications ::Solomon Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
8,200 (2009) country comparison to the world: 204
Telephones - mobile cellular:
30,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 202
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: mobile-cellular telephone density is about 5 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Broadcast media:
Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC, the public service broadcaster, operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations operating; Radio Australia is obtainable via satellite feed (2009)
Internet country code:
.sb
Internet hosts:
4,065 (2010) country comparison to the world: 141
Internet users:
10,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 200
Transportation ::Solomon Islands
Airports:
36 (2010) country comparison to the world: 108
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 25 (2010)
Heliports:
3 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 1,360 km country comparison to the world: 177 paved: 33 km
unpaved: 1,327 km
note: includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)
Ports and terminals:
Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi
Military ::Solomon Islands
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Solomon Islands Police Force (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 150,987 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 125,928
females age 16-49: 126,999 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 7,256
female: 6,995 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 45
Transnational Issues ::Solomon Islands
Disputes - international:
since 2003, RAMSI, consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, has assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 5,400 (displaced by tsunami on 2 April 2007) (2007)
page last updated on January 11, 2011
======================================================================
@Somalia (Africa)
Introduction ::Somalia
Background:
Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 to allow its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule characterized by the persecution, jailing and torture of political opponents and dissidents. After the regime's collapse early in 1991, Somalia descended into turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy. In May 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence and continues efforts to establish a constitutional democracy, including holding municipal, parliamentary, and presidential elections. The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring semi-autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998 but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides toward reconstructing a legitimate, representative government but has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. In 2000, the Somalia National Peace Conference (SNPC) held in Djibouti resulted in the formation of an interim government, known as the Transitional National Government (TNG). When the TNG failed to establish adequate security or governing institutions, the Government of Kenya, under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), led a subsequent peace process that concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of a second interim government, known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of the Somali Republic. The TFG included a 275-member parliamentary body, known as the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP). President YUSUF resigned late in 2008 while United Nations-sponsored talks between the TFG and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) were underway in Djibouti. In January 2009, following the creation of a TFG-ARS unity government, Ethiopian military forces, which had entered Somalia in December 2006 to support the TFG in the face of advances by the opposition Islamic Courts Union (ICU), withdrew from the country. The TFP was increased to 550 seats with the addition of 200 ARS and 75 civil society members of parliament. The expanded parliament elected Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed, the former CIC and ARS chairman as president on 31 January 2009, in Djibouti. Subsequently, President SHARIF appointed Omar Abdirashid ali SHARMARKE, son of a former president of Somalia, as prime minister on 13 February 2009. SHARMARKE resigned in September 2010 and was replaced by Mohamed Abdullahi MOHAMED, aka Farmajo, a dual US-Somali citizen that lived in the United Stated from 1985 until his return to Somalia in October 2010. The creation of the TFG was based on the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC), which outlines a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government following national elections. However, in January 2009 the TFP amended the TFC to extend TFG's mandate until 2011.
Geography ::Somalia
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 49 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 637,657 sq km country comparison to the world: 43 land: 627,337 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 2,340 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline:
3,025 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate:
principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m
Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Land use:
arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 98.32% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
15.7 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.29 cu km/yr (0%/0%/100%)
per capita: 400 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season
Environment - current issues:
famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
People ::Somalia
Population:
10,112,453 country comparison to the world: 82 note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 2,215,331/female 2,204,503)
15-64 years: 52.6% (male 2,588,356/female 2,579,737)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 101,764/female 142,326) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 17.7 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.809% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Birth rate:
43.33 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Death rate:
15.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Urbanization:
urban population: 37% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 107.42 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 5 male: 116.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 98.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50 years country comparison to the world: 213 male: 48.12 years
female: 51.94 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.44 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
24,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali
Ethnic groups:
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)
Religions:
Sunni Muslim
Languages:
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8%
male: 49.7%
female: 25.8% (2001 est.)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Somalia
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Somalia
local long form: Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed
local short form: Soomaaliya
former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
Government type:
no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government
Capital:
name: Mogadishu
geographic coordinates: 2 04 N, 45 22 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence:
1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland that became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960 and Italian Somaliland that became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic)
National holiday:
Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland
Constitution:
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing
Legal system:
no national system; a mixture of English common law, Italian law, Islamic sharia, and Somali customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Transitional Federal President Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (since 31 January 2009); note - a transitional governing entity with a five-year mandate, known as the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), was established in October 2004; the TFIs relocated to Somalia in June 2004; in 2009, the TFI's were given a two-year extension to October 2011
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed FARMAJO (since 1 November 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) election results: Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed elected president by the expanded Transitional Federal Assembly in Djibouti
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly
note: unicameral Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA) (550 seats; 475 members appointed according to the 4.5 clan formula, with the remaining 75 seats reserved for civil society and business persons)
Judicial branch:
following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or sharia (Islamic) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional government
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the Transitional Federal Government is represented in the United States through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157
Flag description:
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; the blue field was originally influenced by the flag of the UN, but today is said to denote the sky and the neighboring Indian Ocean; the five points of the star represent the five regions in the horn of Africa that are inhabited by Somali people: the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (which together make up Somalia), Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia), and the Northern Frontier District (Kenya)
National anthem:
name: "Soomaaliyeey toosoo" (Somalia Wake Up)
lyrics/music: Ali Mire AWALE and Yuusuf Xaaji Aadan Cilmi QABILLE
note: adopted 2000; written in 1947, the lyrics speak of creating unity and an end to fighting
Government - note:
although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia
Economy ::Somalia
Economy - overview:
Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia has maintained a healthy informal economy, largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Agriculture is the most important sector with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and the machinery sold as scrap metal. Somalia's service sector also has grown. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country, handling up to $1.6 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Due to armed attacks on and threats to humanitarian aid workers, the World Food Programme partially suspended its operations in southern Somalia in early January 2010 pending improvement in the security situation. Somalia's arrears to the IMF have continued to grow.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.896 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 $5.75 billion (2009 est.)
$5.607 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.372 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 2.6% (2009 est.)
2.6% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 225 $600 (2009 est.)
$600 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 65%
industry: 10%
services: 25% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
3.447 million (few skilled laborers) (2007) country comparison to the world: 97
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 71%
industry and services: 29% (1975)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
note: businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA%
Agriculture - products:
bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish
Industries:
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
280 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Electricity - consumption:
260.4 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
108 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Oil - exports:
1,475 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Oil - imports:
6,387 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Exports:
$300 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 173
Exports - commodities:
livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Exports - partners:
UAE 58.27%, Yemen 20.32%, Saudi Arabia 3.78% (2009)
Imports:
$798 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 178
Imports - commodities:
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat
Imports - partners:
Djibouti 30.84%, Kenya 8.06%, India 7.86%, China 6.97%, Brazil 6.59%, Yemen 4.97%, Oman 4.72%, UAE 4.6% (2009)
Debt - external:
$3 billion (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Exchange rates:
Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar - NA (2007-08), 1,438.3 (2006) official rate; the unofficial black market rate was about 23,000 shillings per dollar as of February 2007
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling
Communications ::Somalia
Telephones - main lines in use:
100,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 144
Telephones - mobile cellular:
641,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 155
Telephone system:
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private companies offer limited local fixed-line service and private wireless companies offer service in most major cities while charging the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: country code - 252; international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite
Broadcast media:
2 private TV stations rebroadcast Al-Jazeera and CNN; Somaliland has 1 government-operated TV station and Puntland has 1 private TV station; Radio Mogadishu operated by the transitional government; 1 SW and roughly 10 private FM radio stations broadcast in Mogadishu; several radio stations operate in central and southern regions; Somaliland has 1 government-operated radio station; Puntland has roughly a half dozen private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.so
Internet hosts:
3 (2010) country comparison to the world: 228
Internet users:
106,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 159
Transportation ::Somalia
Airports:
59 (2010) country comparison to the world: 80
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 52
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 22,100 km country comparison to the world: 106 paved: 2,608 km
unpaved: 19,492 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 country comparison to the world: 154 by type: cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Berbera, Kismaayo
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators have reduced the piracy incidents; in response local pirates shifted operations farther south along the east coast of Somalia and eastward along the coast of Oman
Military ::Somalia
Military branches:
National Security Force (NSF): Somali Army (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
note: since 2005, the UN has listed the Transitional Federal Government and its allied militias as persistent violators in recruiting child soldiers (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,261,704
females age 16-49: 2,217,584 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,328,567
females age 16-49: 1,386,971 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 99,919
female: 99,771 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Transnational Issues ::Somalia
Disputes - international:
Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera to landlocked Ethiopia and have established commercial ties with other regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek international support in their secessionist aspirations and overlapping border claims; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1.1 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources) (2007)
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@South Africa (Africa)
Introduction ::South Africa
Background:
Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and health care. ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009. In January 2011, South Africa assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term.
Geography ::South Africa
Location:
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Geographic coordinates:
29 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,219,090 sq km country comparison to the world: 25 land: 1,214,470 sq km
water: 4,620 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline:
2,798 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate:
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain:
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
Natural resources:
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 12.1%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.11% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,980 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
50 cu km (1990)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 12.5 cu km/yr (31%/6%/63%)
per capita: 264 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts
volcanism: the volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano
Environment - current issues:
lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
People ::South Africa
Population:
49,109,107 country comparison to the world: 25 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 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.9% (male 7,093,328/female 7,061,579)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 16,275,424/female 15,984,181)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,075,117/female 1,562,860) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.7 years
male: 24.4 years
female: 25 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.051% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Birth rate:
19.61 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Death rate:
16.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Net migration rate:
-3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 185 note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2010 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 61% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.78 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 61 male: 47.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 39.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.2 years country comparison to the world: 215 male: 50.08 years
female: 48.29 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.33 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
18.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5.7 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
350,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: South African(s)
adjective: South African
Ethnic groups:
black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)
Religions:
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
IsiZulu (official) 23.8%, IsiXhosa (official) 17.6%, Afrikaans (official) 13.3%, Sepedi (offcial) 9.4%, English (official) 8.2%, Setswana (official) 8.2%, Sesotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga (official) 4.4%, other 7.2%, isiNdebele (official), Tshivenda (official), siSwati (official) (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 87%
female: 85.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
5.4% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 49
Government ::South Africa
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
conventional short form: South Africa
former: Union of South Africa
abbreviation: RSA
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Pretoria (administrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape
Independence:
31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)
National holiday:
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution:
10 December 1996; note - certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996; was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996; and entered into effect on 4 February 1997
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: Jacob ZUMA elected president; National Assembly vote - Jacob ZUMA 277, Mvume DANDALA 47, other 76
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 22 April 2009 (next to be held in April 2014)
election results: National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 65.9%, DA 16.7%, COPE 7.4%, IFP 4.6%, other 5.4%; seats by party - ANC 264, DA 67, COPE 30, IFP 18, other 21
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders:
African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]; African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA]; Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]; Independent Democrats or ID [Patricia DE LILLE]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]; United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Lucas MANGOPE]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]
note: note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ebrahim RASOOL
chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald H. GIPS
embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000
FAX: [27] (12) 342-2299
consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag description:
two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era
note: the South African flag is the only national flag to display six colors as part of its primary design
National anthem:
name: "National Anthem of South Africa"
lyrics/music: Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers
note: adopted 1994; the anthem is a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; the official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English; the music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems
Economy ::South Africa
Economy - overview:
South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that is the 18th largest in the world; and modern infrastructure supporting a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. At the end of 2007, South Africa began to experience an electricity crisis. State power supplier Eskom encountered problems with aged plants, necessitating "load-shedding" cuts to residents and businesses in the major cities. Growth was robust from 2004 to 2007 as South Africa reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom, but began to slow in the second half of 2007 due to the electricity crisis and the subsequent global financial crisis' impact on commodity prices and demand. GDP fell nearly 2% in 2009. Unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure has constrained growth. Daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty, lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups, and a shortage of public transportation. South Africa's former economic policy was fiscally conservative, focusing on controlling inflation, and attaining a budget surplus. The current government largely follows the same prudent policies, but must contend with the impact of the global crisis and is facing growing pressure from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth. More than one-quarter of South Africa's population currently receives social grants.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$527.5 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $512.2 billion (2009 est.)
$521.6 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$354.4 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 -1.8% (2009 est.)
3.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,700 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $10,400 (2009 est.)
$10,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 31.2%
services: 65.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
17.32 million economically active (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 26%
services: 65% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
23.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 173 24% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
50% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 44.7% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
65 (2005) country comparison to the world: 2 59.3 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.9% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Public debt:
33.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 29.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 131 7.2% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
7% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 37 11.5% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.71% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 15.13% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$65.87 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 41 $52.04 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$256.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $199.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$328.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 $255.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$704.8 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 18 $491.3 billion (31 December 2008)
$833.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Industries:
mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Electricity - production:
240.3 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Electricity - consumption:
215.1 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Electricity - exports:
14.16 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
10.57 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
191,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Oil - consumption:
579,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Oil - exports:
128,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Oil - imports:
490,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Oil - proved reserves:
15 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Natural gas - production:
3.25 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Natural gas - consumption:
6.45 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - imports:
3.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Natural gas - proved reserves:
27.16 million cu m (1 January 2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Current account balance:
-$16.51 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 178 -$11.3 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$76.86 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $66.54 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
Exports - partners:
China 10.34%, US 9.19%, Japan 7.59%, Germany 7.01%, UK 5.54%, Switzerland 4.72% (2009)
Imports:
$77.04 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 $66.01 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
China 17.21%, Germany 11.24%, US 7.38%, Saudi Arabia 4.87%, Japan 4.67%, Iran 3.95% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$45.52 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $39.68 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$80.52 billion (30 June 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $73.84 billion (30 June 2009)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$83.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $73.61 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$53.38 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 $51.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
rand (ZAR) per US dollar - 7.38 (2010), 8.4234 (2009), 7.9576 (2008), 7.05 (2007), 6.7649 (2006)
Communications ::South Africa
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.32 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 33
Telephones - mobile cellular:
46.436 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 26
Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 105 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber optic cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)
Internet country code:
.za
Internet hosts:
3.751 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 24
Internet users:
4.42 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 54
Transportation ::South Africa
Airports:
578 (2010) country comparison to the world: 11
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 147
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 53
914 to 1,523 m: 67
under 914 m: 10 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 431
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 32
914 to 1,523 m: 261
under 914 m: 137 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
condensate 11 km; gas 908 km; oil 980 km; refined products 1,379 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 20,872 km country comparison to the world: 14 narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 362,099 km country comparison to the world: 18 paved: 73,506 km (includes 239 km of expressways)
unpaved: 288,593 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 4 country comparison to the world: 133 by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 3
foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
registered in other countries: 11 (Mexico 1, NZ 1, Seychelles 1, Singapore 3, UK 5) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay
Military ::South Africa
Military branches:
South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Military Intelligence, South African Military Health Services (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,508,255
females age 16-49: 12,541,371 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 7,676,331
females age 16-49: 6,521,338 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 492,743
female: 496,374 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 92
Military - note:
with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete
Transnational Issues ::South Africa
Disputes - international:
South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 10,772 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 7,818 (Somalia); 5,759 (Angola) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy
page last updated on January 20, 2011
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@Southern Ocean (Oceans)
Introduction ::Southern Ocean
Background:
A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which promotes marine plant life, and which in turn allows for a greater abundance of animal life. In the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization decided to delimit the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary oceans by the US Government.
Geography ::Southern Ocean
Location:
body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica
Geographic coordinates:
60 00 S, 90 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude
Map references:
Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 20.327 million sq km
note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of the US
Coastline:
17,968 km
Climate:
sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter
Terrain:
the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 m over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 m (the global mean is 133 m); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million sq km in March to about 18.8 million sq km in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin; manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fish
Natural hazards:
huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 m thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue
Environment - current issues:
increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish
note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries
Environment - international agreements:
the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (regulates fishing)
note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence), which is in the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the north
Geography - note:
the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds
Economy ::Southern Ocean
Economy - overview:
Fisheries in 2006-07 landed 126,976 metric tons, of which 82% (104,586 tons) was krill (Euphausia superba) and 9.5% (12,027 tons) Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides - also known as Chilean sea bass), compared to 127,910 tons in 2005-06 of which 83% (106,591 tons) was krill and 9.7% (12,396 tons) Patagonian toothfish (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Southern Ocean area). International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish. In the 2007-08 Antarctic summer, 45,213 tourists visited the Southern Ocean, compared to 35,552 in 2006-2007, and 29,799 in 2005-2006 (estimates provided to the Antarctic Treaty by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and does not include passengers on overflights and those flying directly in and out of Antarctica).
Transportation ::Southern Ocean
Ports and terminals:
McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica
note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most Antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels
Transportation - note:
Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal
Transnational Issues ::Southern Ocean
Disputes - international:
Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), but Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assert claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in the Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersea ridges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land or maritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal claims exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west
page last updated on November 17, 2010
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@South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (South America)
Introduction ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Background:
The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.
Geography ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Geographic coordinates:
54 30 S, 37 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 3,903 sq km country comparison to the world: 176 land: 3,903 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
NA
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Terrain:
most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism