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Currency: Saudi riyal (SAR)
Currency code: SAR
Exchange rates: Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001), 3.75 (2000), 3.75 (1999), 3.75 (1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Saudi Arabia
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.9 million (2002 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.9 million (2002 est.)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 6.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 117 (1997)
Televisions: 5.1 million (1997)
Internet country code: .sa
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2003)
Internet users: 1.453 million (2002)
Transportation Saudi Arabia
Railways: total: 1,392 km standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2002)
Highways: total: 151,470 km paved: 45,592 km unpaved: 105,878 km (1999)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: condensate 212 km; gas 837 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,187 km; oil 5,062 km; refined products 69 km (2003)
Ports and harbors: Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Merchant marine: total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,461,964 GRT/2,301,258 DWT ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 11, container 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 8 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1, UK 3 (2002 est.)
Airports: 209 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 71 over 3,047 m: 31 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 138 under 914 m: 13 (2002) over 3047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 79
Heliports: 5 (2002)
Military Saudi Arabia
Military branches: Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 6,123,784 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 3,431,281 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 253,685 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $18.3 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 13% (FY00)
Transnational Issues Saudi Arabia
Disputes - international: nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist demarcation of boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been negotiating a long-contested maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate
Illicit drugs: death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Senegal
Introduction Senegal
Background: Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However, the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
Geography Senegal
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 14 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 196,190 sq km land: 192,000 sq km water: 4,190 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries: total: 2,640 km border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 11.58% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 88.23% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 710 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geography - note: westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal
People Senegal
Population: 10,580,307 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.7% (male 2,330,395; female 2,289,706) 15-64 years: 53.3% (male 2,707,195; female 2,929,998) 65 years and over: 3% (male 156,514; female 166,499) (2003 est.)
Median age: total: 17.8 years male: 17.2 years female: 18.4 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 2.56% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 36.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 10.88 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 57.57 deaths/1,000 live births female: 53.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 61.34 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.37 years male: 54.83 years female: 57.95 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.93 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 27,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 2,500 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Senegalese (singular and plural) adjective: Senegalese
Ethnic groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%
Religions: Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 40.2% male: 50% female: 30.7% (2003 est.)
Government Senegal
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Dakar
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor note: there may be another region called Matam
Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Constitution: a new constitution was adopted 7 January 2001
Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Idrissa SECK (since 4 November 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51% elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term under new constitution; election last held 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10 note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals; note - the judicial system was reformed in 1992
Political parties and leaders: African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef (also known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general]; African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP (also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for Socialism and Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]; Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]; SOPI Coalition (a coalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE]; Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOVIC, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315 consulate(s) general: New York telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540 chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Harriet L. ELAM-THOMAS embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 823-4296 FAX: [221] 822-2991
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy Senegal
Economy - overview: In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform program with the support of the international donor community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in 1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform program, with real growth in GDP averaging 5% annually during 1995-2002. Annual inflation had been pushed down to less than 1%, but rose to an estimated 3.3% in 2001 and 3.0% in 2002. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating a miniboom in information technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82% of GDP. In 2003, GDP will probably again grow at about 5%. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems of chronic unemployment, trade union militancy, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $15.64 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 27% services: 55% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 54% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 33.5% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41.3 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2002 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 70%
Unemployment rate: 48% (urban youth 40%) (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.373 billion expenditures: $1.373 billion, including capital expenditures of $357 million (2002 est.)
Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate: 8.1% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.518 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 1.412 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 31,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Natural gas - production: 50 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 50 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $1.15 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports - partners: India 20.7%, France 13%, Mali 8.9%, Greece 7.7%, Italy 4.4% (2002)
Imports: $1.46 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities: foods and beverages, capital goods, fuels
Imports - partners: France 25.6%, Nigeria 8.7%, Thailand 7.2%, US 5.4%, Germany 5.4%, Italy 4.5%, Spain 4% (2002)
Debt - external: $3.1 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $362.6 million (2002 est.)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code: XOF
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Senegal
Telephones - main lines in use: 234,916 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 373,965 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: good system domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios: 1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 361,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002)
Internet users: 100,000 (2002)
Transportation Senegal
Railways: total: 906 km narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (2002)
Highways: total: 14,576 km paved: 4,271 km including 7 km of expressways unpaved: 10,305 km (2000)
Waterways: 897 km note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river
Pipelines: gas 564 km (2003)
Ports and harbors: Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll, Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor
Airports: 20 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Military Senegal
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police (Surete Nationale)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,404,838 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,256,973 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 116,688 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $68.6 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Senegal
Disputes - international: separatist war in Casamance region results in refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling, other illegal activities, and political instability in Guinea-Bissau
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Serbia and Montenegro
Introduction Serbia and Montenegro
Background: The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941 was resisted by various paramilitary bands that fought themselves as well as the invaders. The group headed by Marshal TITO took full control upon German expulsion in 1945. Although Communist, his new government successfully steered its own path between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half decades. In the early 1990s, post-TITO Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia all declared their independence in 1991; Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (FRY) in 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia led various military intervention efforts to unite Serbs in neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." All of these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1999, massive expulsions by FRY forces and Serb paramilitaries of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo provoked an international response, including the NATO bombing of Serbia and the stationing of NATO, Russian, and other peacekeepers in Kosovo. Federal elections in the fall of 2000, brought about the ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed Vojislav KOSTUNICA as president. The arrest of MILOSEVIC in 2001 allowed for his subsequent transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for crimes against humanity. In 2001, the country's suspension was lifted, and it was once more accepted into UN organizations under the name of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has been governed by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) since June 1999, under the authority of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. In 2002, the Serbian and Montenegrin components of Yugoslavia began negotiations to forge a looser relationship. These talks became a reality in February 2003 when lawmakers restructured the country into a loose federation of two republics called Serbia and Montenegro. An agreement was also reached to hold a referendum in each republic in three years on full independence.
Geography Serbia and Montenegro
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N, 21 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 102,350 sq km water: 214 sq km land: 102,136 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries: total: 2,246 km border countries: Albania 287 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 527 km, Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia (north) 241 km, Croatia (south) 25 km, Hungary 151 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 221 km, Romania 476 km
Coastline: 199 km
Maritime claims: NA
Climate: in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland
Terrain: extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills; to the southwest, extremely high shoreline with no islands off the coast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Daravica 2,656 m
Natural resources: oil, gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite, chrome, hydropower, arable land
Land use: arable land: 36.34% permanent crops: 3.44% other: 60.22% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 570 sq km
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity
Geography - note: controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast
People Serbia and Montenegro
Population: 10,655,774 note: a census was taken in Serbia 1-15 April 2002 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.3% (male 1,062,625; female 990,071) 15-64 years: 65.4% (male 3,422,543; female 3,548,058) 65 years and over: 15.3% (male 696,716; female 935,761) (2003 est.)
Median age: total: 36.2 years male: 34.3 years female: 37.9 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 0.07% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 12.74 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 10.62 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 16.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 18.57 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.97 years male: 71.03 years female: 77.16 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 10,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Serb(s); Montenegrin(s) adjective: Serbian; Montenegrin
Ethnic groups: Serb 62.6%, Albanian 16.5%, Montenegrin 5%, Hungarian 3.3%, other 12.6% (1991)
Religions: Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 11%
Languages: Serbian 95%, Albanian 5%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 97.2% female: 88.9% (1991)
Government Serbia and Montenegro
Country name: conventional long form: Serbia and Montenegro conventional short form: none local short form: none local long form: Srbija i Crna Gora
Government type: republic
Capital: Belgrade; note - Podgorica is the judicial capital
Administrative divisions: 2 republics (republike, singular - republika); and 2 nominally autonomous provinces* (autonomn pokrajine, singular - autonomna pokrajina); Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, Vojvodina*
Independence: 27 April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or FRY formed as self-proclaimed successor to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or SFRY)
National holiday: National Day, 27 April
Constitution: 4 February 2003
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Svetozar MAROVIC (since 7 March 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Dragisa PESIC (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub LABUS (since 25 January 2001) cabinet: Federal Ministries act as Cabinet elections: president elected by the Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 7 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Svetozar MAROVIC elected president by the Parliament; vote was Svetozar MAROVIC 65, other 47
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (126 seats - 91 Serbian, 35 Montenegrin - filled by nominees of the two state parliaments for the first two years, after which the president will call for public elections elections: last held 25 February 2003 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - DOS 37, DLECG 19, DSS 17, ZP 14, SPS 12, SRS 8, SDP 5, SSJ 5, other 9
Judicial branch: Federal Court or Savezni Sud; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts are elected by the Federal Assembly for nine-year terms note: after the promulgation of the new Constitution, the Federal Court will have constitutional and administrative functions; it will have an equal number of judges from each republic
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Opposition of Serbia or DOS (a coalition of many small parties including DSS) [leader NA]; Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM [Jozsef KASZA]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Dr. Ibrahim RUGOVA, president]; Democratic List for European Montenegro or DLECG [Milo DJUKANOVIC, Ranko KRIVOKAPIC]; Democratic Party or DS [collective interim leadership led by Cedomir JOVANOVIC]; Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA]; Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC]; Party of Serb Unity or SSJ [Borislav PELEVIC]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Tomislav NIKOLIC]; Serbian Socialist Party or SPS (former Communist Party and party of Slobodan MILOSEVIC) [Zoran ANDJELKOVIC, general secretary]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Rasim LJAJIC]; Together for Changes or ZP [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Ibrahim RUGOVA]; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Group of 17 Independent Economists or G-17 [leader NA]; National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo or LKCK [Sabit GASHI]; Otpor Student Resistance Movement [leader NA]; Political Council for Presevo, Meveda and Bujanovac or PCPMB [leader NA]; The People's Movement for Kosovo or LPK [Emrush XHEMAJLI]
International organization participation: ABEDA, BIS, CE (guest), CEI, EBRD, FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ivan VUJACIC chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Chicago FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933 telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William D. MONTGOMERY embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070 telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344 FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and red
Economy Serbia and Montenegro
Economy - overview: MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the war in Kosovo have left the economy only half the size it was in 1990. Since the ousting of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government has implemented stabilization measures and embarked on an aggressive market reform program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000, Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June 2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic restructuring. An agreement rescheduling the country's $4.5 billion Paris Club government debts was concluded in November 2001; it will write off 66% of the debt; a similar debt relief agreement on its $2.8 billion London Club commercial debt is still pending. The smaller republic of Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and continues to maintain its own central bank, uses the euro instead of the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collects customs tariffs, and manages its own budget. Kosovo, while technically still part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, is moving toward local autonomy under United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and is dependent on the international community for financial and technical assistance. The euro and the Yugoslav dinar are official currencies, and UNMIK collects taxes and manages the budget. The complexity of Serbia and Montenegro political relationships, slow progress in privatization, and stagnation in the European economy are holding back the economy. Arrangements with the IMF, especially requirements for fiscal discipline, are an important element in policy formation. Severe unemployment remains a key political economic problem.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $23.15 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 26% industry: 36% services: 38% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 30%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 3 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate: 32% (2002 est.)
Budget: revenues: $3.9 billion expenditures: $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; tanks and weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery); metallurgy (steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium); mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore, limestone); consumer goods (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances); electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals
Industrial production growth rate: 1.7% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production: 31.71 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 62.9% hydro: 37.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 32.37 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 446 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 3.33 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 15,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 64,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: 38.75 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production: 602 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 602 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 24.07 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: cereals, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, olives; cattle, sheep, goats
Exports: $2.4 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities: manufactured goods, food and live animals, raw materials
Exports - partners: Italy 32%, Germany 19.5%, Greece 7%, Austria 6.1%, France 4.6% (2002)
Imports: $6.3 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials
Imports - partners: Germany 19.4%, Italy 18%, Austria 8.5%, Slovenia 5.6%, Greece 4.4%, France 4.3%, Bulgaria 4.2%, Romania 4.1% (2002)
Debt - external: $9.2 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $2 billion pledged in 2001 (disbursements to follow for several years)
Currency: new Yugoslav dinar (YUM); note - in Montenegro the euro is legal tender; in Kosovo both the euro and the Yugoslav dinar are legal (2002)
Currency code: YUM
Exchange rates: new Yugoslav dinars per US dollar - official rate: 65 (2002), 10.0 (December 1998); black market rate: 14.5 (December 1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Serbia and Montenegro
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.017 million (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 87,000 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 113, FM 194, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 3.15 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: more than 771 (including 86 strong stations and 685 low-power stations, plus 20 repeaters in the principal networks; also numerous local or private stations in Serbia and Vojvodina) (1997)
Televisions: 2.75 million (1997)
Internet country code: .yu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2000)
Internet users: 400,000 (2001)
Transportation Serbia and Montenegro
Railways: total: 4,059 km standard gauge: 4,059 km 1.435-m gauge (1,364 km electrified) (2002)
Highways: total: 49,805 km paved: 31,029 km (including 560 km of expressways) unpaved: 18,776 km (2000)
Waterways: 587 km note: the Danube River, central Europe's connection to the Black Sea, runs through Serbia; since early 2000, a pontoon bridge, replacing a destroyed conventional bridge, has obstructed river traffic at Novi Sad; the obstruction is bypassed by a canal system, but the inadequate lock size limits the size of vessels which may pass; the pontoon bridge can be opened for large ships but has slowed river traffic (2001)
Pipelines: gas 3,177 km; oil 393 km (2003)
Ports and harbors: Bar, Belgrade, Kotor, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Tivat, Zelenika
Airports: 45 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 19 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 12 (2002)
Heliports: 4 (2002)
Military Serbia and Montenegro
Military branches: Army (VJ) (including ground forces with border troops, naval forces, air and air defense forces)
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,579,620 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,077,660 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 81,547 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $654 million (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues Serbia and Montenegro
Disputes - international: the Albanian government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia and Montenegro while continuing to seek regional cooperation; several ethnic Albanian groups in Kosovo voice union with Albania; has delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute; in late 2002, Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia adopted an interim agreement to settle the disputed Prevlaka Peninsula, allowing the withdrawal of the UN monitoring mission (UNMOP), but discussions could be complicated by the inability of Serbia and Montenegro to come to an agreement on the economic aspects of the new federal union
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Seychelles
Introduction Seychelles
Background: A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. The most recent presidential elections were held 31 August-2 September 2001. President RENE, who has served since 1977, was re-elected.
Geography Seychelles
Location: Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates: 4 35 S, 55 40 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 455 sq km
Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use: arable land: 2.22% permanent crops: 13.33% other: 84.45% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Environment - current issues: water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
People Seychelles
Population: 80,469 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.3% (male 11,116; female 10,844) 15-64 years: 66.5% (male 26,068; female 27,425) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 1,654; female 3,362) (2003 est.)
Median age: total: 26.9 years male: 25.8 years female: 27.9 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 0.46% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 16.89 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 6.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 16.41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 20.75 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.25 years male: 65.78 years female: 76.88 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois
Ethnic groups: mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
Religions: Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian 2.5%, other 4.1%
Languages: English (official), French (official), Creole
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60% (1971 est.)
Government Seychelles
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles
Government type: republic
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
National holiday: Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
Constitution: 18 June 1993
Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 31 August-2 September 2001 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 54.19%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 44.95%, Philippe BOULLE 0.86%; note - the first time that presidential elections have been held separately from legislative elections cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next held by 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%, DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11 note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the percentage that each party won of the total vote
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National Party or SNP (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] - the governing party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; trade unions
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Claude Sylvestre MOREL chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles
Flag description: five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side
Economy Seychelles
Economy - overview: Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. A sharp drop illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war, and once again following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Other issues facing the government are the curbing of the budget deficit, including the containment of social welfare costs, and further privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2002, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Also, tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term economic prospects. The black market value of the Seychelles rupee is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency the tourist sector should remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $626 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.4% industry: 24.4% services: 73.2% (2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 30,900 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 19%, services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $249 million expenditures: $262 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 160 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 148.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish
Exports: $235 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities: canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - partners: UK 28.6%, France 20%, Italy 8.7%, US 8.4%, Spain 6.7%, Japan 6.7%, Netherlands 6.6%, Thailand 6.4% (2002)
Imports: $380 million f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 15.6%, France 12.8%, Spain 9.9%, Italy 9.7%, South Africa 8.4%, Singapore 7.3%, UK 6.1%, Taiwan 4.2% (2002)
Debt - external: $170 million (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $16.4 million (1995)
Currency: Seychelles rupee (SCR)
Currency code: SCR
Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.48 (2002), 5.86 (2001), 5.71 (2000), 5.34 (1999), 5.26 (1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Seychelles
Telephones - main lines in use: 19,635 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 16,316 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: effective system domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 42,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 11,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 9,000 (2002)
Transportation Seychelles
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 373 km paved: 315 km unpaved: 58 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Victoria
Merchant marine: total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 37,281 GRT/55,702 DWT ships by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, container 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: South Africa 2 (2002 est.)
Airports: 14 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Military Seychelles
Military branches: Army, Coast Guard (includes Air Wing), Presidential Protection Unit (includes Presidential Guard), Police Force (includes Police Mobile Unit, a special weapons and tactics unit capable of assisting the Army in maintaining internal stability)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 23,444 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 11,639 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $12.8 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.8% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Seychelles
Disputes - international: claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Sierra Leone
Introduction Sierra Leone
Background: Since 1991, civil war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population), many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. After several setbacks, the end to the 11-year conflict in Sierra Leone may finally be near at hand. With the support of the UN peacekeeping force and contributions from the World Bank and international community, demobilization and disarmament of the RUF and Civil Defense Forces (CDF) combatants has been completed. National elections were held in May 2002 and the government continues to slowly reestablish its authority.
Geography Sierra Leone
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 11 30 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 71,740 sq km land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: total: 958 km border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Terrain: coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use: arable land: 6.76% permanent crops: 0.78% other: 92.46% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 290 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Environment - current issues: rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note: rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
People Sierra Leone
Population: 5,732,681 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,259,421; female 1,310,516) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,420,900; female 1,557,597) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 89,078; female 95,169) (2003 est.)
Median age: total: 17.5 years male: 17.2 years female: 17.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 2.94% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 43.89 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 20.66 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: 6.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 146.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 128.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 164.23 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 42.84 years male: 40.33 years female: 45.42 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 11,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups: 20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Religions: Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Languages: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic total population: 31.4% male: 45.4% female: 18.2% (1995 est.)
Government Sierra Leone
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Government type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Freetown
Administrative divisions: 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution: 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007); note - president's tenure of office is limited to two five-year terms election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC 22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders: All People's Congress or APC [Alhaji Sat KOROMA, interim chairman]; Citizens United for Peace and Progress or CUPP [Alfred Musa CONTEH, interim chairman]; Coalition for Progress Party or CPP [Jeridine WILLIAM-SARHO, interim leader]; Democratic Center Party or DCP [Adu Aiah KOROMA]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [George E. L. PALMER]; Democratic Party or DP [Henry BALO, acting chairman]; National Alliance Democratic Party or NADP [Mohamed Yahya SILLAH, chairman]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National People's Party or NPP [Andrew TURAY]; National Republican Party or NRP [Stephen Sahr MAMBU]; National Unity Movement or NUM [Sam LEIGH, interim chairman]; National Unity Party or NUP [John BENJAMINE, interim leader]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman]; People's Democratic Alliance or PDA [Cpl. (Ret.) Abdul Rahman KAMARA, interim chairman]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Osman KAMARA]; People's National Convention or PNC [Edward John KARGBO]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Abass Chernok BUNDU, chairman]; Revolutionary United Front Party or RUFP [Foday Saybana SANKOH, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Andrew Victor LUNGAY]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Ahmad Tejan KABBAH, chairman]; United National People's Party or UNPP [John KAREFA-SMART in exile, Raymond KAMARA, acting leader]; Young People's Party or YPP [Cornelius DEVEAUS, interim chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Trade Unions and Student Unions
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263 chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Peter Russell CHAVEAS embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485 FAX: [232] (22) 225471
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
Economy Sierra Leone
Economy - overview: Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development, following a 11-year civil war. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Plans continue to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down during the conflict. The major source of hard currency consists of the mining of diamonds. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and to supplement government revenues.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.826 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.6% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $500 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 49% industry: 31% services: 21% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 68% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 62.9 (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 1.369 million (1981 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $96 million expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 250.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 232.6 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Exports: $35 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish (1999)
Exports - partners: Belgium 41.9%, Germany 28.1%, UK 3.6% (2002)
Imports: $190 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals (1995)
Imports - partners: Germany 25%, UK 10.9%, Netherlands 7.5%, US 5.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.9%, Italy 4.3% (2002)
Debt - external: $1.5 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $103 million (2001 est.)
Currency: leone (SLL)
Currency code: SLL
Exchange rates: leones per US dollar - 2,099.03 (2002), 1,986.15 (2001), 2,092.12 (2000), 1,804.19 (1999), 1,563.62 (1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Sierra Leone
Telephones - main lines in use: 25,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 30,000 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)
Radios: 1.12 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1999)
Televisions: 53,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sl
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2001)
Internet users: 20,000 (2001)
Transportation Sierra Leone
Railways: total: 84 km narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge note: Sierra Leone has no common carrier railroads; the existing railroad is private and used on a limited basis while the mine at Marampa is closed (2001)
Highways: total: 11,330 km paved: 895 km unpaved: 10,435 km (1999)
Waterways: 800 km (of which 600 km is navigable year round)
Ports and harbors: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,435 GRT/8,750 DWT ships by type: cargo 2
Airports: 10 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 9 under 914 m: 2 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 7
Heliports: 2 (2002)
Military Sierra Leone
Military branches: Army (RSLAF)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,228,664 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 596,617 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $10.26 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Sierra Leone
Disputes - international: large UN peacekeeping presence ended civil war but rebel gang fighting, ethnic rivalries, illegal diamond trading, corruption, and refugees spill over into neighboring states beset with their own civil disorder, refugees, and violence
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Singapore
Introduction Singapore
Background: Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
Geography Singapore
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 692.7 sq km water: 10 sq km land: 682.7 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon from December to March and Southwestern monsoon from June to September; inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0% other: 98.36% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
People Singapore
Population: 4,608,595 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.3% (male 411,656; female 385,575) 15-64 years: 75.5% (male 1,687,217; female 1,793,783) 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 144,277; female 186,087) (2003 est.)
Median age: total: 34.5 years male: 34.3 years female: 34.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 3.42% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 12.75 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 4.31 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: 25.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 3.57 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 3.87 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.42 years male: 77.46 years female: 83.6 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,400 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 140 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore
Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.7%, Malay 14%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4%
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.2% male: 96.7% female: 89.7% (2003 est.)
Government Singapore
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Singapore conventional short form: Singapore
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Singapore
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1 September 1999) head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers Brig. Gen. (Ret.) LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and TAN Keng Yam Tony (since 1 August 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1999 (next to be held by August 2005); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN elected president unopposed
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member elections: last held 3 November 2001 (next to be held 25 June 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 75.3% (in contested constituencies), other 24.7%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders: governing party: People's Action Party or PAP [GOH Chok Tong]; opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [leader NA]; National Solidarity Party or NSP [Steve CHIA]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong] (includes SPP, PKMS, NSP, SJP); Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Singapore Justice Party or SJP [leader NA]; Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS [Muhammad ALI Aman]; Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong]; Workers' Party or WP [LOW Thia Kiang]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee consulate(s): New York consulate(s) general: San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin L. LAVIN embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 mailing address: PSC Box 470, FPO AP 96507-0001 telephone: [65] 6476-9100 FAX: [65] 6476-9340
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
Economy Singapore
Economy - overview: Singapore, a highly developed and successful free market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in 2001-2002 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle than the current export-led model but is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $112.4 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NEGL% industry: 33% services: 67% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.4% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 2.19 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: financial, business, and other services 35%, manufacturing 21%, construction 13%, transportation and communication 9%, other 22%
Unemployment rate: 4.6% (2002 est.)
Budget: revenues: $27.9 billion expenditures: $19.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.4 billion (FY 00/01 est.)
Industries: electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology
Industrial production growth rate: -9.8% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production: 30.48 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 28.35 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 700,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 2.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 2.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products: rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs, fish, ornamental fish
Exports: $127 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels
Exports - partners: Malaysia 17.4%, US 15.3%, Hong Kong 9.2%, Japan 7.1%, China 5.5%, Taiwan 4.9%, Thailand 4.6%, South Korea 4.2% (2002)
Imports: $113 billion (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Malaysia 18.2%, US 14.3%, Japan 12.5%, China 7.6%, Thailand 4.6%, Taiwan 4.6% (2002)
Debt - external: $8.2 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: Singapore dollar (SGD)
Currency code: SGD
Exchange rates: Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.72 (2000), 1.69 (1999), 1.67 (1998)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Singapore
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.95 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.74 million (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: major consideration given to serving business interests; excellent international service domestic: excellent domestic facilities international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 16, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 2.6 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations: 6 (2000)
Televisions: 1.33 million (1997)
Internet country code: .sg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2000)
Internet users: 2.31 million (2002)
Transportation Singapore
Railways: total: 38.6 km narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge note: there is also an 83 km mass transit system with 48 stations
Highways: total: 3,066 km paved: 3,066 km (including 150 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: gas 139 km (2003)
Ports and harbors: Singapore
Merchant marine: total: 859 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,836,021 GRT/32,765,063 DWT ships by type: bulk 125, cargo 85, chemical tanker 87, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 8, container 176, liquefied gas 38, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, petroleum tanker 277, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 31 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 7, Belgium 6, China 12, Denmark 27, Germany 17, Greece 4, Hong Kong 44, Indonesia 8, Japan 52, Malaysia 4, Monaco 22, Netherlands 2, Norway 42, Philippines 6, Russia 3, Slovenia 1, South Korea 10, Sweden 13, Switzerland 7, Taiwan 46, Tanzania 2, Thailand 22, UAE 4, UK 14, US 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 9 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 9 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Military Singapore
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,392,740 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,012,498 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $4.47 billion (FY01 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.9% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Singapore
Disputes - international: disputes with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation works on Johor, maritime boundaries, and Singapore-occupied Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years
Illicit drugs: as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, to be used as a transit point for Golden Triangle heroin and as a venue for money laundering
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Slovakia
Introduction Slovakia
Background: In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia was invited to join NATO and the EU in 2002.
Geography Slovakia
Location: Central Europe, south of Poland
Geographic coordinates: 48 40 N, 19 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 48,845 sq km water: 45 sq km land: 48,800 sq km
Area - comparative: about twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries: total: 1,524 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain: rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m
Natural resources: brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land
Land use: arable land: 30.74% permanent crops: 2.64% other: 66.62% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,740 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys
People Slovakia
Population: 5,430,033 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.8% (male 495,316; female 471,823) 15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,903,335; female 1,924,065) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 238,912; female 396,582) (2003 est.)
Median age: total: 35 years male: 33.3 years female: 36.7 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 0.14% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 10.1 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 8.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 9.39 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.43 years male: 70.44 years female: 78.64 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak
Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.6%, Roma 1.6% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about 500,000), Czech, Moravian, Silesian 1.1%, Ruthenian and Ukrainian 0.6%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.2% (1996)
Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%
Languages: Slovak (official), Hungarian
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Slovakia
Country name: conventional long form: Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local short form: Slovensko local long form: Slovenska Republika
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Bratislava
Administrative divisions: 8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky
Independence: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)
Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993; changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership
Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Rudolf SCHUSTER (since 15 June 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Pavol RUSKO (since 24 September 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 May 1999 (next to be held NA May/June 2004); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president note: government coalition - SDKU, SMK, KDH, ANO election results: Rudolf SCHUSTER elected president in the first direct, popular election; percent of vote - Rudolf SCHUSTER 57%; Mikulas DZURINDA reelected prime minister October 2002
Legislative branch: unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS-LS 19.5%, SDKU 15.1%, SMER 13.5%, SMK 11.2%, KDH 8.3%, ANO 8%, KSS 6.3%; seats by party - governing coalition 78 (SDKU 28, SMK 20, KDH 15, ANO 15), opposition 72 (HZDS 36, SMER 25, KSS 11) (as of February 2003, 12 deputies had split from HZDS and formed an independent faction) elections: last held 20-21 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council); Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of nominees approved by the National Council)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Democratic Party or DS [Ludovit KANIK]; Direction (Smer) [Robert FICO]; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia-People's Party or HZDS-LS [Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Jozef SEVC]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald WEISER embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338 FAX: [421] (2) 5441-5148
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue
Economy Slovakia
Economy - overview: Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA government has made excellent progress in 2001-03 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and foreign investment has picked up. Slovakia's economy exceeded expectations in 2001-03, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 15% in 2003, remains the economy's Achilles heel. The government faces other strong challenges in 2004, especially the cutting of budget and current account deficits, the containment of inflation, and the strengthening of the health care system.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $67.34 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.4% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $12,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.5% industry: 34.1% services: 61.4% (2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 26.3 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 3 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 29.3%, agriculture 8.9%, construction 8%, transport and communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 17.2% (2002 est.)
Budget: revenues: $5.2 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
Industries: metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products
Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production: 30.29 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 30.3% hydro: 16% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 53.6%
Electricity - consumption: 24.41 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 5.141 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 1.381 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 82,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: 4.5 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production: 292 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 7.932 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 7.205 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 7.504 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Exports: $12.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 39.4%, intermediate manufactured goods 27.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%, chemicals 8% (1999)
Exports - partners: Germany 30.1%, Czech Republic 16.4%, Austria 10.7%, Italy 7.2%, Poland 5.7%, Hungary 4.6% (2002)
Imports: $15.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 37.7%, intermediate manufactured goods 18%, fuels 13%, chemicals 11%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999)
Imports - partners: Germany 24.8%, Czech Republic 16%, Russia 13.5%, Austria 7%, Italy 6.4%, France 4% (2002)
Debt - external: $9.6 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: ODA $113 million (2000),; $92 million EU structural adjustment funds (2000 est.)
Currency: Slovak koruna (SKK)
Currency code: SKK
Exchange rates: koruny per US dollar - 45.33 (2002), 48.35 (2001), 46.04 (2000), 41.36 (1999), 35.23 (1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Slovakia
Telephones - main lines in use: 1,934,558 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 736,662 (April 1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: a modernization and privatization program is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing the waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improving service quality domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been added international: three international exchanges (one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services
Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 3.12 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 38 (plus 864 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 2.62 million (1997)
Internet country code: .sk
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)
Internet users: 700,000 (2000)
Transportation Slovakia
Railways: total: 3,668 km broad gauge: 106 km 1.520-m gauge narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (2002) standard gauge: 3,511 km 1.435-m gauge (1,567 km electrified)
Highways: total: 42,717 km paved: 37,036 km (including 296 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,681 km (2000)
Waterways: 172 km (all on the Danube)
Pipelines: gas 6,769 km; oil 449 km (2003)
Ports and harbors: Bratislava, Komarno
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 11,574 GRT/16,330 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 37 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 9 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 7 (2002)
Heliports: 1 (2002)
Military Slovakia
Military branches: Army (Ground Forces), Air and Air Defense Forces, Home Guards (Territorial Defense Forces), Civil Defense Force, Railway Armed Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Transportation, Post, and Telecommunications)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,484,950 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,135,612 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 44,287 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $406 million (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.89% (2002)
Transnational Issues Slovakia
Disputes - international: small boundary changes made with Poland in 2003; Hungary has yet to amend status law extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, who protest the law
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Slovenia
Introduction Slovenia
Background: The Slovene lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria until 1918 when the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new nation, renamed 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 of 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. In December 2002, Slovenia received an invitation to join NATO, and it is scheduled to accede to the EU along with nine other states on 1 May 2004. In a March 2003 referendum on NATO and EU membership, Slovenes voted 90% in favor of joining the EU and 66% in favor of joining NATO.
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 water: 122 sq km land: 20,151 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 1,334 km border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km, Hungary 102 km |
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