Chapter LII: Front Matter (52)

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed
July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador Robert W.
FITTS, is accredited to the Solomon Islands

Flag description:
divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five
white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower
triangle is green

Government - note:
June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the intervention
of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the
request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, New
Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003

Economy Solomon Islands

Economy - overview:
The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and
forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured
goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich
in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and
gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business
enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious
economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of
crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation)
have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and
attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the
nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance
staff many of whom have left the country. The disintegration of law
and order left the economy in tatters by mid-2003, and on 24 July
2003 more than 2000 Australian soldiers entered the Solomon Islands
to restore order and to facilitate the restoration of basic services.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.)

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

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11%
services: 47% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
26,840 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $38 million
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables,
fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish

Industries:
fish (tuna), mining, timber

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
32 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
29.76 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
1,250 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$90 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

Exports - partners:
China 25.2%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 13.4%, Philippines 8.4%,
Singapore 5.9%, Thailand 5.9% (2003)

Imports:
$100 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Australia 29.7%, Singapore 21.9%, Fiji 4.7%, New Zealand 4.7% (2003)

Debt - external:
$162.5 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2001 est.)

Currency:
Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)

Currency code:
SBD

Exchange rates:
Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 6.7488 (2002),
5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Solomon Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
6,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
57,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Televisions:
3,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sb

Internet hosts:
398 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
2,200 (2002)

Transportation Solomon Islands

Highways:
total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km
unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors:
Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
33 (2003 est.)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Military Solomon Islands

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance
and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Solomon Islands

Disputes - international:
Australian defense personnel are dispatched at the invitation of
the Solomon Islands' Government to restore law and order on the
islands and reinforce regional security

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Somalia

Introduction Somalia

Background:
The SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil,
factional fighting, and anarchy have followed in the years since. In
May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of
Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal,
Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized
by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence,
aided by the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic
infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American
military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal and
northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state
of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998, but does not
aim at independence; it has also made strides towards reconstructing
a legitimate, representative government, but has suffered some civil
strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also
claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a
two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to
alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995,
having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been
restored. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG),
created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003.
New Somali President Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed has formed a new
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) consisting of a 275-member
parliament. It was established in October 2004 to replace the TNG
but has not yet moved to Mogadishu. Discussions regarding the
establishment of a new government in Mogadishu are ongoing in Kenya.
Numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of the
capital city as well as for other southern regions. Suspicion of
Somali links with global terrorism further complicates the picture.

Geography Somalia

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean,
east of Ethiopia

Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 49 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 637,657 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km
land: 627,337 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,340 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

Coastline:
3,025 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate:
principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon,
moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October
- southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south,
irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between
monsoons

Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m

Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum,
bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

Land use:
arable land: 1.67%
other: 98.29% (2001)
permanent crops: 0.04%

Irrigated land:
2,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in
summer; floods during rainy season

Environment - current issues:
famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health
problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

Geography - note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to
Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

People Somalia

Population:
8,304,601
note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in
1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is
complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements
in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.7% (male 1,860,451; female 1,849,484)
15-64 years: 52.7% (male 2,197,572; female 2,176,762)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 94,905; female 125,427) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.5 years
female: 17.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.41% (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 118.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 108.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 127.95 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.71 years
male: 46.02 years
female: 49.46 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
43,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

Nationality:
noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali

Ethnic groups:
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)

Religions:
Sunni Muslim

Languages:
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8%
male: 49.7%
female: 25.8% (2001 est.)

Government Somalia

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Somalia
former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic

Government type:
no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary
national government

Capital:
Mogadishu

Administrative divisions:
18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool,
Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe,
Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha
Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Independence:
1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became
independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland,
which became independent from the Italian-administered UN
trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)

National holiday:
Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June
(1960) in Somaliland

Constitution:
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National Government formed in August 2000 had
a three-year mandate to create a new constitution and hold
elections, this goal was not achieved but the process is ongoing

Legal system:
no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some
localities

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note
- a new Transitional Federal Government consisting of a 275-member
parliament was established in October 2004 replacing the
Transitional National Government created in 2000
election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the leader of the Puntland
region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal
Government
head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad GHEDI (since 3
November 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly
note: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal
Government replaced the Transitional National Government created in
2000; the new parliament consists of 61 seats assigned to each of
four large clan groups (Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye) with
the remaining 31 seats divided between minority clans

Judicial branch:
following the breakdown of national government, most regions have
reverted to either Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal
of all sentences, or traditional clan-based arbitration

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8
May 1991); note - the TNG and other factions have representatives in
Washington and at the United Nations

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are
represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at Mombasa Road;
mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831;
telephone: [254] (2) 537800; FAX [254] (2) 537810

Flag description:
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue
field influenced by the flag of the UN

Government - note:
although an interim government was created in 2000 other governing
bodies continue to exist and control various cities and regions of
the country, including Somaliland, Puntland, and traditional clan
and faction strongholds

Economy Somalia

Economy - overview:
Somalia's economic fortunes are being driven by its deep political
divisions. The northern area has declared its independence as
"Somaliland"; the central area, Puntland, is a self-declared
autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is riddled with
the struggles of rival factions. Economic life continues, in part
because much activity is local and relatively easily protected.
Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally
accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings,
but Saudi Arabia's recent ban on Somali livestock, because of Rift
Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads and
semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood,
make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish,
charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar,
sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports.
Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of
agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap
metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has
managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms provide
wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest
international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a
formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted
throughout the country, handling between $200 million and $500
million in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a
variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels
continue to operate, and militias provide security. The ongoing
civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with
any broad-based economic development and international aid
arrangements. In 2002 Somalia's overdue financial obligations to the
IMF continued to grow. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per
capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $4.361 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 65%
industry: 10%
services: 25% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot
be sensibly determined (2003 est.)

Labor force:
3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services
29%

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA

Agriculture - products:
cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice,
sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish

Industries:
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles,
petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
245.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
227.9 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)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)

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

Exports:
$79 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal

Exports - partners:
UAE 37.2%, Yemen 22.3%, Oman 10.1%, China 6%, Kuwait 4.4%, Nigeria
4% (2003)

Imports:
$344 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction
materials, qat

Imports - partners:
Djibouti 33.9%, Kenya 15.5%, Brazil 6.6%, UAE 5.1%, Thailand 4.2%
(2003)

Debt - external:
$2.6 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$60 million (1999 est.)

Currency:
Somali shilling (SOS)

Currency code:
SOS

Exchange rates:
Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620
(January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996
est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995)
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent
country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own
currency, the Somaliland shilling

Fiscal year:
NA

Communications Somalia

Telephones - main lines in use:
100,000 est (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
35,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost
completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and
charge the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: country code - 252; international connections are
available from Mogadishu by satellite

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in
Somaliland (2001)

Radios:
470,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4
note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)

Televisions:
135,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.so

Internet hosts:
4 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000)

Internet users:
89,000 (2002)

Transportation Somalia

Highways:
total: 22,100 km
paved: 2,608 km
unpaved: 19,492 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors:
Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
60 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 4
2438 to 3047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 54
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Somalia

Military branches:
A Somali National Army was attempted under the interim government;
numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the
Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own
security and police forces

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,010,152 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,109,405 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$18.9 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (2003)

Transnational Issues Somalia

Disputes - international:
"Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked
Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states;
"Puntland" secessionists clash with "Somaliland" secessionists to
establish territorial limits and clan loyalties, each seeking
support from neighboring states; Ethiopia maintains only an
administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and
maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the
unrecognized Transitional National Government in Mogadishu

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 375,000 (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for
resources) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@South Africa

Introduction South Africa

Background:
After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many
of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own
republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred
wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native
inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were
defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South
Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate
development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid
politically and ushered in black majority rule.

Geography South Africa

Location:
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Geographic coordinates:
29 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,219,912 sq km
land: 1,219,912 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince
Edward Island)
water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491
km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Coastline:
2,798 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool
nights

Terrain:
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal
plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Natural resources:
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium,
salt, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 12.08%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.13% (2001)

Irrigated land:
13,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts

Environment - current issues:
lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water
conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing
supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban
discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion;
desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely
surrounds Swaziland

People South Africa

Population:
42,718,530
note: South Africa took a census October 1996 that showed a
population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8%
underenumeration based on a postenumeration survey); estimates for
this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy,
higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex
than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.5% (male 6,337,468; female 6,254,925)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 13,898,269; female 14,017,559)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 886,801; female 1,323,508) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.7 years
male: 24.2 years
female: 25.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.25% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 62.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 58.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 65.87 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.19 years
male: 44.39 years
female: 43.98 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
21.5% (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
370,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: South African(s)
adjective: South African

Ethnic groups:
black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

Religions:
Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of
blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of
Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%

Languages:
11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi,
Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 87%
female: 85.7% (2003 est.)

Government South Africa

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
conventional short form: South Africa
former: Union of South Africa
abbreviation: RSA

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and
Bloemfontein the judicial center

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape

Independence:
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in
1961 following an October 1960 referendum

National holiday:
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Constitution:
10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the
Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3
February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 2 June 1999 (next to be held 24
April 2004)
head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National
Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)
note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400
seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of
proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the
National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each
of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special
powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of
cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note -
following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February
1997 the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National
Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and
party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities
have been changed somewhat by the new constitution
elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces -
last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC
69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%;
seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other
21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts;
Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders:
African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE,
president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI,
president]; Democratic Alliance or DA (formed from the merger of the
Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance or FA) [Anthony
LEON]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI,
president]; New National Party or NNP [Marthinus VAN SCHALKWYK];
Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; United
Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI,
general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade
NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics
Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note
- COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW,
PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE,
UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607
telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400
chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron H. HUME
embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048
FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244
consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

Flag description:
two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by
a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of
which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black
isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow
yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green
band and its arms by narrow white stripes

Economy South Africa

Economy - overview:
South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant
supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal,
communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that
ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure
supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers
throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to
lower South Africa's high unemployment rate; and daunting economic
problems remain from the apartheid era, especially poverty and lack
of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. High crime
and HIV/AIDS infection rates also deter investment. South African
economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on
targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job
growth and household income.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $456.7 billion (2003 est.)

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

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $10,700 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 31%
services: 65.2% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
16% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
50% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
59.3 (1993-94)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
16.35 million economically active (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
31% (includes workers no longer looking for employment) (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $37.48 billion
expenditures: $41.46 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
billion (2003)

Public debt:
38.2% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton,
wool, dairy products

Industries:
mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium),
automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and
steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs

Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
195.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
181.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
6.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
6.2 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
196,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
460,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-1.234 billion (2003)

Exports:
$36.77 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and
equipment (1998 est.)

Exports - partners:
UK 12.6%, US 12.4%, Japan 9.2%, Germany 8.1%, China 4.7%, Italy
4.4% (2003)

Imports:
$33.89 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific
instruments, foodstuffs (2000 est.)

Imports - partners:
Germany 16.6%, UK 8.5%, US 8.2%, Japan 5.9%, China 5.9%, Saudi
Arabia 5.2%, France 5% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$7.972 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$25.9 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$487.5 million (2000)

Currency:
rand (ZAR)

Currency code:
ZAR

Exchange rates:
rand per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001),
6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications South Africa

Telephones - main lines in use:
4.844 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
16.86 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is the best developed and most
modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
17 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
6 million (2000)

Internet country code:
.za

Internet hosts:
288,633 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
150 (2001)

Internet users:
3.1 million (2002)

Transportation South Africa

Railways:
total: 22,298 km
narrow gauge: 21,984 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 314
km 0.610-m gauge
note: includes a 2,228 km commuter rail system (2003)

Highways:
total: 362,099 km
paved: 73,506 km (including 2,032 km of expressways)
unpaved: 288,593 km (2000)

Pipelines:
condensate 100 km; gas 1,052 km; oil 847 km; refined products 1,354
km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth,
Richards Bay, Saldanha

Merchant marine:
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,505 GRT/37,091 DWT
by type: container 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2
registered in other countries: 7 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Denmark 1, Netherlands 1

Airports:
728 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 144
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
914 to 1,523 m: 67
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 584
1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 300
under 914 m: 250 (2004 est.)

Military South Africa

Military branches:
South African National Defense Force: Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Medical Services

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 11,924,500 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 7,247,696 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 471,221 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2,653.4 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (2003)

Military - note:
with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule,
former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces
were integrated into the South African National Defense Force
(SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete

Transnational Issues South Africa

Disputes - international:
managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in
the Orange River

Illicit drugs:
transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and cocaine;
cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit
methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various
east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana; attractive
venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized
criminal and narcotics activity in the region

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Southern Ocean

Introduction Southern Ocean

Background:
A decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the
spring of 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean -
from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and
Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of
Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with
the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth
largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).

Geography Southern Ocean

Location:
body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica

Geographic coordinates:
65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique
distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally
encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies
between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and
encompasses 360 degrees of longitude

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 20.327 million sq km
note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake
Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and
other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of the US

Coastline:
17,968 km

Climate:
sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees
Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and
frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between
ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to
the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere
on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south
latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the
Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees
Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds
from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter

Terrain:
the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most of its
extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic
continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge
lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133
meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6
million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square
kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the
Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves
perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,
transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100
times the flow of all the world's rivers

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich
Trench
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the
continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits,
sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals -
none exploited; krill, fishes

Natural hazards:
huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller
bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 meter
thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large
annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by
glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and
large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October;
most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue

Environment - current issues:
increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic
ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity
(phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish;
illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years,
especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more
Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to
affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental
mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish
note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong
comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries

Environment - international agreements:
the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements
regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these
agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling
Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south
[south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees
west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits
sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (regulates fishing)
note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource
exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front
(Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic
Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very
cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the
north

Geography - note:
the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and
Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best
natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it
is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar
Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters to the
south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current
extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees
south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South
Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds

Economy Southern Ocean

Economy - overview:
Fisheries in 2000-01 (1 July to 30 June) landed 112,934 metric
tons, of which 87% was krill and 11% Patagonian toothfish.
International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce
illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01
season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and
antarctic toothfish. In the 2000-01 antarctic summer 12,248
tourists, most of them seaborne, visited the Southern Ocean and
Antarctica, compared to 14,762 the previous year.

Transportation Southern Ocean

Ports and harbors:
McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica
note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the
Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short
periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without
icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government
research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to
commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60
degrees south are subject to inspection by Antarctic Treaty
observers (see Article 7)

Transportation - note:
Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal

Transnational Issues Southern Ocean

Disputes - international:
Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), but
Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assert
claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in the
Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in
extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersea
ridges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land or
maritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves
(the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal
claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150
degrees west

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Introduction South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Background:
The islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands
and have been under British administration since 1908, except for a
brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on
South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station.
Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to
his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some
20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a
successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the
Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and
is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from
the British Antarctic Survey. The islands have large bird and seal
populations, and, recognizing the importance of preserving the
marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the
exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.

Geography South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

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

Geographic coordinates:
54 30 S, 37 00 W

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 3,903 sq km
note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia
Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist
of some nine islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 3,903 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
NA km

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

Climate:
variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year
interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as
snow

Terrain:
most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and
mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep,
glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of
volcanic origin with some active volcanoes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some
sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that
generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also
subject to active volcanism

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which
provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th
century, live on South Georgia

People South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March
2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the
British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on
Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2004
est.)

Government South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
conventional short form: none

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina;
administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is
concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen
ELIZABETH II; Grytviken, formerly a whaling station on South
Georgia, is a scientific base

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution:
adopted 3 October 1985

Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate
from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court

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

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

Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms
centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a
shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur
seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears
above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM
PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)

Economy South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Economy - overview:
Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. Fees from fishing
licenses and related activities traditionally account for around 90%
of South Georgia's revenue (about $5.6 million in 2004). There is a
potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The
islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale
of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist
vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing
rapidly. Annual tourist volume hovers around 3,000 arrivals.

Communications South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Radio broadcast stations:
0 (2003)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (2003)

Internet country code:
.gs

Transportation South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Ports and harbors:
Grytviken

Airports:
none (2003 est.)

Military South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Disputes - international:
briefly occupied by military force in 1982 - claimed by Argentina
in constitution but declares it will no longer seek settlement by
force

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Spain

Introduction Spain

Background:
Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries
ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent
failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused
the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic
and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II,
but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). In the
second half of the 20th century, Spain has played a catch-up role in
the western international community; it joined the EU in 1986.
Continuing challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)
terrorism and further reductions in unemployment.

Geography Spain

Location:
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean
Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of
France

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 504,782 sq km
water: 5,240 sq km
note: there are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands
and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the
coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon
de Velez de la Gomera
land: 499,542 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 1,917.8 km
border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km,
Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Coastline:
4,964 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

Climate:
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy
along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and
cool along coast

Terrain:
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Natural resources:
coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten,
mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin,
potash, hydropower, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 26.07%
permanent crops: 9.87%
other: 64.06% (2001)

Irrigated land:
36,400 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents
from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and
quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification

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

Geography - note:
strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People Spain

Population:
40,280,780 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,989,053; female 2,811,350)
15-64 years: 68% (male 13,748,998; female 13,652,852)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,958,387; female 4,120,140) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 39.1 years
male: 37.8 years
female: 40.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.16% (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.37 years
male: 76.03 years
female: 82.94 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2001 est.)

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

Nationality:
noun: Spaniard(s)
adjective: Spanish

Ethnic groups:
composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

Religions:
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Languages:
Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
note: Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other
languages are official regionally

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9%
male: 98.7%
female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

Government Spain

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
conventional short form: Spain
local short form: Espana

Government type:
parliamentary monarchy

Capital:
Madrid

Administrative divisions:
17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular -
comunidad autonoma)and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas,
singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares
(Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria,
Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana,
Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra,
Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
note: three small Spanish possessions of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de
Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by
the Spanish central government, are all located off the coast of
Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty
(Plazas de Soberania)

Independence:
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent
kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in the early 8th
century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian
redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately,
culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed
the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered
the forging of present-day Spain

National holiday:
National Day, 12 October

Constitution:
6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

Legal system:
civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal