Chapter XXI: Front Matter (21)

Military branches:
Estonian Defense Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air
Defense Staff, Republic Security Forces (internal and border
troops), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Maritime Border
Guard, Coast Guard
note: Border Guards and Ministry of Internal Affairs become part of
the Estonian Defense Forces in wartime; the Coast Guard is
subordinate to the Ministry of Defense in peacetime and the Estonian
Navy in wartime

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 11-month
service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription
for men and women up to 2010; 17 years of age for volunteers (2004)

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

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

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 11,146 (2005 est.)

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

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

Transnational Issues Estonia

Disputes - international:
in 1996, the Estonia-Russia technical border agreement was
initialed but both states have been hesitant to sign and ratify it,
with Russia asserting that Estonia needs to better assimilate
Russian-speakers and Estonian groups pressing for realignment of the
boundary based more closely on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that
would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the
Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of
the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen
border rules

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

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Ethiopia

Introduction Ethiopia

Background:
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy
maintained its freedom from colonial rule, with the exception of the
1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974 a military
junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since
1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups,
uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the
regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces,
the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A
constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty
elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border war with
Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000. Final
demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian
objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to
surrender sensitive territory.

Geography Ethiopia

Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references:
Africa

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

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

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

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 10.71%
permanent crops: 0.75%
other: 88.54% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,900 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

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

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

People Ethiopia

Population:
73,053,286
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 16,082,504/female 15,999,602)
15-64 years: 53.4% (male 19,452,737/female 19,525,746)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 905,648/female 1,087,049) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.75 years
male: 17.64 years
female: 17.85 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.36% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
38.61 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from
war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several
years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from
the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to
their homes (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 95.32 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 105.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 85.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 48.83 years
male: 47.67 years
female: 50.03 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.33 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
4.4% (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
120,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and hepatitis E
vectorborne diseases: malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high
risks in some locations
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian

Ethnic groups:
Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali
6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%

Religions:
Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%

Languages:
Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other
local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.7%
male: 50.3%
female: 35.1% (2003 est.)

Government Ethiopia

Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form: Ityop'iya
former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
abbreviation: FDRE

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
Addis Ababa

Administrative divisions:
9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2
self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular -
astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara),
Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples),
Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali),
Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations,
Nationalities and Peoples)

Independence:
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the
world - at least 2,000 years

National holiday:
National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)

Constitution:
ratified December 1994, effective 22 August 1995

Legal system:
currently transitional mix of national and regional courts

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994
constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and
approved by the House of People's Representatives
elections: president elected by the House of People's
Representatives for a six-year term; election last held 8 October
2001 (next to be held October 2007); prime minister designated by
the party in power following legislative elections
election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of
vote by the House of People's Representatives - 100%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper
chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve
five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or lower
chamber (548 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote
from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held NA 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - OPDO 177,
ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10,
ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional
political groupings 22, independents 8; note - 43 seats unconfirmed
note: irregularities and violence at some polling stations
necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies;
voting postponed in Somali regional state because of severe drought

Judicial branch:
Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the
Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and
appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other
federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's
Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal
Judicial Administrative Council)

Political parties and leaders:
Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA]; Benishangul
Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE];
Coalition for Unity and Democracy or CUD [HAILU Shawil]; Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an
alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF); Gurage Nationalities'
Democratic Movement or GNDM [leader NA]; United Ethopian Democratic
Forces or UEDF [MERARA Gudina]; dozens of small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF [leader NA];
Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or
CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic
Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] (1) 550666
FAX: [251] (1) 551328

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a
yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles
between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands;
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three
main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African
countries upon independence that they became known as the
pan-African colors

Economy Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture,
accounting for half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total
employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought
and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian
economy with exports of some $156 million in 2002, but historically
low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement
income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have
buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November
2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted
Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Under Ethiopia's land tenure
system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases
to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the
industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as
collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to
a 2% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns late in 2003
helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in 2004.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$54.89 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
11.6% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 47%
industry: 12.4%
services: 40.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
NA (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, industry and construction 8%,
government and services 12% (1985)

Unemployment rate:
NA (2002)

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

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
17.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.887 billion
expenditures: $2.388 billion, including capital expenditures of $788
million (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Electricity - production:
2.149 billion kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
1.998 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption:
23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

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

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

Current account balance:
$-464.4 million (2004 est.)

Exports:
$562.8 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Djibouti 13.3%, Germany 10%, Japan 8.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.6%, US
5.2%, UAE 5%, Italy 4.6% (2004)

Imports:
$2.104 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 25.3%, US 15.8%, China 6.6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$923.1 million (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.9 billion (2001 est.)

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

Currency (code):
birr (ETB)

Currency code:
ETB

Exchange rates:
birr per US dollar - 8.68 (2004), 8.5997 (2003), 8.5678 (2002),
8.4575 (2001), 8.2173 (2000)
note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily
basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank

Fiscal year:
8 July - 7 July

Communications Ethiopia

Telephones - main lines in use:
435,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
97,800 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate for government use
domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in
the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide
the national trunk service
international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:
15.2 million (2002)

Television broadcast stations:
1 plus 24 repeaters (2002)

Televisions:
682,000 (2002)

Internet country code:
.et

Internet hosts:
9 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
75,000 (2003)

Transportation Ethiopia

Railways:
total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti
railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2004)

Highways:
total: 33,297 km
paved: 3,996 km
unpaved: 29,301 km (2002)

Ports and harbors:
Ethiopia is landlocked and has used ports of Assab and Massawa in
Eritrea and port of Djibouti

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 81,933 GRT/101,287 DWT
by type: cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2 (2005)

Airports:
83 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 69
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.)

Military Ethiopia

Military branches:
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Air Force
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the
secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in
Eritrean possession (2003)

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

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

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

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 803,777 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$337.1 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.6% (2004)

Transnational Issues Ethiopia

Disputes - international:
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia
Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despite
international intervention, mutual animosities, accusations and
armed posturing prevail, preventing demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to
withdraw to the delimited boundary until technical errors made by
the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the
award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that
the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications;
Ethiopia has only an administrative line and no international border
with the Oromo region of southern Somalia where it maintains
alliances with local clans in opposition to the unrecognized Somali
Interim Government in Mogadishu; "Somaliland" secessionists provide
port facilities and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; the UNHCR
expects most of the remaining 23,000 Somali refugees in Ethiopia to
be repatriated in 2005; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary
with Sudan have been delayed by civil war

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 93,032 (Sudan) 23,578 (Somalia)
IDPs: 132,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic
clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces)
(2004)

Illicit drugs:
Transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia
and destined for Europe and North America as well as cocaine
destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for
local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia
(legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed
financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering
center

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Europa Island

Introduction Europa Island

Background:
A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily wooded; it is
the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.

Geography Europa Island

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about half way
between southern Madagascar and southern Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
22 20 S, 40 22 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 28 sq km
land: 28 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.16 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
22.2 km

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

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
low and flat

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 24 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (mangrove forests and woodlands) (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
wildlife sanctuary

People Europa Island

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison and a few
meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2005 est.)

Government Europa Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Europa Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Europa

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur
of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Europa Island

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Industries:
none

Communications Europa Island

Communications - note:
1 meteorological station

Transportation Europa Island

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Europa Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Europa Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@European Union

Introduction European Union

Preliminary statement:
The evolution of the European Union (EU) from a regional economic
agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's
supranational organization of 25 countries across the European
continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of
history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the
norm in Europe. On a few occasions even country-level unions were
arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the
Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples - but for such a large number
of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching
entity is truly unique. Although the EU is not a federation in the
strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as
ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes
associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding
date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and
security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future,
many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded.
Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed
appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook.
However, because of the EU's special status, this description is
placed after the regular country entries.

Background:
Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the
20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became
convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to
unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both
economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister
Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first
step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel
industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium,
France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed
the Treaty of Paris. The ECSC was so successful that within a few
years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the
countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the
European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy
Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to
eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common
market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were
formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single
Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European
Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially
selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct
elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years
since. In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the
addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw
further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain
and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis
for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in
judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic
and monetary union - including a common currency. This further
integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria,
Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to
15. A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on
1 January 1999; it become the unit of exchange for all of the EU
states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002,
citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro
banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 -
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current
membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to
function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of
Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU
institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29
October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document
before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda
held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 that rejected
the constitution suspended the ratification effort. Despite the
expansion of membership and functions, "Eurosceptics" in various
countries have raised questions about the erosion of national
cultures and the imposition of a flood of regulations from the EU
capital in Brussels. Failure by all member states to ratify the
constitution or the inability of newcomer countries to meet euro
currency standards might force a loosening of some EU agreements and
perhaps lead to several levels of EU participation. These "tiers"
might eventually range from an "inner" core of politically
integrated countries to a looser "outer" economic association of
members.

Geography European Union

Location:
Europe between Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, southeastern Europe, and
the North Atlantic Ocean

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 3,976,372 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 11,214.8 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050
km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein
34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania
443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151
km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km
note: data for European Continent only

Coastline:
65,413.9 km

Maritime claims:
NA

Climate:
cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate;
mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south

Terrain:
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the
central and southern areas

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands
-7 m
highest point: Mount Blanc, France/Italy 4,807 m

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

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

Irrigated land:
115,807 sq km

Natural hazards:
flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes
in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in
Spain; ice floes in the Baltic

Environment - current issues:
NA

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

People European Union

Population:
456,953,258 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351)
15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619)
65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821) (2005
est.)

Median age:
NA

Population growth rate:
0.15% (July 2005 est.)

Birth rate:
10 births/1,000 population (July 2005 est.)

Death rate:
10.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (July 2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: NA
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (July 2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (July 2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.3 years
male: 75.1 years
female: 81.6 years (July 2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.47 children born/woman (July 2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish

Languages:
Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German,
Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish,
Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official
languages are listed; Irish (Gaelic) will become the twenty-first
language on 1 January 2007

Government European Union

Union name:
conventional long form: European Union
abbreviation: EU

Political structure:
a hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization

Capital:
Brussels, Belgium
note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, the
European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, France, and the Court of
Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg

Member states:
25 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK; note - Canary Islands
(Spain), Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and French Guyana,
Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion (France) are sometimes listed
separately even though they are legally a part of Spain, Portugal,
and France; candidate countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Turkey

Independence:
7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1
November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)

National holiday:
Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that
Robert Schuman proposed the creation of an organized Europe

Constitution:
based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up
the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties
of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single
European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in
1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in
2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October
2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either
by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled
to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch
referenda in May-June 2005 caused a suspension of the ratification
process

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose DURAO
BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)
cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each
member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy
areas)
elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by
member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other
Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire
Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004
(next to be held 2009)
election results: European Parliament approved the European
Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions
note: the European Council brings together heads of state and
government and the president of the European Commission and meets at
least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major
political issues relating to European integration and to issue
general policy guidelines

Legislative branch:
Council of the European Union (25 member-state ministers having 321
votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states'
population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of
the EU; European Parliament (732 seats; seats allocated among member
states by proportion to population); members elected by direct
universal suffrage for a five-year term
elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED
268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN
27, independents 28

Judicial branch:
Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the
treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25 justices (one
from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for
the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11 justices known as
the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25 justices appointed
for a six-year term

Political parties and leaders:
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE
[Graham R. WATSON]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM
[Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Group of Greens/European Free
Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc
COHN-BENDIT]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES
[Martin SCHULZ]; Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic
Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's
Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Union for
Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana
MUSCARDINI]

International organization participation:
European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member),
EBRD, IDA, OAS (observer), OECD, WTO
European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, G-10, NSG
(observer), UN (observer)
European Central Bank: BIS
European Investment Bank: WADB (nonregional member)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rockwell SCHNABEL
embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: same as above
telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222
FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720

Flag description:
on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle,
representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars
is fixed

Economy European Union

Economy - overview:
Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers,
adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living
standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade
position and its political and economic power. Because of the great
differences in per capita income (from $10,000 to $28,000) and
historic national animosities, the European Community faces
difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example,
both Germany and France since 2003 have flouted the member states'
treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running
more than a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU admitted 10 central and
eastern European countries that are, in general, less advanced
technologically and economically than the existing 15. Twelve EU
member states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1
January 1999. The UK, Sweden, and Denmark do not now participate;
the 10 new member states may choose to adopt the euro when they meet
the EU's fiscal and monetary criteria and the member states so agree.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$11.65 trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $26,900 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 28.3%
services: 69.4% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
215 million (various)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 4.5%, industry 27.4%, services 66.9%
note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector
industries and services (2004)

Unemployment rate:
9.5% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
See individual country listings

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.2 (2003 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
percent of GDP - 19.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes, dairy products,
cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish

Industries:
among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the
European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous
metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal,
cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation
equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction
equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power
equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems,
electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and
beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
2.888 trillion kWh (2002 est.)

Electricity - consumption:
2.661 trillion kWh (2002 est.)

Electricity - exports:
270.8 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
268.5 billion kWh (2002 est.)

Oil - production:
2.648 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - consumption:
14.54 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - exports:
5.322 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
15.69 million bbl/day (2001)

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

Natural gas - production:
242.6 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - consumption:
467.7 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - exports:
78.1 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - imports:
297.8 billion cu m (2001)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.256 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$NA

Exports:
$1.109 trillion
note: external exports, excluding intra EU trade (2003)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and
other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp
and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic
beverages.

Exports - partners:
US 22.9%, Switzerland 6.9%, China 4.1%, Japan 4%

Imports:
$1.123 trillion
note: external imports, excluding intra-EU trade (2003)

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

Imports - partners:
US 15.1%, China 9.7%, Japan 6.7%, Switzerland 5.6%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA

Currency (code):
euro, British pound, Danish kroner, Swedish kroner, Cypriot pound,
koruny (Czech Republic), krooni (Estonia), forint (Hungary), lati
(Latvia), litai (Lithuania), Maltese liri, zloty (Poland), koruny
(Slovakia), tolar (Slovenia)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.81 (2004), 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12
(2001), 1.09 (2000)

Fiscal year:
NA

Communications European Union

Telephones - main lines in use:
238,763,162 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
314,644,700 (2002)

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

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of individual
country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide
station (Euroradio)

Television broadcast stations:
2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of individual
country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide
station (Eurovision)

Internet country code:
.eu (effective 2005); note - see country entries of member states
for individual country codes

Internet hosts:
22,000,414 (2004); note - sum of individual country Internet hosts

Internet users:
206,032,067 (September 2004)

Transportation European Union

Railways:
total: 222,293 km
broad gauge: 28,438 km
standard gauge: 186,405 km
narrow gauge: 7,427 km
other: 23 km (2003)

Highways:
total: 4,634,810 km (including 56,704 km of expressways)
paved: 4,161,318 km
unpaved: 473,492 km (1999-2000)

Waterways:
53,512 km

Ports and harbors:
Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Bremen (Germany), Copenhagen
(Denmark), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland),
Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon
(Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy),
Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam
(Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia)

Airports:
3,130 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1,834

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,296

Heliports:
94 (2004)

Military European Union

Military - note:
In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a
"Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" that offers
possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and
security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some
two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European
Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty.
Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a
European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is
creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid
system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany,
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for
wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by
France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already
deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and
assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands
the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command
Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in
December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command
- committments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU
session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in
2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with
promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began
operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally
committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end
of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis.
Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops.
France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups
in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and
Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to
include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by
2007. (2005)

Transnational Issues European Union

Disputes - international:
the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries; it has
set up a Schengen area - consisting of 13 EU member states that have
signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and
1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of
border controls in Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became
incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty
of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states
Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included
in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the
total current membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland
(since 2002) take part in some aspects of the Schengen area,
especially with respect to police and criminal matters; the 10 new
member states that joined the EU in 2004 eventually are expected to
participate in Schengen, following a transition period to upgrade
their border controls and procedures

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Introduction Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Background:
Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first
landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in
1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until
1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the
islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first
between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The
UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval
garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April
1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed
seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine
surrender on 14 June 1982.

Geography Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

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

Geographic coordinates:
51 45 S, 59 00 W

Map references:
South America

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,288 km

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

Climate:
cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on
more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches
in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and
February, but does not accumulate

Terrain:
rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m

Natural resources:
fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
strong winds persist throughout the year

Environment - current issues:
overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were
introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is
the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the
Chornobyl disaster

Geography - note:
deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing
season

People Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Population:
2,967 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.44% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island

Ethnic groups:
British

Religions:
primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist
Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist

Languages:
English

Government Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Stanley

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution:
3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998

Legal system:
English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002);
Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March 2003); Financial
Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA)
cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative
Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial
secretary), and the governor
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected
by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by
the governor
elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held November 2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8;
note - 71% voter turnout

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court
(senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions);
Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ICFTU, UPU

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

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

Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the
flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once
the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose
crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the
motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Economy Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Economy - overview:
The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep
farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic
activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to
foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing
zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which
goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system.
Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports
domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature
shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage
stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for
defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil
exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic
surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000
barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An
agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse
licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign
interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially
eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in
2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the
government has in the bank. The British military presence also
provides a sizeable economic boost.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$75 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.)

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

Labor force:
1,100 (est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
full employment; labor shortage (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (1998)

Budget:
revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2
million (FY98/99 est.)

Agriculture - products:
fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products

Industries:
fish and wool processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
19.06 million kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
17.72 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption:
200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$82 million (2002)

Exports - commodities:
wool, hides, meat

Exports - partners:
Spain 77.4%, UK 9.4%, US 4.9% (2004)

Imports:
$53 million (2002)

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

Imports - partners:
UK 63.2%, Spain 30.3%, France 3.6% (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

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

Currency (code):
Falkland pound (FKP)

Currency code:
FKP

Exchange rates:
Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003),
0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
points on both islands
international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other
countries

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
1,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)

Televisions:
1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.fk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
NA; however one-half of all households are reported to have
internet access (2002)

Transportation Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Highways:
total: 440 km
paved: 50 km
unpaved: 390 km (2002)

Ports and harbors:
Stanley

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
5 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Military Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Military branches:
no regular military forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

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

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Faroe Islands

Introduction Faroe Islands

Background:
The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from
Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have
been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high
degree of self-government was attained in 1948.

Geography Faroe Islands

Location:
Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to
Norway

Geographic coordinates:
62 00 N, 7 00 W

Map references:
Europe

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

Area - comparative:
eight times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,117 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Climate:
mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Terrain:
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Natural resources:
fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Land use:
arable land: 2.14%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.86% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and
a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea
lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits
habitation to small coastal lowlands

People Faroe Islands

Population:
46,962 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.3% (male 4,997/female 4,999)
15-64 years: 64.9% (male 16,120/female 14,360)
65 years and over: 13.8% (male 2,923/female 3,563) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 35.11 years
male: 34.64 years
female: 35.68 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.62% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
13.97 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.21 years
male: 75.77 years
female: 82.67 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese

Ethnic groups:
Scandinavian

Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran

Languages:
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
note: probably the same as Denmark proper

Government Faroe Islands

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

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

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Torshavn

Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 49 municipalities

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

National holiday:
Olaifest (Olavasoka), 29 July

Constitution:
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system:
Danish

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal