Chapter LII: Front Matter (52)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1
September 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August
2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004);
Minister Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime
Ministers Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004) and Tony TAN
Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; last
appointed 17 August 2005 (next election to be held by August 2011);
following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader
of majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by
president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN appointed president
in August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified
three other would-be candidates

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine
nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest
to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member
elections: last held 3 November 2001 (next to be held not later than
25 June 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 75.3% (in contested
constituencies), other 24.7%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SPP 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the
advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the
president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders:
governing party: People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong];
opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [LING How
Dong]; National Solidarity Party or NSP [vacant] (SDA group);
Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong] (includes SPP,
PKMS, NSP, SJP); Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan];
Singapore Justice Party or SJP [Desmond LIM] (SDA group); Singapore
National Malay Organization or PKMS [Malik ISMAIL] (SDA group);
Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong] (SDA group);
Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia Lim Swee LIAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100
FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin L. LAVIN
embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001
telephone: [65] 6476-9100
FAX: [65] 6476-9340

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist
side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed
portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white
five-pointed stars arranged in a circle

Economy Singapore

Economy - overview:
Singapore, a highly developed and successful free market economy,
enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable
prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the Big 4 West
European countries. The economy depends heavily on exports,
particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in
2001-03 by the global recession, by the slump in the technology
sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in
2003, which curbed tourism and consumer spending. The government
hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to
the external business cycle and will continue efforts to establish
Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. Fiscal
stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal
flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004, with real GDP rising by
8 percent, by far the economy's best performance since 2000.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$120.9 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
8.1% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $27,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0% negligible
industry: 32.6%
services: 67.4% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
2.18 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and
communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 49%,
other 16% (2003)

Unemployment rate:
3.4% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
27.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $17.05 billion
expenditures: $18.45 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.8
billion (2004 est.)

Public debt:
102.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables, poultry, eggs, fish,
ornamental fish

Industries:
electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment,
petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed
food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction,
life sciences, entrepot trade

Industrial production growth rate:
11.1% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
35.33 billion kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
32 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
700,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

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

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

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

Natural gas - imports:
2.5 billion cu m
note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2001 est.)

Current account balance:
$8.8 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$174 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods,
chemicals, mineral fuels

Exports - partners:
Malaysia 15.2%, US 13%, Hong Kong 9.8%, China 8.6%, Japan 6.4%,
Taiwan 4.6%, Thailand 4.3%, South Korea 4.1% (2004)

Imports:
$155.2 billion (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Malaysia 15.3%, US 12.7%, Japan 11.7%, China 9.9%, Taiwan 5.7%,
South Korea 4.3%, Thailand 4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$112.8 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$19.4 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency (code):
Singapore dollar (SGD)

Currency code:
SGD

Exchange rates:
Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003),
1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Singapore

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,896,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,521,800 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities
international: country code - 65; submarine cables to Malaysia
(Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific
Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003)

Radios:
2.6 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (2003)

Televisions:
1.33 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sg

Internet hosts:
484,825 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)

Internet users:
2.31 million (2002)

Transportation Singapore

Highways:
total: 3,130 km
paved: 3,130 km (including 150 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2002)

Pipelines:
gas 139 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Singapore

Merchant marine:
total: 923 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 23,065,290 GRT/36,393,317 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 138, cargo 86, chemical tanker 115,
combination ore/oil 5, container 180, liquefied gas 42, livestock
carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 316, refrigerated
cargo 3, vehicle carrier 36
foreign-owned: 487 (Australia 5, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 10, China 15,
Denmark 34, Germany 7, Greece 5, Hong Kong 43, India 3, Indonesia
54, Japan 83, Malaysia 31, Norway 83, Philippines 3, Russia 1,
Slovenia 1, South Korea 12, Sweden 12, Taiwan 44, Thailand 17, UAE
6, United Kingdom 12, United States 5)
registered in other countries: 276 (2005)

Airports:
10 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Singapore

Military branches:
Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age
for volunteers; conscript service obligation reduced to 24 months
beginning December 2004 (December 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,215,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 982,368 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.47 billion (FY01 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.9% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Singapore

Disputes - international:
disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to
Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge
construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau
Batu Putih - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute
within three years; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 to
finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining
unresolved areas north of Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in
the Malacca Strait

Illicit drugs:
as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is
vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, to be used as a
transit point for Golden Triangle heroin and as a venue for money
laundering

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Slovakia

Introduction Slovakia

Background:
In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form
Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia
became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet
influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became
free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1
January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of
2004.

Geography Slovakia

Location:
Central Europe, south of Poland

Geographic coordinates:
48 40 N, 19 30 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 48,845 sq km
land: 48,800 sq km
water: 45 sq km

Area - comparative:
about twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries:
total: 1,524 km
border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677
km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain:
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in
the south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m
highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

Natural resources:
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and
manganese ore; salt; arable land

Land use:
arable land: 30.16%
permanent crops: 2.62%
other: 67.22% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,740 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health
risks; acid rain damaging forests

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the
Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes
and valleys

People Slovakia

Population:
5,431,363 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 475,263/female 453,340)
15-64 years: 71% (male 1,919,222/female 1,939,097)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 241,610/female 402,831) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 35.43 years
male: 33.85 years
female: 37.25 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.15% (2005 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.5 years
male: 70.52 years
female: 78.68 years (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Slovak(s)
adjective: Slovak

Ethnic groups:
Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%,
other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other
or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census)

Languages:
Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%,
other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2001 est.)

Government Slovakia

Country name:
conventional long form: Slovak Republic
conventional short form: Slovakia
local long form: Slovenska Republika
local short form: Slovensko

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Bratislava

Administrative divisions:
8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky,
Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky

Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

Constitution:
ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993; changed in
September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended
February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership

Legal system:
civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the
obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30
October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Ivan MIKLOS (since 30 October
1998); Deputy Prime Minister Pal CSAKY (since 30 October 1998);
Deputy Prime Minister Pavol RUSKO (since May 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a five-year
term; election last held 3 April and 17 April 2004 (next to be held
April 2009); following National Council elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the president
election results: Ivan GASPAROVIC elected president in runoff;
percent of vote - Ivan GASPAROVIC 59.9%, Vladimir MECIAR 40.1%;
Mikulas DZURINDA reelected prime minister October 2002
note: government coalition - SDKU, SMK, KDH, ANO

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada
Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of
proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20-21 September 2002 (next to be held September
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS-LS 19.5%, SDKU
15.1%, Smer 13.5%, SMK 11.2%, KDH 8.3%, ANO 8%, KSS 6.3%; seats by
party - governing coalition 69 (SDKU 22, SMK 20, KDH 15, ANO 12),
opposition 81 (HZDS 26, Smer 25, KSS 9, Free Forum 6, People's Union
5, and independents 10)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council);
Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of
nominees approved by the National Council)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Direction
(Smer) [Robert FICO]; Free Forum [Zuzana MARTINAKOVA]; Movement for
Democracy or HZD [Jozef GRAPA]; Movement for a Democratic
Slovakia-People's Party or HZDS-LS [Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens
Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or
SMK [Bela BUGAR]; People's Union or LU [Gustav KRAJCI]; Slovak
Communist Party or KSS [Jozef SEVC]; Slovak Democratic and Christian
Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS
[Peter SULOVSKY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and
Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal
Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG

International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new
member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER
chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott N.
THAYER
embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava
telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338
FAX: [421] (2) 5443-0096

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist
side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

Economy Slovakia

Economy - overview:
Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a
centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA
government made excellent progress during 2001-04 in macroeconomic
stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly
complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands,
and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom
with business-friendly policies, such as labor market liberalization
and a 19% flat tax. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations
in 2001-04, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at
an unacceptable 15% in 2003-04, remains the economy's Achilles heel.
Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$78.89 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 30.1%
services: 66.4% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
2.2 million (3rd quarter, 2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9%
(2003)

Unemployment rate:
13.1% (31 December 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 5.1%
highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.3 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.5% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
24% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $15.44 billion
expenditures: $16.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
46.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry;
forest products

Industries:
metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas,
coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery;
paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles;
textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products

Industrial production growth rate:
5.1% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
31.15 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 30.3%
hydro: 16%
nuclear: 53.6%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
28.89 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
8 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
6 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
82,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

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

Natural gas - production:
190 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.8 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
6.6 billion cu m (2003 est.)

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

Current account balance:
$-1.4 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$29.24 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
vehicles 25.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 21.3%, base
metals 14.6%, chemicals and minerals 10.1%, plastics 5.4%% (2004
est.)

Exports - partners:
Germany 34.4%, Czech Republic 14.7%, Austria 8.2%, Italy 5.8%,
Poland 5.3%, US 4.5%, Hungary 4.3% (2004)

Imports:
$29.67 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 41.1%, intermediate manufactured
goods 19.3%, fuels 12.3%, chemicals 9.8%, miscellaneous manufactured
goods 10.2% (2003)

Imports - partners:
Germany 26.1%, Czech Republic 21.3%, Russia 9.1%, Austria 6.6%,
Poland 4.9%, Italy 4.9% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$14.91 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$19.54 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.2 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion
funds (2004-06)

Currency (code):
Slovak koruna (SKK)

Currency code:
SKK

Exchange rates:
koruny per US dollar - 32.257 (2004), 36.773 (2003), 45.327 (2002),
48.355 (2001), 46.035 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Slovakia

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,294,700 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,678,800 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: a modernization and privatization program is
increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing the waiting
time for new subscribers, and generally improving service quality
domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving
digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,
especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been
added
international: country code - 421; three international exchanges
(one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available;
Slovakia is participating in several international
telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of
external services

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
3.12 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 national broadcasting, 7 regional, 67 local (2004)

Televisions:
2.62 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sk

Internet hosts:
89,592 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
1,375,800 (2003)

Transportation Slovakia

Railways:
total: 3,662 km
broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2004)

Highways:
total: 42,970 km
paved: 37,698 km (including 302 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,272 km (2002)

Waterways:
172 km (on Danube River) (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 6,769 km; oil 449 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bratislava, Komarno

Merchant marine:
total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 41,891 GRT/63,185 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 18, chemical tanker 1
foreign-owned: 18 (Bulgaria 8, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Syria 1, Turkey
6, United Kingdom 1) (2005)

Airports:
34 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
1 (2004 est.)

Military Slovakia

Military branches:
Army of the Slovak Republic (Armady Slovenskej Republika): Land
Command, Air Forces (Vozdushne Sily), Training and Support Command,
Logistics Command (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force is
planned for 1 January 2007; 82% of Slovak armed forces were
volunteers as of January 2005; volunteers include women, with
minimum age of 17 years; 18 years of age for compulsory military
service (January 2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,351,848 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,089,645 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 41,544 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$406 million (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.89% (2002)

Transnational Issues Slovakia

Disputes - international:
Hungary amended its status law extending special social and
cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, to which
Slovakia had protested; consultations continue between Slovakia and
Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion of the
Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a
member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovakia
must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western
Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Slovenia

Introduction Slovenia

Background:
The Slovene lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria
until 1918 when the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming
a new multinational state, renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World
War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which
though Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied
with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes
succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short
10-day war. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and
a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a
modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring
of 2004.

Geography Slovenia

Location:
Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between
Austria and Croatia

Geographic coordinates:
46 07 N, 14 49 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 20,273 sq km
land: 20,151 sq km
water: 122 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 1,334 km
border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km,
Hungary 102 km

Coastline:
46.6 km

Maritime claims:
NA

Climate:
Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild
to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the
east

Terrain:
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region
adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with
numerous rivers to the east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Triglav 2,864 m

Natural resources:
lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower,
forests

Land use:
arable land: 8.6%
permanent crops: 1.49%
other: 89.91% (2001)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding and earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution
of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest
damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical
and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some
of Europe's major transit routes

People Slovenia

Population:
2,011,070 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14% (male 145,016/female 137,012)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 715,629/female 704,079)
65 years and over: 15.4% (male 118,298/female 191,036) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.23 years
male: 38.65 years
female: 41.75 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.03% (2005 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.14 years
male: 72.42 years
female: 80.1 years (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
280 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Slovene(s)
adjective: Slovenian

Ethnic groups:
Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or
unspecified 12% (2002 census)

Religions:
Catholic 57.8%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 2.4%,
unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census)

Languages:
Slovenian 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4%
(2002 census)

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

Government Slovenia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia
conventional short form: Slovenia
local long form: Republika Slovenija
local short form: Slovenija
former: People's Republic of Slovenia, Socialist Republic of Slovenia

Government type:
parliamentary democratic republic

Capital:
Ljubljana

Administrative divisions:
182 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban
municipalities* (mestne obcine , singular - mestna obcina )
Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled, Bloke,
Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Braslovce, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica,
Cankova, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno,
Cerkvenjak, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik, Divaca,
Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec,
Dobrovnik-Dobronak, Dolenjske Toplice, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale,
Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja
Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Grosuplje, Hajdina,
Hoce-Slivnica, Hodos-Hodos, Horjul, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina,
Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola-Isola, Jesenice,
Jezersko, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje,
Kocevje, Komen, Komenda, Koper-Capodistria*, Kostel, Kozje, Kranj*,
Kranjska Gora, Krizevci, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart,
Lendava-Lendva, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska
Dolina, Loski Potok, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk,
Maribor*, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na
Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Moravce,
Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje,
Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica,
Pesnica, Piran-Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka,
Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Ptuj*, Puconci,
Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na
Koroskem, Razkrizje, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogasovci, Rogaska
Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Salovci, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic,
Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju,
Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*,
Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob
Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sostanj, Starse,
Store, Sveta Ana, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij,
Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic,
Trzin, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej,
Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica,
Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica,
Zuzemberk, Zrece
note: there may be 45 more municipalities

Independence:
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday:
Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

Constitution:
adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Janez DRNOVSEK (since 22 December 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Janez JANSA (since 9 November
2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
elected by the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 10 November and 1 December 2002 (next to be held
in the fall of 2007); following National Assembly elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
is usually nominated to become prime minister by the president and
elected by the National Assembly; election last held 9 November 2004
(next National Assembly elections to be held October 2008)
election results: Janez DRNOVSEK elected president; percent of vote
- Janez DRNOVSEK 56.5%, Barbara BREZIGAR 43.5%; Janez JANSA elected
prime minister; National Assembly vote - 57 to 27

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consisting of a National Assembly or Drzavni
Zbor (90 seats; 40 are directly elected and 50 are selected on a
proportional basis; note - the numbers of directly elected and
proportionally elected seats varies with each election; members are
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the National
Council or Drzavni Svet (this is primarily an advisory body
organized on corporatist principles with limited legislative powers;
it may propose laws, ask to review any National Assembly decisions,
and call national referenda; members are indirectly elected to
five-year terms by an electoral college)
elections: National Assembly - last held 3 October 2004 (next to be
held October 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - SDS 29.1%, LDS 22.8%,
ZLSD 10.2%, NSi 9%, SLS 6.8%, SNS 6.3%, DeSUS 4.1%, other 11.7%;
seats by party - SDS 29, LDS 23, ZLSD 10, NSi 9, SLS 7, SNS 6, DeSUS
4, Hungarian and Italian minorities 1 each

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly on the
recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court
(judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and
nominated by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Retired (Persons) of Slovenia or DeSUS [Anton
ROUS]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Anton ROP]; New Slovenia or
NSi [Andrej BAJUK]; Slovene Democratic Party or SDS [Janez JANSA];
Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC]; Slovene People's
Party or SLS [Janez PODOBNIK]; Slovene Youth Party or SMS [Darko
KRANJC]; United List of Social Democrats or ZLSD [Borut PAHOR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member),
FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest),
NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ZBOGAR
chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 667-5363
FAX: [1] (202) 667-4563
consulate(s) general: New York and Cleveland

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas B. ROBERTSON
embassy: Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana
mailing address: American Embassy Ljubljana, Department of State,
7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140
telephone: [386] (1) 200-5500
FAX: [386] (1) 200-5555

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, with
the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's
highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center;
beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and
above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted
triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of
Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early
15th centuries); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the
flag centered in the white and blue bands

Economy Slovenia

Economy - overview:
Slovenia, with its historical ties to Western Europe, enjoys a GDP
per capita substantially higher than that of the other transitioning
economies of Central Europe. In March 2004, Slovenia became the
first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor
partner at the World Bank. Privatization of the economy proceeded at
an accelerated pace in 2002-04. Despite lackluster performance in
Europe in 2001-04, Slovenia maintained moderate growth. Structural
reforms to improve the business environment have allowed for greater
foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and have helped to lower
unemployment. Further measures to curb inflation are still needed.
Corruption and the high degree of coordination between government,
business, and central bank policy were issues of concern in the
run-up to Slovenia's 1 May 2004 accession to the European Union. In
mid-2004 Slovenia agreed to adopt the euro by 2007 and, therefore,
must keep its debt levels, budget deficits, interest rates, and
inflation levels within the EU's Maastrict criteria.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$39.41 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.9% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 36%
services: 60% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
870,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 6%, industry 40%, services 55% (2002)

Unemployment rate:
6.4% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 23% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
24.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $13.36 billion
expenditures: $13.99 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
31.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep,
poultry

Industries:
ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting,
electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power
equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools

Industrial production growth rate:
3.9% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
12.49 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 35.2%
hydro: 27.3%
nuclear: 36.8%
other: 0.7% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
11.8 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
7.448 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
5.194 billion kWh (2002)

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

Oil - consumption:
53,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-51.64 million (2004 est.)

Exports:
$14.97 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,
food

Exports - partners:
Germany 18.3%, Italy 11.6%, Austria 11.5%, France 7.4%, Croatia
7.4%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.8% (2004)

Imports:
$16.07 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals,
fuels and lubricants, food

Imports - partners:
Germany 19.9%, Italy 17%, Austria 14.9%, France 10.2% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$8.493 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$14.65 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $62 million (2000 est.)

Currency (code):
tolar (SIT)

Currency code:
SIT

Exchange rates:
tolars per US dollar - 192.38 (2004), 207.11 (2003), 240.25 (2002),
242.75 (2001), 222.66 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Slovenia

Telephones - main lines in use:
812,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,739,100 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: 100% digital (2000)
international: country code - 386

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17, FM 160, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
805,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
48 (2001)

Televisions:
710,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.si

Internet hosts:
45,491 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)

Internet users:
750,000 (2002)

Transportation Slovenia

Railways:
total: 1,201 km
standard gauge: 1,201 km 1.435-m gauge (499 km electrified) (2004)

Highways:
total: 20,250 km
paved: 20,250 km (including 456 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2002)

Pipelines:
gas 2,526 km; oil 11 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Koper

Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 23

Airports:
14 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)

Military Slovenia

Military branches:
Slovenian Army (includes Air and Naval Forces)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in 2003 (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 496,929 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 405,593 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 12,816 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$370 million (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Slovenia

Disputes - international:
the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which
would have ceded most of Piran Bay and maritime access to Slovenia
and several villages to Croatia, remains unratified and in dispute;
as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border,
Slovenia must implement the strict Schengen border rules to curb
illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while
encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia

Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound
for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Solomon Islands

Introduction Solomon Islands

Background:
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the
1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on
these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence
two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and
endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June
2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of
Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an
Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and
disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the
Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been very effective in restoring law and
order and rebuilding government institutions.

Geography Solomon Islands

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua
New Guinea

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 159 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
water: 910 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
5,313 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Natural resources:
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Land use:
arable land: 0.64%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 97.36% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with
frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs
are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean,
the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea

People Solomon Islands

Population:
538,032 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.9% (male 114,860/female 110,404)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 149,400/female 145,970)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,371/female 9,027) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.63 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 18.76 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.68% (2005 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.66 years
male: 70.16 years
female: 75.28 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.04 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: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%,
unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)

Religions:
Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas
Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%,
Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%,
unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)

Languages:
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English
is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population
note: 120 indigenous languages

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Solomon Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Honiara

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul,
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona,
Temotu, Western

Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution:
7 July 1978

Legal system:
English common law, which is widely disregarded

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17
December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December
2001)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members
of Parliament
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five
years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime
minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from
single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than
December 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP
20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents
18

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party
or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh
Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or
SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP
[Joses TUHANUKU]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid
coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925

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

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

Government - note:
June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan 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. By
the end of 2004 the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon
Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 302 police officers and 120
military in addition to civilian technical advisors.

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. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the
Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key
businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic
collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period
of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$800 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.)

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

Labor force:
26,840 (1999)

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

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million, including capital expenditures of $0
(2003)

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 (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
29.76 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$74 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
China 27.8%, South Korea 17.1%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%,
Philippines 4.8% (2004)

Imports:
$67 million f.o.b. (2003)

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

Imports - partners:
Australia 24.6%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 7.7%, Fiji 4.8%,
Papua New Guinea 4.7% (2004)

Debt - external:
$180.4 million (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.)

Currency (code):
Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)

Currency code:
SBD

Exchange rates:
Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059
(2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000)

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 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)

Radios:
57,000 (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:
Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Airports:
33 (2004 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; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Solomon Islands

Disputes - international:
Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to
the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon
Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and
reinforce regional security

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Somalia

Introduction Somalia

Background:
The regime of Mohamed SIAD Barre 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
land: 627,337 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline:
3,025 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate:
principally desert; 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%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 98.29% (2001)

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:
8,591,629
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 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.5% (male 1,918,209/female 1,905,974)
15-64 years: 52.9% (male 2,278,406/female 2,263,602)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 96,256/female 129,182) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.59 years
male: 17.53 years
female: 17.65 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.38% (2005 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 116.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 126.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 107.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 48.09 years
male: 46.36 years
female: 49.87 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.84 children born/woman (2005 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:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali