Chapter LIV: Front Matter (54)

Environment - current issues:
air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water
pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows
into the Danube

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey
and the Near East

People Serbia

Population:
9,396,411 (2002 census)

Median age:
total: 40.4 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 41.7 years

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74 years
male: 71 years
female: 76 years

Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Serb(s)
adjective: Serbian

Ethnic groups:
Serb 66%, Albanian 17%, Hungarian 3.5%, other 13.5% (1991)

Religions:
Serbian Orthodox, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages:
Serbian (official nationwide); Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak,
Ukrainian, and Croatian (all official in Vojvodina); Albanian
(official in Kosovo)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.4%
male: 98.9%
female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

Government Serbia

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Belgrade
geographic coordinates: 44 50 N, 20 30 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
190 municipalites (opcinas, singular - opcina)
Serbia Proper: Beograd: Barajevo, Cukavica, Grocka, Lazarevac,
Mladnovac, Novi Beograd, Obrenovac, Palilula, Rakovica, Savski
Venac, Sopot, Stari Grad, Surcin, Vozdovac, Vracar, Zemun, Zrezdara
Borski Okrug: Bor, Kladovo, Majdanpek, Negotin; Branicevski Okrug:
Golubac, Kucevo, Malo Crnice, Petrovac, Pozarevac, Veliko Gradiste,
Zabari, Zagubica Jablanicki Okrug: Bojnik, Crna Trava, Lebane,
Leskovac, Medvedja, Vlasotince; Kolubarski Okrug: Lajkovac, Ljig,
Mionica, Osecina, Ub, Valjevo; Macvanski Okrug: Bogotic, Koceljeva,
Krupanj, Ljubovija, Loznica, Malizvornik, Sabac, Vladimirci;
Moravicki Okrug: Cacak, Gornkji Milanovac, Ivanjica, Lucani;
Nisavski Okrug: Aleksinac, Doljevac, Gadzin Han, Merosina, Nis,
Razanj, Svrljig; Pcinjski Okrug: Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Presevo,
Surdulica, Trgoviste, Vladcin Han, Vranje; Pirotski Okrug:
Babusnica, Bela Palanka, Dimitrovgrad, Pirot; Podunavski Okrug:
Smederevo, Smederevskia Palanka, Velika Plana; Pomoravaki Okrug:
Cuprija, Despotovac, Jagodina, Paracin, Rckovac, Svilajnac; Rasinski
Okrug: Aleksandrovac, Brus, Cicevac, Krusevac, Trstenik, Varvarin;
Raski Okrug: Kraljevo, Novi Pazar, Raska, Tutin, Vrnjacka Banja;
Sumadijski Okrug: Arandjelovac, Batocina, Knic, Kragujevac, Lapovo,
Raca, Topola; Toplicki Okrug: Blace, Kursumlija, Prokuplje,
Zitoradja; Zajocarski Okrug: Boljevac, Knjazevac, Sokobanja,
Zalecar; Zlatiborski Okrug: Arilje, Bajina Basta, Cejetina,
Kosjevic, Nova Varos, Pozega, Priboj, Prijepolje, Sjenica, Uzice;
Vojvodina Autonomous Province: Juzno-Backi Okrug: Backi Petrovac,
Beocin, Novi Sad, Sremski Karlovci, Temerin, Titel, Zabalj; Juzno
Banatski Okrug: Alibunar, Bela Crkva, Kovacica, Kovin, Opovo,
Pancevo, Plandiste, Vrsac; Severno-Backi Okrug: Bacha Topola, Mali
Idjos, Subotica; Severno-Banatski Okrug: Ada, Coka, Kanjiza,
Kikinda, Novi Knezevac, Senta Srednjo-Banatski Okrug: Nova Crnja,
Novi Becej, Secanj, Zitiste, Zrenjanin; Sremski Okrug: Indjija,
Irig, Pecinci, Ruma, Sid, Sremska Mitrovica, Stara Pazova;
Zapadno-Backi Okrug: Apatin, Kula, Odzaci, Sombor
Kosovo and Metojia Autonomous Province: Kosovaki Okrug: Glogovac,
Kacanik, Kosovo Polje, Lipljan, Obilic, Podujevo, Pristina, Stimlje,
Strpce, Urosevac; Kosovsko-Mitrovacki Okrug: Kosovska Mitrovica,
Leposavic, Srbica, Vucitrn, Zubin Potok, Zvecan; Kosovsko-Pomoravski
Okrug: Gnjilane, Kosovska Kamenica, Novo Brdo, Vitina; Pecki Okrug:
Decani, Djakovica, Istok, Klina, Pec; Prizrenski Okrug: Gora i
Opolje, Orahovac, Prizren, Suva Reka

Independence:
5 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro)

National holiday:
National Day, 15 February

Constitution:
10 November 2006

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Boris TADIC (since 11 July 2004); Kosovo
- President Fatmir SEJDIU (since 10 February 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Vojislav KOSTUNICA (since 3 March
2004) - in an acting capacity pending formation of new government
following January 2007 elections; Kosovo - Prime Minister Agim CEKU
(since 10 March 2006)
cabinet: Federal Ministries act as cabinet; Kosovo - ministry heads
act as cabinet; some ministry functions are controlled by the UNMIK
elections: president elected by direct vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 27 June 2004 (next
to be held in 2007 due to constitutional changes); prime minister
elected by the Assembly; Kosovo - president is elected by the
Assembly for a three-year term; prime minister and proposed cabinet
are elected by the Assembly
election results: Boris TADIC elected president in the second round
of voting; Boris TADIC received 53% of the vote

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (250 deputies elected by direct vote
for a four-year term); Kosovo - unicameral Assembly (120 deputies -
100 deputies elected by direct vote and 20 deputies from minority
community members; elected for a three-year term)
elections: last held 21 January 2007 (next to be held 2017); Kosovo
- last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held in 2007)
election results: SRS 81, DSS 64, DSS-NS 47, G17 Plus 19, SPS 16,
LDP Coaliton 15, SVM 3, KZS 2, URS 1, KAPD 1, RP 1; Kosovo - LDK 46,
PDK 30, AAK 9, SLKM 8, Ora 7, Bosniak Vakat coalition 4, KDTP 3,
other 13

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (to become court of cassation
under new constitution), appellate courts, district courts,
municipal courts; Kosovo: Supreme Court, district courts, municipal
courts, minor offense courts; note - Ministry of Justice was created
on 20 December 2004; UNMIK appoints all judges and prosecutors;
UNMIK is working on transferring competencies

Political parties and leaders:
Coalition of Albanians of the Presevo Valley or KAPD [Riza HALIMI];
Coalition for Sandzak or KZS [Sulejman UGLJANIN]; Democratic Party
of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA]; Democratic Party or DS [Boris
TADIC]; G17 Plus [Mladjan DINKIC]; League of Vojvodina Hungarians or
SVM [Jozsef KASZA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Cedomir
JOVANOVIC]; New Serbia or NS [Velimir ILIC]; Roma Party or RP
[Srdjan SAJN]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Vojislav SESELJ
(currently on trial at The Hague), but Tomislav NIKOLIC is acting
leader]; Socialist Party of Serbia or SPS [Ivica DACIC]; Union of
Roma of Serbia or URS [Rajko DJURIC]; Kosovo Albanian Christian
Democatic Party or PShDK [Mark KRASNIQI]; Alliance for the Future of
Kosovo or AAK [Rmuch HARADINAJ]; Citizens' Initiative of Gora or GIG
[Rustem IBISI]; Democratic Ashkali Party of Kosovo or PDAK [Sabit
RRAHMANI]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Fatmir SEJDIU];
Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Justice Party or
PD [Sylejman CERKEZI]; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party of KDTP
[Mahir YAGCILAR]; Liberal Party of Kosovo or PLK [Gjergi DEDAJ]; New
Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [Xhevdet NEZIRAJ]; Ora
Citizens' List or Ora [Veton SURROI]; Party of Democratic Action or
SDA [Numan BALIC]; Popular Movement of Kosovo or LPK [Emrush
XHEMAJLI]; Serb List for Kosovo and Metohija or SLKM [Oliver
IVANOVIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS KiM [Slavisa PETKOVIC];
United Roma Partty of Kosovo or PREBK [Zylfi MERXHA]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD (suspended), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM
(observer), OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP,
SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ivan VUJACIC
chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333
FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael C. POLT
embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade
mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070
telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344
FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230
note: there is a branch office in Pristina at 30 Nazim Hikmet 38000
Prstina, Kososvo; telephone: [381] (38) 549-516; FAX:[381] (38)
549-890

Flag description:
three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white;
charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the
hoist side

Economy Serbia

Economy - overview:
MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of
economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure
and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left the economy
only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of former
Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the Democratic
Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government implemented
stabilization measures and embarked on a market reform program.
After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000, a
down-sized Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the
international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World
Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June
2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic restructuring. In November
2001, the Paris Club agreed to reschedule the country's $4.5 billion
public debt and wrote off 66% of the debt. In July 2004, the London
Club of private creditors forgave $1.7 billion of debt, just over
half the total owed. Belgrade has made only minimal progress in
restructuring and privatizing its holdings in major sectors of the
economy, including energy and telecommunications. It has made
halting progress towards EU membership and is currently pursuing a
Stabilization and Association Agreement with Brussels. Serbia is
also pursuing membership in the World Trade Organization.
Unemployment remains an ongoing political and economic problem. The
Republic of Montenegro severed its economy from Serbia during the
MILOSEVIC era; therefore, the formal separation of Serbia and
Montenegro in June 2006 had little real impact on either economy.
Kosovo's economy continues to transition to a market-based system
and is largely dependent on the international community and the
diaspora for financial and technical assistance. The euro and the
Serbian dinar are both accepted currencies in Kosovo. While
maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU
and Kosovo's local provisional government to accelerate economic
growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment to help
Kosovo integrate into regional economic structures. The complexity
of Serbia and Kosovo's political and legal relationships has created
uncertainty over property rights and hindered the privatization of
state-owned assets in Kosovo. Most of Kosovo's population lives in
rural towns outside of the largest city, Pristina. Inefficient,
near-subsistence farming is common.
note: economic data for Serbia currently reflects information for
the former Serbia and Montenegro, unless otherwise noted; data for
Serbia alone will be added when available

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$44.83 billion for Serbia (including Kosovo) (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.19 billion for Serbia alone (excluding Kosovo) (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.9% for Serbia alone (excluding Kosovo) (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,400 for Serbia (including Kosovo) (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.6%
industry: 25.5%
services: 57.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
2.961 million for Serbia (including Kosovo) (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 46%
services: 24%
note: excluding Kosovo and Montenegro (2002)

Unemployment rate:
31.6%
note: unemployment is approximately 50% in Kosovo (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
30%
note: data covers the former Serbia and Montenegro (1999 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
14.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $11.45 billion
expenditures: $11.12 billion; including capital expenditures $NA;
note - figures are for Serbia and Montenegro; Serbian Statistical
Office indicates that for 2006 budget, Serbia will have revenues of
$7.08 billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
53.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, maize, sugar beets, sunflower, beef, pork, milk

Industries:
sugar, agricultural machinery, electrical and communication
equipment, paper and pulp, lead, transportation equipment

Industrial production growth rate:
1.4% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
33.87 billion kWh (excluding Kosovo and Montenegro) (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
NA

Electricity - exports:
12.05 billion kWh (excluding Kosovo; exported to Montenegro) (2004)

Electricity - imports:
11.23 billion kWh (excluding Kosovo; imports from Montenegro) (2004)

Oil - production:
14,660 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
85,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
2.1 billion cu m
note: includes Montenegro (2004)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
48.14 billion cu m (1 January 2005)

Current account balance:
$-2.451 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$4.553 billion (excluding Kosovo and Montenegro) (2005 est.)

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

Imports:
$10.58 billion (excluding Kosovo and Montenegro) (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.35 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$15.43 billion (including Montenegro) (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2 billion pledged in 2001 to Serbia and Montenegro (disbursements
to follow over several years; aid pledged by EU and US has been
placed on hold because of lack of cooperation by Serbia in handing
over General Ratko MLADIC to the criminal court in The Hague)

Currency (code):
Serbian Dinar (RSD)

Exchange rates:
Serbian dinars per US dollar - 58.6925

Communications Serbia

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,685,400 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.229 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network
has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999 war and
transition to a competitive market-based system; network was only
65% digitalized in 2005
domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring
states; GSM wireless service, available through two providers with
national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications
service limited to urban centers
international: country code - 381

Radio broadcast stations:
153 (2001)

Internet country code:
.rs; note - former ccTLD .yu will remain in service until the end
of 2006

Internet hosts:
NA

Internet users:
1.4 million (2006)

Transportation Serbia

Airports:
39 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Heliports:
4 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 3,177 km; oil 393 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 4,135 km
standard guage: 4,135 km 1.435-m guage (electrified 1,195 km) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 37,887 km
paved: 23,937 km
unpaved: 13,950 km (2002)

Waterways:
587 km - primarily on Danube and Sava rivers (2005)

Merchant marine:
note: see entry for Montenegro

Military Serbia

Military branches:
Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Serbian Land Forces
(Kopnene Vojska, KoV), Air Force and Air Defense Force
(Vozduhoplostvo i Protivozduhoplovna Odbrana, ViPO), naval force to
be determined (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
peacetime service obligation begins at age 17 and lasts until age
60 for men and 50 for women; under a state of war or impending war,
the obligation can begin at age 16 and be extended beyond 60 (2006)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$14.85 million

Transnational Issues Serbia

Disputes - international:
as the final status of the Serbian province of Kosovo approaches
resolution through the six-nation contact group, the several
thousand peacekeepers from the UN Interim Administration Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK) since 1999, continue to keep the peace between
Kosovar Albanians overwhelmingly supporting Kosovo independence and
the Serb minority in Kosovo and Serbian officials in Belgrade, who
oppose independence for the province; ethnic Albanians in Kosovo
oppose demarcation of the boundary with Macedonia based on the 2000
Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement; Serbia and
Montenegro delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and
Herzegovina, but sections with Serbia along the Drina River remain
in dispute

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 100,651 (Croatia), 46,951 (Bosnia and
Herzegovina)
IDPs: 228,000 (mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled Kosovo in 1999)
(2006)

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western
Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Seychelles

Introduction Seychelles

Background:
A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands
ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came
in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new
constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert
RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected in 2001, but stepped
down in 2004. Vice President James MICHEL took over the presidency
and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term.

Geography Seychelles

Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
4 35 S, 55 40 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 455 sq km
land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
491 km

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

Climate:
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon
(late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon
(March to May)

Terrain:
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others
are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

Natural resources:
fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use:
arable land: 2.17%
permanent crops: 13.04%
other: 84.79% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short
droughts possible

Environment - current issues:
water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

People Seychelles

Population:
81,541 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 10,667/female 10,440)
15-64 years: 68% (male 27,060/female 28,366)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,607/female 3,401) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.1 years
male: 27 years
female: 29.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.43% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
16.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.08 years
male: 66.69 years
female: 77.63 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

Ethnic groups:
mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab

Religions:
Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%,
other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian
1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)

Languages:
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2%
(2002 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9%
male: 91.4%
female: 92.3% (2003 est.)

Government Seychelles

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles
local long form: Republic of Seychelles
local short form: Seychelles

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Victoria
geographic coordinates: 4 38 S, 55 27 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse
Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau
Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe),
Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont
Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint
Louis, Takamaka

Independence:
29 June 1976 (from UK)

National holiday:
Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)

Constitution:
18 June 1993

Legal system:
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006
(next to be held in 2011)
election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent
of vote - James MICHEL (SPPF) 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 45.71%,
Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which
President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as
president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in
April 2004

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25
elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to
parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next to be held in December
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%,
DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are
appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; Seychelles
National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United
Opposition or UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF
[France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Roman Catholic Church; trade unions

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol,
IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
(observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jeremie BONNELAME
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to
Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles

Flag description:
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and
green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side

Economy Seychelles

Economy - overview:
Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean
archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old
near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector,
which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than
70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years
the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade
hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has
moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the
development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
Sharp drops illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in
1991-92 due largely to the Gulf War, and once again following the 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Growth slowed in
1998-2002, and fell in 2003, due to sluggish tourist and tuna
sectors, but resumed in 2004. Growth turned negative again in
2005-06. Tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of
foreign exchange have impaired short-term economic prospects. The
black-market value of the Seychelles rupee is half the official
exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency, the tourist
sector may remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations
such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$626 million (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$712 million (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 30.1%
services: 66.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
30,900 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 19%
services: 71% (1989)

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):
0.7% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
44.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $371.1 million
expenditures: $376 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
166.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca),
bananas; poultry; tuna

Industries:
fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut
fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
208 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
193.4 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
5,600 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-78.59 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$365.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products
(reexports)

Exports - partners:
UK 23%, Spain 19.8%, France 11.4%, Japan 9.7%, Italy 7.4%, Germany
5.8%, Netherlands 5.4% (2005)

Imports:
$570.6 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 15.2%, South Africa 13.9%, Spain 13.6%, France 7.2%,
Singapore 6.9%, Italy 5.7% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$44.78 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$616.7 million (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$16.4 million (1995)

Currency (code):
Seychelles rupee (SCR)

Currency code:
SCR

Exchange rates:
Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.5 (2006), 5.5 (2005), 5.5
(2004), 5.4007 (2003), 5.48 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Seychelles

Telephones - main lines in use:
21,400 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
57,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: effective system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the
archipelago
international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone
communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal
countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
42,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
11,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sc

Internet hosts:
72 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
20,000 (2005)

Transportation Seychelles

Airports:
15 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 458 km
paved: 440 km
unpaved: 18 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 69,777 GRT/113,501 DWT
by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4
foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Victoria

Military Seychelles

Military branches:
Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Navy Wing,
Air Wing), National Guard (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 21,612
females age 18-49: 22,459 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 16,122
females age 18-49: 18,777 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$14.85 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Seychelles

Disputes - international:
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago
(UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Sierra Leone

Introduction Sierra Leone

Background:
The government is slowly reestablishing its authority after the
1991 to 2002 civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths
and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third
of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December
2005, leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces,
but a new civilian UN office remains to support the government.
Mounting tensions related to planned 2007 elections, deteriorating
political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous
security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to
continuing progress in Sierra Leone's stability.

Geography Sierra Leone

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea
and Liberia

Geographic coordinates:
8 30 N, 11 30 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Coastline:
402 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter
dry season (December to April)

Terrain:
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland
plateau, mountains in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

Natural resources:
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Land use:
arable land: 7.95%
permanent crops: 1.05%
other: 91% (2005)

Irrigated land:
300 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to
February); sandstorms, dust storms

Environment - current issues:
rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting
of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn
agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion;
civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year,
making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa

People Sierra Leone

Population:
6,005,250 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,321,563/female 1,370,721)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,502/female 1,625,733)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 90,958/female 101,773) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.4 years
male: 17.1 years
female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.3% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
45.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
23.03 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly
returning (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 160.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 177.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 142.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 40.22 years
male: 38.05 years
female: 42.46 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
170,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2007)

Nationality:
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups:
20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%),
Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were
settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees
from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans,
Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Religions:
Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%

Languages:
English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende
(principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in
the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of
freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a
lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but
understood by 95%)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende,
Temne, or Arabic
total population: 29.6%
male: 39.8%
female: 20.5% (2000 est.)

Government Sierra Leone

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone
local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
local short form: Sierra Leone

Government type:
constitutional democracy

Capital:
name: Freetown
geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*

Independence:
27 April 1961 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution:
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times

Legal system:
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996,
reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March
1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the
approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible
to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 14 May 2002 (next
to be held 28 July 2007)
election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of
vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest Bai KOROMA (APC) 22.4%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12
filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held 28 July 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC
22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court

Political parties and leaders:
All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]; Peace and
Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman];
People's Movement for Democratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI];
Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Solomon BEREWA]; numerous others

Political pressure groups and leaders:
trade unions and student unions

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas N. HULL
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 515 000 or [232] (76) 515 000
FAX: [232] (22) 225471

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light
blue

Economy Sierra Leone

Economy - overview:
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous
inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial
mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and
social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social
disorders continue to hamper economic development. About two-thirds
of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture.
Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and
of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond
mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings,
accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of
the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the
continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential
to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government
revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth
Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce
inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a
revival of economic activity, such as the rehabilitation of bauxite
and rutile mining.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.38 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.233 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 49%
industry: 31%
services: 21% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
1.369 million (1981 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
68% (1989 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
62.9 (1989)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $351 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry,
cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Industries:
diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles,
cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship
repair

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
244 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
226.9 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
3.993 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
6,600 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports:
$185 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

Exports - partners:
Belgium 66%, Germany 13.4%, US 4.6% (2005)

Imports:
$531 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Germany 18.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.1%, UK 8.4%, US 6.8%, China 5.5%,
Netherlands 5.3% (2005)

Debt - external:
$1.61 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$297.4 million (2003 est.)

Currency (code):
leone (SLL)

Currency code:
SLL

Exchange rates:
leones per US dollar - 2,985.4 (2006), 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3
(2004), 2,347.9 (2003), 2,099 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sierra Leone

Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
113,200 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service
domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects
Freetown to Bo and Kenema
international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)

Radios:
1.12 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1999)

Televisions:
53,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sl

Internet hosts:
20 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2001)

Internet users:
10,000 (2005)

Transportation Sierra Leone

Airports:
10 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Heliports:
2 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 11,300 km
paved: 904 km
unpaved: 10,396 km (2002)

Waterways:
800 km (600 km year round) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 54 ships (1000 GRT or over) 185,037 GRT/249,996 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, combination
ore/oil 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 14 (China 2, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Russia 1, Syria 1,
UAE 3, Ukraine 4, US 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands

Military Sierra Leone

Military branches:
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air
Wing, Maritime Wing)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,086,091 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 539,697 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$14.25 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Sierra Leone

Disputes - international:
domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth
gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone perpetuate
insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic
conflicts, and refugees in border areas; UN Mission in Sierra Leone
(UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone
since 1999; Sierra Leone considers excessive Guinea's definition of
the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the
Makona and Moa rivers and protests Guinea's continued occupation of
these lands, including the hamlet of Yenga occupied since 1998

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 59,952 (Liberia) (2006)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Singapore

Introduction Singapore

Background:
Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It
joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years
later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of
the world's most prosperous countries with strong international
trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of
tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the
leading nations of Western Europe.

Geography Singapore

Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
1 22 N, 103 48 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km
water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
193 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as
defined in treaties and practice

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons -
Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon
(June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early
evening thunderstorms

Terrain:
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment
area and nature preserve

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m

Natural resources:
fish, deepwater ports

Land use:
arable land: 1.47%
permanent crops: 1.47%
other: 97.06% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources;
limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal
smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

People Singapore

Population:
4,492,150 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.6% (male 362,329/female 337,964)
15-64 years: 76.1% (male 1,666,709/female 1,750,736)
65 years and over: 8.3% (male 165,823/female 208,589) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 37.3 years
male: 36.9 years
female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.42% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
9.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
4.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
9.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.71 years
male: 79.13 years
female: 84.49 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore

Ethnic groups:
Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)

Religions:
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%,
other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000 census)

Languages:
Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese
5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other
0.9% (2000 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 96.6%
female: 88.6% (2002)

Government Singapore

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
local long form: Republic of Singapore
local short form: Singapore

Government type:
parliamentary republic

Capital:
name: Singapore
geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none

Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)

National holiday:
National Day, 9 August (1965)

Constitution:
3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of
Singapore Constitution)

Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President S. R. NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
note: uses S. R. NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal
communications is Sellapan RAMANATHAN
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
Minister Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime
Minister WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005)
cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; last
appointed 17 August 2005 - see note (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; scheduled election not held

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; up to three losing opposition candidates who came
closest to winning seats may be appointed as "nonconstituency"
members
elections: last held 6 May 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%,
SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1

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

Political parties and leaders:
People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore
Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore Democratic
Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee
Lian]
note: SDA includes National Solidarity Party or NSP, Singapore
Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS,
Singapore People's Party or SPP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, 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 Patricia L. HERBOLD
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 four largest West
European countries. The economy depends heavily on exports,
particularly in consumer electronics and information technology
products. 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 (SARS) in 2003, which curbed tourism and
consumer spending. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in
exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004-06,
with real GDP growth averaging 7% annually. The government hopes to
establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the
global demand cycle for information technology products - it has
attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical
technology production - and will continue efforts to establish
Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$138.6 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$121.5 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0%
industry: 33.8%
services: 66.2% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
2.4 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
manufacturing 18%, construction 18%, transportation and
communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 6%, other
26% (2003)

Unemployment rate:
3.1% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42.5 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $19.71 billion
expenditures: $19.85 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.1
billion (2006 est.)

Public debt:
100.6% of GDP (2006 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:
12.6% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
32.64 billion kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
30.35 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
9,701 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
800,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.61 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
6.61 billion cu m
note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$35.58 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$283.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Malaysia 14.7%, US 11.5%, Indonesia 10.7%, Hong Kong 10.4%, China
9.5%, Japan 6%, Thailand 4.5%, Australia 4.1% (2005)

Imports:
$246.1 billion (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Malaysia 14.4%, US 12.4%, China 10.8%, Japan 10.1%, Indonesia 5.5%,
Saudi Arabia 4.7%, South Korea 4.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$134.6 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$24.3 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
Singapore dollar (SGD)

Currency code:
SGD

Exchange rates:
Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.595 (2006), 1.6644 (2005),
1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Singapore

Telephones - main lines in use:
1.848 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.385 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless
service in February 2005
international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables provide direct
connection to more than 100 countries; 4 satellite earth stations,
supplemented by VSAT coverage

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

Radios:
2.6 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (broadcasting on six channels); additional reception of numerous
UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia and Indonesia; note -
digital TV for reception in public spaces and transportation is
transmitted from 10 sites (2006)

Televisions:
1.33 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sg

Internet hosts:
898,762 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)

Internet users:
2,421,800 (2005)

Transportation Singapore

Airports:
9 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 139 km; refined products 8 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 3,234 km
paved: 3,234 km (including 150 km of expressways) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 1,063 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,033,735 GRT/49,715,650 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 155, cargo 87, chemical tanker 136, container
214, liquefied gas 53, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1,
petroleum tanker 353, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2,
specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 40
foreign-owned: 592 (Australia 7, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 12, China 23,
Denmark 52, Germany 9, Greece 9, Hong Kong 50, India 5, Indonesia
56, Italy 2, Japan 100, South Korea 17, Malaysia 35, Netherlands 2,
Norway 90, Philippines 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Taiwan 59, Thailand
22, UAE 7, UK 9, US 7)
registered in other countries: 285 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas
12, Belize 6, Bolivia 3, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 1,
Dominica 9, France 2, Honduras 11, Hong Kong 24, Indonesia 17, Isle
of Man 7, North Korea 1, Liberia 28, Malaysia 44, Marshall Islands
6, Mongolia 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 67, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 5, Thailand 6, Tuvalu 6, US 2, unknown 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Singapore

Military Singapore

Military branches:
Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force
(includes Air Defense) (2006)

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 (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 in the Johor and Singapore
Straits; in November 2007 the ICJ will hold public hearings as a
consequence of the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by the
parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca
Island/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; Indonesia and
Singapore continue to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime
boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's
Batam Island ; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait