Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (67)

election results: Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed was elected president by the expanded Transitional Federal Assembly in Djibouti

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly

note: unicameral Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA) (550 seats; 475 members appointed according to the 4.5 clan formula, with the remaining 75 seats reserved for civil society and business persons)

Judicial branch:

following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Sharia (Islamic) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences

Political parties and leaders:

none

Political pressure groups and leaders:

other: numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional government

International organization participation:

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:

Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the Transitional Federal Government is represented in the United States through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157

Flag description:

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

Government - note:

although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia

Economy ::Somalia

Economy - overview:

Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia has maintained a healthy informal economy, largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap metal. Somalia's service sector also has grown. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country, handling roughly $2 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Somalia's arrears to the IMF continued to grow in 2008. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$5.524 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156 $5.387 billion (2007 est.)

$5.252 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$2.6 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 2.6% (2007 est.)

2.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 225 $600 (2007 est.)

$600 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 65%

industry: 10%

services: 25% (2005 est.)

Labor force:

3.447 million (few skilled laborers) (2007) country comparison to the world: 96

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 71%

industry and services: 29% (1975)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $NA

expenditures: $NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

NA%

note: businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

280 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

Electricity - consumption:

260.4 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 171

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 133

Oil - consumption:

5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 166

Oil - exports:

1,475 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 120

Oil - imports:

6,387 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 135

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 114

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Natural gas - proved reserves:

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

Exports:

$300 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 174

Exports - commodities:

livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal

Exports - partners:

UAE 56.2%, Yemen 21%, Saudi Arabia 3.6% (2008)

Imports:

$798 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 177

Imports - commodities:

manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat

Imports - partners:

Djibouti 29.2%, India 11.9%, Kenya 7.6%, US 6%, Oman 5.6%, UAE 5.5%, Yemen 4.7% (2008)

Debt - external:

$3 billion (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 127

Exchange rates:

Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar - NA (2007-08), 1,438.3 (2006) official rate; the unofficial black market rate was about 23,000 shillings per dollar as of February 2007

note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling

Communications ::Somalia

Telephones - main lines in use:

100,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 144

Telephones - mobile cellular:

627,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 150

Telephone system:

general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private companies offer limited local fixed-line service and private wireless companies offer service in most major cities while charging the lowest international rates on the continent

domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers

international: country code - 252; international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 11 (also 1 station each in Puntland and Somaliland), shortwave 1 (in Mogadishu) (2001)

Television broadcast stations:

4 (2 in Mogadishu and 2 in Hargeisa) (2001)

Internet country code:

.so

Internet hosts:

0 (2009) country comparison to the world: 232

Internet users:

102,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 154

Transportation ::Somalia

Airports:

59 (2009) country comparison to the world: 80

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 7

over 3,047 m: 4

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 52

2,438 to 3,047 m: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 19

914 to 1,523 m: 23

under 914 m: 6 (2009)

Roadways:

total: 22,100 km country comparison to the world: 106 paved: 2,608 km

unpaved: 19,492 km (2000)

Merchant marine:

total: 1 country comparison to the world: 157 by type: cargo 1

foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Berbera, Kismaayo

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators have reduced the piracy incidents; in response local pirates shifted operations farther south along the east coast of Somalia and eastward along the coast of Oman

Military ::Somalia

Military branches:

no national-level armed forces (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,181,050

females age 16-49: 2,125,558 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,301,026

females age 16-49: 1,351,649 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 93,763

female: 93,738 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.9% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 143

Transnational Issues ::Somalia

Disputes - international:

Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera to landlocked Ethiopia and have established commercial ties with other regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek international support in their secessionist aspirations and overlapping border claims; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: 1.1 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources) (2007)

page last updated on November 10, 2009

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

@South Africa (Africa)

Introduction ::South Africa

Background:

Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together under the Union of South Africa. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in black majority rule under the African National Congress (ANC). ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head in September 2008 after President Thabo MBEKI resigned. Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded as interim president until general elections scheduled for 2009.

Geography ::South Africa

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 1,219,090 sq km country comparison to the world: 25 land: 1,214,470 sq km

water: 4,620 sq km

note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 4,862 km

border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Coastline:

2,798 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Climate:

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

Terrain:

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 12.1%

permanent crops: 0.79%

other: 87.11% (2005)

Irrigated land:

14,980 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

50 cu km (1990)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 12.5 cu km/yr (31%/6%/63%)

per capita: 264 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

prolonged droughts

Environment - current issues:

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

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

People ::South Africa

Population:

49,052,489 country comparison to the world: 24 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 28.9% (male 7,093,328/female 7,061,579)

15-64 years: 65.8% (male 16,275,424/female 15,984,181)

65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,075,117/female 1,562,860) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 24.4 years

male: 24.1 years

female: 24.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.281% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Birth rate:

19.93 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Death rate:

16.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 12

Net migration rate:

-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 95 note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2009 est.)

Urbanization:

urban population: 61% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 44.42 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 59 male: 48.66 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 48.98 years country comparison to the world: 209 male: 49.81 years

female: 48.13 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.38 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 105

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

18.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5.7 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 2

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

350,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 1

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2009)

Nationality:

noun: South African(s)

adjective: South African

Ethnic groups:

black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)

Religions:

Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)

Languages:

IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 86.4%

male: 87%

female: 85.7% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 13 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

5.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 53

Government ::South Africa

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of South Africa

conventional short form: South Africa

former: Union of South Africa

abbreviation: RSA

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Pretoria (administrative capital)

geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

Administrative divisions:

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

Independence:

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared) 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

National holiday:

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Constitution:

10 December 1996; note - certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996; was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996; and entered into effect on 4 February 1997

Legal system:

based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)

election results: Jacob ZUMA elected president; National Assembly vote - Jacob ZUMA 277, Mvume DANDALA 47, other 76

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 4 February 1997, the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution

elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 22 April 2009 (next to be held in April 2014)

election results: National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 65.9%, DA 16.7%, COPE 7.4%, IFP 4.6%, other 5.4%; seats by party - ANC 264, DA 67, COPE 30, IFP 18, other 21

Judicial branch:

Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders:

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]; African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA]; Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]; Independent Democrats or ID [Patricia DE LILLE]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]; United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Lucas MANGOPE]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]

note: note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Welile Augustine NHLAPO

chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400

FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Eric BOST

embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria

mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000

FAX: [27] (12) 342-2299

consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

Flag description:

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

Economy ::South Africa

Economy - overview:

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that is 17th largest in the world; and modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. Growth was robust from 2004 to 2008 as South Africa reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom, but began to slow in the second half of 2008 due to the global financial crisis' impact on commodity prices and demand. However, unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure has constrained growth. At the end of 2007, South Africa began to experience an electricity crisis because state power supplier Eskom suffered supply problems with aged plants, necessitating "load-shedding" cuts to residents and businesses in the major cities. Daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty, lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups, and a shortage of public transportation. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative but pragmatic, focusing on controlling inflation, maintaining a budget surplus, and using state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas as a means to increase job growth and household income.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$492.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $477.4 billion (2007 est.)

$454.2 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$276.8 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 5.1% (2007 est.)

5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$10,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $9,900 (2007 est.)

$9,500 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.3%

industry: 33.7%

services: 63% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

17.79 million economically active (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 9%

industry: 26%

services: 65% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

22.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 24.3% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

50% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.3%

highest 10%: 44.7% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

65 (2005) country comparison to the world: 2 59.3 (1994)

Investment (gross fixed):

23.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

Budget:

revenues: $77.43 billion

expenditures: $79.9 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

31.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 45.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

11.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 6.5% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

11.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 32 11% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

15.13% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 13.17% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$44.66 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 23 $58.49 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$124.1 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 19 $141.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$214.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 30 $254.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$491.3 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 19 $833.5 billion (31 December 2007)

$715 billion (31 December 2006)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate:

1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123

Electricity - production:

240.3 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 16

Electricity - consumption:

215.1 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - exports:

14.16 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

10.57 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

195,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41

Oil - consumption:

583,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30

Oil - exports:

128,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 63

Oil - imports:

490,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 25

Oil - proved reserves:

15 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - production:

3.25 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53

Natural gas - consumption:

6.45 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 120

Natural gas - imports:

3.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40

Natural gas - proved reserves:

27.16 million cu m (1 January 2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 102

Current account balance:

-$20.98 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 177 -$20.78 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$86.12 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $75.92 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment

Exports - partners:

Japan 11.1%, US 11.1%, Germany 8%, UK 6.8%, China 6%, Netherlands 5.2% (2008)

Imports:

$90.57 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 $81.66 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Germany 11.2%, China 11.1%, US 7.9%, Saudi Arabia 6.2%, Japan 5.5%, UK 4% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$34.07 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 $32.94 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$71.81 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 43 $75.28 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$120 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 29 $110.4 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$63.57 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 29 $65.88 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

rand (ZAR) per US dollar - 7.9576 (2008 est.), 7.05 (2007), 6.7649 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)

Communications ::South Africa

Telephones - main lines in use:

4.425 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 35

Telephones - mobile cellular:

45 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 24

Telephone system:

general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa

domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 110 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber optic cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:

.za

Internet hosts:

1.73 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 34

Internet users:

4.187 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 49

Transportation ::South Africa

Airports:

607 (2009) country comparison to the world: 11

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 148

over 3,047 m: 10

2,438 to 3,047 m: 6

1,524 to 2,437 m: 52

914 to 1,523 m: 68

under 914 m: 12 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 459

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 34

914 to 1,523 m: 298

under 914 m: 125 (2009)

Heliports:

1 (2009)

Pipelines:

condensate 11 km; gas 908 km; oil 980 km; refined products 1,379 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 20,872 km country comparison to the world: 14 narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (2008)

Roadways:

total: 362,099 km country comparison to the world: 18 paved: 73,506 km (includes 239 km of expressways)

unpaved: 288,593 km (2002)

Merchant marine:

total: 3 country comparison to the world: 138 by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 2

foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)

registered in other countries: 8 (Bahamas 1, Nigeria 1, NZ 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Seychelles 1, UK 3) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

Military ::South Africa

Military branches:

South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Military Intelligence, South African Military Health Services (2009)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 11,622,507

females age 16-49: 11,501,537 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 7,641,557

females age 16-49: 6,518,793 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 511,616

female: 510,540 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 98

Military - note:

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

Transnational Issues ::South Africa

Disputes - international:

South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 10,772 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 7,818 (Somalia); 5,759 (Angola) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: South Africa is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; women and girls are trafficked internally - and occasionally to European and Asian countries - for sexual exploitation; women from other African countries are trafficked to South Africa and, less frequently, onward to Europe for sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked from neighboring countries for forced agricultural labor; Asian and Eastern European women are trafficked to South Africa for debt-bonded sexual exploitation

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - South Africa is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a fourth consecutive year for its failure to show increasing efforts to address trafficking; the government provided inadequate data in 2007 on trafficking crimes investigated or prosecuted, or on resulting convictions or sentences; it also did not provide information on its efforts to protect victims of trafficking; the country continues to deport and/or prosecute suspected foreign victims without providing appropriate protective services (2008)

Illicit drugs:

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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@Southern Ocean (Oceans)

Introduction ::Southern Ocean

Background:

A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which promotes marine plant life, and which in turn allows for a greater abundance of animal life. In the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization decided to delimit the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary oceans by the US Government.

Geography ::Southern Ocean

Location:

body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica

Geographic coordinates:

60 00 S, 90 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude

Map references:

Antarctic Region

Area:

total: 20.327 million sq km

note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:

slightly more than twice the size of the US

Coastline:

17,968 km

Climate:

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

Terrain:

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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench

highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:

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

Natural hazards:

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

Environment - current issues:

increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish

note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries

Environment - international agreements:

the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (regulates fishing)

note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence), which is in the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the north

Geography - note:

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

Economy ::Southern Ocean

Economy - overview:

Fisheries in 2006-07 landed 126,976 metric tons, of which 82% (104,586 tons) was krill (Euphausia superba) and 9.5% (12,027 tons) Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides - also known as Chilean sea bass), compared to 127,910 tons in 2005-06 of which 83% (106,591 tons) was krill and 9.7% (12,396 tons) Patagonian toothfish (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Southern Ocean area). International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish. In the 2007-08 Antarctic summer, 45,213 tourists visited the Southern Ocean, compared to 35,552 in 2006-2007, and 29,799 in 2005-2006 (estimates provided to the Antarctic Treaty by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and does not include passengers on overflights and those flying directly in and out of Antarctica).

Transportation ::Southern Ocean

Ports and terminals:

McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica

note: few ports or harbors exist on southern side of Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most Antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels (2007)

Transportation - note:

Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal

Transnational Issues ::Southern Ocean

Disputes - international:

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

page last updated on October 22, 2009

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@South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (South America)

Introduction ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Background:

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

Geography ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

54 30 S, 37 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 3,903 sq km country comparison to the world: 176 land: 3,903 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

NA

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

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

Terrain:

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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

Natural resources:

fish

Land use:

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

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

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

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

People ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants

note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001 replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited

Government ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

conventional short form: South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

abbreviation: SGSSI

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II

Legal system:

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Flag description:

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

Economy ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Economy - overview:

Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.

Communications ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Radio broadcast stations:

0 (2003)

Television broadcast stations:

0 (2003)

Internet country code:

.gs

Internet hosts:

363 (2009) country comparison to the world: 176

Transportation ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Ports and terminals:

Grytviken

Military ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Disputes - international:

Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force

page last updated on October 28, 2009

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@Spain (Europe)

Introduction ::Spain

Background:

Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. The government continues to battle the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorist organization, but its major focus for the immediate future will be on measures to reverse the severe economic recession that started in mid-2008.

Geography ::Spain

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

40 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 505,370 sq km country comparison to the world: 51 land: 498,980 sq km

water: 6,390 sq km

note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera

Area - comparative:

slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Land boundaries:

total: 1,917.8 km

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

Coastline:

4,964 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

Climate:

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

Terrain:

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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 27.18%

permanent crops: 9.85%

other: 62.97% (2005)

Irrigated land:

37,800 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

111.1 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 37.22 cu km/yr (13%/19%/68%)

per capita: 864 cu m/yr (2002)

Natural hazards:

periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

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

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:

strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas

People ::Spain

Population:

40,525,002 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 32

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.5% (male 3,021,822/female 2,842,597)

15-64 years: 67.4% (male 13,705,107/female 13,601,399)

65 years and over: 18.1% (male 3,071,394/female 4,282,683) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 41.1 years

male: 39.7 years

female: 42.5 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.072% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 194

Birth rate:

9.72 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 198

Death rate:

9.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 65

Net migration rate:

0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 56

Urbanization:

urban population: 77% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.21 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 208 male: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.05 years country comparison to the world: 23 male: 76.74 years

female: 83.57 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.31 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 206

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 75

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

140,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

2,300 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 59

Nationality:

noun: Spaniard(s)

adjective: Spanish

Ethnic groups:

composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

Religions:

Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Languages:

Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.9%

male: 98.7%

female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

4.2% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 97

Government ::Spain

Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain

conventional short form: Spain

local long form: Reino de Espana

local short form: Espana

Government type:

parliamentary monarchy

Capital:

name: Madrid

geographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 W

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

note: Spain is divided into two time zones including the Canary Islands

Administrative divisions:

17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna (Catalonia), Comunidad Valenciana (Valencian Community), Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)

note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central government, are all along the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)

Independence:

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

National holiday:

National Day, 12 October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas

Constitution:

approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6 December 1978; signed by the king 27 December 1978

Legal system:

civil law system, with regional applications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968

head of government: President of the Government (Prime Minister equivalent) Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice President (and Minister of the Presidency) Maria Teresa FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004), Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Elena SALGADO Mendez (since 8 April 2009), and Third Vice President (and Minister of Regional Affairs) Manuel CHAVES Gonzalez (since 8 April 2009)

cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president

note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding

elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held on 9 and 11 April 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president

election results: Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO reelected President of the Government; percent of National Assembly vote - 46.94%

Legislative branch: