Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (23)
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
People ::Czech Republic
Population:
10,201,707 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.6% (male 712,045/female 673,657)
15-64 years: 71% (male 3,641,887/female 3,604,044)
65 years and over: 15.5% (male 623,882/female 956,389) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.4 years
male: 38.9 years
female: 42.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.106% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Birth rate:
8.76 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 214
Death rate:
10.79 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Net migration rate:
0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Urbanization:
urban population: 73% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.059 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 208 male: 4.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.01 years country comparison to the world: 62 male: 73.74 years
female: 80.48 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.25 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 216
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 10 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Nationality:
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech
Ethnic groups:
Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)
Languages:
Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 88
Government ::Czech Republic
Country name:
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Cesko
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Prague
geographic coordinates: 50 05 N, 14 28 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:
13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky, Kralovehradecky, Liberecky, Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky, Pardubicky, Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky, Vysocina, Zlinsky
Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia); note - although 1 January is the day the Czech Republic came into being, the Czechs generally consider 28 October 1918, the day the former Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as their independence day
National holiday:
Czechoslovak Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
Constitution:
ratified on 16 December 1992, effective on 1 January 1993; amended in 1997, 2000, 2001 (twice), 2002
Legal system:
civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; legal code modified to bring it in line with European Union obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Petr NECAS (since 28 June 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Karel SCHWARZENBERG (since 13 July 2010), Deputy Prime Minister Radek JOHN (since 13 July 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last successful election held on 15 February 2008 (after earlier elections held 8 and 9 February 2008 were inconclusive; next election to be held in 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav KLAUS reelected president on 15 February 2008; Vaclav KLAUS 141 votes, Jan SVEJNAR 111 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in two rounds on 15-16 and 22-23 October 2010 (next to be held by October 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 28-29 May 2010 (next to be held by 2014)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CSSD 41, ODS 25, KDU-CSL 6, TOP 09 5, others 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CSSD 22.1%, ODS 20.2%, TOP 09 16.7%, KSCM 11.3%, VV 10.9%; seats by party - CSSD 56, ODS 53, TOP 09 41, KSCM 26, VV 24
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; Supreme Administrative Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independent Candidates-European Democrats or SNK-ED [Zdenka MARKOVA]; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Pavel BELOBRADEK]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Petr NECAS]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Bohuslav SOBOTKA (acting)]; Green Party [Ondrej LISKA]; Public Affairs (VV) [Radek JOHN]; Tradice Odpovednost Prosperita 09 or TOP 09 [Karel SCHWARZENBERG]; Union of Freedom-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Jan CERNY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Jaroslav ZAVADIL]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Daniel KOSTOVAL
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Joseph PENNINGTON
embassy: Trziste 15, 118 01 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] 257 022 000
FAX: [420] 257 022 809
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
note: is identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia; uses the Pan-Slav colors inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia
National anthem:
name: "Kde domov muj?" (Where is My Home?)
lyrics/music: Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP
note: adopted 1993; the anthem is a verse from the former Czechoslovakian anthem originally written as part of the opera "Fidlovacka"
Economy ::Czech Republic
Economy - overview:
The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Maintaining an open investment climate has been a key element of the Czech Republic's transition from a communist, centrally planned economy to a functioning market economy. As a member of the European Union, with an advantageous location in the center of Europe, a relatively low cost structure, and a well-qualified labor force, the Czech Republic is an attractive destination for foreign investment. Prior to its EU accession in 2004, the Czech government harmonized its laws and regulations with those of the European Union. The small, open, export-driven Czech economy grew by over 6% annually from 2005-2007 and by 2.5% in 2008. The conservative Czech financial system has remained relatively healthy throughout 2009. Nevertheless, the real economy contracted by 4.1% in 2009, mainly due to a significant drop in external demand as the Czech Republic's main export markets fell into recession. GDP is expected to grow by 2.4% in 2010, driven largely by a rebound in external demand, particularly from Gremany.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$261.5 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 $256.9 billion (2009 est.)
$267.9 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$195.2 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 154 -4.1% (2009 est.)
2.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$25,600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $25,200 (2009 est.)
$26,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 38.3%
services: 59.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
5.37 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 40.2%
services: 56.2% (2007)
Unemployment rate:
9.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 8.1% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.3%
highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26 (2005) country comparison to the world: 131 25.4 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Public debt:
40% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 34% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 1% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 131 2.25% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.99% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134 6.25% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$96.82 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 32 $92.95 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$138.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $139 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$119.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $118.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$52.69 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 52 $48.85 billion (31 December 2008)
$73.42 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry
Industries:
motor vehicles, metallurgy, machinery and equipment, glass, armaments
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Electricity - production:
82.72 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Electricity - consumption:
61.65 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Electricity - exports:
19.99 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
8.52 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
10,970 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Oil - consumption:
207,600 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Oil - exports:
29,670 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Oil - imports:
219,900 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Oil - proved reserves:
15 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Natural gas - production:
176 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Natural gas - consumption:
8.182 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Natural gas - exports:
1.111 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Natural gas - imports:
9.683 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.964 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Current account balance:
-$5.956 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 -$2.146 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$116.5 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $112.6 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, raw materials and fuel, chemicals
Exports - partners:
Germany 32.25%, Slovakia 9.02%, Poland 5.8%, France 5.62%, UK 4.93%, Austria 4.71%, Italy 4.38% (2009)
Imports:
$109.2 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 $103.1 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, raw materials and fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Germany 30.67%, Poland 6.97%, Slovakia 6.6%, Netherlands 5.99%, China 5.7%, Austria 5.26%, Russia 4.93%, Italy 3.98% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$38.67 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 29 $41.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$86.79 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 $82.42 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$126.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $121.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$15.85 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 $14.35 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
koruny (CZK) per US dollar - 19.737 (2010), 19.063 (2009), 17.064 (2008), 20.53 (2007), 22.596 (2006)
Communications ::Czech Republic
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.092 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 53
Telephones - mobile cellular:
14.258 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 51
Telephone system:
general assessment: privatization and modernization of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily; virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
domestic: access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2009)
Broadcast media:
roughly 130 television broadcasters operating some 350 television channels with 4 publicly operated and the remainder in private hands; 13 television stations have national coverage with 4 being publicly operated; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; about 70 radio broadcasters are registered operating roughly 85 radio stations with 15 stations publicly operated; 16 radio stations provide national coverage with the remainder local or regional (2008)
Internet country code:
.cz
Internet hosts:
3.494 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 25
Internet users:
6.681 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 40
Transportation ::Czech Republic
Airports:
122 (2010) country comparison to the world: 49
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 44
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 18 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 78
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 50 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 9,620 km country comparison to the world: 22 standard gauge: 9,521 km 1.435-m gauge (3,013 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 99 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 128,582 km country comparison to the world: 37 paved: 128,582 km (includes 691 km of expressways) (2008)
Waterways:
664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2010) country comparison to the world: 77
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010) country comparison to the world: 162
Ports and terminals:
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Military ::Czech Republic
Military branches:
Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes Land Forces and Air Forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,517,268
females age 16-49: 2,418,163 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,086,662
females age 16-49: 2,003,055 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 55,139
female: 52,440 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.46% of GDP (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Transnational Issues ::Czech Republic
Disputes - international:
while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the popular Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closes its controversial Soviet-style nuclear plant in Temelin, bordering Austria
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy (2008)
page last updated on January 20, 2011
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@Denmark (Europe)
Introduction ::Denmark
Background:
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
Geography ::Denmark
Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Geographic coordinates:
56 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 43,094 sq km country comparison to the world: 133 land: 42,434 sq km
water: 660 sq km
note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 68 km
border countries: Germany 68 km
Coastline:
7,314 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Terrain:
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
highest point: Mollehoj/Ejer Bavnehoj 171 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
Land use:
arable land: 52.59%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 47.22% (2005)
Irrigated land:
4,490 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
6.1 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.67 cu km/yr (32%/26%/42%)
per capita: 123 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
People ::Denmark
Population:
5,515,575 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.1% (male 511,882/female 485,782)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,817,800/female 1,798,964)
65 years and over: 16.1% (male 387,142/female 498,940) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.7 years
male: 39.8 years
female: 41.6 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.267% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Birth rate:
10.4 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Death rate:
10.19 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Net migration rate:
2.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Urbanization:
urban population: 87% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.055 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 198 male: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.47 years country comparison to the world: 47 male: 76.11 years
female: 80.97 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.74 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Nationality:
noun: Dane(s)
adjective: Danish
Ethnic groups:
Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
Languages:
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority)
note: English is the predominant second language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 18 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
7.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 12
Government ::Denmark
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form: Denmark
local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
local short form: Danmark
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Copenhagen
geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 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
note: applies to continental Denmark only, not to its North Atlantic components
Administrative divisions:
metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden, Midtjylland, Nordjylland, Sjaelland, Syddanmark
note: an extensive local government reform merged 271 municipalities into 98 and 13 counties into five regions, effective 1 January 2007
Independence:
ca. 965 (unified and Christianized under HARALD I Gormson); 5 June 1849 (becomes a constitutional monarchy)
National holiday:
none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally viewed as the National Day
Constitution:
5 June 1953; note - constitution allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state
Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born on 26 May 1968)
head of government: Prime Minister Lars Loekke RASMUSSEN (since 5 April 2009)
cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Folketing (179 seats, including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms unless the Folketing is dissolved earlier)
elections: last held on 13 November 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 26.2%, Social Democrats 25.5%, Danish People's Party 13.9%, Socialist People's Party 13.0%, Conservative People's Party 10.4%, Social Liberal Party 5.1%, New Alliance 2.8%, Red-Green Unity List 2.2%, other 0.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 46, Social Democrats 45, Danish People's Party 25, Socialist People's Party 23, Conservative People's Party 18, Social Liberal Party 9, New Alliance 5, Red-Green Alliance 4; note - does not include the two seats from Greenland and the two seats from the Faroe Islands
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed for life by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democrats [Bjarne Hartung KIRKEGAARD] (was Christian People's Party); Conservative Party [Lars BARFOED] (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party); Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Alliance [Anders SAMUELSEN] (formerly known as New Alliance); Liberal Party [Lars Loekke RASMUSSEN]; Red-Green Unity List (Alliance) [collective leadership] (bloc includes Left Socialist Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers' Party); Social Democratic Party [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT]; Social Liberal Party [Margrethe VESTAGER]; Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Danish Employers or DA [President Jorn Neergaard LARSEN]; Principal DA member organizations: Confederation of Danish Industries [CEO Karsten DYBVAD]; Confederation of Danish Labor Unions [President Harald BORSTING]; Danish Bankers Association [CEO Joergen HORWITZ]; DaneAge Association [President Bjarne HASTRUP]; Danish Society for Nature Conservation [President Ella Maria BISSCHOP-LARSEN]
other: humanitarian relief; development assistance; human rights NGOs
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TAKSOE-JENSEN
chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Laurie S. FULTON
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen
mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716
telephone: [45] 33 41 71 00
FAX: [45] 35 43 02 23
Flag description:
red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side; the banner is referred to as the Dannebrog (Danish flag) and is one of the oldest national flags in the world; traditions as to the origin of the flag design vary, but the best known is a legend that the banner fell from the sky during an early-13th century battle; caught up by the Danish king before it ever touched the earth, this heavenly talisman inspired the royal army to victory; in actuality, the flag may derive from a crusade banner or ensign
note: the shifted design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
National anthem:
name: "Der er et yndigt land" (There is a Lovely Land); "Kong Christian" (King Christian)
lyrics/music: Adam Gottlob OEHLENSCHLAGER/Hans Ernst KROYER; Johannes EWALD/unknown
note: Denmark has two national anthems with equal status; "Der er et yndigt land," adopted 1844, is a national anthem, while "Kong Christian," adopted 1780, serves as both a national and royal anthem; "Kong Christian" is also known as "Kong Christian stod ved hojen mast" (King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast) and "Kongesangen" (The King's Anthem); within Denmark, the royal anthem is played only when royalty is present and is usually followed by the national anthem; when royalty is not present, only the national anthem is performed; outside Denmark, the royal anthem is played, unless the national anthem is requested
Economy ::Denmark
Economy - overview:
This thoroughly modern market economy features a high-tech agricultural sector, state-of-the-art industry with world-leading firms in pharmaceuticals, maritime shipping and renewable energy, and a high dependence on foreign trade. The Danish economy is also characterized by extensive government welfare measures, an equitable distribution of income, and comfortable living standards. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. After a long consumption-driven upswing, Denmark's economy began slowing in 2007 with the end of a housing boom. Housing prices dropped markedly in 2008-09. The global financial crisis has exacerbated this cyclical slowdown through increased borrowing costs and lower export demand, consumer confidence, and investment. The global financial crises cut Danish GDP by 0.9% in 2008 and 4.7% in 2009. Historically low levels of unemployment rose sharply with the recession but remain below 5%, about half the level of the EU. Denmark made a modest recovery in 2010 in part because of increased government spending. An impending decline in the ratio of workers to retirees will be a major long-term issue. Denmark maintained a healthy budget surplus for many years up to 2008, but the budget balance swung into deficit during 2009-10. Nonetheless, Denmark's fiscal position remains among the strongest in the EU. Despite previously meeting the criteria to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), so far Denmark has decided not to join, although the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$204.1 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $200.5 billion (2009 est.)
$210.4 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$304.6 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 -4.7% (2009 est.)
-0.9% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 $36,400 (2009 est.)
$38,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.1%
industry: 22.8%
services: 76.1% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
2.82 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.5%
industry: 20.2%
services: 77.3% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 4.3% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
12.1% (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 28.7% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29 (2007) country comparison to the world: 118 24.7 (1992)
Investment (gross fixed):
17.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Public debt:
46.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 41.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66 1.3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 110 3.5% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
NA% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$148.1 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 23 $153.1 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$209 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 $226.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$636.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $671.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$186.9 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 30 $131.5 billion (31 December 2008)
$277.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish
Industries:
iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products, shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment
Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Electricity - production:
36.4 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Electricity - consumption:
34.3 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Electricity - exports:
11.36 billion kWh (2008)
Electricity - imports:
12.82 billion kWh (2008)
Oil - production:
262,100 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Oil - consumption:
166,500 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Oil - exports:
268,500 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Oil - imports:
173,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Oil - proved reserves:
1.06 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Natural gas - production:
8.398 billion cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - consumption:
4.41 billion cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - exports:
3.98 billion cu m (2009) country comparison to the world: 29
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 91
Natural gas - proved reserves:
61.3 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Current account balance:
$14.35 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $12.43 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$99.37 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 $91.51 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
Exports - partners:
Germany 17.53%, Sweden 12.68%, UK 8.49%, US 6.05%, Norway 6.01%, Netherlands 4.84%, France 4.57% (2009)
Imports:
$90.83 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $84.46 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
Germany 21.07%, Sweden 13.18%, Norway 7%, Netherlands 6.97%, China 6.22%, UK 5.53% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$76.65 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$559.5 billion (30 June 2010) country comparison to the world: 18 $588.8 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$149.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $144.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$199.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $186.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.774 (2010), 5.3609 (2009), 5.0236 (2008), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006)
Communications ::Denmark
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.062 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 55
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.406 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 79
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph services
domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, multiple cellular mobile communications systems
international: country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access (2008)
Broadcast media:
strong public-sector television presence with state-owned Danmarks Radio (DR) operating 4 channels and publicly-owned TV2 operating roughly a half dozen channels; broadcasts of privately-owned stations are available via satellite and cable feed; DR operates 4 nationwide FM radio stations, 15 digital audio broadcasting stations, and about 15 web-based radio stations; approximately 250 commercial and community radio stations are operational (2007)
Internet country code:
.dk
Internet hosts:
4.145 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 22
Internet users:
4.75 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 48
Transportation ::Denmark
Airports:
92 (2010) country comparison to the world: 65
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 64
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 61 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 2,858 km; oil 107 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,667 km country comparison to the world: 64 standard gauge: 2,667 km 1.435-m gauge (640 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 73,197 km country comparison to the world: 64 paved: 73,197 km (includes 1,111 km of expressways) (2008)
Waterways:
400 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 89
Merchant marine:
total: 347 country comparison to the world: 28 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 56, carrier 1, chemical tanker 104, container 87, liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 40, petroleum tanker 38, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 32 (Germany 10, Greece 1, Iceland 3, Norway 2, Sweden 16)
registered in other countries: 592 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Bahamas 59, Belgium 4, Brazil 3, Cyprus 6, Egypt 1, France 12, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 6, Hong Kong 41, Isle of Man 26, Italy 4, Jamaica 1, Liberia 4, Lithuania 8, Malaysia 1, Malta 41, Marshall Islands 7, Mexico 2, Netherlands 36, former Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 11, Panama 46, Portugal 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 19, Singapore 125, South Africa 1, Spain 2, Sweden 15, UK 46, Uruguay 1, US 34, Venezuela 1, unknown 3) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Ensted, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Kalundborg
Military ::Denmark
Military branches:
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet, Arctic Command, Tactical Air Command, Home Guard (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,235,947
females age 16-49: 1,221,386 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,013,814
females age 16-49: 1,001,411 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 37,831
female: 35,930 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Transnational Issues ::Denmark
Disputes - international:
Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continue to study proposals for full independence; sovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Dhekelia (Europe)
Introduction ::Dhekelia
Background:
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.
Geography ::Dhekelia
Location:
Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta
Geographic coordinates:
34 59 N, 33 45 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 130.8 sq km country comparison to the world: 222 note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves
Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 103 km (approximately)
border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately)
Coastline:
27.5 km
Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Environment - current issues:
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn
Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
People ::Dhekelia
Population:
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 service and UK based contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents country comparison to the world: 220
Languages:
English, Greek
Government ::Dhekelia
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Dhekelia
Dependency status:
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
Capital:
name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Legal system:
the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Major General Jamie GORDON (since October 2008); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used
National anthem:
note: as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty,"God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy ::Dhekelia
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Industries:
none
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008)
note: on 1 January 2008, Dhekelia and Akrotiri adopted the euro along with the rest of Cyprus
Communications ::Dhekelia
Broadcast media:
British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Dhekelia Sovereign Base (2009)
Military ::Dhekelia
Military - note:
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Djibouti (Africa)
Introduction ::Djibouti
Background:
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country but also has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.
Geography ::Djibouti
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
11 30 N, 43 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 23,200 sq km country comparison to the world: 150 land: 23,180 sq km
water: 20 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km
Coastline:
314 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
desert; torrid, dry
Terrain:
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m
Natural resources:
potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 0.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.3 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%)
per capita: 25 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
volcanism: Djibouti experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (elev. 298 m, 978 ft) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active
Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa
People ::Djibouti
Population:
740,528 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.3% (male 131,878/female 131,449)
15-64 years: 60.4% (male 194,503/female 243,495)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 10,462/female 12,835) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.4 years
male: 19.8 years
female: 22.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.181% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Birth rate:
25.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Death rate:
8.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Net migration rate:
4.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 20
Urbanization:
urban population: 87% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.8 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.65 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 39 male: 64.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.73 years country comparison to the world: 186 male: 58.31 years
female: 63.22 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.79 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
16,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
Ethnic groups:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages:
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.9%
male: 78%
female: 58.4% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 5 years
male: 5 years
female: 4 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
8.7% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 8
Government ::Djibouti
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti
local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Djibouti
geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah
Independence:
27 June 1977 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Constitution:
approved by referendum 4 September 1992; note - constitution allows for multiparties
Legal system:
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ compulsory jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4 March 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; president is eligible to hold office until age 75; election last held on 8 April 2005 (next to be held by April 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - constitutional amendments in 2010 provided for the establishment of a senate
elections: last held on 8 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLAH) 65
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress Assembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party); Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed YOUSSOUF]; Union for a Presidential Majority or UMP [Mohamed Dileita DILEITA] (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD); Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine
chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James C. SWAN
embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
telephone: [253] 35 39 95
FAX: [253] 35 39 40
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center; blue stands for sea and sky and the Issa Somali people; green symbolizes earth and the Afar people; white represents peace; the red star recalls the struggle for independence and stands for unity
National anthem:
name: "Jabuuti" (Djibouti)
lyrics/music: Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH
note: adopted 1977
Economy ::Djibouti
Economy - overview:
The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in the Horn of Africa. Two-thirds of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia represent 70% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of nearly 60% in urban areas continues to be a major problem. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of payments. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% between 1999 and 2006 because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Djibouti has experienced relatively minimal impact from the global economic downturn, but its reliance on diesel-generated electricity and imported food leave average consumers vulnerable to global price shocks.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.099 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 $2.003 billion (2009 est.)
$1.908 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.139 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 5% (2009 est.)
5.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 $2,800 (2009 est.)
$2,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 14.9%
services: 81.9% (2006)
Labor force:
351,700 (2007) country comparison to the world: 159
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
59% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 194 note: data are for urban areas, 83% in rural areas
Population below poverty line:
42% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.9% (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (2009 est.) 5% country comparison to the world: 161
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 11.56% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$577.8 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 156 $462.7 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$940.8 million (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 165 $800.8 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$339 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 168 $269.9 million (31 December 2008)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides
Industries:
construction, agricultural processing
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: 170
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Oil - consumption:
12,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Oil - exports:
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The 2010 CIA World FactbookChapter M: Major infectious diseases (23)
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