Chapter XXIX: Part 29

Congress of Deputies:
last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held NA October 1993); results - PSOE
39.6%, PP 25.8%, CDS 9%, Communist-led coalition (IU) 9%, CiU 5%, PNV 1.2%,
HB 1%, PA 1%, other 8.4%; seats - (350 total) PSOE 175, PP 106, CiU 18, IU
17, CDS 14, PNV 5, HB 4, other 11
Communists:
PCE membership declined from a possible high of 160,000 in 1977 to roughly
60,000 in 1987; the party gained almost 1 million voters and 10 deputies in
the 1989 election; voters came mostly from the disgruntled socialist left;
remaining strength is in labor, where it dominates the Workers Commissions
trade union (one of the country's two major labor centrals), which claims a
membership of about 1 million; experienced a modest recovery in 1986
national election, nearly doubling the share of the vote it received in 1982
Other political or pressure groups:
on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First
of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the
government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the
Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union
of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO);
the Catholic Church; business and landowning interests; Opus Dei; university
students
Member of:
AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC,
EIB, ESA, FAO, G-8, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer),
OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Jaime de OJEDA; Chancery at 2700 15th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009; telephone (202) 265-0190 or 0191; there are Spanish Consulates
General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New
York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US:
Ambassador Joseph ZAPPALA; Embassy at Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid (mailing
address is APO AE 09642); telephone [34] (1) 577-4000, FAX [34] (1)
577-5735; there is a US Consulate General in Barcelona and a Consulate in
Bilbao
Flag:
three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the
national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms
includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two
promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the
Strait of Gibraltar

:Spain Economy

Overview:
Spain has done well since joining the EC in 1986. In accordance with its
accession treaty, Spain has almost wholly liberalized trade and capital
markets. Foreign and domestic investment has spurred average growth of 4%
per year. Beginning in 1989, Madrid implemented a tight monetary policy to
fight inflation - around 7% in 1989 and 1990. As a result growth slowed to
2.5% in 1991. Spanish policymakers remain concerned with inflation - still
hovering at 6%. Government officials also are worried about 16%
unemployment, although many people listed as unemployed work in the
underground economy. Spanish economists believe that structural adjustments
due to the ongoing integration of the European market are likely to lead to
more displaced workers.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $487.5 billion, per capita $12,400; real
growth rate 2.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.9% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
16.0% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $111.0 billion; expenditures $115.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $20.8 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
$60.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
cars and trucks, semifinished manufactured goods, foodstuffs, machinery
partners:
EC 71.0%, US 4.9%, other developed countries 7.9%
Imports:
$93.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs,
consumer goods, chemicals
partners:
EC 60.0%, US 8.0%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 2.6%
External debt:
$45 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.0% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
46,589,000 kW capacity; 157,040 million kWh produced, 3,980 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and
metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools,
tourism
Agriculture:
accounts for about 5% of GDP and 14% of labor force; major products - grain,
vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, beef, pork,
poultry, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 1.4 million
metric tons is among top 20 nations
Illicit drugs:
key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the
European market
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $545.0 million; not
currently a recipient

:Spain Economy

Currency:
peseta (plural - pesetas); 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 104.79 (March 1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990),
118.38 (1989), 116.49 (1988), 123.48 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

:Spain Communications

Railroads:
15,430 km total; Spanish National Railways (RENFE) operates 12,691 km
1.668-meter gauge, 6,184 km electrified, and 2,295 km double track; FEVE
(government-owned narrow-gauge railways) operates 1,821 km of predominantly
1.000-meter gauge and 441 km electrified; privately owned railways operate
918 km of predominantly 1.000-meter gauge, 512 km electrified, and 56 km
double track
Highways:
150,839 km total; 82,513 km national (includes 2,433 km limited-access
divided highway, 63,042 km bituminous treated, 17,038 km intermediate
bituminous, concrete, or stone block) and 68,326 km provincial or local
roads (bituminous treated, intermediate bituminous, or stone block)
Inland waterways:
1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
Pipelines:
crude oil 265 km, petroleum products 1,794 km, natural gas 1,666 km
Ports:
Algeciras, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon
de la Plana, Ceuta, El Ferrol del Caudillo, Puerto de Gijon, Huelva, La
Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Mahon, Malaga, Melilla, Rota, Santa
Cruz de Tenerife, Sagunto, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo, and 175 minor ports
Merchant marine:
278 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,915,409 GRT/5,228,378 DWT; includes
2 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger, 86 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 15
container, 32 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 48 petroleum
tanker, 14 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 3 specialized tanker, 45 bulk
Civil air:
210 major transport aircraft
Airports:
105 total, 99 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over
3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
generally adequate, modern facilities; 15,350,464 telephones; broadcast
stations - 190 AM, 406 (134 repeaters) FM, 100 (1,297 repeaters) TV; 22
coaxial submarine cables; 2 communications satellite earth stations
operating in INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean); MARECS, INMARSAT,
and EUTELSAT systems; tropospheric links

:Spain Defense Forces

Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil
Guard
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 10,205,741; 8,271,151 fit for military service; 337,407 reach
military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $8.7 billion, 2% of GDP (1991)

:Spratly Islands Geography

Total area:
NA but less than 5 km2
Land area:
less than 5 km2; includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts
scattered over the South China Sea
Comparative area:
undetermined
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
926 km
Maritime claims:
undetermined
Disputes:
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts
of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei
established an exclusive economic zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef, but
has not publicly claimed the island
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
flat
Natural resources:
fish, guano; undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
subject to typhoons; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and
coral reefs
Note:
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central
South China Sea; serious navigational hazard

:Spratly Islands People

Population:
no permanent inhabitants; garrisons

:Spratly Islands Government

Long-form name:
none

:Spratly Islands Economy

Overview:
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing, proximity to nearby oil-
and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas
deposits, but the Spratlys region is largely unexplored, and there are no
reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to
be developed.
Industries:
none

:Spratly Islands Communications

Ports:
no natural harbors
Airports:
2 total, 2 usable; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways
1,220-2,439 m

:Spratly Islands Defense Forces

Note:
44 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Taiwan, and Vietnam

:Sri Lanka Geography

Total area:
65,610 km2
Land area:
64,740 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
1,340 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Continental shelf:
edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; monsoonal; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest
monsoon (June to October)
Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Natural resources:
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay
Land use:
arable land 16%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and
woodland 37%; other 23%; includes irrigated 8%
Environment:
occasional cyclones, tornados; deforestation; soil erosion
Note:
only 29 km from India across the Palk Strait; near major Indian Ocean sea
lanes

:Sri Lanka People

Population:
17,631,528 (July 1992), growth rate 1.2% (1992); note - about 120,000 people
fled to India in 1991 because of fighting between government forces and
Tamil insurgents; about 200,000 Tamils will be repatriated in 1992
Birth rate:
20 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
21 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
69 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Sri Lankan(s); adjective - Sri Lankan
Ethnic divisions:
Sinhalese 74%; Tamil 18%; Moor 7%; Burgher, Malay, and Veddha 1%
Religions:
Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
Languages:
Sinhala (official); Sinhala and Tamil listed as national languages; Sinhala
spoken by about 74% of population, Tamil spoken by about 18%; English
commonly used in government and spoken by about 10% of the population
Literacy:
86% (male 91%, female 81%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
6,600,000; agriculture 45.9%, mining and manufacturing 13.3%, trade and
transport 12.4%, services and other 28.4% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
about 30% of labor force, over 50% of which are employed on tea, rubber, and
coconut estates

:Sri Lanka Government

Long-form name:
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Type:
republic
Capital:
Colombo
Administrative divisions:
the administrative structure now includes 9 provinces - Central, Eastern,
North, North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, and
Western and 24 districts - Amparai, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa,
Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalla,
Kurunegala, Mannar, Matale, Matara, Moneragala, Mullaittivu, Nuwara Eliya,
Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Vavuniya; note - in the
future there may be only 8 provinces (combining the two provinces of North
and Eastern into one province of North Eastern) and 25 districts (adding
Kilinochchi to the existing districts)
Independence:
4 February 1948 (from UK; formerly Ceylon)
Constitution:
31 August 1978
Legal system:
a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim,
Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Ranasinghe PREMADASA (since 2 January 1989)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGE (since 6 March 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
United National Party (UNP), Ranasinghe PREMADASA; Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(SLFP), Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M.
ASHRAFF; All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar PONNAMBALAM; People's
United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna), Dinesh GUNAWARDENE; Eelam
Democratic Front (EDF), Edward Sebastian PILLAI; Tamil United Liberation
Front (TULF), leader (vacant); Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students
(EROS), Velupillai BALAKUMARAN; New Socialist Party (NSSP, or Nava Sama
Samaja Party), Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA; Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP,
or Lanka Sama Samaja Party), Colin R. de SILVA; Sri Lanka People's Party
(SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party), Ossie ABEYGUNASEKERA; Communist Party,
K. P. SILVA; Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N. SHANMUGATHASAN; note - the
United Socialist Alliance (USA) includes the NSSP, LSSP, SLMP, CP/M, and
CP/B
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1994); results -
Ranasinghe PREMADASA (UNP) 50%, Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE (SLFP) 45%, other 5%

:Sri Lanka Government

Parliament:
last held 15 February 1989 (next to be held by NA February 1995); results -
UNP 51%, SLFP 32%, SLMC 4%, TULF 3%, USA 3%, EROS 3%, MEP 1%, other 3%;
seats - (225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67, other 33
Other political or pressure groups:
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other smaller Tamil separatist
groups; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People's Liberation Front);
Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor unions
Member of:
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador W. Susanta De ALWIS; Chancery at 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4025 through 4028; there is a Sri
Lankan Consulate in New York
US:
Ambassador Marion V. CREEKMORE, Jr.; Embassy at 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
(mailing address is P. O. Box 106, Colombo); telephone [94] (1) 44180107,
FAX [94] (1) 43-73-45
Flag:
yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical
bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red
rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf
in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the
entire flag and extends between the two panels

:Sri Lanka Economy

Overview:
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy, employing half of
the labor force and accounting for one quarter of GDP. The plantation crops
of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about one-third of export earnings. The
economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s.
Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in
1991 as domestic conditions began to improve.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $7.2 billion, per capita $410; real growth rate
5.0% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
14% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2.0 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $500 million (1992)
Exports:
$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
textiles and garment, teas, petroleum products, coconut, rubber,
agricultural products, gems and jewelry, marine products
partners:
US 25%, FRG, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
Imports:
$3.0 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
food and beverages, textiles and textile materials, petroleum, machinery and
equipment
partners:
Japan, Iran, US 7.7%, India, Taiwan, Singapore, FRG, UK
External debt:
$5.8 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 8% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
1,300,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities;
cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing
Agriculture:
accounts for 26% of GDP and nearly half of labor force; most important
staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops - sugarcane, grains, pulses,
oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops - tea, rubber, coconuts; animal products
- milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369
million
Currency:
Sri Lankan rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees (SLRes) per US$1 - 43.112 (March 1992), 41.372 (1991),
40.063 (1990), 36.047 (1989), 31.807 (1988), 29.445 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

:Sri Lanka Communications

Railroads:
1,948 km total (1990); all 1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double track; no
electrification; government owned
Highways:
75,749 km total (1990); 27,637 km paved (mostly bituminous treated), 32,887
km crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km improved earth or unimproved earth;
several thousand km of mostly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)
Inland waterways:
430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
Pipelines:
crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports:
Colombo, Trincomalee
Merchant marine:
30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 310,173 GRT/489,378 DWT; includes 13
cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 5 container, 3 petroleum tanker, 3 bulk
Civil air:
8 major transport (including 1 leased)
Airports:
14 total, 13 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
good international service; 114,000 telephones (1982); broadcast stations -
12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2
Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

:Sri Lanka Defense Forces

Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 4,709,203; 3,678,952 fit for military service; 177,554 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $432 million, 6% of GDP (1991)
\

:Sudan Geography

Total area:
2,505,810 km2
Land area:
2,376,000 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Land boundaries:
7,697 km total; Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt
1,273 km, Ethiopia 2,221 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km,
Zaire 628 km
Coastline:
853 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
18 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international
boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with
international boundary
Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October)
Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west
Natural resources:
small reserves of crude oil, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten,
mica, silver, crude oil
Land use:
arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and
woodland 20%; other 51%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
dominated by the Nile and its tributaries; dust storms; desertification
Note:
largest country in Africa

:Sudan People

Population:
28,305,046 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
83 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
53 years male, 54 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective - Sudanese
Ethnic divisions:
black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (in north) 70%, indigenous beliefs 20%, Christian (mostly in
south and Khartoum) 5%
Languages:
Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic,
Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages, English; program of Arabization in
process
Literacy:
27% (male 43%, female 12%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
6,500,000; agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6%; labor
shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.); 52%
of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
trade unions suspended following 30 June 1989 coup; now in process of being
legalized anew

:Sudan Government

Long-form name:
Republic of the Sudan
Type:
military; civilian government suspended and martial law imposed after 30
June 1989 coup
Capital:
Khartoum
Administrative divisions:
9 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or wilayah*); A'ali an Nil, Al Wusta*,
Al Istiwa'iyah*, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al
Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan
Independence:
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK; formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan)
Constitution:
12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim
constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989
Legal system:
based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the
Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the six northern states
of Al Wusta, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah, Ash Sharqiyah, Darfur, and
Kurdufan; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic
law; Islamic law will apply to all residents of the six northern states
regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Executive branch:
executive and legislative authority vested in a 12-member Revolutionary
Command Council (RCC); chairman of the RCC acts as prime minister; in July
1989, RCC appointed a predominately civilian 22-member cabinet to function
as advisers
Legislative branch:
appointed 300-member Transitional National Assembly; note - as announced 1
January 1992 by RCC Chairman BASHIR, the Assembly assumes all legislative
authority for Sudan until the eventual, unspecified resumption of national
elections
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
Revolutionary Command Council Chairman and Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Umar
Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 30 June 1989); Deputy Chairman of the Command
Council and Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH Ahmed
(since 9 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup
Suffrage:
none
Elections:
none
Member of:
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador `Abdallah Ahmad `ABDALLAH; Chancery at 2210 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 338-8565 through 8570; there is a
Sudanese Consulate General in New York

:Sudan Government

US:
Ambassador James R. CHEEK (will be replaced summer of 1992); Embassy at
Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum (mailing address is P. O. Box 699,
Khartoum, or APO AE 09829); telephone 74700 or 74611; Telex 22619
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

:Sudan Economy

Overview:
Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse
weather, high inflation, and counterproductive economic policies. The
economy is dominated by governmental entities that account for more than 70%
of new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are
agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating
1980. The economy's base is agriculture, which employs 80% of the work
force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic
performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual
rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A high
foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the
International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan
noncooperative because of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund. Despite
subsequent government efforts to implement reforms urged by the IMF and the
World Bank, the economy remained stagnant in FY91 as entrepreneurs lack the
incentive to take economic risks.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $12.1 billion, per capita $450; real growth rate
0% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
95% (FY91 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% (FY91 est.)
Budget:
revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $505 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$325 million (f.o.b., FY91 est.)
commodities:
cotton 52%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts
partners:
Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3%
(FY88)
Imports:
$1.40 billion (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment,
medicines and chemicals, textiles
partners:
Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)
External debt:
$14.6 billion (June 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%; accounts for 11% of GDP (FY89)
Electricity:
610,000 kW capacity; 905 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling,
shoes, petroleum refining
Agriculture:
accounts for 35% of GDP and 80% of labor force; water shortages; two-thirds
of land area suitable for raising crops and livestock; major products -
cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally
self-sufficient in most foods
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.5 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $588
million

:Sudan Economy

Currency:
Sudanese pound (plural - pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (#Sd) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates:
official rate - Sudanese pounds (#Sd) per US$1 - 90.1 (March 1992), 5.4288
(1991), 4.5004 (fixed rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987); note - free market
rate 83 (December 1991)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

:Sudan Communications

Railroads:
5,500 km total; 4,784 km 1.067-meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter-gauge
plantation line
Highways:
20,000 km total; 1,600 km bituminous treated, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301 km
improved earth, 12,399 km unimproved earth and track
Inland waterways:
5,310 km navigable
Pipelines:
refined products 815 km
Ports:
Port Sudan, Swakin
Merchant marine:
5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,277 GRT/59,588 DWT; includes 3
cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
Civil air:
18 major transport aircraft
Airports:
72 total, 57 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 31 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and
poorly maintained by modern standards; consists of microwave, cable, radio
communications, and troposcatter; domestic satellite system with 14
stations; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT

:Sudan Defense Forces

Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 6,432,270; 3,949,518 fit for military service; 302,696 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $610 million, 7.2% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Suriname Geography

Total area:
163,270 km2
Land area:
161,470 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
1,707 km total; Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline:
386 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini
(both headwaters of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper
Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small
amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
Land use:
arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest
and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
mostly tropical rain forest

:Suriname People

Population:
410,016 (July 1992), growth rate 1.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
34 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Surinamer(s); adjective - Surinamese
Ethnic divisions:
Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%, Creole (black and mixed) 31.0%, Javanese
15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1.0%,
other 1.1%
Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant (predominantly
Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs about 5%
Languages:
Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes
called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger
population and is lingua franca among others; also Hindi Suriname Hindustani
(a variant of Bhoqpuri) and Javanese
Literacy:
95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
104,000 (1984)
Organized labor:
49,000 members of labor force

:Suriname Government

Long-form name:
Republic of Suriname
Type:
republic
Capital:
Paramaribo
Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne,
Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini,
Wanica
Independence:
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch
Guiana)
Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system:
NA
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Executive branch:
president, vice president and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council
of State; note - Commander in Chief of the National Army maintains
significant power
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President and
Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
traditional ethnic-based parties:
The New Front (NF), a coalition formed of four parties following the 24
December 1990 military coup - Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath
LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON; Indonesian Peasants
Party (KTPI), Willie SOEMITA; and Suriname Labor Party (SPA) Fred DERBY;
promilitary:
National Democratic Party (NDP), Orlando VAN AMSON; Democratic Alternative
'91 (DA '91), Winston JESSURUN, a coalition of five parties formed in
January 1991 - Alternative Forum (AF), Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalal PARMESSAR; Party for Brotherhood
and Unity in Politics (BEP), Cipriano ALLENDY; Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN;
and Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
leftists:
Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP; Progressive Workers
and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - elected
by the National Assembly - Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules
WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes)
National Assembly:
last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - percent of
vote NA; seats - (51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9

:Suriname Government

Member of:
ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through
7492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami
US:
Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129,
Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo); telephone [597]
472900, 477881, or 476459; FAX [597] 410025
Flag:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple
width), white, and green (double width); there is a large yellow
five-pointed star centered in the red band

:Suriname Economy

Overview:
The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about
70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in
trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world
bauxite prices which started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986
was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior that
crippled the important bauxite sector. Although the insurgency has since
ebbed and the bauxite sector recovered, a military coup in December 1990
reflected continued political instability and deterred investment and
economic reform. High inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market
activity, and hard currency shortfalls continue to mark the economy.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate
0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
50% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate:
33% (1990)
Budget:
revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million, including capital
expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
$549 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
commodities:
alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish,
bananas
partners:
Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%,
other 10%
Imports:
$331 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
partners:
US 37%, Netherlands 15%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%,
Brazil 5%, UK 3%, other 20%
External debt:
$138 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA; accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,015 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing,
fishing
Agriculture:
accounts for 11% of GDP; paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land and
represents 60% of total farm output; other products - bananas, palm kernels,
coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and forestry products of
increasing importance; self-sufficient in most foods
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion
Currency:
Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (plural - guilders, gulden, or
florins); 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed rate)

:Suriname Economy

Fiscal year:
calendar year

:Suriname Communications

Railroads:
166 km total; 86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km
1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track
Highways:
8,300 km total; 500 km paved; 5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or
improved earth; 2,400 km sand or clay
Inland waterways:
1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts
ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways
Ports:
Paramaribo, Moengo
Merchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo,
1 container
Civil air:
1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
46 total, 40 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
international facilities good; domestic microwave system; 27,500 telephones;
broadcast stations - 5 AM, 14 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations

:Suriname Defense Forces

Branches:
National Army (including Navy which is company-size, small Air Force
element), Civil Police, People's Militia
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 109,551; 65,250 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP

:Svalbard Geography

Total area:
62,049 km2
Land area:
62,049 km2; includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
3,587 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway, not recognized by Russia
Territorial sea:
4 nm
Disputes:
focus of maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and
Russia
Climate:
arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters;
North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen,
keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Terrain:
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of
ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
Natural resources:
coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 100%; there are no trees and the only bushes are
crowberry and cloudberry
Environment:
great calving glaciers descend to the sea
Note:
located 445 km north of Norway where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,
Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet

:Svalbard People

Population:
3,181 (July 1992), growth rate -3.9% (1992); about one-third of the
population resides in the Norwegian areas (Longyearbyen and Svea on
Vestspitsbergen) and two-thirds in the Russian areas (Barentsburg and
Pyramiden on Vestspitsbergen); about 9 persons live at the Polish research
station
Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
NA years male, NA years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (1992)
Ethnic divisions:
Russian 64%, Norwegian 35%, other 1% (1981)
Languages:
Russian, Norwegian
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
NA
Organized labor:
none

:Svalbard Government

Long-form name:
none
Type:
territory of Norway administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through
a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9
February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway
Capital:
Longyearbyen
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991)
Head of Government:
Governor Leif ELDRING (since NA)
Member of:
none
Flag:
the flag of Norway is used

:Svalbard Economy

Overview:
Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9
February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have equal rights to
exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK,
Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies
still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are
essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs
nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local
services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some
trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
Budget:
revenues $13.3 million, expenditures $13.3 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1990)
Electricity:
21,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 11,420 kWh per capita (1989)
Currency:
Norwegian krone (plural - kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.5189 (March 1992), 6.4829 (1991), 6.2597
(1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987)

:Svalbard Communications

Ports:
limited facilities - Ny-Alesund, Advent Bay
Airports:
4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
5 meteorological/radio stations; local telephone service; broadcast stations
- 1 AM, 1 (2 repeaters) FM, 1 TV; satellite communication with Norwegian
mainland

:Svalbard Defense Forces

Note:
demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)

:Swaziland Geography

Total area:
17,360 km2
Land area:
17,200 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
535 km total; Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
none
Climate:
varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Natural resources:
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and
diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Land use:
arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 67%; forest and
woodland 6%; other 19%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Note:
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

:Swaziland People

Population:
913,008 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
98 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
52 years male, 60 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Swazi(s); adjective - Swazi
Ethnic divisions:
African 97%, European 3%
Religions:
Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
Languages:
English and siSwati (official); government business conducted in English
Literacy:
55% (male 57%, female 54%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
Labor force:
195,000; over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture; about 92,000 wage
earners (many only intermittently), with agriculture and forestry 36%,
community and social services 20%, manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, other
21%; 16,800 employed in South Africa mines (1990)
Organized labor:
about 10% of wage earners

:Swaziland Government

Long-form name:
Kingdom of Swaziland
Type:
monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
Capital:
Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
Administrative divisions:
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
6 September 1968 (from UK)
Constitution:
none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973; a new
constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally
presented to the people
Legal system:
based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi
traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate
and a lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Obed DLAMINI (since 12 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978
Suffrage:
none
Elections:
indirect parliamentary election through Swaziland's Tinkhundala System
scheduled for November 1992
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADCC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA; Chancery at 3400 International Drive NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6683
US:
Ambassador Stephen H. ROGERS; Embassy at Central Bank Building, Warner
Street, Mbabane (mailing address is P. O. Box 199, Mbabane); telephone [268]
46441 through 5; FAX [268] 45959
Flag:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red
band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white
shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all
placed horizontally

:Swaziland Economy

Overview:
The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies most of the
labor force and contributes nearly 25% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes
a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another quarter of GDP.
Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore
deposits were depleted in 1978, and health concerns cut world demand for
asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products are the main earners of
hard currency. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with
Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa, from which it
receives 75% of its imports and to which it sends about half of its exports.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $563 million, per capita $725; real growth rate
5.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $335.4 million; expenditures $360.5 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY93 est.)
Exports:
$557 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit
partners:
South Africa 50% (est.), EC, Canada
Imports:
$632 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products,
foodstuffs, chemicals
partners:
South Africa 75% (est.), Japan, Belgium, UK
External debt:
$290 million (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA; accounts for 26% of GDP (1989)
Electricity:
60,000 kW capacity; 155 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
Agriculture:
accounts for 23% of GDP and over 60% of labor force; mostly subsistence
agriculture; cash crops - sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus
fruit, pineapples; other crops and livestock - corn, sorghum, peanuts,
cattle, goats, sheep; not self-sufficient in grain
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $142 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Currency:
lilangeni (plural - emalangeni); 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
emalangeni (E) per US$1 - 2.7814 (January 1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863
(1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987); note - the Swazi
emalangeni is at par with the South African rand
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

:Swaziland Communications

Railroads:
297 km (plus 71 km disused), 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways:
2,853 km total; 510 km paved, 1,230 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized
soil, and 1,113 km improved earth
Civil air:
4 major transport aircraft
Airports:
23 total, 21 usable; 1 with permanent-surfaced runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity
microwave links; 17,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Swaziland Defense Forces

Branches:
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 197,654; 114,204 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $11 million, about 2% of GNP (1989)

:Sweden Geography

Total area:
449,964 km2
Land area:
410,928 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
2,205 km total; Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km
Coastline:
3,218 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy
summers; subarctic in north
Terrain:
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Natural resources:
zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land 7%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
woodland 64%; other 27%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
water pollution; acid rain
Note:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

:Sweden People

Population:
8,602,157 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
75 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Swede(s); adjective - Swedish
Ethnic divisions:
homogeneous white population; small Lappish minority; foreign born or
first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks,
Turks) about 12%
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5%
(1987)
Languages:
Swedish, small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak
native languages
Literacy:
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
Labor force:
4,552,000 community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and
manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking,
insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture,
fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)
Organized labor:
80% of labor force (1990 est.)

:Sweden Government

Long-form name:
Kingdom of Sweden
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Stockholm
Administrative divisions:
24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan,
Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan,
Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads
Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan,
Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan,
Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan,
Vastmanlands Lan
Independence:
6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established
Constitution:
1 January 1975
Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament (Riksdag)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess
VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since 3 October 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling four-party coalition consists of the Moderate Party (conservative),
Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Bengt WESTERBERG; Center Party, Olof
JOHANSSON; and the Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; Social
Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON; New Democracy Party, Count Ian
WACHTMEISTER; Left Party (VP; Communist), Lars WERNER; Swedish Communist
Party (SKP), Rune PETTERSSON; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green
Party, no formal leader
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Riksdag:
last held 15 September 1991 (next to be held NA September 1994); results -
Social Democratic Party 37.6%, Moderate Party (conservative) 21.9%, Liberal
People's Party 9.1%, Center Party 8.5%, Christian Democrats 7.1%, New
Democracy 6.7%, Left Party (Communist) 4.5%, Green Party 3.4%, other 1.2%;
seats - (349 total) Social Democratic 138, Moderate Party (conservative) 80,
Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New
Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16; note - the Green Party has no seats
in the Riksdag because it received less than the required 4% of the vote
Communists:
VP and SKP; VP, formerly the Left Party-Communists, is reported to have
roughly 17,800 members and attracted 5.8% of the vote in the 1988 election;
VP dropped the Communist label in 1990, but maintains a Marxist ideology

:Sweden Government

Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer) AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
FAO, G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 944-5600; there are Swedish
Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York
US:
Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN; Embassy at Strandvagen 101, S-115 89
Stockholm; telephone [46] (8) 783-5300; FAX [46] (8) 661-1964
Flag:
blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical
part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog
(Danish flag)

:Sweden Economy

Overview:
Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through
World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a
mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has
essentially full employment, a modern distribution system, excellent
internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber,
hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is
heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for
about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for
50% of output and exports. In the last few years, however, this
extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing
absenteeism, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets.
The new center-right government, facing a sagging economic situation which
is unlikely to improve until 1993, is pushing full steam ahead with economic
reform proposals to end Sweden's recession and to prepare for possible EC
membership in 1995. The free-market-oriented reforms are designed to spur
growth, maintain price stability, lower unemployment, create a more
efficient welfare state, and further adapt to EC standards. The measures
include: cutting taxes, particularly the value-added tax (VAT) and levies on
new and small business; privatization; liberalizing foreign ownership
restrictions; and opening the welfare system to competition and private
alternatives, which the government will still finance. Growth is expected to
remain flat in 1992, but increase slightly in 1993, while inflation should
remain around 3% for the next few years. On the down side, unemployment may
climb to slightly over 4% in 1993, and the budget deficit will reach nearly
$9 billion in 1992.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $147.6 billion, per capita $17,200; real
growth rate -1.1% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.0% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
2.7% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $67.5 billion; expenditures $78.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
Exports:
$54.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel
products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
partners:
EC, (FRG, UK, Denmark), US, Norway
Imports:
$50.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles,
foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
partners:
EC 55.3%, US 8.4% (1990)
External debt:
$10.7 billion (November 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate -5.3% (1991)
Electricity:
39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per capita
(1991)

:Sweden Economy

Industries:
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts,
armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
Agriculture:
animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for
37% of farm income; main crops - grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100%
self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85% self-sufficient in sugar beets
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion
Currency:
Swedish krona (plural - kronor); 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates:
Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.0259 (March 1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188
(1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

:Sweden Communications

Railroads:
12,000 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ) - 10,819 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track; 182 km
0.891-meter gauge; 117 km rail ferry service; privately owned railways - 511
km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified); 371 km 0.891-meter gauge
(all electrified)
Highways:
97,400 km (51,899 km paved, 20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unimproved earth)
Inland waterways:
2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
Pipelines:
natural gas 84 km
Ports:
Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous
secondary and minor ports
Merchant marine:
186 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,665,902 GRT/3,646,165 DWT; includes
10 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12
vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 33 petroleum tanker, 28 chemical tanker,
4 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 7 combination ore/oil, 12 bulk, 1
combination bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
115 major transports
Airports:
254 total, 252 usable; 139 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 94 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones;
mainly coaxial and multiconductor cables carry long-distance network;
parallel microwave network carries primarily radio, TV and some telephone
channels; automatic system; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 360 (mostly
repeaters) FM, 880 (mostly repeaters) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT

:Sweden Defense Forces

Branches:
Swedish Army, Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,129,996; 1,858,944 fit for military service; 57,492 reach
military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $6.2 billion, about 4% of GDP (FY91)

:Switzerland Geography

Total area:
41,290 km2
Land area:
39,770 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
1,852 km total; Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein
41 km, Germany 334 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool
to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Terrain:
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau
of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Natural resources:
hydropower potential, timber, salt
Land use:
arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and
woodland 26%; other 23%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
dominated by Alps
Note:
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe

:Switzerland People