Chapter XLVII: Front Matter (47)

Land use:
arable land: 10.26%
permanent crops: 17.95%
other: 71.79% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a
constant threat

Environment - current issues:
pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by
pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is
severe enough to make swimming prohibitive

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

People Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Population:
116,812 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.2% (male 16,755; female 16,163)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 39,308; female 37,149)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,215; female 4,222) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.3 years
male: 25.1 years
female: 25.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.34% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
17.16 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-7.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.08 years
male: 71.3 years
female: 74.92 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.95 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Ethnic groups:
black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%

Religions:
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu Seventh-Day
Adventist, other Protestant

Languages:
English, French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 96%
male: 96%
female: 96% (1970 est.)

Government Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Government type:
parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the
Commonwealth

Capital:
Kingstown

Administrative divisions:
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint
George, Saint Patrick

Independence:
27 October 1979 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Constitution:
27 October 1979

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE
(since 2 September 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by
the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29
March 2001)

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives
and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular
vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
ULP 12, NDP 3
elections: last held 28 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006)

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Political parties and leaders:
National Reform Party or NRP [Joel MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or
NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Ken
BOYEA]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [leader NA]; United People's
Movement or UPM [Adrian SAUNDERS]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph
GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or
SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS,
OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines

Flag description:
three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and
green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V
pattern

Economy Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Economy - overview:
Bananas and other agricultural products remain the staple of this
lower-middle income country's economy. Although tourism and other
services have been growing moderately in recent years, the
government has been ineffective at introducing new industries.
Unemployment remains high, and economic growth hinges upon seasonal
variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms
wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and
tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following
11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking
sector, but its restrictive secrecy laws have come under
international review. As of June 2001, it remained on the Financial
Action Task Force's list of noncooperative jurisdictions. Saint
Vincent is also the largest producer of marijuana in the Eastern
Caribbean and is increasingly being used as a transshipment point
for illegal narcotics from South America.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $339 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-0.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 26%
services: 64% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.4% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
67,000 (1984 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 26%, industry 17%, services 57% (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate:
22% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $94.6 million
expenditures: $85.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Industrial production growth rate:
-0.9% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
92.48 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 69.3%
hydro: 30.7%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
86 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle,
sheep, pigs, goats; fish

Exports:
$53.7 million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis
racquets

Exports - partners:
France 25.2%, Greece 19.1%, Spain 16.4%, UK 9.5%, US 7.1% (2002)

Imports:
$185.6 million (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers,
minerals and fuels

Imports - partners:
France 32.7%, US 11.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.4%, Singapore 10.1%,
Spain 7.9%, Greece 4.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$167.2 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$47.5 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (1998)

Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7
(2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Telephones - main lines in use:
20,500 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF
radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the
Grenadines
international: VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to
Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia;
access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
77,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
18,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.vc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
15 (2000)

Internet users:
3,500 (2001)

Transportation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 1,040 km
paved: 320 km
unpaved: 720 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Kingstown

Merchant marine:
total: 769 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,365,887 GRT/9,665,937 DWT
ships by type: bulk 133, cargo 376, chemical tanker 21, combination
bulk 7, container 58, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier 4,
multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 5, petroleum tanker
43, refrigerated cargo 46, roll on/roll off 45, short-sea passenger
10, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Albania 1, Anguilla 1, Argentina 1, Australia 2, The
Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 2, Belgium 4, Bulgaria 14, Canada
1, Cayman Islands 1, China 135, Colombia 1, Croatia 12, Cyprus 6,
Denmark 16, Egypt 7, Estonia 6, France 27, Germany 12, Greece 156,
Guyana 7, Hong Kong 23, Iceland 1, India 11, Indonesia 3, Israel 2,
Italy 19, Japan 1, Kenya 4, Latvia 5, Lebanon 9, Liberia 5,
Lithuania 1, Malta 1, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1,
Monaco 6, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Nigeria 3, Norway
33, Pakistan 5, Panama 2, Poland 2, Portugal 2, Puerto Rico 2,
Russia 8, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 4,
Slovenia 7, South Korea 4, Spain 1, Sweden 6, Switzerland 10, Syria
2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey
15, Ukraine 8, UAE 45, UK 16, US 25, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
6 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Military branches:
Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes
Special Service Unit), Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Disputes - international:
protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island,
which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a
large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Samoa

Introduction Samoa

Background:
New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at
the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the
islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when
the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish
independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western"
from its name in 1997.

Geography Samoa

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
13 35 S, 172 20 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 2,944 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 2,934 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
403 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to
October)

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in
interior

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m

Natural resources:
hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 19.43%
permanent crops: 23.67%
other: 56.9% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

People Samoa

Population:
178,173 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.4% (male 26,613; female 25,715)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 72,135; female 42,903)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 4,980; female 5,827) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 23.7 years
male: 26.3 years
female: 20.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
-0.27% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
15.41 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-11.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.68 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 29.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 34.98 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.11 years
male: 67.35 years
female: 73 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.21 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3

Nationality:
noun: Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan

Ethnic groups:
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian
blood), Europeans 0.4%

Religions:
Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the
London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic,
Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Languages:
Samoan (Polynesian), English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

Government Samoa

Country name:
conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
conventional short form: Samoa
former: Western Samoa

Government type:
constitutional monarchy under native chief

Capital:
Apia

Administrative divisions:
11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga,
Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga,
Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Independence:
1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:
Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962
is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN
trusteeship, 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is celebrated

Constitution:
1 January 1962

Legal system:
based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of
legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from
1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA
(since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from
1992 until he assumed the prime ministership in 1996, when former
Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health;
TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister after TOFILAU died; the
post of deputy prime minister is currently vacant
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of
state with the prime minister's advice
elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new
chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve
a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of
state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by
voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral
districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly Eurasian, voters who
cannot, (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only
chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: election last held 3 March 2001 (next election to be held
not later than March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Land and Titles Court

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection
Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoa All
People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua MAIMOANA]; Samoan National
Development Party or SNDP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman] (opposition);
Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia, party secretary]; Samoan
Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale]; Samoan United
Independents Party or SUIP [Dr. Saleimoa VAAI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Feturi ELISAIA
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: the Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to
Samoa
embassy: Vailima
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone: [685] 21631/22696
FAX: [685] 22030

Flag description:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing
five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross
constellation

Economy Samoa

Economy - overview:
The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on
development aid, family remittances from overseas, and agriculture
and fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms.
Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90%
of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The
manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The
decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism
is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000
tourists visited the islands in 2001. The Samoan Government has
called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of
investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime protecting the
environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market
as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves
are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and
inflation is low.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 23%
services: 63% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
90,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
NA%; note - substantial underemployment

Budget:
revenues: $105 million
expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001/2002)

Industries:
food processing, building materials, auto parts

Industrial production growth rate:
2.8% (2000)

Electricity - production:
105.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
97.74 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Exports:
$15.5 million f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities:
fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts,
garments, beer

Exports - partners:
Australia 66.1%, US 10%, Japan 3.7% (2002)

Imports:
$130.1 million f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
New Zealand 23.3%, Fiji 20.2%, Australia 15.7%, Japan 13.1%, Taiwan
6.4%, US 4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$197 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$42.9 million (1995)

Currency:
tala (SAT)

Currency code:
SAT (former WST code is still in wide use)

Exchange rates:
tala per US dollar - 3.37 (2002), 3.48 (2001), 3.29 (2000), 3.01
(1999), 2.95 (1998)

Fiscal year:
June 1 - May 31

Communications Samoa

Telephones - main lines in use:
8,183 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,545 (February 1998)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
174,849 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2002)

Televisions:
8,634 (1999)

Internet country code:
.ws

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
3,000 (2002)

Transportation Samoa

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 790 km
paved: 332 km
unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
4 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military Samoa

Military branches:
no regular armed services; Samoa Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Military - note:
Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces;
informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider
any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship

Transnational Issues Samoa

Disputes - international:
none; note - some EEZ demarcations, including the one with American
Samoa, are undefined

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@San Marino

Introduction San Marino

Background:
The third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco)
also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to
tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in
301 A.D. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy.
Social and political trends in the republic also track closely with
those of its larger neighbor.

Geography San Marino

Location:
Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy

Geographic coordinates:
43 46 N, 12 25 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 61.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 61.2 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 39 km
border countries: Italy 39 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers

Terrain:
rugged mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m
highest point: Monte Titano 755 m

Natural resources:
building stone

Land use:
arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 83.33% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Nuclear
Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution

Geography - note:
landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See
and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines

People San Marino

Population:
28,119 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.3% (male 2,364; female 2,220)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 9,149; female 9,731)
65 years and over: 16.6% (male 2,009; female 2,646) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.6 years
male: 39.2 years
female: 40 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.38% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
10.49 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
11.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 6.41 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.43 years
male: 77.9 years
female: 85.26 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.31 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

Ethnic groups:
Sammarinese, Italian

Religions:
Roman Catholic

Languages:
Italian

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 97%
female: 95% (1976 est.)

Government San Marino

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
conventional short form: San Marino
local short form: San Marino
local long form: Repubblica di San Marino

Government type:
independent republic

Capital:
San Marino

Administrative divisions:
9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo
Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte
Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle

Independence:
3 September 301

National holiday:
Founding of the Republic, 3 September (301)

Constitution:
8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions
of a constitution

Legal system:
based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Giovanni
LONFERNINI and Captain Regent Valeria CIAVATTA (for the period 1
October 2003-31 March 2004)
elections: cochiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great
and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA
September 2003 (next to be held NA March 2004); secretary of state
for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General
Council for a five-year term; election last held 17 December 2002
(next to be held NA June 2007)
note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council)
selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs
of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the
Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which
has 10 other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council;
assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the
secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some of the
prerogatives of a prime minister
election results: Giovanni LONFERNINI and Valeria CIAVATTA elected
captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA%; Fiorenzo STOLFI
elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs;
percent of legislative vote - 40%
cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council
for a five-year term
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political
Affairs Fiorenzo STOLFI (since 17 December 2002)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale
(60 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 10 June 2001 (next to be held by June 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 41.4%, PSS 24.2%,
PD 20.8%, APDS 8.2%, RC 3.4%, AN 1.9%; seats by party - PDCS 25, PSS
15, PD 12, APDS 5, RC 2, AN 1

Judicial branch:
Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII

Political parties and leaders:
Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Ideas in Movement or IM
[Alessandro ROSSI]; National Alliance or AN [leader NA]; Party of
Democrats or PD [Claudio FELICI]; San Marino Christian Democratic
Party or PDCS [Giovanni LONFERNINI]; San Marino Popular Alliance of
Democrats or APDS [Roberto GIORGETTI]; San Marino Socialist Party or
PSS [Alberto CECCHETTI]; Socialists for Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
CE, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
honorary consulate(s) general: Washington, DC and New York
honorary consulate(s): Detroit and Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US Consul
General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the
national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms
has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a
wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS
(Liberty)

Economy San Marino

Economy - overview:
The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 2000 more than 3
million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries are banking,
wearing apparel, electronics, and ceramics. Main agricultural
products are wine and cheeses. The per capita level of output and
standard of living are comparable to those of the most prosperous
regions of Italy, which supplies much of its food.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $940 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.5% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $34,600 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2001)

Labor force:
18,500 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 57%, industry 42%, agriculture 1% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.6% (2001)

Budget:
revenues: $400 million
expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
tourism, banking, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
NA

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 41.18%
other: 0%
nuclear: 0%
hydro: 58.82%

Electricity - consumption:
NA (2000)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh
note: electric power supplied by Italy

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh
note: electricity supplied by Italy

Agriculture - products:
wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese,
hides

Exports:
trade data are included with the statistics for Italy

Exports - commodities:
building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods,
hides, ceramics

Imports:
trade data are included with the statistics for Italy

Imports - commodities:
wide variety of consumer manufactures, food

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
euro (EUR)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications San Marino

Telephones - main lines in use:
18,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,010 (1998)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
Italian system
international: connected to Italian international network

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
16,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (San Marino residents also receive broadcasts from Italy) (1997)

Televisions:
9,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation San Marino

Railways:
0 km; note - there is a 1.5-km cable railway connecting the city of
San Marino to Borgo Maggiore

Highways:
total: 220 km
paved: 220 km
unpaved: 0 km (2001)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
none (2002)

Military San Marino

Military branches:
Voluntary Military Force (Corpi Militari Voluntar), Gendarmerie;
note - the Voluntary Military Force performs ceremonial duties and
limited police assistance

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$700,000 (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues San Marino

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Sao Tome and Principe

Introduction Sao Tome and Principe

Background:
Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the
islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the
19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of
which lingered into the 20th century. Although independence was
achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the
late 1980s. Though the first free elections were held in 1991, the
political environment has been one of continued instability with
frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003.
The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea is likely to have
a significant impact on the country's economy.

Geography Sao Tome and Principe

Location:
Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the
Equator, west of Gabon

Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 7 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,001 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
209 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Terrain:
volcanic, mountainous

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m

Natural resources:
fish, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 41%
other: 57% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
100 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion

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

Geography - note:
the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a
chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous

People Sao Tome and Principe

Population:
175,883 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47.7% (male 42,480; female 41,411)
15-64 years: 48.3% (male 41,043; female 43,986)
65 years and over: 4% (male 3,197; female 3,766) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.1 years
male: 15.5 years
female: 16.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
3.18% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
41.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 46.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 48.07 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.28 years
male: 64.79 years
female: 67.82 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.88 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Sao Tomean(s)
adjective: Sao Tomean

Ethnic groups:
mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros
(descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from
Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais
born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)

Religions:
Christian 80% (Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day
Adventist)

Languages:
Portuguese (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.3%
male: 85%
female: 62% (1991 est.)

Government Sao Tome and Principe

Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe
local short form: Sao Tome e Principe
local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Sao Tome

Administrative divisions:
2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995

Independence:
12 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 July (1975)

Constitution:
approved March 1990; effective 10 September 1990

Legal system:
based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September
2001)
election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao
Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held NA July 2006);
prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the
president
head of government: Prime Minister Maria das NEVES (since 7 October
2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
proposal of the prime minister

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats;
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for
Change Democratic Movement 39.4%, Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats
by party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change Democratic Movement 23,
Ue-Kedadji coalition 8

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change
Democratic Movement [leader NA]; Independent Democratic Action or
ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and
Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da
COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA];
Ue-Kedadji coalition [leader NA]; other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Sao Tome and Principe does not have an embassy in the US, but does
have a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by First Secretary
Domingos Augusto FERREIRA, located at 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor,
New York, NY 10022, telephone [1] (212) 317-0580

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the
Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a
nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and
green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the
center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the
hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Sao Tome and Principe

Economy - overview:
This small poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on
cocoa since independence 28 years ago. Cocoa production has
substantially declined in recent years because of drought and
mismanagement, but strengthening prices brighten prospects for 2003.
Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer
goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has been
unable to service its external debt and has had to depend on
concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200
million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted
Poor Countries (HIPC) program. Sao Tome's success in implementing
structural reforms has been rewarded by international donors, who
pledged increased assistance in 2001. Considerable potential exists
for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken
steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has
attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is
optimistic that substantial petroleum discoveries are forthcoming in
its territorial waters in the oil-rich waters of the Gulf of Guinea;
production could begin as early as 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $200 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 10%
services: 65% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing
note: shortages of skilled workers

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $58 million
expenditures: $114 million, including capital expenditures of $54
million (1993 est.)

Industries:
light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
17 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 41.2%
hydro: 58.8%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
15.81 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee,
bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish

Exports:
$5.5 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 30.1%, Poland 11.8%, Canada 9.7%, Germany 7.5%,
Philippines 7.5%, Spain 7.5%, Belgium 6.5%, France 4.3%, Portugal
4.3% (2002)

Imports:
$24.8 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum
products

Imports - partners:
Portugal 51.4%, Germany 10.1%, UK 7.6%, Belgium 6.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$253.8 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program

Currency:
dobra (STD)

Currency code:
STD

Exchange rates:
dobras per US dollar - NA (2002), 8,842.11 (2001), 7,978.17 (2000),
7,118.96 (1999), 6,883.24 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sao Tome and Principe

Telephones - main lines in use:
4,600 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6,942 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)

Radios:
38,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2002)

Televisions:
23,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.st

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
9,000 (2002)

Transportation Sao Tome and Principe

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 320 km
paved: 218 km
unpaved: 102 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Santo Antonio, Sao Tome

Merchant marine:
total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 78,595 GRT/99,873 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 15, chemical tanker 1, livestock
carrier 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll
off 2
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 1, Kenya 1, Portugal 1, Syria 1, Turkey
1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
2 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Military Sao Tome and Principe

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Security Police

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 36,905 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 19,443 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$400,000 (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.8% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Sao Tome and Principe

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Saudi Arabia

Introduction Saudi Arabia

Background:
In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and
set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. In the
1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti
royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab
troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the
following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an
economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all
major governmental concerns.

Geography Saudi Arabia

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of
Yemen

Geographic coordinates:
25 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 1,960,582 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman
676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Coastline:
2,640 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Terrain:
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

Land use:
arable land: 1.72%
permanent crops: 0.06%
other: 98.22% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
16,200 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms

Environment - current issues:
desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack
of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the
development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal
pollution from oil spills

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

Geography - note:
extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great
leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and
Suez Canal

People Saudi Arabia

Population:
24,293,844
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 5,245,413; female 5,028,595)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 7,700,121; female 5,622,099)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 393,173; female 304,443) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.8 years
male: 20.9 years
female: 16.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
3.27% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
37.2 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.37 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.29 male(s)/female
total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 47.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 45.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 50.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.73 years
male: 66.99 years
female: 70.55 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.15 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

Religions:
Muslim 100%

Languages:
Arabic

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8%
male: 84.7%
female: 70.8% (2003 est.)

Government Saudi Arabia

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

Government type:
monarchy

Capital:
Riyadh

Administrative divisions:
13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud
ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash
Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran,
Tabuk

Independence:
23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom)

National holiday:
Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)

Constitution:
governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that
articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was
introduced in 1993

Legal system:
based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced;
commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
none

Executive branch:
chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al
Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime
Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the
monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1
January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief
of state and head of government
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al
Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime
Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the
monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1
January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief
of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and
includes many royal family members

Legislative branch:
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman
appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Council of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
none allowed

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW,
OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al
Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. JORDAN
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh
mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE
09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693
telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800
FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360
consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)

Flag description:
green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as
There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a
white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is
the traditional color of Islam

Economy Saudi Arabia

Economy - overview:
This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over
major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of
petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves), ranks as the
largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The
petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of
GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 25% of GDP comes from the
private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important
role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service
sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing
the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization
of the telecommunications company. The government is supporting
private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and
increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population.
Priorities for government spending in the short term include
additional funds for the water and sewage systems and for education.
Water shortages and rapid population growth constrain the
government's efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural
products.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $268.9 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.2%
industry: 51.2%
services: 43.6% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

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

Labor force:
7 million
note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
25% (2002)

Budget:
revenues: $46 billion
expenditures: $56.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003 est.)

Industries:
crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals,
cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics

Industrial production growth rate:
1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
122.4 billion kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
113.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
1.452 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
261.7 billion bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.339 trillion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens,
eggs, milk

Exports:
$71 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 90%

Exports - partners:
US 18.6%, Japan 15.6%, South Korea 10.1%, Singapore 5.1%, China
4.6% (2002)

Imports:
$39.5 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles,
textiles

Imports - partners:
US 11.2%, Japan 8.8%, Germany 7.6%, UK 4.9%, France 4.9%, Italy
4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$25.9 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon;
since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance
to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in
Afghanistan

Currency:
Saudi riyal (SAR)

Currency code:
SAR

Exchange rates:
Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001), 3.75 (2000),
3.75 (1999), 3.75 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Saudi Arabia

Telephones - main lines in use:
3.9 million (2002 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.9 million (2002 est.)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
fiber-optic cable systems
international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait,
Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan;
submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth
stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1
Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
6.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
117 (1997)

Televisions:
5.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sa

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
22 (2003)

Internet users:
1.453 million (2002)

Transportation Saudi Arabia

Railways:
total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and
sidings) (2002)

Highways:
total: 151,470 km
paved: 45,592 km
unpaved: 105,878 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
condensate 212 km; gas 837 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,187 km; oil
5,062 km; refined products 69 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji,
Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah

Merchant marine:
total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,461,964 GRT/2,301,258 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 11, container 4, livestock
carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 4,
roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 8
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Egypt 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1,
UK 3 (2002 est.)

Airports:
209 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 71
over 3,047 m: 31
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 138
under 914 m: 13 (2002)
over 3047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 39
1,524 to 2,437 m: 79

Heliports:
5 (2002)

Military Saudi Arabia

Military branches:
Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National
Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)

Military manpower - military age:
17 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,123,784 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,431,281 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 253,685 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$18.3 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
13% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Saudi Arabia

Disputes - international:
nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist demarcation of
boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been negotiating a
long-contested maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties
have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with
the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate

Illicit drugs:
death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin,
cocaine, and hashish

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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