Chapter XLVIII: Front Matter (48)

Background:
Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The Gambia to
form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However, the
envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out,
and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern
separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces
since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in
international peacekeeping.

Geography Senegal

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Geographic coordinates:
14 00 N, 14 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau
338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Coastline:
531 km

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

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong
southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot,
dry, harmattan wind

Terrain:
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

Natural resources:
fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 11.58%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 88.23% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
710 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geography - note:
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost
an enclave of Senegal

People Senegal

Population:
10,580,307 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.7% (male 2,330,395; female 2,289,706)
15-64 years: 53.3% (male 2,707,195; female 2,929,998)
65 years and over: 3% (male 156,514; female 166,499) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.8 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 18.4 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.56% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 57.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 61.34 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.37 years
male: 54.83 years
female: 57.95 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
27,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,500 (2001 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%,
Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%

Religions:
Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman
Catholic)

Languages:
French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.2%
male: 50%
female: 30.7% (2003 est.)

Government Senegal

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
conventional short form: Senegal
local short form: Senegal
local long form: Republique du Senegal

Government type:
republic under multiparty democratic rule

Capital:
Dakar

Administrative divisions:
10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick,
Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
note: there may be another region called Matam

Independence:
4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon
dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution:
a new constitution was adopted 7 January 2001

Legal system:
based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the
government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Idrissa SECK (since 4 November
2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president
election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote
in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou
DIOUF (PS) 41.51%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
under new constitution; election last held 27 February and 19 March
2000 (next to be held 27 February 2005); prime minister appointed by
the president

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats;
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10
note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001,
had 140 seats

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or
Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals; note - the judicial system was
reformed in 1992

Political parties and leaders:
African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef (also known as
PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general]; African Party of
Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP
[Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP (also
known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor
Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for
Socialism and Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde
Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party
or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier
DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE];
Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]; SOPI Coalition (a
coalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE]; Union for Democratic
Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOVIC, UPU, WADB
(regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315
consulate(s) general: New York
telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Harriet L. ELAM-THOMAS
embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone: [221] 823-4296
FAX: [221] 822-2991

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red
with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Senegal

Economy - overview:
In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic
reform program with the support of the international donor
community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's
currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the
French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been
steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in
1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform
program, with real growth in GDP averaging 5% annually during
1995-2002. Annual inflation had been pushed down to less than 1%,
but rose to an estimated 3.3% in 2001 and 3.0% in 2002. Investment
rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. As a
member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU),
Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a
unified external tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet
connectivity in 1996, creating a miniboom in information
technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82% of
GDP. In 2003, GDP will probably again grow at about 5%. On the
negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems of chronic
unemployment, trade union militancy, juvenile delinquency, and drug
addiction.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $15.64 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 18%
industry: 27%
services: 55% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
54% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 33.5% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.3 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 70%

Unemployment rate:
48% (urban youth 40%) (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.373 billion
expenditures: $1.373 billion, including capital expenditures of $357
million (2002 est.)

Industries:
agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer
production, petroleum refining, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate:
8.1% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.518 billion kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
1.412 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
31,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Natural gas - production:
50 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
50 million cu m (2001 est.)

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

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

Agriculture - products:
peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green
vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Exports:
$1.15 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton

Exports - partners:
India 20.7%, France 13%, Mali 8.9%, Greece 7.7%, Italy 4.4% (2002)

Imports:
$1.46 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foods and beverages, capital goods, fuels

Imports - partners:
France 25.6%, Nigeria 8.7%, Thailand 7.2%, US 5.4%, Germany 5.4%,
Italy 4.5%, Spain 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$3.1 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$362.6 million (2002 est.)

Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:
XOF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99
(2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Senegal

Telephones - main lines in use:
234,916 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
373,965 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: good system
domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial
cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:
1.24 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
361,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
100,000 (2002)

Transportation Senegal

Railways:
total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 14,576 km
paved: 4,271 km including 7 km of expressways
unpaved: 10,305 km (2000)

Waterways:
897 km
note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river

Pipelines:
gas 564 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll, Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor

Airports:
20 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military Senegal

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
(Surete Nationale)

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,404,838 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,256,973 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 116,688 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$68.6 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Senegal

Disputes - international:
separatist war in Casamance region results in refugees and
cross-border raids, arms smuggling, other illegal activities, and
political instability in Guinea-Bissau

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving
to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Serbia and Montenegro

Introduction Serbia and Montenegro

Background:
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its
name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Occupation by Nazi Germany
in 1941 was resisted by various paramilitary bands that fought
themselves as well as the invaders. The group headed by Marshal TITO
took full control upon German expulsion in 1945. Although Communist,
his new government successfully steered its own path between the
Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half
decades. In the early 1990s, post-TITO Yugoslavia began to unravel
along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, and The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia all declared their independence in 1991;
Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia
and Montenegro declared a new "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (FRY)
in 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia led various
military intervention efforts to unite Serbs in neighboring
republics into a "Greater Serbia." All of these efforts were
ultimately unsuccessful. In 1999, massive expulsions by FRY forces
and Serb paramilitaries of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo
provoked an international response, including the NATO bombing of
Serbia and the stationing of NATO, Russian, and other peacekeepers
in Kosovo. Federal elections in the fall of 2000, brought about the
ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed Vojislav KOSTUNICA as president.
The arrest of MILOSEVIC in 2001 allowed for his subsequent transfer
to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in
The Hague to be tried for crimes against humanity. In 2001, the
country's suspension was lifted, and it was once more accepted into
UN organizations under the name of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has been
governed by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
since June 1999, under the authority of UN Security Council
Resolution 1244. In 2002, the Serbian and Montenegrin components of
Yugoslavia began negotiations to forge a looser relationship. These
talks became a reality in February 2003 when lawmakers restructured
the country into a loose federation of two republics called Serbia
and Montenegro. An agreement was also reached to hold a referendum
in each republic in three years on full independence.

Geography Serbia and Montenegro

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania
and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Geographic coordinates:
44 00 N, 21 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 102,350 sq km
water: 214 sq km
land: 102,136 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Kentucky

Land boundaries:
total: 2,246 km
border countries: Albania 287 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 527 km,
Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia (north) 241 km, Croatia (south) 25 km,
Hungary 151 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 221 km,
Romania 476 km

Coastline:
199 km

Maritime claims:
NA

Climate:
in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid
summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion,
continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic
climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively
cold winters with heavy snowfall inland

Terrain:
extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east,
limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and
hills; to the southwest, extremely high shoreline with no islands
off the coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Daravica 2,656 m

Natural resources:
oil, gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite,
chrome, hydropower, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 36.34%
permanent crops: 3.44%
other: 60.22% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
570 sq km

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in
tourist-related areas such as Kotor; air pollution around Belgrade
and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes
dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity

Geography - note:
controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey
and the Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast

People Serbia and Montenegro

Population:
10,655,774
note: a census was taken in Serbia 1-15 April 2002 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.3% (male 1,062,625; female 990,071)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 3,422,543; female 3,548,058)
65 years and over: 15.3% (male 696,716; female 935,761) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 36.2 years
male: 34.3 years
female: 37.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.07% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 18.57 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.97 years
male: 71.03 years
female: 77.16 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Serb(s); Montenegrin(s)
adjective: Serbian; Montenegrin

Ethnic groups:
Serb 62.6%, Albanian 16.5%, Montenegrin 5%, Hungarian 3.3%, other
12.6% (1991)

Religions:
Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other
11%

Languages:
Serbian 95%, Albanian 5%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 97.2%
female: 88.9% (1991)

Government Serbia and Montenegro

Country name:
conventional long form: Serbia and Montenegro
conventional short form: none
local short form: none
local long form: Srbija i Crna Gora

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Belgrade; note - Podgorica is the judicial capital

Administrative divisions:
2 republics (republike, singular - republika); and 2 nominally
autonomous provinces* (autonomn pokrajine, singular - autonomna
pokrajina); Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, Vojvodina*

Independence:
27 April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or FRY formed as
self-proclaimed successor to the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia or SFRY)

National holiday:
National Day, 27 April

Constitution:
4 February 2003

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Svetozar MAROVIC (since 7 March 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Dragisa PESIC (since 24 July
2001); Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub LABUS (since 25 January 2001)
cabinet: Federal Ministries act as Cabinet
elections: president elected by the Parliament for a four-year term;
election last held 7 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2007); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Svetozar MAROVIC elected president by the
Parliament; vote was Svetozar MAROVIC 65, other 47

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (126 seats - 91 Serbian, 35 Montenegrin -
filled by nominees of the two state parliaments for the first two
years, after which the president will call for public elections
elections: last held 25 February 2003 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
DOS 37, DLECG 19, DSS 17, ZP 14, SPS 12, SRS 8, SDP 5, SSJ 5, other 9

Judicial branch:
Federal Court or Savezni Sud; Constitutional Court; judges for both
courts are elected by the Federal Assembly for nine-year terms
note: after the promulgation of the new Constitution, the Federal
Court will have constitutional and administrative functions; it will
have an equal number of judges from each republic

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Opposition of Serbia or DOS (a coalition of many small
parties including DSS) [leader NA]; Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians
or SVM [Jozsef KASZA]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Dr.
Ibrahim RUGOVA, president]; Democratic List for European Montenegro
or DLECG [Milo DJUKANOVIC, Ranko KRIVOKAPIC]; Democratic Party or DS
[collective interim leadership led by Cedomir JOVANOVIC]; Democratic
Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA]; Democratic Party of
Socialists of Montenegro or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC]; Party of Serb
Unity or SSJ [Borislav PELEVIC]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS
[Tomislav NIKOLIC]; Serbian Socialist Party or SPS (former Communist
Party and party of Slobodan MILOSEVIC) [Zoran ANDJELKOVIC, general
secretary]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Rasim LJAJIC]; Together
for Changes or ZP [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ];
Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Ibrahim RUGOVA]; Democratic
Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Group of 17 Independent
Economists or G-17 [leader NA]; National Movement for the Liberation
of Kosovo or LKCK [Sabit GASHI]; Otpor Student Resistance Movement
[leader NA]; Political Council for Presevo, Meveda and Bujanovac or
PCPMB [leader NA]; The People's Movement for Kosovo or LPK [Emrush
XHEMAJLI]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, BIS, CE (guest), CEI, EBRD, FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William D. MONTGOMERY
embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade
mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070
telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344
FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230

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

Economy Serbia and Montenegro

Economy - overview:
MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of
economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure
and industry during the war in Kosovo have left the economy only
half the size it was in 1990. Since the ousting of former Federal
Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the Democratic
Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government has implemented
stabilization measures and embarked on an aggressive market reform
program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000,
Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the international community
by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World Bank-European
Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June 2001 raised
$1.3 billion for economic restructuring. An agreement rescheduling
the country's $4.5 billion Paris Club government debts was concluded
in November 2001; it will write off 66% of the debt; a similar debt
relief agreement on its $2.8 billion London Club commercial debt is
still pending. The smaller republic of Montenegro severed its
economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC
era and continues to maintain its own central bank, uses the euro
instead of the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collects customs
tariffs, and manages its own budget. Kosovo, while technically still
part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia and
Montenegro) according to United Nations Security Council Resolution
1244, is moving toward local autonomy under United Nations Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and is dependent on the
international community for financial and technical assistance. The
euro and the Yugoslav dinar are official currencies, and UNMIK
collects taxes and manages the budget. The complexity of Serbia and
Montenegro political relationships, slow progress in privatization,
and stagnation in the European economy are holding back the economy.
Arrangements with the IMF, especially requirements for fiscal
discipline, are an important element in policy formation. Severe
unemployment remains a key political economic problem.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $23.15 billion (2002 est.)

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

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 36%
services: 38% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
30%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
19% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
3 million (2001 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
32% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.9 billion
expenditures: $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; tanks and
weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery); metallurgy
(steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth,
cadmium); mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore,
limestone); consumer goods (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs,
appliances); electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, and
pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate:
1.7% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
31.71 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 62.9%
hydro: 37.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
32.37 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
446 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
3.33 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
15,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
64,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
38.75 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
602 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
602 million cu m (2001 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.07 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
cereals, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, olives; cattle, sheep, goats

Exports:
$2.4 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, food and live animals, raw materials

Exports - partners:
Italy 32%, Germany 19.5%, Greece 7%, Austria 6.1%, France 4.6%
(2002)

Imports:
$6.3 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, fuels and lubricants,
manufactured goods, chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials

Imports - partners:
Germany 19.4%, Italy 18%, Austria 8.5%, Slovenia 5.6%, Greece 4.4%,
France 4.3%, Bulgaria 4.2%, Romania 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$9.2 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2 billion pledged in 2001 (disbursements to follow for several
years)

Currency:
new Yugoslav dinar (YUM); note - in Montenegro the euro is legal
tender; in Kosovo both the euro and the Yugoslav dinar are legal
(2002)

Currency code:
YUM

Exchange rates:
new Yugoslav dinars per US dollar - official rate: 65 (2002), 10.0
(December 1998); black market rate: 14.5 (December 1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Serbia and Montenegro

Telephones - main lines in use:
2.017 million (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
87,000 (1997)

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

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 113, FM 194, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
3.15 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
more than 771 (including 86 strong stations and 685 low-power
stations, plus 20 repeaters in the principal networks; also numerous
local or private stations in Serbia and Vojvodina) (1997)

Televisions:
2.75 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.yu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)

Internet users:
400,000 (2001)

Transportation Serbia and Montenegro

Railways:
total: 4,059 km
standard gauge: 4,059 km 1.435-m gauge (1,364 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 49,805 km
paved: 31,029 km (including 560 km of expressways)
unpaved: 18,776 km (2000)

Waterways:
587 km
note: the Danube River, central Europe's connection to the Black
Sea, runs through Serbia; since early 2000, a pontoon bridge,
replacing a destroyed conventional bridge, has obstructed river
traffic at Novi Sad; the obstruction is bypassed by a canal system,
but the inadequate lock size limits the size of vessels which may
pass; the pontoon bridge can be opened for large ships but has
slowed river traffic (2001)

Pipelines:
gas 3,177 km; oil 393 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Bar, Belgrade, Kotor, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Tivat, Zelenika

Airports:
45 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 12 (2002)

Heliports:
4 (2002)

Military Serbia and Montenegro

Military branches:
Army (VJ) (including ground forces with border troops, naval
forces, air and air defense forces)

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,579,620 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,077,660 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 81,547 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$654 million (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues Serbia and Montenegro

Disputes - international:
the Albanian government calls for the protection of the rights of
ethnic Albanians outside its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia
and Montenegro while continuing to seek regional cooperation;
several ethnic Albanian groups in Kosovo voice union with Albania;
has delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and
Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute;
in late 2002, Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia adopted an interim
agreement to settle the disputed Prevlaka Peninsula, allowing the
withdrawal of the UN monitoring mission (UNMOP), but discussions
could be complicated by the inability of Serbia and Montenegro to
come to an agreement on the economic aspects of the new federal union

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

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Seychelles

Introduction Seychelles

Background:
A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands
ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came
in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new
constitution and free elections in 1993. The most recent
presidential elections were held 31 August-2 September 2001.
President RENE, who has served since 1977, was re-elected.

Geography Seychelles

Location:
Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of
Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
4 35 S, 55 40 E

Map references:
Africa

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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
491 km

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

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

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

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

Natural resources:
fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use:
arable land: 2.22%
permanent crops: 13.33%
other: 84.45% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

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

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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

People Seychelles

Population:
80,469 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.3% (male 11,116; female 10,844)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 26,068; female 27,425)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 1,654; female 3,362) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.9 years
male: 25.8 years
female: 27.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.46% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-5.84 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: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 20.75 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.25 years
male: 65.78 years
female: 76.88 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.79 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: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychellois

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

Religions:
Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian 2.5%, other
4.1%

Languages:
English (official), French (official), Creole

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 56%
female: 60% (1971 est.)

Government Seychelles

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Victoria

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

Independence:
29 June 1976 (from UK)

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

Constitution:
18 June 1993

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

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 31 August-2 September 2001 (next to be held NA
2006)
election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of
vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 54.19%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO)
44.95%, Philippe BOULLE 0.86%; note - the first time that
presidential elections have been held separately from legislative
elections
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June
1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government

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

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

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement
Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National
Party or SNP (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel
RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France
Albert RENE, James MICHEL] - the governing party

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

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

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

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

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

Economy Seychelles

Economy - overview:
Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean
archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old
near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector,
which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than
70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years
the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade
hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has
moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the
development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. A
sharp drop illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in
1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war, and once again following the 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Other issues facing the
government are the curbing of the budget deficit, including the
containment of social welfare costs, and further privatization of
public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2002, due to sluggish
tourist and tuna sectors. Also, tight controls on exchange rates and
the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term economic
prospects. The black market value of the Seychelles rupee is half
the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency
the tourist sector should remain sluggish as vacationers seek
cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.

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

GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 24.4%
services: 73.2% (2000)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
30,900 (1996)

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

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $249 million
expenditures: $262 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
160 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
148.8 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

Exports:
$235 million f.o.b. (2002)

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

Exports - partners:
UK 28.6%, France 20%, Italy 8.7%, US 8.4%, Spain 6.7%, Japan 6.7%,
Netherlands 6.6%, Thailand 6.4% (2002)

Imports:
$380 million f.o.b. (2002)

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

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 15.6%, France 12.8%, Spain 9.9%, Italy 9.7%, South
Africa 8.4%, Singapore 7.3%, UK 6.1%, Taiwan 4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$170 million (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$16.4 million (1995)

Currency:
Seychelles rupee (SCR)

Currency code:
SCR

Exchange rates:
Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.48 (2002), 5.86 (2001), 5.71
(2000), 5.34 (1999), 5.26 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Seychelles

Telephones - main lines in use:
19,635 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
16,316 (1999)

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

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

Radios:
42,000 (1997)

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

Televisions:
11,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
9,000 (2002)

Transportation Seychelles

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 373 km
paved: 315 km
unpaved: 58 km (1997 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Victoria

Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 37,281 GRT/55,702 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, container 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: South Africa 2 (2002 est.)

Airports:
14 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2002)

Military Seychelles

Military branches:
Army, Coast Guard (includes Air Wing), Presidential Protection Unit
(includes Presidential Guard), Police Force (includes Police Mobile
Unit, a special weapons and tactics unit capable of assisting the
Army in maintaining internal stability)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 23,444 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 11,639 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$12.8 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Seychelles

Disputes - international:
claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean
Territory)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Sierra Leone

Introduction Sierra Leone

Background:
Since 1991, civil war between the government and the Revolutionary
United Front (RUF) has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and
the displacement of more than 2 million people (well over one-third
of the population), many of whom are now refugees in neighboring
countries. After several setbacks, the end to the 11-year conflict
in Sierra Leone may finally be near at hand. With the support of the
UN peacekeeping force and contributions from the World Bank and
international community, demobilization and disarmament of the RUF
and Civil Defense Forces (CDF) combatants has been completed.
National elections were held in May 2002 and the government
continues to slowly reestablish its authority.

Geography Sierra Leone

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

Geographic coordinates:
8 30 N, 11 30 W

Map references:
Africa

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina

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

Coastline:
402 km

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

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

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 6.76%
permanent crops: 0.78%
other: 92.46% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
290 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

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

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

People Sierra Leone

Population:
5,732,681 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,259,421; female 1,310,516)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,420,900; female 1,557,597)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 89,078; female 95,169) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.5 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.94% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
6.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly
returning (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 146.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 128.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 164.23 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 42.84 years
male: 40.33 years
female: 45.42 years (2003 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende,
Temne, or Arabic
total population: 31.4%
male: 45.4%
female: 18.2% (1995 est.)

Government Sierra Leone

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

Government type:
constitutional democracy

Capital:
Freetown

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

Independence:
27 April 1961 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution:
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

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

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

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court

Political parties and leaders:
All People's Congress or APC [Alhaji Sat KOROMA, interim chairman];
Citizens United for Peace and Progress or CUPP [Alfred Musa CONTEH,
interim chairman]; Coalition for Progress Party or CPP [Jeridine
WILLIAM-SARHO, interim leader]; Democratic Center Party or DCP [Adu
Aiah KOROMA]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [George E. L. PALMER];
Democratic Party or DP [Henry BALO, acting chairman]; National
Alliance Democratic Party or NADP [Mohamed Yahya SILLAH, chairman];
National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National
People's Party or NPP [Andrew TURAY]; National Republican Party or
NRP [Stephen Sahr MAMBU]; National Unity Movement or NUM [Sam LEIGH,
interim chairman]; National Unity Party or NUP [John BENJAMINE,
interim leader]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington
MORRISON, interim chairman]; People's Democratic Alliance or PDA
[Cpl. (Ret.) Abdul Rahman KAMARA, interim chairman]; People's
Democratic Party or PDP [Osman KAMARA]; People's National Convention
or PNC [Edward John KARGBO]; People's Progressive Party or PPP
[Abass Chernok BUNDU, chairman]; Revolutionary United Front Party or
RUFP [Foday Saybana SANKOH, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or
SDP [Andrew Victor LUNGAY]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP
[Ahmad Tejan KABBAH, chairman]; United National People's Party or
UNPP [John KAREFA-SMART in exile, Raymond KAMARA, acting leader];
Young People's Party or YPP [Cornelius DEVEAUS, interim chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Trade Unions and Student Unions

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter Russell CHAVEAS
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485
FAX: [232] (22) 225471

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

Economy Sierra Leone

Economy - overview:
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous
inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral,
agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and
social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social
disorders continue to hamper economic development, following a
11-year civil war. About two-thirds of the working-age population
engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of
the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the
domestic market. Plans continue to reopen bauxite and rutile mines
shut down during the conflict. The major source of hard currency
consists of the mining of diamonds. The fate of the economy depends
upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of
substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe
trade imbalance and to supplement government revenues.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.826 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.6% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $500 (2002 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

Labor force:
1.369 million (1981 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
NA%

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

Industries:
mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles,
cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
250.1 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
232.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

Exports:
$35 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish (1999)

Exports - partners:
Belgium 41.9%, Germany 28.1%, UK 3.6% (2002)

Imports:
$190 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants,
chemicals (1995)

Imports - partners:
Germany 25%, UK 10.9%, Netherlands 7.5%, US 5.7%, Cote d'Ivoire
4.9%, Italy 4.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$1.5 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$103 million (2001 est.)

Currency:
leone (SLL)

Currency code:
SLL

Exchange rates:
leones per US dollar - 2,099.03 (2002), 1,986.15 (2001), 2,092.12
(2000), 1,804.19 (1999), 1,563.62 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sierra Leone

Telephones - main lines in use:
25,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
30,000 (2001)

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

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

Radios:
1.12 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1999)

Televisions:
53,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sl

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2001)

Internet users:
20,000 (2001)

Transportation Sierra Leone

Railways:
total: 84 km
narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
note: Sierra Leone has no common carrier railroads; the existing
railroad is private and used on a limited basis while the mine at
Marampa is closed (2001)

Highways:
total: 11,330 km
paved: 895 km
unpaved: 10,435 km (1999)

Waterways:
800 km (of which 600 km is navigable year round)

Ports and harbors:
Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,435 GRT/8,750 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2

Airports:
10 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 7

Heliports:
2 (2002)

Military Sierra Leone

Military branches:
Army (RSLAF)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,228,664 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 596,617 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$10.26 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Sierra Leone

Disputes - international:
large UN peacekeeping presence ended civil war but rebel gang
fighting, ethnic rivalries, illegal diamond trading, corruption, and
refugees spill over into neighboring states beset with their own
civil disorder, refugees, and violence

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Singapore

Introduction Singapore

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

Geography Singapore

Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
1 22 N, 103 48 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
193 km

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