Chapter XLVIII: Front Matter (48)

Telephones - main lines in use:
35.5 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
17,608,800 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the telephone system underwent significant
changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed
to offer communication services; access to digital lines has
improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail
services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the
telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy;
however, a large demand for main line service remains unsatisfied
domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint
Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the
telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital
infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are
available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are
still outdated, inadequate, and low density
international: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally
by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several
cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls;
satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik,
Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 420, FM 447, shortwave 56 (1998)

Radios:
61.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
7,306 (1998)

Televisions:
60.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ru; Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain ".su" that
was allocated to the Soviet Union, and whose legal status and
ownership are contested by the Russian Government, ICANN, and
several Russian commercial entities

Internet hosts:
560,874 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
300 (June 2000)

Internet users:
6 million (2002)

Transportation Russia

Railways:
total: 87,157 km
broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve
industries (2003)
narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)

Highways:
total: 532,393 km
paved: 358,833 km
unpaved: 173,560 km (2000)

Waterways:
96,000 km
note: 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White
Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate 122 km; gas 150,007 km; oil 75,539 km; refined products
13,771 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinskiy, Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', De-Kastri,
Indigirskiy, Kaliningrad, Kandalaksha, Kazan', Khabarovsk, Kholmsk,
Krasnoyarsk, Lazarev, Mago, Mezen', Moscow, Murmansk, Nakhodka,
Nevel'sk, Novorossiysk, Onega, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Rostov,
Shakhtersk, Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Taganrog, Tuapse, Uglegorsk,
Vanino, Vladivostok, Volgograd, Vostochnyy, Vyborg

Merchant marine:
total: 958 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,521,472 GRT/5,505,118 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 20, cargo 562, chemical tanker 13,
combination bulk 21, combination ore/oil 36, container 28,
multi-functional large load carrier 2, passenger 35, passenger/cargo
4, petroleum tanker 179, rail car carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 27,
roll on/roll off 21, short-sea/passenger 6, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: Belize 2, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 9, Denmark 1, Estonia 3,
Germany 1, Greece 3, Hong Kong 1, South Korea 1, Latvia 2, Lithuania
3, Malta 2, Moldova 3, Netherlands 2, Panama 2, Switzerland 4,
Turkey 18, Turkmenistan 2, Ukraine 7, United Kingdom 3, United
States 4
registered in other countries: 350 (2004 est.)

Airports:
2,609 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 585
over 3,047 m: 56
2,438 to 3,047 m: 201
914 to 1,523 m: 100
under 914 m: 106 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 122

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2,024
under 914 m: 1,590 (2003 est.)
over 3,047 m: 19
2,438 to 3,047 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 261
1,524 to 2,437 m: 120

Heliports:
36 (2003 est.)

Military Russia

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Navy, Air Forces; Airborne troops, Strategic Rocket
Forces, and Military Space Forces are classified as independent
combat arms, not subordinate to any of the three branches
:

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18-27 years of age; males are registered for the draft at 17 years
of age; 200,000 conscripts were inducted into the armed forces in
2003; length of compulsory military service is 2 years; plans as of
August 2004 call for reduction in mandatory service to 1 year by
2008; 2003 planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose 70% of
armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen consisting of
conscripts (August 2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 39,127,169 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 30,600,088 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 1,262,339 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Russia

Disputes - international:
China and Russia in 2004 resolved their last border dispute over
islands in the Amur and Argun Rivers, but details on demarcation
have not yet been worked-out; the sovereignty dispute over the
islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group known
in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the
"Southern Kurils," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now
administered by Russia, and claimed by Japan, remains the primary
sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War
II hostilities; about a third of the boundary with Georgia remains
undelimited and none of it demarcated with several small, strategic
segments remaining in dispute; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas
such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Kodori Gorge
in Abkhazia; equidistant seabed treaties have been signed with
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea but no consensus on
dividing the water column among the littoral states; Russia and
Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's
fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the
Svalbard Treaty zone; Russia continues to reject signing and
ratifying the joint 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia;
the Russian Parliament refuses to consider ratification of the
boundary treaties with Estonia and Latvia, but in May 2003, ratified
land and maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, which ratified the
1997 treaty in 1999, legalizing limits of former Soviet republic
borders; a simplified transit regime was adopted in July 2003 for
residents of the Kaliningrad coastal exclave to travel through
Lithuania to Russia; delimitation of land boundary with Ukraine is
complete, but demarcation remains unresolved; Ukraine protests
Russia's construction of a causeway in the direction of
Ukrainian-administered Tuzla Island in the Kerch Strait; Kazakhstan
and Russia will complete delimitation of their interstate border in
2004 and demarcation is underway; Russian Duma has not yet ratified
1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement with the US in the Bering Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 368,000 (displacement from Chechnya and North Ossetia) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and
producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption;
government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as
transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American
cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent
Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source
of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are
key concerns; heroin increasingly popular in domestic market

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Rwanda

Introduction Rwanda

Background:
In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority
ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the
next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some
150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of
these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front
(RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several
political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions,
culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis
and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and
ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu
refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring
Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. Since then, most of
the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but about 10,000 that remain
in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo have formed an
extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried
in 1990. Despite substantial international assistance and political
reforms - including Rwanda's first local elections in March 1999 and
its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in
August and September 2003, respectively - the country continues to
struggle to boost investment and agricultural output, and ethnic
reconciliation is complicated by the real and perceived Tutsi
political dominance. Kigali's increasing centralization and
intolerance of dissent, the nagging Hutu extremist insurgency across
the border, and Rwandan involvement in two wars in recent years in
the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to hinder
Rwanda's efforts to escape its bloody legacy.

Geography Rwanda

Location:
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates:
2 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 26,338 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
land: 24,948 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to
January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Terrain:
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with
altitude declining from west to east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

Natural resources:
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane,
hydropower, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 40.54%
permanent crops: 12.16%
other: 47.3% (2001)

Irrigated land:
40 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the
northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo

Environment - current issues:
deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel;
overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the
population predominantly rural

People Rwanda

Population:
7,954,013
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,690,122; female 1,674,147)
15-64 years: 55% (male 2,178,956; female 2,194,526)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 85,472; female 130,790) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.2 years
male: 18 years
female: 18.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.82% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
40.01 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
21.86 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 101.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 96.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 106.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 39.18 years
male: 38.43 years
female: 39.96 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.55 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
250,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
22,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria
overall degree of risk: very high (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan

Ethnic groups:
Hutu 84%, Tutsi 15%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%,
indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)

Languages:
Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French
(official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in
commercial centers

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 64.7% (2003 est.)
male: 76.3%
total population: 70.4%

People - note:
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa

Government Rwanda

Country name:
conventional long form: Rwandese Republic
conventional short form: Rwanda
local short form: Rwanda
former: Ruanda
local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda

Government type:
republic; presidential, multiparty system

Capital:
Kigali

Administrative divisions:
12 prefectures (in French - prefectures, singular - prefecture; in
Kinyarwanda - plural - NA, singular - prefegitura); Butare, Byumba,
Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali
Rurale, Kigali-ville, Umutara, Ruhengeri

Independence:
1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution:
a new constitution was adopted 26 May 2003

Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law;
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March
2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: last held 25 August 2003 (next to be held NA 2008)
election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct
popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%,
Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (53 seats;
members elected by direct vote)
elections: last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held NA)
election results: seats by party under the Arusha peace accord - RPF
40, PSD 7, PL 6

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; communal courts; appeals courts

Political parties and leaders:
Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]; Democratic Popular Union
of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA ]; Democratic Republican Movement
or MDR (officially banned) [Celestin KABANDA]; Islamic Democratic
Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL [Prosper HIGIRO];
Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned) [Pasteur BIZIMUNGU
and Charles NTAKARUTINKA]; Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul
KAGAME]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
IBUKA - association of genocide survivors

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret K. McMILLION
embassy: #337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03
FAX: [250] 57 2128

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and
green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue
band

Economy Rwanda

Economy - overview:
Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population
engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely
populated country in Africa; landlocked with few natural resources
and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee
and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base,
severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded
the country's ability to attract private and external investment.
However, Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and
rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels, although poverty
levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded, and inflation has been
curbed. Export earnings, however, have been hindered by low beverage
prices, depriving the country of much needed hard currency. Attempts
to diversify into non-traditional agriculture exports such as
flowers and vegetables have been stymied by a lack of adequate
transportation infrastructure. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem,
food production often does not keep pace with population growth,
requiring food to be imported. Rwanda continues to receive
substantial aid money and was approved for IMF-World Bank Heavily
Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in late 2000.
But Kigali's high defense expenditures cause tension between the
government and international donors and lending agencies.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $10.11 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 40.7%
industry: 21.5%
services: 37.8% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.3% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
60% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.2%
highest 10%: 24.2% (1985)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.9 (1985)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.5% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
4.6 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 90%

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $365.9 million
expenditures: $402.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums),
bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock

Industries:
cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap,
furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
96.78 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
140 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
50 million kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
5,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-163 million (2003)

Exports:
$73.33 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, hides, tin ore

Exports - partners:
Indonesia 39.2%, Germany 4.6%, China 3.9% (2003)

Imports:
$245.8 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products,
cement and construction material

Imports - partners:
Kenya 23.3%, Germany 7.5%, Belgium 6.4%, Uganda 6.4%, France 5%
(2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$215 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$1.3 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$372.9 million (1999)

Currency:
Rwandan franc (RWF)

Currency code:
RWF

Exchange rates:
Rwandan francs per US dollar - 537.658 (2003), 476.327 (2002),
442.801 (2001), 389.696 (2000), 333.942 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Rwanda

Telephones - main lines in use:
23,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
134,000
note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and several
prefecture capitals (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and
government
domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the
prefectures by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular
telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF
radiotelephone
international: country code - 250; international connections employ
microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite
communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations -
1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax
service)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 3 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of
repeaters and the third FM program is a 24 hour BBC program),
shortwave 1 (2002)

Radios:
601,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
NA; probably less than 1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.rw

Internet hosts:
1,495 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2002)

Internet users:
25,000 (2002)

Transportation Rwanda

Highways:
total: 12,000 km
paved: 996 km
unpaved: 11,004 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye

Airports:
9 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Military Rwanda

Military branches:
Rwandan Defense Forces (Army, Air Forces)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,973,713 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,004,296 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$47.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.9% (2003)

Transnational Issues Rwanda

Disputes - international:
Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic groups,
associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government
forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the
boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and
Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources -
government heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence
continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 37,691 (Democratic Republic of the
Congo)
IDPs: 4,158 (incursions by Hutu rebels from Democratic Republic of
the Congo, 1997-1999; most IDPs in northwest) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Saint Helena

Introduction Saint Helena

Background:
Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint
Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It
acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815
until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call
declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Ascension
Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough
Island has a meteorological station.

Geography Saint Helena

Location:
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South
America and Africa

Geographic coordinates:
15 56 S, 5 42 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 410 sq km
note: includes Saint Helena Island, Ascension, and the island group
of Tristan da Cunha, which consists of Tristan da Cunha Island,
Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 410 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
60 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds;
Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds
(tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Terrain:
Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the
world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns

People Saint Helena

Population:
7,415 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.9% (male 710; female 689)
15-64 years: 71.4% (male 2,739; female 2,559)
65 years and over: 9.7% (male 319; female 399) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 34.7 years
male: 34.9 years
female: 34.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.62% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
12.68 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.57 years
male: 74.67 years
female: 80.61 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.54 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian

Ethnic groups:
African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%

Religions:
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic

Languages:
English

Literacy:
definition: age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1987 est.)

Government Saint Helena

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Jamestown

Administrative divisions:
1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint
Helena, Tristan da Cunha*

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution:
1 January 1989

Legal system:
NA

Suffrage:
NA years of age

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by
the monarch
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief David HOLLAMBY
(since 1999); Michael CLANCY (taking office in October 2004)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio
officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, 3
ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ICFTU, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag;
the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship

Economy Saint Helena

Economy - overview:
The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK,
which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of
annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from
fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because
there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek
employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 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):
3.2% (1997 est.)

Labor force:
3,500
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%,
services 46% (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate:
14% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(FY92/93)

Agriculture - products:
corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da
Cunha)

Industries:
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
4.65 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$17 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee,
handicrafts

Exports - partners:
US 26.7%, Tanzania 21.9%, Indonesia 9.4%, UK 8.7%, Japan 7.4%,
Netherlands 7.2%, Nigeria 6.8%, Poland 5%, Spain 4.9% (2003)

Imports:
$42 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building
materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Imports - partners:
UK 29.1%, South Africa 24.7%, Spain 16.4%, Italy 8.8%, Tanzania
8.2%, US 5.8% (2003)

Debt - external:
NA (1996)

Economic aid - recipient:
$12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Currency:
Saint Helenian pound (SHP)

Currency code:
SHP

Exchange rates:
Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001),
0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998),

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Saint Helena

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: can communicate worldwide
domestic: automatic network
international: country code - 290; HF radiotelephone from Saint
Helena to Ascension Island, which is a major coaxial submarine cable
relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Radios:
3,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0
note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite
and distributed by cable (2002)

Televisions:
2,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
500 (2002)

Communications - note:
Gough Island has a meteorological station

Transportation Saint Helena

Highways:
total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da
Cunha 20 km)
paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha
10 km)
unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha
10 km) (2000)

Ports and harbors:
Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Saint Helena

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Saint Helena

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Saint Kitts and Nevis

Introduction Saint Kitts and Nevis

Background:
First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an
associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of
Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and
Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a
referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds
majority needed. Nevis is once more trying to separate from the
Saint Kitts.

Geography Saint Kitts and Nevis

Location:
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way
from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates:
17 20 N, 62 45 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
water: 0 sq km
land: 261 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
135 km

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

Climate:
tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Terrain:
volcanic with mountainous interiors

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Natural resources:
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 19.44%
permanent crops: 2.78%
other: 77.78% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
hurricanes (July to October)

Environment - current issues:
NA

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

Geography - note:
with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two
volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-wide channel called The
Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint
Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its
almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that
of its sister island

People Saint Kitts and Nevis

Population:
38,836 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.6% (male 5,675; female 5,422)
15-64 years: 63% (male 12,242; female 12,236)
65 years and over: 8.4% (male 1,349; female 1,912) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.3 years
male: 26.5 years
female: 28.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.25% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
18.26 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
8.65 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-7.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.86 years
male: 69.03 years
female: 74.86 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian

Ethnic groups:
predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

Religions:
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Languages:
English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1980 est.)

Government Saint Kitts and Nevis

Country name:
conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis
former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

Government type:
constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Capital:
Basseterre

Administrative divisions:
14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point,
Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James
Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary
Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter
Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island,
Trinity Palmetto Point

Independence:
19 September 1983 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Constitution:
19 September 1983

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 Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN
(since 1 January 1996)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
prime minister appointed by the governor general
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation
with the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July
1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11
popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve
five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 1
elections: last held 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009)

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

Political parties and leaders:
Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation
Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM
[Lindsey GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr.
Denzil DOUGLAS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636
FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US
Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to
Saint Kitts and Nevis

Flag description:
divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band
bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in
yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red

Economy Saint Kitts and Nevis

Economy - overview:
Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until
the 1970s. Although the crop still dominates the agricultural
sector, activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing,
and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy. As
tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign
exchange, a decline in stopover tourist arrivals following the 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks has eroded government finances. The
opening of a 1,000+ bed Marriott hotel in February 2003 was expected
to bring in much-needed revenue.

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

GDP - real growth rate:
-1.9% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 25.8%
services: 70.7% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
18,170 (June 1995)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
4.5% (1997)

Budget:
revenues: $89.7 million
expenditures: $128.2 million, including capital expenditures of
$19.5 million (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Industries:
sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear,
beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
100.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
93.26 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$70 million (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners:
US 61.4%, UK 15.7%, Canada 8.6%, Germany 4.3% (2003)

Imports:
$195 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners:
US 35.7%, Italy 16.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.5%, UK 6.4%, Denmark
5.2%, Canada 4.4% (2003)

Debt - external:
$171 million (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
$8 million (2001)

Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7
(2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Saint Kitts and Nevis

Telephones - main lines in use:
23,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
5,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: good interisland and international connections
domestic: inter-island links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin
(Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF
radiotelephone
international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carried
by radiotelephone to Antigua and Barbuda and switched there to
submarine cable or to Intelsat; or carried to Saint Martin
(Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched
to Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
28,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus three repeaters) (2004)

Televisions:
10,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.kn

Internet hosts:
51 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
10,000 (2002)

Transportation Saint Kitts and Nevis

Railways:
total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane
plantations during harvest season (2003)

Highways:
total: 320 km
paved: 136 km
unpaved: 184 km (1999 est)

Ports and harbors:
Basseterre, Charlestown

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Saint Kitts and Nevis

Military branches:
Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (including Coast Guard), Royal
Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force (including Special Service Unit)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Saint Kitts and Nevis

Disputes - international:
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves
Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which
permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large
portion of the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; some money-laundering activity

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Saint Lucia

Introduction Saint Lucia

Background:
The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested
between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th
centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to
the UK in 1814. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence
in 1979.

Geography Saint Lucia

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates:
13 53 N, 60 68 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 616 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 606 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
158 km

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

Climate:
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from
January to April, rainy season from May to August

Terrain:
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

Natural resources:
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs,
geothermal potential

Land use:
arable land: 6.56%
permanent crops: 22.95%
other: 70.49% (2001)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

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

Geography - note:
the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped
peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights
of the Caribbean

People Saint Lucia

Population:
164,213 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.7% (male 25,913; female 24,467)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 51,750; female 53,530)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,159; female 5,394) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.5 years
male: 23.7 years
female: 25.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.27% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
20.5 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.18 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 15.09 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.34 years
male: 69.78 years
female: 77.16 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.25 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian

Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 3%, other Protestant 7%

Languages:
English (official), French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 67%
male: 65%
female: 69% (1980 est.)

Government Saint Lucia

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Government type:
Westminster-style parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Castries

Administrative divisions:
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery,
Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Independence:
22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution:
22 February 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 Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since
September 1997)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
prime minister appointed by the governor general
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis ANTHONY (since 24
May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members
appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice
of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with
religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly
(17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from single-member
constituencies to serve five-year terms)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP
55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3
elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be
held in December 2006)

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada,
Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines)

Political parties and leaders:
National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party
or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth
ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE];
United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador
to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Saint Lucia

Flag description:
blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the
upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Economy Saint Lucia

Economy - overview:
Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased
competition from Latin American bananas have made economic
diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island
nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment,
especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The
manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean
area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana
industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $866 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 20%
services: 73% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
43,800 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 21.7%, industry, commerce, and manufacturing 24.7%,
services 53.6% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
16.5% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of
$25.1 million (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Industries:
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated
cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing

Industrial production growth rate:
-8.9% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
120.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
111.8 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$66 million (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil

Exports - partners:
UK 48%, US 24%, Antigua and Barbuda 6%, Dominica 6%, Grenada 4%
(2003)

Imports:
$267 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation
equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners:
US 36.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.6%, UK 7.4%, Venezuela 6.8% (2003)

Debt - external:
$214 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$51.8 million (1995)

Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7
(2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Saint Lucia

Telephones - main lines in use:
51,100 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
14,300 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched
international: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relay
link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these
countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
111,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (of which one is a commercial broadcast station and one is a
community antenna television or CATV channel) (2004)

Televisions:
32,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.lc

Internet hosts:
41 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
15 (2000)

Internet users:
13,000 (2002)

Transportation Saint Lucia

Highways:
total: 1,210 km
paved: 63 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors:
Castries, Vieux Fort

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Saint Lucia

Military branches:
Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (including Special Service Unit,
Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Saint Lucia

Disputes - international:
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves
Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which
permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large
portion of the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and
Europe

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Introduction Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Background:
First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands
represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North
American possessions.

Geography Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Location:
Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south
of Newfoundland (Canada)

Geographic coordinates:
46 50 N, 56 20 W

Map references:
North America

Area:
total: 242 sq km
note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the
Miquelon groups
water: 0 sq km
land: 242 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
120 km

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

Climate:
cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy

Terrain:
mostly barren rock

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Natural resources:
fish, deepwater ports

Land use:
arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 86.96% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues:
recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and
Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the
environment

Geography - note:
vegetation scanty

People Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Population:
6,995 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.6% (male 878; female 840)
15-64 years: 64.9% (male 2,316; female 2,227)
65 years and over: 10.5% (male 323; female 411) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.3 years
male: 33 years
female: 33.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.26% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
14.15 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.72 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-4.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 8.91 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.28 years
male: 75.97 years
female: 80.7 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French

Ethnic groups:
Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 99%

Languages:
French (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1982 est.)

Government Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Country name:
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre
and Miquelon
conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Dependency status:
self-governing territorial collectivity of France

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Saint-Pierre

Administrative divisions:
none (territorial collectivity of France); note - there are no
first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon at
the second order

Independence:
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French
control since 1763)

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as
housing and taxation

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Albert DUPUY (since 10 January 2005)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; election last held, first round - 21 April 2002, second round
- 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prefect appointed by the
French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
president of the General Council is elected by the members of the
council
head of government: President of the General Council Marc
PLANTAGENEST (since NA)
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from
Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular
vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held
NA April 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS
12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate;
elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September
2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR
1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French
National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002,
second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1

Judicial branch:
Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

Political parties and leaders:
PRG [leader NA]; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP)
[leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]; Union pour la
Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
UPU, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)