Chapter XLIX: Front Matter (49)

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. Despite
Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace
with population growth, requiring food imports. 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. Kigali's high defense expenditures have caused tension between
the government and international donors and lending agencies. An
energy shortage and instability in neighboring states may slow
growth in 2005, while the lack of adequate transportation linkages
to other countries continues to handicap export growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.43 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.9% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 41.1%
industry: 21.2%
services: 37.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
4.6 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 90%

Unemployment rate:
NA

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% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $354.5 million
expenditures: $385 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 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:
166.7 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 2.3%
hydro: 97.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
195 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
40 million kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

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

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

Current account balance:
$-212.5 million (2004 est.)

Exports:
$69.78 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Indonesia 64.2%, China 3.6%, Germany 2.7% (2004)

Imports:
$260 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Kenya 24.4%, Germany 7.4%, Belgium 6.6%, Uganda 6.3%, France 5.1%
(2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$210.9 million (2004 est.)

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

Economic aid - recipient:
$372.9 million (1999)

Currency (code):
Rwandan franc (RWF)

Currency code:
RWF

Exchange rates:
Rwandan francs per US dollar - 574.62 (2004), 537.66 (2003), 476.33
(2002), 442.8 (2001), 393.44 (2000)

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
provincial capitals (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and
government
domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the
provinces 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 8 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of
repeaters, three international FM programs include the BBC, VOA, and
Deutchewelle), shortwave 1 (2005)

Radios:
601,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2004)

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 (2004 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 Force

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,004,750 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,103,823 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$50.1 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.2% (2004)

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; DROC and Rwanda
established a border verification mechanism in 2005 to address
accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the
Congo providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and
bases to attack Rwandan forces; as of 2004, Rwandan refugees lived
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia

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, 1997-99; most IDPs in northwest) (2004)

This page was last updated on 20 October, 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
land: 410 sq km
water: 0 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

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:
7,460 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.8% (male 715/female 691)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 2,745/female 2,575)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 330/female 404) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 35.4 years
male: 35.61 years
female: 35.21 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.59% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
12.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 19 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.76 years
male: 74.86 years
female: 80.81 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.54 children born/woman (2005 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)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY
(since 15 October 2004)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio
officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by
the monarch

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 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, raising 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

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.)

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.)

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 (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
4.65 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

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

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

Exports - partners:
Tanzania 30.3%, US 23.8%, Japan 10.4%, UK 7.1%, Spain 6.3% (2004)

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 35.7%, US 17.6%, South Africa 17.5%, Tanzania 10.4%, Australia
5.5%, Spain 4.1% (2004)

Debt - external:
NA (1996)

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

Currency (code):
Saint Helenian pound (SHP)

Currency code:
SHP

Exchange rates:
Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003),
0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound

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

Airports:
1 (2004 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 20 October, 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)
land: 261 sq km
water: 0 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
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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:
38,958 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 5,586/female 5,330)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 12,424/female 12,403)
65 years and over: 8.3% (male 1,328/female 1,887) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.6 years
male: 26.78 years
female: 28.38 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.38% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
18.12 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
8.47 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.49 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.15 years
male: 69.31 years
female: 75.16 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.33 children born/woman (2005 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)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July
1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation
with the prime minister
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

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

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 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.
Tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign
exchange. The opening of a 470-room resort 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)

Labor force:
18,170 (June 1995)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
4.5% (1997)

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.)

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:
105.8 million kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
98.44 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$70 million (2002 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
US 57.5%, Canada 9%, Portugal 8.3%, UK 6.7% (2004)

Imports:
$195 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners:
Ukraine 44.7%, US 22.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 8.8%, UK 6.2% (2004)

Debt - external:
$171 million (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
$8 million (2001)

Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7
(2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000)

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 via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic
cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in
November 2004
international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carried
by submarine cable or 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

Airports:
2 (2004 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 (includes Coast Guard), Royal
Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force

Military service 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 20 October, 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
land: 606 sq km
water: 10 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
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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:
166,312 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.3% (male 25,937/female 24,391)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 52,813/female 54,544)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,172/female 5,455) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.81 years
male: 24.03 years
female: 25.66 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.28% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
20.05 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.58 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.61 years
male: 70.05 years
female: 77.42 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.21 children born/woman (2005 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 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%,
Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, Rastafarian 2.1%,
other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)

Languages:
English (official), French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 90.1%
male: 89.5%
female: 90.6% (2001 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)
head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis ANTHONY (since 24
May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
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

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)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be
held in December 2006)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP
55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3

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 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, even though
unemployment needs to be cut.

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.)

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:
20% (2003 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.)

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:
270.3 million kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
251.3 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$66 million (2002 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
UK 41.4%, US 16.5%, Brazil 11.6%, Barbados 5.8%, Antigua and
Barbuda 4.6%, Dominica 4.5% (2004)

Imports:
$267 million (2002 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
US 27.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 20.4%, UK 8%, Venezuela 7.6%, Finland
7% (2004)

Debt - external:
$214 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$51.8 million (1995)

Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7
(2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000)

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, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

Airports:
2 (2004 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 (includes 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 20 October, 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
land: 242 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the
Miquelon groups

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:
7,012 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 861/female 825)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 2,330/female 2,251)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 335/female 410) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.7 years
male: 33.39 years
female: 33.96 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.21% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
13.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.46 years
male: 76.13 years
female: 80.9 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.03 children born/woman (2005 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 long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
local short form: 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:
4 October 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)
head of government: President of the General Council Marc
PLANTAGENEST (since NA)
cabinet: NA
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

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:
Left Radical Party or 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)

Flag description:
a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue
background with yellow wavy lines under the ship; on the hoist side,
a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called
ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the
corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four
sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine
pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized
yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three
heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque
Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the flag of France is used
for official occasions

Economy Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Economy - overview:
The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by
fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of
Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because of
disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the
number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration
panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km
to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although
it represents only 25% of what France had sought. The islands are
heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living
standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost
economic prospects. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way
for development of the energy sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$48.3 million - supplemented by annual payments from France of
about $60 million (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2001 est.)

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

Labor force:
3,261 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41%
(1996 est.)

Unemployment rate:
9.8% (1997)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (1991-96 average)

Budget:
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24
million (1996 est.)

Agriculture - products:
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Industries:
fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
43.08 million kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
40.06 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$10 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and
crustaceans, fox and mink pelts

Exports - partners:
Belgium 41.3%, US 19.9%, Spain 14.9%, France 10%, Germany 4.1%
(2004)

Imports:
$106 million f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building
materials

Imports - partners:
France 37.6%, Canada 25.3%, Ireland 25.2%, Italy 5.1% (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
approximately $60 million in annual grants from France

Currency (code):
euro (EUR)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Telephones - main lines in use:
4,800 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1994)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with
most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic
satellite system

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
4,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs
from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)

Televisions:
4,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.pm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Highways:
total: 114 km
paved: 69 km
unpaved: 45 km

Ports and harbors:
Saint-Pierre

Airports:
2 (2004 est.)

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

Military Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Introduction Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Background:
Disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century,
Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted
in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Geography Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

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

Geographic coordinates:
13 15 N, 61 12 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
land: 389 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
84 km

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

Climate:
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May
to November)

Terrain:
volcanic, mountainous

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, cropland

Land use:
arable land: 17.95%
permanent crops: 17.95%
other: 64.1% (2001)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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 administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

People Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Population:
117,534 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.1% (male 16,208/female 15,621)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 40,287/female 37,883)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,280/female 4,255) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.36 years
male: 26.21 years
female: 26.53 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.27% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
16.34 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-7.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.78 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.62 years
male: 71.78 years
female: 75.51 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

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

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

Languages:
English, French patois

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

Government Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

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

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

Capital:
Kingstown

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

Independence:
27 October 1979 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Constitution:
27 October 1979

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

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

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

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

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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

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

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

Economy Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Economy - overview:
Economic growth in this lower-middle-income country hinges upon
seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors.
Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994,
1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered
low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a
small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international
regulatory standards. Saint Vincent is also a large producer of
marijuana and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal
narcotics from South America.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$342 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.7% (2002 est.)

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

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

Labor force:
67,000 (1984 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
15% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Electricity - production:
91.2 million kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
84.82 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$38 million (2002 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
UK 33.5%, Barbados 13.1%, Saint Lucia 11.5%, Trinidad and Tobago
9.9%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.3%, US 5.3%, Grenada 5.3%, Dominica 4.1%
(2004)

Imports:
$174 million (2002 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
US 37.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 21.3%, UK 10.5% (2004)

Debt - external:
$167.2 million (2000)

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

Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7
(2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Telephones - main lines in use:
27,300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
10,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF
radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the
Grenadines
international: country code - 1-784; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from
Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to
Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through
Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
77,000 (1997)

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

Televisions:
18,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.vc

Internet hosts:
4 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
15 (2000)

Internet users:
7,000 (2002)

Transportation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Highways:
total: 829 km
paved: 580 km
unpaved: 249 km (2002)

Ports and harbors:
Kingstown