Chapter L: Front Matter (50)

Merchant marine:
total: 657 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,967,418 GRT/9,041,023 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 112, cargo 366, chemical tanker 18,
combination ore/oil 1, container 24, liquefied gas 4, livestock
carrier 6, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 19, petroleum tanker 29,
refrigerated cargo 48, roll on/roll off 22, specialized tanker 2,
vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 554 (Australia 2, Bangladesh 5, Barbados 1, Belgium
1, British 5, Bulgaria 17, China 115, Congo 1, Croatia 7, Cuba 1,
Czech Republic 1, Denmark 12, Egypt 2, Estonia 19, France 12,
Germany 8, Greece 99, Guyana 3, Hong Kong 10, Iceland 11, India 6,
Iran 1, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 18, Kenya 4, Latvia 9, Lebanon 6,
Lithuania 3, Monaco 4, Netherlands 7, Nigeria 3, Norway 19, Pakistan
4, Poland 1, Puerto Rico 1, Romania 1, Russia 20, Saudi Arabia 3,
Serbia & Montenegro 1, Singapore 2, Slovenia 6, South Korea 3, Spain
2, Sweden 1, Switzerland 7, Syria 6, Trinidad & Tobago 1, Tunisia 2,
Turkey 16, Ukraine 6, UAE 21, United Kingdom 10, United States 24)
(2005)

Airports:
6 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Disputes - international:
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; small-scale cannabis cultivation

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Samoa

Introduction Samoa

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

Geography Samoa

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

Geographic coordinates:
13 35 S, 172 20 W

Map references:
Oceania

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
403 km

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

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

Terrain:
two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and
uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky,
rugged mountains in interior

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

Natural resources:
hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 21.2%
permanent crops: 24.38%
other: 54.42% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons; active volcanism

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

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

Geography - note:
occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

People Samoa

Population:
177,287 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 24,517/female 23,660)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 73,495/female 44,208)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,204/female 6,203) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.59 years
male: 27.42 years
female: 21.42 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.23% (2005 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-11.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.66 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 27.71 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.72 years
male: 67.93 years
female: 73.65 years (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3

Nationality:
noun: Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan

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

Religions:
Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%,
Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist
3.5%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%,
unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Languages:
Samoan (Polynesian), English

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

Government Samoa

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

Government type:
mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Apia

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

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

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

Constitution:
1 January 1962

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

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from
1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA
(since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from
1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when
former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health;
TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after
TOFILAU died; Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of
state on the prime minister's advice
elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new
chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve
a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of
state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

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

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

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection
Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoan
Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman]
(opposition)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to
Samoa
embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor, Apia
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone: [685] 21631/22696
FAX: [685] 22030

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

Economy Samoa

Economy - overview:
The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on
development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and
fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms.
Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90%
of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The
manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The
decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism
is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000
tourists visited the islands in 2001. One factory in the Foreign
Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical
harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. The Samoan Government
has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement
of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime protecting
the environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor
market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign
reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is
stable, and inflation is low.

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

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

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

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

Labor force:
90,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
NA; note - substantial underemployment

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

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

Budget:
revenues: $105 million
expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2001-02)

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

Industries:
food processing, building materials, auto parts

Industrial production growth rate:
2.8% (2000)

Electricity - production:
122 million kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
113.5 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$14 million f.o.b. (2002)

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

Exports - partners:
Australia 67.2%, US 5.7%, Indonesia 5.3% (2004)

Imports:
$113 million f.o.b. (2002)

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

Imports - partners:
New Zealand 25.1%, Fiji 21.5%, Taiwan 9.1%, Australia 8.9%,
Singapore 8.5%, Japan 7.5%, US 4.7% (2004)

Debt - external:
$197 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$42.9 million (1995)

Currency (code):
tala (SAT)

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

Exchange rates:
tala per US dollar - 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002),
3.478 (2001), 3.2864 (2000)

Fiscal year:
June 1 - May 31

Communications Samoa

Telephones - main lines in use:
11,800 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,700 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
174,849 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2002)

Televisions:
8,634 (1999)

Internet country code:
.ws

Internet hosts:
8,225 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
4,000 (2002)

Transportation Samoa

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

Ports and harbors:
Apia

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
by type: cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) (2005)

Airports:
4 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Samoa

Military branches:
no regular armed services; Samoa Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

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

Transnational Issues Samoa

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@San Marino

Introduction San Marino

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

Geography San Marino

Location:
Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy

Geographic coordinates:
43 46 N, 12 25 E

Map references:
Europe

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

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

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

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

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

Terrain:
rugged mountains

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

Natural resources:
building stone

Land use:
arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 83.33% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

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

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

People San Marino

Population:
28,880 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 2,482/female 2,328)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 9,255/female 9,943)
65 years and over: 16.9% (male 2,106/female 2,766) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.29 years
male: 39.91 years
female: 40.65 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.3% (2005 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.62 years
male: 78.13 years
female: 85.43 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.33 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: Sammarinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sammarinese

Ethnic groups:
Sammarinese, Italian

Religions:
Roman Catholic

Languages:
Italian

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

Government San Marino

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

Government type:
independent republic

Capital:
San Marino

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

Independence:
3 September 301

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

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

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Claudio MUCCIOLI
and Captain Regent Antonello BACCIOCHI (for the period 1 October
2005 - 31 March 2006)
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political
Affairs Fabio BERARDI (15 December 2003)
cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council
for a five-year term
elections: cochiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great
and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA
September 2005 (next to be held March 2006); secretary of state for
foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General
Council for a five-year term; election last held 13 December 2003
(next to be held June 2006 when general elections are scheduled)
election results: Claudio MUCCIOLI and Antonello BACCIOCHI elected
captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA%; Fabio BERARDI
elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs;
percent of legislative vote - NA%
note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council)
selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs
of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the
Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which
has 10 other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council;
assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the
secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some of the
prerogatives of a prime minister

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

Judicial branch:
Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII

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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

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

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

Economy San Marino

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

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

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

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

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

Labor force:
18,500 (1999)

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

Unemployment rate:
2.6% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exports:
trade data are included with the statistics for Italy

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

Imports:
trade data are included with the statistics for Italy

Imports - commodities:
wide variety of consumer manufactures, food

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (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 San Marino

Telephones - main lines in use:
20,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
16,800 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
Italian system
international: country code - 378; connected to Italian
international network

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

Radios:
16,000 (1997)

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

Televisions:
9,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sm

Internet hosts:
1,763 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
14,300 (2002)

Transportation San Marino

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

Airports:
none (2004 est.)

Military San Marino

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

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

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Italy

Transnational Issues San Marino

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Sao Tome and Principe

Introduction Sao Tome and Principe

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

Geography Sao Tome and Principe

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

Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 7 00 E

Map references:
Africa

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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
209 km

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

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

Terrain:
volcanic, mountainous

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

Natural resources:
fish, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 6.25%
permanent crops: 48.96%
other: 44.79% (2001)

Irrigated land:
100 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion

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

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

People Sao Tome and Principe

Population:
187,410 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47.6% (male 45,145/female 44,007)
15-64 years: 48.6% (male 43,996/female 47,011)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 3,333/female 3,918) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.12 years
male: 15.53 years
female: 16.71 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.16% (2005 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-2.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 45.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 41.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.99 years
male: 65.43 years
female: 68.59 years (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2004)

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

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

Religions:
Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%,
other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)

Languages:
Portuguese (official)

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

Government Sao Tome and Principe

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Sao Tome

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

Independence:
12 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 July (1975)

Constitution:
approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Maria do Carmo SILVEIRA (since 7
June 2005); Damiao Vaz DE ALMEIDA resigned 2 June 2005
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
proposal of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held July 2006); prime
minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the
president
election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao
Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA%

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

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

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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

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

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

Economy Sao Tome and Principe

Economy - overview:
This small poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on
cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially
declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement, but
strengthening prices helped boost export earnings in 2003. Sao Tome
has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods,
and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has had
difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on
concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200
million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted
Poor Countries (HIPC) program, but lacking a formal poverty
reduction program with the IMF, it has not benefited from subsequent
HIPC debt reductions. Sao Tome's external debt stands at over $300
million. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist
industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in
recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price
controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic about the development
of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich
Gulf of Guinea. The first production license was sold to a
consortium led by US-based oil firms. Much of the 2005 budget is
dependent upon the sale of additional production licenses.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$214 million (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.5%
industry: 15.4%
services: 68.1% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
NA

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

Unemployment rate:
NA

Population below poverty line:
54% (2004 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
31.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $27.94 million
expenditures: $43.91 million, including capital expenditures of $54
million (2004 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
17 million kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
15.81 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Current account balance:
$-31.5 million (2004 est.)

Exports:
$6.7 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 35.9%, China 12.3%, Belgium 7.4%, Germany 6.3%, Poland
5.1%, France 4.8%, Thailand 4.1% (2004)

Imports:
$41 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Portugal 52.3%, Germany 9.5%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.8%, South Africa
4.3%, Belgium 4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$29.78 million (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$318 million (2002)

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

Currency (code):
dobra (STD)

Currency code:
STD

Exchange rates:
dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3
(2002), 8,842.1 (2001), 7,978.2 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sao Tome and Principe

Telephones - main lines in use:
7,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,800 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system
international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Radios:
38,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2002)

Televisions:
23,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.st

Internet hosts:
1,069 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
15,000 (2003)

Transportation Sao Tome and Principe

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

Ports and harbors:
Sao Tome

Merchant marine:
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 79,490 GRT/97,077 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 11, chemical tanker 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Egypt 1, Greece 1) (2005)

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 Sao Tome and Principe

Military branches:
Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard,
Presidential Guard (2004)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 33,438 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 25,950 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$700,000 (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.8% (2004)

Military - note:
Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no
resouces at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating
unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and
maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years
in tropical climates; poor pay and conditions have been a problem in
the past, as has alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers, as
reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being
addressed with foreign assistance as intial steps towards the
improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security
concerns; command is excersized from the president, through the
Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)

Transnational Issues Sao Tome and Principe

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@Saudi Arabia

Introduction Saudi Arabia

Background:
In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and
set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son
of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law
stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging
sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's
invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal
family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops
to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following
year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after
Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the
royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete
withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist
attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and
November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi
government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also
coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of
government plans to phase in partial political representation. A
burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely
dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing
governmental concerns.

Geography Saudi Arabia

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

Geographic coordinates:
25 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

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

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

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

Coastline:
2,640 km

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

Climate:
harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Terrain:
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09%
other: 98.24% (2001)

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

Natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms

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

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

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

People Saudi Arabia

Population:
26,417,599
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138)
15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.28 years
male: 22.84 years
female: 19.28 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.31% (2005 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female
total population: 1.21 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.46 years
male: 73.46 years
female: 77.55 years (2005 est.)

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

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

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

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

Religions:
Muslim 100%

Languages:
Arabic

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

Government Saudi Arabia

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

Government type:
monarchy

Capital:
Riyadh

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

Independence:
23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)

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

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

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

Suffrage:
adult male citizens age 21 or older
note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial
municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February
through April 2005

Executive branch:
chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al
Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin
Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January
1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz
Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin
Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January
1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and
includes many royal family members
elections: note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced
its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local
and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period
of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal
and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal
council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April
2005

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

Judicial branch:
Supreme Council of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh
mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE
09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693
telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800
FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989
consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)

Flag description:
green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or
Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is
no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white
horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to
the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al
Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932

Economy Saudi Arabia

Economy - overview:
This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over
major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's
proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of
petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector
accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of
export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector.
Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important
role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service
sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing
the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization
of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging
private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and
increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population.
Priorities for government spending in the short term include
additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems.
Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political
and social conservatism.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$310.2 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 67.2%
services: 28.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
6.62 million
note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is
non-national (2004 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
25% (unofficial estimate) (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.8% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
17.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $104.8 billion
expenditures: $78.66 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
75% of GDP (2004 est.)

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

Industries:
crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals,
ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement,
construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair,
commercial aircraft repair

Industrial production growth rate:
2.8% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
138.2 billion kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
128.5 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
9.021 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.55 million bbl/day (2003)

Oil - exports:
7.92 million bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - proved reserves:
261.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production:
56.4 billion cu m (2002)

Natural gas - consumption:
56.4 billion cu m (2002)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2002)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.339 trillion cu m (2004)

Current account balance:
$51.5 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$113 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 90%

Exports - partners:
US 18.2%, Japan 14.9%, South Korea 9.5%, China 6.1%, Taiwan 4.5%,
Singapore 4.1% (2004)

Imports:
$36.21 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
US 15.3%, Japan 9.8%, Germany 8.1%, China 6.6%, UK 5.7% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$23.62 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$34.35 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon;
since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance
to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in
Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans
to Iraq

Currency (code):
Saudi riyal (SAR)

Currency code:
SAR

Exchange rates:
Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2004), 3.745 (2003), 3.745
(2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 March - 28 February

Communications Saudi Arabia

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,502,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
7,238,200 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
fiber-optic cable systems
international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain,
Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to
Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain;
satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian
Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

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

Radios:
6.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
117 (1997)

Televisions:
5.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sa

Internet hosts:
15,931 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
22 (2003)

Internet users:
1.5 million (2003)

Transportation Saudi Arabia

Railways:
total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and
sidings) (2004)

Highways:
total: 152,044 km
paved: 45,461 km
unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)

Pipelines:
condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil
5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah

Merchant marine:
total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 12, container 4, passenger/cargo
8, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 9
foreign-owned: 14 (Egypt 2, Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 5, Singapore 1,
Sudan 1, UAE 1, United Kingdom 3)
registered in other countries: 54 (2005)

Airports:
201 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 72
over 3,047 m: 32
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 129
over 3047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 72
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
5 (2004 est.)

Military Saudi Arabia

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

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,648,999 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,592,709 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 247,334 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$18 billion (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
10% (2002)

Transnational Issues Saudi Arabia

Disputes - international:
despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the
Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty
is almost complete; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a
concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal
cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran;
because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment
of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 240,000 (Palestinian Territories)
(2004)

Illicit drugs:
death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin,
cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving
anti-money-laundering legislation

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Senegal

Introduction Senegal

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

Geography Senegal

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

Geographic coordinates:
14 00 N, 14 00 W

Map references:
Africa

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Dakota

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

Coastline:
531 km

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

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

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

Natural resources:
fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 12.78%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 87.01% (2001)

Irrigated land:
710 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

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

People Senegal

Population:
11,126,832 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.8% (male 2,404,461/female 2,360,167)
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 2,901,689/female 3,122,854)
65 years and over: 3% (male 161,173/female 176,488) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.15 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 18.7 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.48% (2005 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 55.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 59.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.9 years
male: 57.37 years
female: 60.47 years (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
44,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever,
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley fever are high
risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004)

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

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

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

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

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

Government Senegal

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

Government type:
republic under multiparty democratic rule

Capital:
Dakar

Administrative divisions:
11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick,
Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies,
Ziguinchor

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

National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution:
new constitution adopted 7 January 2001

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
under new constitution; election last held under prior constitution
(seven-year terms) 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held
February 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote
in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou
DIOUF (PS) 41.51%

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

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