Chapter XXIII: Front Matter (23)

Constitution:
based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up
the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties
of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single
European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in
1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in
2003; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October
2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either
by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled
to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch
referenda in May-June 2005 dealt a severe setback to the
ratification process, though it has continued more slowly with
Finland ratifying in December 2006; as of January 2007, 18 countries
have ratified the Constitutional Treaty; Germany has made revival of
the EU Constitution a goal of its EU Presidency in 2007

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose Manuel
DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)
cabinet: European Commission (composed of 27 members, one from each
member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy
areas)
elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by
member governments and is confirmed by the European Parliament;
working from member state recommendations, the Commission president
then assembles a "college" of Commission members; the European
Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; the
last confirmation process was held 18 November 2004 (next to be held
2009)
election results: European Parliament approved the European
Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions
note: the European Council brings together heads of state and
government and the president of the European Commission and meets at
least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the
major political issues relating to European integration and to issue
general policy guidelines

Legislative branch:
Council of the European Union (27 member-state ministers having 345
votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states'
population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of
the EU; European Parliament (785 seats (as of 1 January 2007); seats
allocated among member states by proportion to population); members
elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term
elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED
268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN
27, independents 28; note - seats by party as of 1 January 2007 -
EPP-ED 277, PES 218, ALDE 106, UEN 44, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41,
IND/DEM 23, ITS 20, independents 14

Judicial branch:
Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the
treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU;
resolve constitutional issues among the EU institutions) - 27
justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term;
note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 13
justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 27
justices appointed for a six-year term

Political parties and leaders:
Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or
EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats
or EPP-ED [Joseph DAUL]; Group of the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Group of
Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and
Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty Group
[Bruno GOLLNISCH]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM
[Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Socialist Group in the European
Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Union for Europe of the Nations
Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]

International organization participation:
European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member),
IDA, OAS (observer), UN (observer), WTO
European Community: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, EBRD, G-10,
NAM (observer), NSG (observer), OECD, UNRWA, ZC (observer)
European Central Bank: BIS
European Investment Bank: EBRD, WADB (nonregional member)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON
chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500
FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador C. Boyden GRAY
embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: same as above
telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222
FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720

Flag description:
on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle,
representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars
is fixed

Economy European Union

Economy - overview:
Internally, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers,
adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living
standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade
position and its political and economic power. Because of the great
differences in per capita income among member states (from $8,000 to
$61,000) and historic national animosities, the European Union faces
difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example,
since 2003 Germany and France have flouted the member states' treaty
obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than
a 3% deficit. In 2004 and 2007, the EU admitted 10 and two
countries, respectively, that are, in general, less advanced
technologically and economically than the other 15. Twelve
established EU member states introduced the euro as their common
currency on 1 January 1999, but the UK, Sweden, and Denmark chose
not to participate. Of the 12 most recent member states, only
Slovenia has adopted the euro (1 January 2007); the remaining eleven
are legally required to adopt the currency upon meeting EU's fiscal
and monetary convergence criteria.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12.82 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.62 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$29,300 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 27.3%
services: 70.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
221.5 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 27.3%
services: 67%
note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector
industries and services (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8.8% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
see individual country listings

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32 (2003 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products,
cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish

Industries:
among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the
European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous
metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal,
cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation
equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction
equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power
equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems,
electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and
beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
2.8% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
2.98 trillion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - consumption:
2.77 trillion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - exports:
278.7 billion kWh

Electricity - imports:
277.1 billion kWh

Oil - production:
3.172 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
14.7 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - exports:
5.318 million bbl/day

Oil - imports:
15.74 million bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
7.335 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
238.1 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - consumption:
507.4 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - exports:
78.89 billion cu m

Natural gas - imports:
347.7 billion cu m

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.219 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$NA

Exports:
$1.33 trillion; note - external exports, excluding intra-EU trade
(2005)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and
other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp
and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic
beverages.

Exports - partners:
US 23.3%, Switzerland 7.6%, Russia 5.2%, China 4.8% (2005)

Imports:
$1.466 trillion; note - external imports, excluding intra-EU trade
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals,
textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners:
US 13.8%, China 13.4%, Russia 8.2%, Japan 6.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA

Currency (code):
euro, British pound, Bulgarian lev, Cypriot pound, Czech koruna,
Danish krone, Estonian kroon, Hungarian forint, Latvian lat,
Lithuanian litas, Maltese lira, Polish zloty, Romanian leu, Slovak
koruna, Swedish krona; Romanian leu and Bulgarian lev added,
beginning in 2007

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.79669 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

Fiscal year:
NA

Communications European Union

Telephones - main lines in use:
238 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
466 million (2005)

Telephone system:
note - see individual country entries of member states

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 930, FM 13,655, shortwave 71 (1998); note - sum of individual
country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide
station (Euroradio)

Television broadcast stations:
2,700 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of individual
country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide
station (Eurovision)

Internet country code:
.eu (effective 2005); note - see country entries of member states
for individual country codes

Internet hosts:
50.5 million (2005); note - sum of individual country Internet hosts

Internet users:
247 million (2006)

Transportation European Union

Airports:
3,393 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
2,020 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
1,373 (2006)

Heliports:
100 (2006)

Railways:
total: 235,199 km
broad gauge: 28,327 km
standard gauge: 198,913 km
narrow gauge: 7,936 km
other: 23 km (2005)

Roadways:
total: 2,294,641 km (including 61,522 km of expressways)
paved: 1,809,821 km
unpaved: 584,820 km (2005)

Waterways:
52,332 km (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen
(Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen
(Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany),
Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre
(France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples
(Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam
(Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia), Tulcea
(Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)

Military European Union

Military - note:
In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a
"Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" that offers
possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and
security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some
two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European
Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty.
Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a
European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is
creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid
system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany,
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for
wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by
France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already
deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and
assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands
the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command
Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in
December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command
- commitments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU
session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in
2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with
promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began
operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally
committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end
of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis.
Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops.
France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups
in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and
Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to
include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by
2007. (2005)

Transnational Issues European Union

Disputes - international:
as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with
neighboring countries, but Estonia and Latvia have no land boundary
agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime
boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime
disputes with Morocco; the EU has set up a Schengen area -
consisting of 13 EU member states that have signed the convention
implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and 1990) on the free
movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in
Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became incorporated into
EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1
May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal,
Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as
part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area
since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the total current
membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take
part in some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect
to police and criminal matters; the 12 new member states that joined
the EU in 2004 and 2007 eventually are expected to participate in
Schengen, following a transition period to upgrade their border
controls and procedures

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Introduction Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Background:
Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first
landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in
1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until
1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the
islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first
between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The
UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval
garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April
1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed
seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine
surrender on 14 June 1982.

Geography Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east
of southern Argentina

Geographic coordinates:
51 45 S, 59 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 12,173 sq km
land: 12,173 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and
about 200 small islands

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,288 km

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

Climate:
cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on
more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches
in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and
February, but does not accumulate

Terrain:
rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m

Natural resources:
fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
strong winds persist throughout the year

Environment - current issues:
overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were
introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is
the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the
Chornobyl disaster

Geography - note:
deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing
season

People Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Population:
2,967 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.44% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island

Ethnic groups:
British

Religions:
primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist
Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist

Languages:
English

Literacy:
NA

Government Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Stanley
geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 41 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
third Sunday in April

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution:
3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998

Legal system:
English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Alan HUCKLE (since 25 August 2006);
Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since March 2003); Financial
Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA)
cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative
Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial
secretary), and the governor
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - two ex officio, eight
elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided
over by the governor
elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court
(senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions);
Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ICFTU, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the
flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once
the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose
crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the
motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Economy Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Economy - overview:
The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep
farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic
activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to
foreign trawlers operating within the Falkland Islands' exclusive
fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per
year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and
welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy
farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder.
Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale
of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing
except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a
200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early
seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing
500,000 barrels per day; to date, no exploitable site has been
identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks
to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen
foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism,
especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000
visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on
money the government has in the bank. The British military presence
also provides a sizeable economic boost.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$75 million (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$25,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 95%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Labor force:
1,724 (est.) (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)
industry and services: 5%

Unemployment rate:
full employment; labor shortage (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (1998)

Budget:
revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million; including capital expenditures of $23.2
million (FY98/99 est.)

Agriculture - products:
fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products

Industries:
fish and wool processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
16 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
14.88 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
230 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports:
$125 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
wool, hides, meat

Exports - partners:
Spain 81.9%, US 6%, UK 4.5% (2005)

Imports:
$90 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing

Imports - partners:
UK 72.5%, US 15.1%, Netherlands 8.5% (2005)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$0 (1997 est.)

Currency (code):
Falkland pound (FKP)

Currency code:
FKP

Exchange rates:
Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
(2003), 0.6672 (2002), note, the Falkland pound is at par with the
British pound

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
points on both islands
international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other
countries

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1
(FM) and Radio 2 (AM) service (2006)

Radios:
1,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides
multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as
islanders)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2006)

Televisions:
1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.fk

Internet hosts:
103 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
1,900 (2002)

Transportation Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Airports:
5 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 440 km
paved: 50 km
unpaved: 390 km (2003)

Ports and terminals:
Stanley

Military Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Military branches:
no regular military forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Disputes - international:
Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly
occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek
settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for
sovereignty talks

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Faroe Islands

Introduction Faroe Islands

Background:
The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from
Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have
been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high
degree of self government was attained in 1948.

Geography Faroe Islands

Location:
Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to
Norway

Geographic coordinates:
62 00 N, 7 00 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 1,399 sq km
land: 1,399 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,117 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Climate:
mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Terrain:
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Natural resources:
fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Land use:
arable land: 2.14%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.86% (2005)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping -associate member to the London Convention

Geography - note:
archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and
a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea
lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits
habitation to small coastal lowlands

People Faroe Islands

Population:
47,246 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.9% (male 4,940/female 4,952)
15-64 years: 65.1% (male 16,247/female 14,522)
65 years and over: 13.9% (male 2,976/female 3,609) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 35 years
male: 34.7 years
female: 35.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.58% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
14.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.12 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.35 years
male: 75.91 years
female: 82.8 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

Ethnic groups:
Scandinavian

Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran

Languages:
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
note: probably 100%, the same as Denmark proper

Government Faroe Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Foroyar

Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark since 1948

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Torshavn
geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W
time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 34 municipalities

Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)

National holiday:
Olaifest (Olavasoka), 29 July

Constitution:
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system:
Danish

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January
1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief
administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3
February 2004)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held
20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008)
election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent
of parliamentary vote - NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are
elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven
constituencies to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than
January 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%,
Social Democratic Party 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's
Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by
party - Union Party 7, Social Democratic Party 7, Republican Party
8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1
note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held
on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1,
People's Party 1

Judicial branch:
none

Political parties and leaders:
Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P.
HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party
[Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union
Party [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Arctic Council, IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Flag description:
white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of
the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist
side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Faroe Islands

Economy - overview:
The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly
as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export
prices. Unemployment is minimal and there are signs of labor
shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has
helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget
surpluses, which in turn have helped reduce the large public debt,
most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing
makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present
fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of
fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give
hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may
eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus
lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a
substantial annual subsidy (about 15% of GDP) from Denmark, the
Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other
Scandinavians.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1 billion (2001 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
10% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$31,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 27%
industry: 11%
services: 62% (1999)

Labor force:
24,250 (October 2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 33%
industry: 33%
services: 34%

Unemployment rate:
1% (October 2000)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.1% (1999)

Budget:
revenues: $488 million
expenditures: $484 million; including capital expenditures of $21
million (1999)

Agriculture - products:
milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish

Industries:
fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment,
handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
8% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
292.6 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 62.4%
hydro: 37.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
272.1 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
4,550 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports:
$533 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999)

Exports - partners:
Denmark 38%, UK 29.4%, Nigeria 8.9%, Norway 6.1%, Netherlands 4.3%
(2005)

Imports:
$639 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%,
machinery and transport equipment 29%, fuels, fish, salt (1999)

Imports - partners:
Denmark 47.4%, Norway 18.7%, Germany 8.4%, Spain 7.8%, Iceland 4.9%
(2005)

Debt - external:
$64 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient:
$135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998)

Currency (code):
Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code:
DKK

Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.93667 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911
(2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Faroe Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
23,800 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
42,500 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: good international communications; good
domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog)
and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed
international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1
Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands,
linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic
submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
26,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions:
15,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.fo

Internet hosts:
6,915 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
33,000 (2005)

Transportation Faroe Islands

Airports:
1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 458 km
note: no roads between towns (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,265 GRT/9,171 DWT
by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Torshavn

Military Faroe Islands

Military branches:
no regular military forces

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 10,695 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 8,852 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 366 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Transnational Issues Faroe Islands

Disputes - international:
because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been
realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been
deferred; Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line
boundary; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that
the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Fiji

Introduction Fiji

Background:
Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a
British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military
coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as
dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers
brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The
coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian
control of Fiji, led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss
resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians
became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more
equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a
government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May
2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil.
Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a
democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia
QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006
military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially
appointed himself acting president. In January 2007, BAINIMARAMA was
appointed interim prime minister.

Geography Fiji

Location:
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds
of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
18 00 S, 175 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 18,270 sq km
land: 18,270 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,129 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
rectilinear shelf claim added

Climate:
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Natural resources:
timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 10.95%
permanent crops: 4.65%
other: 84.4% (2005)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited

People Fiji

Population:
905,949 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.1% (male 143,847/female 138,061)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 293,072/female 292,312)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 17,583/female 21,074) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.6 years
male: 24.1 years
female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.4% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
22.55 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.82 years
male: 67.32 years
female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Fijian(s)
adjective: Fijian

Ethnic groups:
Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture),
Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and
other 5% (1998 est.)

Religions:
Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim
8%, other 2%
note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is
a Muslim minority

Languages:
English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7%
male: 95.5%
female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Government Fiji

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands
conventional short form: Fiji
local long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti
local short form: Fiji/Viti

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Suva (on Viti Levu)
geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*,
Western

Independence:
10 October 1970 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)

Constitution:
enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make
multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998

Legal system:
based on British system

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18
July 2000); note - ILOILOVATU was reaffirmed as president by the
Great Council of Chiefs in a statement issued on 22 December, and
reappointed by the coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA in
January 2007
head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10
September 2000); note - although QARASE is still the legal prime
minister, he has been confined to his home island; the president
appointed Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA interim prime minister under
the military regime
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note - coup
leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA has appointed an interim cabinet
elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister
appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006
election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president
by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 appointed
by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9
appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime Minister, 8 on
the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed on the advice
of the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71
seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic
Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 reserved for the
council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and
25 open seats; members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 6-13 May 2006 (next
to be held 2011)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - SDL 44.59%, FLP 39.18%, UPP .84%, independents 4.89%; seats
by party - SDL 36, FLP 31, UPP 2, independents 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of
Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts

Political parties and leaders:
Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic
Party or FDP [Filipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat
Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association Party or
FAP, Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Sitiveni
RABUKA], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Ofa SWANN]); Fiji Labor
Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP
(became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP;
Justice and Freedom Party or AIM; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR;
National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE];
Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of
National Unity or PANU [Ponipate LESAVUA]; Party of the Truth or
POTT; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL
[Laisenia QARASE]; United Peoples Party or UPP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC,
MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jesoni VITUSAGAVULU
chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER
embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
telephone: [679] 331-4466
FAX: [679] 330-0081

Flag description:
light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant
and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the
cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree,
bananas, and a white dove

Economy Fiji

Economy - overview:
Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of
the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still
with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports, remittances from
Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with
300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of
foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union
markets, but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar
subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial
activity but is not efficient. Fiji's tourism industry was damaged
by the 2006 coup and is facing an uncertain recovery time. Long-term
problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights,
and the government's ability to manage its budget. Overseas
remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased
significantly.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.504 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.038 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.9%
industry: 13.5%
services: 77.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
137,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry and services: 30% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7.6% (1999)

Population below poverty line:
25.5% (1990-91)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2005)

Budget:
revenues: $720.5 million
expenditures: $728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes,
bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish

Industries:
tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small
cottage industries

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
817 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 18.5%
hydro: 81.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
759.8 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
10,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-465.8 million

Exports:
$719.6 million f.o.b. (2005)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil

Exports - partners:
US 19.7%, Australia 17%, UK 12.3%, Japan 5.4%, Samoa 4.1% (2005)

Imports:
$1.462 billion c.i.f. (2005)

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum
products, food, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Singapore 27.5%, Australia 23.7%, NZ 19%, Thailand 4.5% (2005)

Debt - external:
$127 million (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$63.9 million (2004)

Currency (code):
Fijian dollar (FJD)

Currency code:
FJD

Exchange rates:
Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958
(2003), 2.1869 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Fiji

Telephones - main lines in use:
102,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
142,200 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern local, interisland, and international
(wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone,
telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications
center
domestic: NA
international: country code - 679; access to important cable links
between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; 2
satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
541,476 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
88,110 (1999)

Internet country code:
.fj

Internet hosts:
8,987 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
61,000 (2004)

Transportation Fiji

Airports:
28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Railways:
total: 597 km
narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge
note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used
to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 3,440 km
paved: 1,692 km
unpaved: 1,748 km (1999)

Waterways:
203 km
note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
(2004)

Merchant marine:
total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,867 GRT/8,432 DWT
by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Lambasa, Lautoka, Suva

Military Fiji

Military branches:
Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Forces
(2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 215,104
females age 18-49: 212,739 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 163,960
females age 18-49: 178,714 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 9,266
females age 18-49: 8,916 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$36 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.2% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Fiji

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Finland

Introduction Finland

Background:
Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the
12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia
after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World
War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist
invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory.
In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable
transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern
industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western
Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the
only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in
January 1999.

Geography Finland

Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and
Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Geographic coordinates:
64 00 N, 26 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 338,145 sq km
land: 304,473 sq km
water: 33,672 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries:
total: 2,681 km
border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

Coastline:
1,250 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary
with Sweden
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild
because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current,
Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low
hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

Natural resources:
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold,
silver, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 6.54%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 93.44% (2005)

Irrigated land:
640 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to
acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural
chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national
capital on European continent; population concentrated on small
southwestern coastal plain

People Finland

Population:
5,231,372 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 455,420/female 438,719)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,766,674/female 1,724,858)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 337,257/female 508,444) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 41.3 years
male: 39.7 years
female: 42.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.14% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
10.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.5 years
male: 74.99 years
female: 82.17 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish

Ethnic groups:
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%,
Sami 0.1%

Religions:
Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%,
other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003)

Languages:
Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small
Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)

Government Finland

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
local short form: Suomi/Finland

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Helsinki
geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 58 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani,
Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

Independence:
6 December 1917 (from Russia)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Constitution:
1 March 2000

Legal system:
civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request
the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June
2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Eero HEINALUOMA (since 24 September
2005)
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
president, responsible to parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 15 January 2006
(next to be held January 2012); the president appoints the prime
minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the
majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament
must approve the appointment
election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli
NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti Vanhanen (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA
(VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held
29 January 2006 - HOLONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%
note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected
by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%,
Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party -
Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, other 4

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD
[Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left
Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and
Democratic Alternative [Martti KORHONEN]; National Coalition
(conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic
Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP
[Stefan WALLIN]