Chapter LVII: Front Matter (57)

Television broadcast stations:
224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)
note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88
repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)

Televisions:
16.2 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.es

Internet hosts:
2,520,711 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
56 (2000)

Internet users:
19,204,771 (2006)

Transportation Spain

Airports:
157 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 96
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 61
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 44 (2006)

Heliports:
8 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 7,962 km; oil 622 km; refined products 3,447 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 14,873 km
broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,928 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km
0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 666,292 km
paved: 659,629 km (including 12,009 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,663 km (2003)

Waterways:
1,000 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 169 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,902,839 GRT/1,874,161 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 13, chemical tanker 14, container 27,
liquefied gas 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 49, petroleum tanker
15, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 2,
vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 36 (Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 12, Italy 2, Mexico 3,
Norway 7, UK 1, Uruguay 2, US 7)
registered in other countries: 112 (Bahamas 12, Belize 3, Brazil 4,
Cambodia 1, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7, Italy 1, Malta 6,
Marshall Islands 3, Nigeria 1, Panama 53, Portugal 15, Saint Kitts
and Nevis 2, UK 1, Venezuela 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna,
Tarragona, Valencia

Military Spain

Military branches:
Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy
(Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force
(Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 9,366,588
females age 20-49: 9,155,057 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 7,623,356
females age 20-49: 7,434,465 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 233,384
females age 20-49: 221,805 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$9,906.5 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.2% (2003)

Transnational Issues Spain

Disputes - international:
in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty"
arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK
and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater
autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves
of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera,
Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters;
Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration
into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish
sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of
interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of
Badajoz

Illicit drugs:
key European gateway country and consumer for Latin American
cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market;
destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian
heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking
organizations and organized crime

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Spratly Islands

Background:
The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or
reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially
by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by
China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia
and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively
small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing
zone that overlaps a southern reef, but has not made any formal
claim.

Geography Spratly Islands

Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China
Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the
southern Philippines

Geographic coordinates:
8 38 N, 111 55 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts
scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South
China Sea

Area - comparative:
NA

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
926 km

Maritime claims:
NA

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
flat

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Natural resources:
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the
central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls,
shoals, and coral reefs

People Spratly Islands

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several
claimant states (2004)

Government Spratly Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Economy Spratly Islands

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity
to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the
potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely
unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves.
Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.

Transportation Spratly Islands

Airports:
3 (2006)

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

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

Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Spratly Islands

Military - note:
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of
which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Transnational Issues Spratly Islands

Disputes - international:
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and
Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines;
in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that
encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not
publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,"
which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code
of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the
Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine
seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Sri Lanka

Introduction Sri Lanka

Background:
The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C.,
probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in
about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed
at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa
A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th
century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and
established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th
century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded
to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was
united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent
in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between
the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in
1983. Tens of thousands have died in the ethnic conflict that
continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government
and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire
in February 2002, with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence
between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but
neither side has formally withdrawn from the cease-fire.

Geography Sri Lanka

Location:
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Geographic coordinates:
7 00 N, 81 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 65,610 sq km
land: 64,740 sq km
water: 870 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,340 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 monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest
monsoon (June to October)

Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central
interior

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

Natural resources:
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay,
hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 13.96%
permanent crops: 15.24%
other: 70.8% (2005)

Irrigated land:
7,430 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
occasional cyclones and tornadoes

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by
poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining
activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being
polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air
pollution in Colombo

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

Geography - note:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

People Sri Lanka

Population:
20,222,240
note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and
armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand
Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils
have sought refuge in the West (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.1% (male 2,488,689/female 2,379,233)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 6,727,399/female 7,140,751)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 687,842/female 798,326) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 29.8 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 30.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.78% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.41 years
male: 70.83 years
female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,500 (2001 est.)

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

Nationality:
noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective: Sri Lankan

Ethnic groups:
Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri
Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census
provisional data)

Religions:
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%,
unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Languages:
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national
language) 18%, other 8%
note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken
competently by about 10% of the population

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.3%
male: 94.8%
female: 90% (2003 est.)

Government Sri Lanka

Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
conventional short form: Sri Lanka
local long form: Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di
Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
local short form: Shri Lamka/Ilankai
former: Serendib, Ceylon

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Colombo
geographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 E
time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)

Administrative divisions:
8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western,
Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
note: in 1998 the Government of Sri Lanka proposed a merger of the
former Northern and Eastern provinces; while this merger was never
ratified, the Government treats North Eastern Province as a de facto
singular administrative unit

Independence:
4 February 1948 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 February (1948)

Constitution:
adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978

Legal system:
a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch,
Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19 November
2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government; Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE (since 21 November 2005) holds
the ceremonial title of prime minister
head of government: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19 November
2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the
prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 17 November 2005
(next to be held 2011)
election results: Mahinda RAJAPAKSE elected president; percent of
vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSE 50.3%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 48.4%, other
1.3%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote
on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by
district to serve six-year terms)
elections: last held 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance -
SLFP and JVP (no longer in formal UPFA alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.83%,
TNA 6.84%, JHU 5.97%, SLMC 2.02%, UPF 0.54%, EPDP 0.27%, others
0.93%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, UNP dissident 1,
TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, JHU dissidents 2, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4,
Communist Party 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 1

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

Political parties and leaders:
All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers
Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D.
GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF
[Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP
[Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna or JVP
[Somawansa AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP; Mahajana
Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D. GUNAWARDENE];
National Heritage Party or JHU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; National Unity
Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation Organization
of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sihala Urumaya or SU; Sri
Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA];
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka
Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation
Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA
[R. SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V.
ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil
WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P.
CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties,
represented in either Parliament or provincial councils

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or
LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a
separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the
National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups

International organization participation:
AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS
(observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard GOONETILLEKE
chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028)
FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert O. BLAKE, Jr.
embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500
FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345

Flag description:
yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal
vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is
a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and
there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears
as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels

Economy Sri Lanka

Economy - overview:
In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import
substitution trade policy for more market-oriented policies,
export-oriented trade, and encouragement of foreign investment.
Recent changes in government have brought some policy reversals,
however. Currently, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party has a more
statist economic approach which seeks to reduce poverty by steering
investment to disadvantaged areas, developing small and medium
enterprises, promoting agriculture, and expanding the already
enormous civil service. The government has halted most
privatizations. Although suffering a brutal civil war that began in
1983, Sri Lanka saw GDP growth average 4.5% in the last ten years,
with a brief interruption during the global downturn in 2001. In
late December 2004, a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left
more than 6,300 missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an
estimated $1.5 billion worth of property. Growth, partly spurred by
reconstruction, reached 5% in 2005 and more than 6% in 2006. Sri
Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and
apparel, food and beverages, port contstruction, telecommunications,
and insurance and banking. In 2005, plantation crops made up only
about 15% of exports (compared with more than 90% in 1970), while
textiles and garments accounted for more than 60%. About 800,000 Sri
Lankans work abroad, 90% in the Middle East. They send home about $1
billion a year. The struggle by the Tamil Tigers of the north and
east for a largely independent homeland continues to cast a shadow
over the economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$93.33 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$23.52 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.3%
industry: 27.3%
services: 55.3% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
8.214 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 38%
industry: 17%
services: 45% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7.6% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
22% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 28% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.4 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.1% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
28.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.762 billion
expenditures: $7.095 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
90.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber,
coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish

Industries:
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural
commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing,
textiles; cement, petroleum refining

Industrial production growth rate:
7.1% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
7.714 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 51.7%
hydro: 48.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
7.174 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

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

Oil - consumption:
80,000 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:
$-1.118 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$7.076 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies;
coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish

Exports - partners:
US 31.1%, UK 12.2%, India 8.9%, Germany 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$9.655 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery
and transportation equipment

Imports - partners:
India 20.7%, Singapore 8.3%, Hong Kong 7.3%, China 7.1%, Iran 5.9%,
Malaysia 4.4%, Japan 4.3% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.81 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$12.23 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$577 million (1998)

Currency (code):
Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

Currency code:
LKR

Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 102.987 (2006), 100.498 (2005),
101.194 (2004), 96.521 (2003), 95.662 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sri Lanka

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,509,913 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,284,256 (2006)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone services have improved significantly
and are available in most parts of the country.
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition
is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular
subscribership is increasing; telephone density remains low (2006)
international: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia,
Djibouti, India and Maldives; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM, FM, Shortwave combined 34 (2006)

Radios:
3.85 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
14 (2006)

Televisions:
1.53 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.lk

Internet hosts:
6,526 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
280,000 (2005)

Transportation Sri Lanka

Airports:
16 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Railways:
total: 1,449 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 97,287 km
paved: 78,802 km
unpaved: 18,485 km (2003)

Waterways:
160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 144,066 GRT/196,418 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 17, container 2, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 7 (Germany 5, UAE 2)
registered in other countries: 5 (Panama 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Colombo, Galle

Military Sri Lanka

Military branches:
Sri Lankan Army, Sri Lankan Navy, Sri Lankan Air Force (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,933,217
females age 18-49: 5,153,597 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,789,627
females age 18-49: 4,281,043 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 174,049
females age 18-49: 167,201 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$606.2 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.6% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Sri Lanka

Disputes - international:
none

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 500,000-600,000 (both Tamils and non-Tamils displaced due to
long-term Tamil conflict renewed in 2006) (2006)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Sudan

Introduction Sudan

Background:
Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have
dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956.
Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the
remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in
northern economic, political, and social domination of largely
non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in
1972, but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related
effects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and,
according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over a
period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with
the signing of several accords; a final Naivasha peace treaty of
January 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years,
after which a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A
separate conflict that broke out in the western region of Darfur in
2003 has resulted in at least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 million
displaced; as of late 2005, peacekeeping troops were struggling to
stabilize the situation. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes
from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad, and armed
conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government
support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian
assistance to affected populations.

Geography Sudan

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,505,810 sq km
land: 2.376 million sq km
water: 129,810 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
total: 7,687 km
border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km,
Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605
km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km

Coastline:
853 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by
region (April to November)

Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,
northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m

Natural resources:
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc,
tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 6.78%
permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 93.05% (2005)

Irrigated land:
18,630 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations
threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification;
periodic drought

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

Geography - note:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

People Sudan

Population:
41,236,378 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.7% (male 8,993,483/female 8,614,022)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 11,327,679/female 11,297,798)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 536,754/female 466,642) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.3 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.55% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.02 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: 1.15 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 61.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 60.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.92 years
male: 57.69 years
female: 60.21 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
400,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
23,000 (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: malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis
(sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified
among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a
negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens
who have close contact with birds (2007)

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

Ethnic groups:
black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5%
(mostly in south and Khartoum)

Languages:
Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic,
Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
note: program of "Arabization" in process

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.1%
male: 71.8%
female: 50.5% (2003 est.)

Government Sudan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
conventional short form: Sudan
local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
local short form: As-Sudan
former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Government type:
Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party
(NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a
power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in
1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national
elections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe.

Capital:
name: Khartoum
geographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile),
Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat (Lakes), Al Jazirah (El
Gezira), Al Khartum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahdah
(Unity), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile),
Ash Shamaliyah (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Bahr al Jabal), Gharb al
Istiwa'iyah (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al Ghazal (Western Bahr
al Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern
Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Junqali (Jonglei),
Kassala (Kassala), Nahr an Nil (Nile), Shamal Bahr al Ghazal
(Northern Bahr al Ghazal), Shamal Darfur (Northern Darfur), Shamal
Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al Istiwa'iyah (Eastern
Equatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab (Warab)

Independence:
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1956)

Constitution:
12 April 1973; suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim
constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June
1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially
suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR; under the CPA,
Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of
Southern Sudan signed December 2005

Legal system:
based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20 January 1991,
the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Shari'a law in
the northern states; Shari'a law applies to all residents of the
northern states regardless of their religion; some separate
religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under
the CPA following the civil war; Shari'a law will not apply to the
southern states

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the
National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front
or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held
no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement
election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president;
percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar
Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined
vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of
guarantees for a free and fair election
note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary
Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served
concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister,
and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed
president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for
the first time in March 1996

Legislative branch:
bi-cameral body comprising the National Assembly and Council of
States (replaced unicameral National Assembly of 360 seats); pending
elections and National Election Law, the Presidency appointed 450
members to the National Assembly according to the provisions of the
2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement: 52% NCP; 28% SPLM; 14% other
Northerners; 6% other Southerners; 2 representatives from every
state constitute the Council of States; terms in each chamber are
five years following the first elections
elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2008-2009
timeframe)
election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments
under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court;
National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial
Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National
Judiciary

Political parties and leaders:
political parties in the Government of National Unity include:
National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed OMAR]; Sudan People's
Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and elements of
the National Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of the
Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI] and Umma Party
[SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan
al-TURABI]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA,
NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires, Ad
Interim Khidir HAROUN (since April 2001)
chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Cameron
HUME
embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoum
mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829
telephone: [249] (183) 774701
FAX: [249] (183) 774137
note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service for Khartoum;
consular services are being established in Juba (southern Sudan)

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a
green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Economy Sudan

Economy - overview:
Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic
policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces
formidable economic problems, starting from its low level of per
capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF
macroeconomic reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and
in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which,
along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate.
Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded
export processing zones helped sustain GDP growth at 10% in 2006.
Agricultural production remains Sudan's most important sector,
employing 80% of the work force, contributing 35% of GDP, and
accounting for most of GDP growth, but most farms remain rain-fed
and susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - resulting from the
long-standing civil war between the Muslim north and the
Christian/pagan south, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural
prices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below
the poverty line for years.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$96.01 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$25.5 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,300 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35.5%
industry: 24.8%
services: 39.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
7.415 million (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry: 7%
services: 13% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
18.7% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2004 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
25.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $7.943 billion
expenditures: $10.1 billion; including capital expenditures of $304
million (2006 est.)

Public debt:
59.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic,
sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet
potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock

Industries:
oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap
distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments,
automobile/light truck assembly

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
3.845 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 52.1%
hydro: 47.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
3.576 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
344,700 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
66,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
275,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:
1.6 billion bbl (2006 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
84.95 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$-4.51 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$7.505 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts,
gum arabic, sugar

Exports - partners:
China 71.1%, Japan 12%, Saudi Arabia 2.8% (2005)

Imports:
$8.693 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment,
medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

Imports - partners:
China 20.7%, Saudi Arabia 9.4%, UAE 5.9%, Egypt 5.5%, Japan 5.1%,
India 4.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.552 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$29.69 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$172 million (2001)

Currency (code):
Sudanese dinar (SDD)

Currency code:
SDD

Exchange rates:
Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 217.402 (2006), 243.61 (2005),
257.91 (2004), 260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sudan

Telephones - main lines in use:
670,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.828 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
1996 and have expanded substantially
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone
communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite
system with 14 earth stations
international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
7.55 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (1997)

Televisions:
2.38 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sd

Internet hosts:
16 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2002)

Internet users:
2.8 million (2005)

Transportation Sudan

Airports:
88 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 73
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 37
under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 156 km; oil 3,930 km; refined products 1,613 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 5,978 km
narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for
cotton plantations (2005)

Roadways:
total: 11,900 km
paved: 4,320 km
unpaved: 7,580 km (1999)

Waterways:
4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers)
(2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,326 GRT/14,068 DWT
by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1
registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Saudi Arabia 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Port Sudan

Military Sudan

Military branches:
Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF): Army, Navy, Air Force,
Popular Defense Force

Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - three years (August 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 8,291,695
females age 18-49: 8,135,683 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,427,474
females age 18-49: 5,649,566 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 442,915
females age 18-49: 426,320 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$587 million (2001 est.) (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (1999) (2004)

Transnational Issues Sudan

Disputes - international:
the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia
fighting since the mid-twentieth century have penetrated all of the
neighboring states; as of 2006, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Central
African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
provided shelter for over half a million Sudanese refugees, which
includes 240,000 Darfur residents driven from their homes by
Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military forces; Sudan, in
turn, hosted 20,000 Chadians, 122,000 Eritreans, 14,810 Ethiopians,
7,900 Ugandans and 5,000 Congolese as refugees; in February 2006,
Sudan and DROC signed an agreement to repatriate 13,300 Sudanese and
6,800 Congolese; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel
groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia
proceed slowly due to civil and ethnic fighting in eastern Sudan;
the boundary that separates Kenya and Sudan's sovereignty is unclear
in the "Ilemi Triangle," which Kenya has administered since colonial
times; while Sudan claims to administer the Hala'ib Triangle north
of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, both states
withdrew their military presence in the 1990s and Egypt has invested
in and effectively administers the area; periodic violent skirmishes
with Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among
related pastoral populations from the Central African Republic along
the border

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 116,746 (Eritrea), 20,000 (Chad),
14,633 (Ethiopia), 7,901 (Uganda)
IDPs: 5,300,000 - 6,200,000 (internal conflict since 1980s; ongoing
genocide in Darfur region, IDP registration for return to South
Sudan started in 2005) (2006)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Sudan is a source country for men, women, and
children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual
exploitation; Sudan may also be a transit and destination country
for Ethiopian women trafficked for domestic servitude; boys are
trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Qatar and the United
Arab Emirates, for use as camel jockeys; small numbers of girls are
reportedly trafficked within Sudan for domestic servitude, as well
as for commercial sexual exploitation in small brothels in
internally displaced persons (IDP) camps; the terrorist rebel
organization "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) continues to abduct and
forcibly conscript small numbers of children in Southern Sudan for
use as cooks, porters, and combatants in its ongoing war against
Uganda; some of these children are then trafficked across borders
into Uganda or possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
children are utilized by rebel groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces
and associated militias in the ongoing conflict in Darfur; during
the decades of civil war, thousands of Dinka women and children were
enslaved by members of Baggara tribes and subjected to various forms
of forced labor without remuneration, as well as physical and sexual
abuse; with the cessation of the North-South conflict and the
ongoing peace process, there were no known new abductions of Dinka
by Baggara tribes during 2005; however, inter-tribal abductions of a
different nature continue in Southern Sudan and warrant further
investigation
tier rating: Tier 3 - Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Suriname

Introduction Suriname

Background:
First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then
settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a
Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers
were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the
Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian
government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a
socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a
succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when
international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In
1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a
democratically elected government - a four-party New Front coalition
- returned to power in 1991 and has ruled since, expanding to eight
parties in 2005.

Geography Suriname

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
French Guiana and Guyana

Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 56 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,703 km
border countries: Brazil 593 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Coastline:
386 km

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

Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small
amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 0.36%
permanent crops: 0.06%
other: 99.58% (2005)

Irrigated land:
510 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland
waterways by small-scale mining activities

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly
tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for
the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development;
relatively small population, mostly along the coast

People Suriname

Population:
439,117 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 65,412/female 62,069)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 145,913/female 138,076)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 12,223/female 15,424) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.5 years
male: 26 years
female: 26.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.2% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-8.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.02 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.89 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.01 years
male: 66.66 years
female: 71.47 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,200 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese

Ethnic groups:
Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors
emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th
century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%,
"Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in
the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior)
10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman
Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%

Languages:
Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo
(Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of
Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca
among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88%
male: 92.3%
female: 84.1% (2000 est.)

Government Suriname

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local long form: Republiek Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana

Government type:
constitutional democracy

Capital:
name: Paramaribo
geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo,
Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo,
Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Independence:
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987

Legal system:
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August
2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12
August 2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate
receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National
Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United
People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and
regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election
last held 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN reelected president;
percent of vote - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN 62.9%, Rabin PARMESSAR
35.4%, other 1.7%; note - after two votes in the parliament failed
to secure a two-thirds majority for a candidate, the vote then went
to a special session of the United People's Assembly on 3 August 2005

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NF 39.73%, NDP 22.2%,
VVV 13.79%, A-Com 7.21%, A-1 5.86%, other 7.42%; seats by party - NF
23, NDP 15, VVV 5, A-Com 5, A-1 3

Judicial branch:
Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court
(justices are nominated for life)

Political parties and leaders:
Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Amazone Party of Suriname or
APS [Kenneth VAN GENDEREN], Democrats of the 21st Century or D-21
[Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen Nanan PANDAY],
Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL], Trefpunt 2000 or
T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); General Interior Development Party or ABOP
[Ronnie BRUNSWIJK]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire
BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a
coalition which includes A-Combination or A-Com [leader NA],
Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 which split from the A-1 before
the elections of May 2005 and are an independent, business-oriented
party [Winston JESSURUN], National Party Suriname or NPS [Ronald
VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ram SARDJOE], Pertjaja Luhur
or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese Labor Party or SPA
[Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or
DOE [Marten SCHALKWIJK]; People's Alliance for Progress or VVV (a
coalition of Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP-2000 [Jules
WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD
[Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the
Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for Progression,
Justice, and Perseverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN], Pendawalima or PL
[Raymond SAPOEN]); Progressive Laborers and Farmers Union or PALU
[Jim HOK]; Progressive Political Party or PPP [Surinder MUNGRA];
Seeka [Paul ABENA]; Union of Progressive Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj
PANDAY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE];
Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE];
Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]

International organization participation:
ACP, Caricom, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD,
IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU,
ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Henry Lothar ILLES
chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878
consulate(s) general: Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa Bobbie SCHREIBER HUGHES
embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo
mailing address: US Department of State, 3390 Paramaribo Place,
Washington, DC, 20521-3390
telephone: [597] 472-900
FAX: [597] 425-690

Flag description:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red
(quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a
large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band

Economy Suriname

Economy - overview:
The economy is dominated by the mining industry, which accounts for
more than a third of GDP and subjects government revenues to mineral
price volatility. The short-term economic outlook depends on the
government's ability to control inflation and on the development of
projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors. Suriname's economic
prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to
responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of
structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition.
The government of Ronald VENETIAAN, in his first term, implemented
an austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control
spending. Economic policies are likely to remain the same during
VENETIAAN's second term. Prospects for local onshore oil production
are good, as a drilling program is underway. Offshore oil drilling
was given a boost in 2004 when the State Oil Company (Staatsolie)
signed exploration agreements with Repsol, Mearsk, and Occidental.
Bidding on these new offshore blocks was completed in July 2006.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.098 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.398 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 22%
services: 65% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
156,700 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 14%
services: 78%

Unemployment rate:
9.5% (2004)

Population below poverty line:
70% (2002 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.5% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $392.6 million
expenditures: $425.9 million (2004)

Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts;
beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products

Industries:
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food
processing, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (1994 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.509 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 25.2%
hydro: 74.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.403 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
9,462 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
11,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
1,370 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
1,644 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - proved reserves:
150 million bbl (2005)

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

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

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

Exports:
$881 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Exports - partners:
Norway 23.6%, US 16.5%, Canada 16.1%, Belgium 9.7%, France 7.9%,
UAE 7.3% (2005)

Imports:
$750 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
US 29.3%, Netherlands 17.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.7%, China 6.5%,
Japan 5.2%, Brazil 4.3% (2005)

Debt - external:
$504.3 million (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$46 million Netherlands provided $37 million for project and
program assistance, European Development Fund $4 million, Belgium $2
million (2003)

Currency (code):
Surinam dollar (SRD)

Currency code:
SRG