Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (26)
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Independence:
12 October 1968 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Constitution:
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
Legal system:
partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
head of government: Prime Minister Ignacio MILAM Tang (since 8 July 2008);
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 95.8%, Placido Mico ABOGO 3.6%; elections marred by widespread fraud
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 4 May 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 89, EC 10, CPDS 1
note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president
Judicial branch:
Supreme Tribunal
Political parties and leaders:
Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MICO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Electoral Coalition or EC; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Avelino MOCACHE]; Popular Union or UP
Political pressure groups and leaders:
ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for democratic reform); Global Witness (anti-corruption)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, CPLP (associate), FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alberto M. FERNANDEZ
embassy: K-3, Carreterade Aeropuerto, al lado de Restaurante El Paraiso, Malabo; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 2220-1500
FAX: [237] 2220-1572
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red, with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice); green symbolizes the jungle and natural resources, blue represents the sea that connects the mainland to the islands, white stands for peace, and red recalls the fight for independence
National anthem:
name: "Caminemos pisando la senda" (Let Us Tread the Path)
lyrics/music: Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO/Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO or Ramiro Sanchez LOPEZ (disputed)
note: adopted 1968
Economy ::Equatorial Guinea
Economy - overview:
The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth but fluctuating oil prices have produced huge swings in GDP growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming is the dominate form of livelihood. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of corruption and mismanagement. Government officials and their family members own most businesses, but corruption is rampant. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2008, led by oil, but dropped in 2009-10, as the price of oil fell.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$24.66 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 $24.18 billion (2009 est.)
$22.96 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.55 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 5.3% (2009 est.)
11.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,900 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $38,200 (2009 est.)
$37,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 93.9%
services: 3.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
195,200 NA (2007) country comparison to the world: 170
Unemployment rate:
30% (1998 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
29.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Public debt:
4.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 5.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 191 7.1% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 100 4.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
NA% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$1.86 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 121 $1.295 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$2.207 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 $1.473 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.534 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 136 $3.579 billion (31 December 2008)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Industries:
petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Electricity - production:
28 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Electricity - consumption:
26.04 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
346,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Oil - exports:
362,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Oil - imports:
1,114 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Oil - proved reserves:
1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Natural gas - production:
6.67 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - consumption:
1.5 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - exports:
5.17 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Natural gas - proved reserves:
36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Current account balance:
-$1.477 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 -$1.883 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$10.24 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 $8.495 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners:
US 30.31%, China 12.54%, Japan 9.21%, Spain 7.5%, South Korea 7.01%, Taiwan 5.63%, Italy 5.38%, Netherlands 4.09% (2009)
Imports:
$5.743 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $5.258 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - partners:
China 19.97%, US 17.28%, Spain 14.94%, France 9.49%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.34%, Italy 5.02% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.086 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 $3.252 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$832 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 $766 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs per US dollar - 506.04 (2010), 472.19 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 481.83 (2007), 522.4 (2006)
Communications ::Equatorial Guinea
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 201
Telephones - mobile cellular:
445,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 161
Telephone system:
general assessment: digital fixed-line network in most major urban areas and good mobile coverage
domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2009 stood at about 70 percent of the population
international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
state maintains control of broadcast media with domestic broadcast media limited to 1 state-owned TV station, 1 state-owned radio station, and 1 private radio station owned by the president's eldest son; satellite TV service is available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible (2007)
Internet country code:
.gq
Internet hosts:
9 (2010) country comparison to the world: 221
Internet users:
14,400 (2009) country comparison to the world: 199
Transportation ::Equatorial Guinea
Airports:
7 (2010) country comparison to the world: 166
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 38 km (2009)
Roadways:
total: 2,880 km (2000) country comparison to the world: 167
Merchant marine:
total: 4 country comparison to the world: 131 by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Norway 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Bata, Luba, Malabo (2010)
Military ::Equatorial Guinea
Military branches:
National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Guinea Ecuatoria, GNGE (Army), with Coast Guard (Navy) and Air Wing) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; service obligation 2 years; women hold only administrative positions in the Coast Guard (2011)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 146,241
females age 16-49: 146,138 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 109,311
females age 16-49: 111,543 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 7,186
female: 6,920 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.1% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 173
Transnational Issues ::Equatorial Guinea
Disputes - international:
in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River and imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision delay final delimitation; UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane and lesser islands and to create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Equatorial Guinea is primarily a destination country for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and possibly for the purpose of sexual exploitation; children have been trafficked from nearby countries for domestic servitude, market labor, ambulant vending, and possibly sexual exploitation; women may also be trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from Cameroon, Benin, other neighboring countries, and China for sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Equatorial Guinea is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking, particularly in the areas of prosecuting and convicting trafficking offenders and failing to formalize mechanisms to provide assistance to victims; although the government made some effort to enforce laws against child labor exploitation, it failed to report any trafficking prosecutions or convictions in 2007; the government continued to lack shelters or formal procedures for providing care to victims (2008)
page last updated on January 24, 2011
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@Eritrea (Africa)
Introduction ::Eritrea
Background:
The UN awarded Eritrea to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea hosted a UN peacekeeping operation that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) on the border with Ethiopia. Eritrea's denial of fuel to the mission caused the UN to withdraw the mission and terminate its mandate 31 July 2008. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. On 30 November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission remotely demarcated the border by coordinates and dissolved itself, leaving Ethiopia still occupying several tracts of disputed territory, including the town of Badme. Eritrea accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and called on Ethiopia to remove its troops from the TSZ that it states is Eritrean territory. Ethiopia has not accepted the virtual demarcation decision. In 2009 the UN imposed sanctions on Eritrea after accusing it of backing anti-Ethiopian Islamist insurgents in Somalia.
Geography ::Eritrea
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 39 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 117,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 100 land: 101,000 sq km
water: 16,600 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Coastline:
2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
Terrain:
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m
Natural resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
Land use:
arable land: 4.78%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 95.19% (2005)
Irrigated land:
210 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
6.3 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (3%/0%/97%)
per capita: 68 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
frequent droughts; locust swarms
volcanism: Dubbi (elev. 1,625 m, 5,331 ft), which last erupted in 1861, is the country's only historically active volcano
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
People ::Eritrea
Population:
5,792,984 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.8% (male 1,212,848/female 1,202,240)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 1,483,169/female 1,547,078)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 92,009/female 109,824) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.5 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 18.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.522% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Birth rate:
33.48 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Death rate:
8.25 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 73
Urbanization:
urban population: 21% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 5.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.33 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 65 male: 47.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 36.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.15 years country comparison to the world: 180 male: 60.06 years
female: 64.3 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.6 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
38,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean
Ethnic groups:
nine recognized ethnic groups: Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)
Religions:
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:
Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6%
male: 69.9%
female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 6 years
male: 7 years
female: 5 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 168
Government ::Eritrea
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Eritrea
conventional short form: Eritrea
local long form: Hagere Ertra
local short form: Ertra
former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Government type:
transitional government
note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001 but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
Capital:
name: Asmara (Asmera)
geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)
Independence:
24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 May (1993)
Constitution:
adopted on 23 May 1997, but has not yet been fully implemented
Legal system:
primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957 with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993)
cabinet: State Council the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election held on 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)
election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%, other 5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely
Judicial branch:
High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts
Political parties and leaders:
People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government); note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has yet to debate or vote on it
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]; Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (includes Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM also known as the Abu Sihel Movement); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Joel REIFMAN
embassy: 179 Ala Street, Asmara
mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara
telephone: [291] (1) 120004
FAX: [291] (1) 127584
Flag description:
red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country
National anthem:
name: "Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)
lyrics/music: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion
note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea adopted its own national anthem
Economy ::Eritrea
Economy - overview:
Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but they produce only a small share of total output. Since the conclusion of the Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 2000, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy depends heavily on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have been unable to meet the food needs of the country. The Government continues to place its hope for additional revenue on the development of several international mining projects. Despite difficulties for international companies in working with the Eritrean Government, a Canadian mining company signed a contract with the government in 2007 and began mineral extraction in 2010. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.178 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 167 $4.017 billion (2009 est.)
$3.877 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.254 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 3.6% (2009 est.)
2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$700 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 223 $700 (2009 est.)
$700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.8%
industry: 20.4%
services: 67.7% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
1.935 million NA (2007) country comparison to the world: 120
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
50% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
10.3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
20% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 221 20% (2009 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA%
Stock of narrow money:
$1.382 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 128 $1.007 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$2.872 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134 $2.171 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.919 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 $2.206 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Agriculture - products:
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
Industries:
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Electricity - production:
271 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Electricity - consumption:
228 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 178
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Oil - imports:
4,790 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 183
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 183
Current account balance:
-$212 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 -$188 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$25 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 204 $20 million (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures
Exports - partners:
India 25.3%, Italy 20.7%, Sudan 14.1%, China 12.9%, France 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.4% (2008)
Imports:
$738 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 182 $682 million (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 20.7%, India 13.6%, Italy 12.6%, China 9.9%, US 5.1%, Germany 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$104 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 $88 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$961.9 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.375 (2010), 15.375 (2009), 15.38 (2008), 15.5 (2007), 15.4 (2006)
Communications ::Eritrea
Telephones - main lines in use:
48,500 (2009) country comparison to the world: 163
Telephones - mobile cellular:
141,100 (2009) country comparison to the world: 177
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is only about 3 per 100 persons (2009)
international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
Broadcast media:
government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2007)
Internet country code:
.er
Internet hosts:
1,241 (2010) country comparison to the world: 166
Internet users:
200,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 140
Transportation ::Eritrea
Airports:
13 (2010) country comparison to the world: 152
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Railways:
total: 306 km country comparison to the world: 120 narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 4,010 km country comparison to the world: 157 paved: 874 km
unpaved: 3,136 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 4 country comparison to the world: 132 by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Assab, Massawa
Military ::Eritrea
Military branches:
Eritrean Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,307,012
females age 16-49: 1,319,682 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 864,608
females age 16-49: 920,104 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 64,489
female: 64,476 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Transnational Issues ::Eritrea
Disputes - international:
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but, neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups; in 2008 Eritrean troops move across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupy Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 32,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPs are near the central border region) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Eritrea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; each year, large numbers of migrant workers depart Eritrea in search of work, particularly in the Gulf States, where some likely become victims of forced labor, including in domestic servitude, or commercial sexual exploitation; thousands of Eritreans flee the country illegally, mostly to Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya where their illegal status makes them vulnerable to situations of human trafficking; the government remains complicit in conscripting children into military service
tier rating: Tier 3 - the Government of Eritrea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the Eritrean government does not operate with transparency and published neither data nor statistics regarding its efforts to combat human trafficking; it did not respond to requests to provide information for this report; the government made no known progress in prosecuting and punishing trafficking crimes over the reporting period and did not appear to provide any significant assistance to victims of trafficking during the reporting period (2009)
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Estonia (Europe)
Introduction ::Estonia
Background:
After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Geography ::Estonia
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates:
59 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 45,228 sq km country comparison to the world: 132 land: 42,388 sq km
water: 2,840 sq km
note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries:
total: 633 km
border countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline:
3,794 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states
Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain:
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Natural resources:
oil shale, peat, rare earth elements, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
Land use:
arable land: 12.05%
permanent crops: 0.35%
other: 87.6% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
21.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%)
per capita: 1,060 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Environment - current issues:
air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was one-20th the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
People ::Estonia
Population:
1,291,170 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.9% (male 99,748/female 94,051)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 417,816/female 459,246)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 75,486/female 153,024) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.2 years
male: 36.7 years
female: 43.7 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.635% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 227
Birth rate:
10.42 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Death rate:
13.48 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Net migration rate:
-3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Urbanization:
urban population: 69% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.063 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 167 male: 8.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.08 years country comparison to the world: 117 male: 67.74 years
female: 78.76 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.43 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Estonian(s)
adjective: Estonian
Ethnic groups:
Estonian 68.7%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.2%, Finn 0.8%, other 1.6% (2008 census)
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
Languages:
Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 17 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 68
Government ::Estonia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia
conventional short form: Estonia
local long form: Eesti Vabariik
local short form: Eesti
former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Tallinn
geographic coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 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:
15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond); Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru)
note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Independence:
20 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution:
adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)
cabinet: Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local councils) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest number of votes; election last held on 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian Reform Party 31, Center Party 28, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chairman appointed for life by Parliament)
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Juhan AARE]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Social Democratic Party [Sven MIKSER]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Vaino REINART
chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael C. POLT
embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [372] 668-8100
FAX: [372] 668-8265
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white; various interpretations are linked to the flag colors; blue represents faith, loyalty, and devotion, while also reminiscent of the sky, sea, and lakes of the country; black symbolizes the soil of the country and the dark past and suffering endured by the Estonian people; white refers to the striving towards enlightenment and virtue, and is the color of birch bark and snow, as well as summer nights illuminated by the midnight sun
National anthem:
name: "Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room" (My Native Land, My Pride and Joy)
lyrics/music: Johann Voldemar JANNSEN/Fredrik PACIUS
note: adopted 1920, though banned between 1940 and 1990 under Soviet occupation; the anthem, used in Estonia since 1869, shares the same melody with that of Finland but has different lyrics
Economy ::Estonia
Economy - overview:
Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the higher per capita income levels in Central Europe and the Baltic region. Estonia's successive governments have pursued a free market, pro-business economic agenda and have wavered little in their commitment to pro-market reforms. The current government has pursued relatively sound fiscal policies that have resulted in balanced budgets and very low public debt. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden, and Germany. Tallinn's priority has been to sustain high growth rates - on average 8% per year from 2003 to 2007. Estonia's economy slowed down markedly and fell sharply into recession in mid-2008, primarily as a result of an investment and consumption slump following the bursting of the real estate market bubble. GDP dropped nearly 15% in 2009, among the world's highest rates of contraction. A modest recovery began in 2010, but unemployment stands above 13%. Estonia adopted the euro in January 2011.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$24.53 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 $24.07 billion (2009 est.)
$27.96 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.22 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.9% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 -13.9% (2009 est.)
-5.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$19,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $18,500 (2009 est.)
$21,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.5%
industry: 28.7%
services: 68.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
688,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 22.7%
services: 74.5% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
13.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 13.8% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
19.5% (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 27.7% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34 (2008) country comparison to the world: 91 37 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Public debt:
7.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 7.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 -0.1% (2009 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.39% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 8.55% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$5.345 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 85 $5.822 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$10.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $11.37 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$18.94 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $20.32 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$2.654 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 94 $1.95 billion (31 December 2008)
$6.037 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Industries:
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:
10% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Electricity - production:
11.46 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - consumption:
7.686 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Electricity - exports:
2.31 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.369 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
7,600 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Oil - consumption:
30,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Oil - exports:
7,280 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Oil - imports:
30,590 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - consumption:
1.51 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Natural gas - imports:
1.51 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Current account balance:
$265 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $898.7 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$10.77 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 82 $9.08 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 29%, wood and paper 13%, metals 10%, food products 8%, textiles 5%, chemical products
Exports - partners:
Finland 18.57%, Sweden 12.52%, Latvia 9.51%, Russia 9.33%, Germany 6.09%, Lithuania 4.76%, US 4.26% (2009)
Imports:
$11.52 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $9.783 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 35%, textiles 19%, mineral fuels 19%, chemical products 9%, foodstuffs 6%
Imports - partners:
Finland 14.52%, Lithuania 10.84%, Latvia 10.47%, Germany 10.33%, Russia 8.59%, Sweden 8.34%, Poland 5.63% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.641 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 82 $3.981 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$25.13 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 $25.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$17.53 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $16.23 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$7.134 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $6.534 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
kroon (EEK) per US dollar - 12.11 (2010), 11.232 (2009), 10.7 (2008), 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006)
note: Estonia adopted the euro on 1 January 2011
Communications ::Estonia
Telephones - main lines in use:
492,800 (2009) country comparison to the world: 98
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.72 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 117
Telephone system:
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service with a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services available
domestic: substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections
international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2008)
Broadcast media:
the publicly-owned broadcaster, Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR), operates 2 television channels; national private TV channels expanding service; a range of channels are aimed at Russian-speaking viewers; high penetration rate for cable TV services with more than half of Estonian households connected; publicly-owned broadcaster, ERR, operates 4 radio networks and there are a growing number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting nationally, regionally, and locally (2008)
Internet country code:
.ee
Internet hosts:
729,534 (2010) country comparison to the world: 48
Internet users:
971,700 (2009) country comparison to the world: 102
Transportation ::Estonia
Airports:
19 (2010) country comparison to the world: 136
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 859 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,196 km country comparison to the world: 86 broad gauge: 1,196 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (131 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 58,034 km country comparison to the world: 78 paved: 34,936 km (includes 104 km of expressways)
unpaved: 23,098 km (2009)
Waterways:
520 km (320 km are navigable year round) (2010) country comparison to the world: 84
Merchant marine:
total: 24 country comparison to the world: 94 by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 17, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 3 (Germany 1, Norway 2)
registered in other countries: 77 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Belize 1, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 7, Dominica 6, Finland 2, Latvia 4, Malta 16, former Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10, Sierra Leone 1, Sweden 3, Venezuela 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Parnu Reid, Sillamae, Tallinn
Military ::Estonia
Military branches:
Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (Eesti Ohuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
obligation for compulsory service ages 16-60, with conscription "likely" ages 18-27; service requirement 8-11 months (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 297,096
females age 16-49: 308,229 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 213,740
females age 16-49: 255,926 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,945
female: 6,564 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Transnational Issues ::Estonia
Disputes - international:
Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Illicit drugs:
growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy
page last updated on January 20, 2011
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@Ethiopia (Africa)
Introduction ::Ethiopia
Background:
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission remotely demarcated the border by geographical coordinates, but final demarcation of the boundary on the ground is currently on hold because of Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.
Geography ::Ethiopia
Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,104,300 sq km country comparison to the world: 27 land: 1 million sq km
water: 104,300 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,328 km
border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain:
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,533 m
Natural resources:
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 10.01%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 89.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,900 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
110 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 5.56 cu km/yr (6%/0%/94%)
per capita: 72 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
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