_#_Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
_#_Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
_#_Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 12 October
_#_Executive branch: monarch, president of the government (prime minister), deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Council of State
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or NationalAssembly (Las Cortes Generales) consists of an upper house or Senate(Senado) and a lower house or Congress of Deputies (Congreso de losDiputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2 December 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Narcis SERRA (since 13 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: principal national parties, fromright to left—Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR;Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Luis DE GRANDES;Social Democratic Center (CDS), Adolfo SUAREZ Gonzalez;Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez;Socialist Democracy Party (DS), Ricardo Garcia DAMBORENEA;Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA;chief regional parties—Convergence and Unity (CiU), Jordi PUJOL Saley, in Catalonia;Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS;Basque Solidarity (EA), Carlos GARAICOETXEA Urizza;Basque Popular Unity (HB), Jon IDIGORAS;Basque Left (EE), Kepa AULESTIA;Andalusian Party (PA), Pedro PACHECO;Independent Canary Group (AIC);Aragon Regional Party (PAR);Valencian Union (UV)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Senate —last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held October 1993); results—NA; seats (208) PSOE 106, PP 79, CiU 10, PNV 4, HB 3, AIC 1, other 5;
Congress of Deputies—last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held October 1993); results—PSOE 39.6%, PP 25.8%, CDS 9%, Communist-led coalition (IU) 9%, CiU 5%, Basque Nationalist Party 1.2%, HB 1%, Andalusian Party 1%, other 8.4%; seats—(350 total) PSOE 175, PP 106, CiU 18, IU 17, CDS 14, PNV 5, HB 4, other 11
_#_Communists: PCE membership declined from a possible high of 160,000 in 1977 to roughly 60,000 in 1987; the party gained almost 1 million voters and 10 deputies in the 1989 election; voters came mostly from the disgruntled socialist left; remaining strength is in labor, where it dominates the Workers Commissions trade union (one of the country's two major labor centrals), which claims a membership of about 1 million; experienced a modest recovery in 1986 national election, nearly doubling the share of the vote it received in 1982
_#_Other political or pressure groups: on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO); the Catholic Church; business and landowning interests; Opus Dei; university students
_#_Member of: AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD,EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-8, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest),NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime de OJEDA; Chancery at 2700 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 265-0190 or 0191; there are Spanish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US—Ambassador Joseph ZAPPALA; Embassy at Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid (mailing address is APO New York 09285); telephone [34] (1) 577-4000; there is a US Consulate General in Barcelona and a Consulate in Bilbao
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
_*Economy#_Overview: This Western capitalistic economy has done well since Spain joined the EC in 1986. With annual increases in real GNP averaging about 5% in the 1987-90 period, Spain has been the fastest growing member of the EC. Increased investment—both domestic and foreign—has been the most important factor pushing the economic expansion. Inflation moderated to 4.8% in 1988, but an overheated economy caused inflation to reach almost 7% in 1989-90. Another economic problem facing Spain is an unemployment rate of 16.3%, the highest in Europe.
_#_GDP: $435.9 billion, per capita $11,100; real growth rate 3.7% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.7% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16.3% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $100.1 billion; expenditures $111.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $55.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—foodstuffs, live animals, wood, footwear, machinery, chemicals;
partners—EC 67.8%, US 6.5%, other developed countries 9%
_#_Imports: $87.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—petroleum, footwear, machinery, chemicals, grain, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, iron and steel, timber, cotton, transport equipment;
partners—EC 59.7%, US 8.5%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 3.4%
_#_External debt: $37 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 46,589,000 kW capacity; 141,000 million kWh produced, 3,590 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP and 14% of labor force; major products—grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, beef, pork, poultry, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons is among top 20 nations
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $545.0 million; not currently a recipient
_#_Currency: peseta (plural—pesetas); 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1—95.20 (January 1991), 101.93 (1990), 118.38 (1989), 116.49 (1988), 123.48 (1987), 140.05 (1986), 170.04 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: 15,430 km total; Spanish National Railways (RENFE) operates 12,691 km 1.668-meter gauge, 6,184 km electrified, and 2,295 km double track; FEVE (government-owned narrow-gauge railways) operates 1,821 km of predominantly 1.000-meter gauge and 441 km electrified; privately owned railways operate 918 km of predominantly 1.000-meter gauge, 512 km electrified, and 56 km double track
_#_Highways: 150,839 km total; 82,513 km national (includes 2,433 km limited-access divided highway, 63,042 km bituminous treated, 17,038 km intermediate bituminous, concrete, or stone block) and 68,326 km provincial or local roads (bituminous treated, intermediate bituminous, or stone block)
_#_Inland waterways: 1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
_#_Pipelines: 265 km crude oil; 1,794 km refined products; 1,666 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Algeciras, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz,Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, El Ferrol del Caudillo,Puerto de Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands),Mahon, Malaga, Melilla, Rota, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Sagunto,Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo, and 175 minor ports
_#_Merchant marine: 304 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,367,529 GRT/5,984,306 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger, 105 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 14 container, 29 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 50 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 14 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 1 combination ore/oil, 4 specialized tanker, 48 bulk
_#_Civil air: 172 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 104 total, 98 usable; 61 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: generally adequate, modern facilities; 15,350,464 telephones; stations—206 AM, 411 (134 relays) FM, 143 (1,297 relays) TV; 17 coaxial submarine cables; communications satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (5 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and ENTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 10,134,256; 8,222,987 fit for military service; 339,749 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $8.6 billion, 2% of GDP (1990)%@Spratly Islands*Geography#_Total area: less than 5 km2; land area: less than 5 km2; includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over the South China Sea
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 926 km
_#_Maritime claims: undetermined
_#_Disputes: China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim all or part of the Spratly Islands
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: flat
_#_Natural resources: fish, guano; oil and natural gas potential
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
_#_Note: strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; serious navigational hazard
_*People#_Population: no permanent inhabitants; garrisons
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_*Economy#_Overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing and phosphate mining. Geological surveys carried out several years ago suggest that substantial reserves of oil and natural gas may lie beneath the islands; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
_#_Industries: some guano mining
_*Communications#_Airports: 3 total, 2 usable; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: no natural harbors
_*Defense Forces#Note: approximately 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam%@Sri Lanka*Geography#_Total area: 65,610 km2; land area: 64,740 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,340 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; monsoonal; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
_#_Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay
_#_Land use: arable land 16%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 37%; other 23%; includes irrigated 8%
_#_Environment: occasional cyclones, tornados; deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Note: only 29 km from India across the Palk Strait; near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
_*People#_Population: 17,423,736 (July 1991), growth rate 1.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Sri Lankan(s); adjective—Sri Lankan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Sinhalese 74%; Tamil 18%; Moor 7%; Burgher, Malay, and Veddha 1%
_#_Religion: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
_#_Language: Sinhala (official); Sinhala and Tamil listed as national languages; Sinhala spoken by about 74% of population, Tamil spoken by about 18%; English commonly used in government and spoken by about 10% of the population
_#_Literacy: 86% (male 91%, female 81%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 6,600,000; agriculture 45.9%, mining and manufacturing 13.3%, trade and transport 12.4%, services and other 28.4% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 33% of labor force, over 50% of which are employed on tea, rubber, and coconut estates
_*Government#_Long-form name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Colombo
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 districts; Amparai, Anuradhapura,Badulla, Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Jaffna,Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalla, Kurunegala, Mannar, Matale, Matara, Moneragala,Mullaittivu, Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Trincomalee,Vavuniya; note—the administrative structure may now include 8 provinces(Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa,Southern, Uva, and Western) and 25 districts (with Kilinochchi added tothe existing districts)
_#_Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK; formerly Ceylon)
_#_Constitution: 31 August 1978
_#_Legal system: a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ranasinghe PREMADASA (since 2 January 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGE (since 6 March 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:United National Party (UNP), Ranasinghe PREMADASA;Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE;Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M. ASHRAFF;All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar PONNAMBALAM;People's United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna), DineshGUNAWARDENE;Eelam Democratic Front (EDF), Edward Sebastian PILLAI;Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), leader (vacant);Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), VelupillaiBALAKUMARAN;New Socialist Party (NSSP, or Nava Sama Samaja Party),Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA;Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP, or Lanka Sama Samaja Party),Colin R. de SILVA;Sri Lanka People's Party (SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party),Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARANATUNGA;Communist Party/Moscow (CP/M), K. P. SILVA;Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N. SHANMUGATHASAN;note—the United Socialist Alliance (USA) includes the NSSP, LSSP,SLMP, CP/M, and CP/B
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 19 December 1988 (next to be heldDecember 1994);results—Ranasinghe PREMADASA (UNP) 50%,Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE (SLFP) 45%, other 5%;
Parliament—last held 15 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1995); results—UNP 51%, SLFP 32%, SLMC 4%, TULF 3%, USA 3%, EROS 3%, MEP 1%, other 3%; seats—(225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67, other 33
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Liberation Tigers of TamilEelam (LTTE) and other smaller Tamil separatist groups; Janatha VimukthiPeramuna (JVP or People's Liberation Front); Buddhist clergy; SinhaleseBuddhist lay groups; labor unions
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA,IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. Susanta De ALWIS; Chancery at 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4025 through 4028; there is a Sri Lankan Consulate in New York;
US—Ambassador Marion V. CREEKMORE, Jr.; Embassy at 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 (mailing address is P. O. Box 106, Colombo); telephone [94] (1) 448007
_#_Flag: 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 that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
_*Economy#_Overview: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy, employing about 45% of the labor force and accounting for 26% of GDP. The plantation crops of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about 35% of export earnings. The economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s. Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in 1990 as domestic conditions began to improve.
_#_GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 4.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 23% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.5 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—tea, textiles and garments, petroleum products, coconut, rubber, agricultural products, gems and jewelry, marine products;
partners—US 26%, FRG, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
_#_Imports: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—food and beverages, textiles and textile materials, petroleum, machinery and equipment;
partners—Japan, Saudi Arabia, US 5.6%, India, Singapore, FRG, UK, Iran
_#_External debt: $5.6 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6% (1989 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,300,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GDP and nearly half of labor force; most important staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops—sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops—tea, rubber, coconuts; animal products—milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $4.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369 million
_#_Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees (SLRs) per US$1—40.272 (January 1991), 40.063 (1990), 36.047 (1989), 31.807 (1988), 29.445 (1987), 28.017 (1986), 27.163 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: 1,948 km total (1989); all 1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double track; no electrification; government owned
_#_Highways: 75,263 km total (1988); 27,637 km paved (mostly bituminous treated), 32,887 km crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km improved earth or unimproved earth; several thousand km of mostly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)
_#_Inland waterways: 430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
_#_Pipelines: crude and refined products, 62 km (1987)
_#_Ports: Colombo, Trincomalee
_#_Merchant marine: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 364,466 GRT/551,686 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 5 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 bulk
_#_Civil air: 8 major transport (including 1 leased)
_#_Airports: 14 total, 13 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good international service; 114,000 telephones (1982); stations—12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,636,767; 3,625,289 fit for military service; 178,010 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $300 million, 5% of GDP (1991)%@Sudan*Geography#_Total area: 2,505,810 km2; land area: 2,376,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than one quarter the size of US
_#_Land boundaries: 7,697 km total; Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Ethiopia 2,221 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km, Zaire 628 km
_#_Coastline: 853 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with international boundary
_#_Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October)
_#_Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west
_#_Natural resources: small reserves of crude oil, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, crude oil
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and woodland 20%; other 51%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: dominated by the Nile and its tributaries; dust storms; desertification
_#_Note: largest country in Africa
_*People#_Population: 27,220,088 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 85 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 54 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Sudanese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Sudanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim (in north) 70%, indigenous beliefs 20%, Christian (mostly in south and Khartoum) 5%
_#_Language: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages, English; program of Arabization in process
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 43%, female 12%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 6,500,000; agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6%; labor shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.); 52% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: trade unions suspended following 30 June 1989 coup; now in process of being legalized anew
_*Government#_Long-form name: Republic of the Sudan
_#_Type: military; civilian government suspended and martial law imposed after 30 June 1989 coup
_#_Capital: Khartoum
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 states (wilayat, singular—wilayat or wilayah*); Aali an Nil, Al Wusta*, Al Istiwaiyah*, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan
_#_Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK; formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan)
_#_Constitution: 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the six northern states of Al Wusta, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah, Ash Sharqiyah, Darfur, and Kurdufan; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic law; Islamic law will apply to all residents of the six northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
_#_Executive branch: executive and legislative authority vested in a 13-member Revolutionary Command Council (RCC); chairman of the RCC acts as prime minister; in July 1989 RCC appointed a predominately civilian 22-member cabinet to function as advisers
_#_Legislative branch: none
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Revolutionary CommandCouncil Chairman and Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmadal-BASHIR (since 30 June 1989);Deputy Chairman of the Command Council and Deputy Prime MinisterMaj. Gen. al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH Ahmed (since 9 July 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO,G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO,INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdallah Ahmad ABDALLAH; Chancery at 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 338-8565 through 8570; there is a Sudanese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador James R. CHEEK; Embassy at Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum (mailing address is P. O. Box 699, Khartoum, or APO New York 09668); telephone 74700 or 74611
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
_*Economy#_Overview: Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse weather, and counterproductive economic policies. The economy is dominated by governmental entities that account for more than 70% of new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980. The economy's base is agriculture, which employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A high foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan noncooperative on account of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund.
_#_GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $330; real growth rate - 7% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (FY90 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA
_#_Budget: revenues $514 million; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $183 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $465 million (f.o.b., FY90 est.);
commodities—cotton 52%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts;
partners—Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3% (FY88)
_#_Imports: $1.0 billion (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
commodities—petroleum products 28%, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines and chemicals;
partners—Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)
_#_External debt: $12.3 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0.7% (FY89); accounts for 11% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 606,000 kW capacity; 900 million kWh produced, 37 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 35% of GNP and 80% of labor force; water shortages; two-thirds of land area suitable for raising crops and livestock; major products—cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally self-sufficient in most foods
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $588 million
_#_Currency: Sudanese pound (plural—pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (5Sd) = 100 piasters
_#_Exchange rates: official rate—Sudanese pounds (5Sd) per US$1—4.5004 (fixed rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987), 2.5000 (1986), 2.2883 (1985); note—commercial exchange rate 12.2 (May 1990)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications#_Railroads: 5,500 km total; 4,784 km 1.067-meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter-gauge plantation line
_#_Highways: 20,000 km total; 1,600 km bituminous treated, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301 km improved earth, 12,399 km unimproved earth and track
_#_Inland waterways: 5,310 km navigable
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 815 km
_#_Ports: Port Sudan, Suakin
_#_Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,277 GRT/59,588 DWT; includes 3 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 78 total, 66 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and poorly maintained; consists of radio relay, cables, radio communications, and troposcatter; domestic satellite system with 14 stations; 73,400 telephones; stations—4 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,176,917; 3,792,635 fit for military service; 306,695 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $610 million, 7.2% of GDP (1989 est)%@Suriname*Geography#_Total area: 163,270 km2; land area: 161,470 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia
_#_Land boundaries: 1,707 km total; Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
_#_Coastline: 386 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
_#_Natural resources: timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: mostly tropical rain forest
_*People#_Population: 402,385 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Surinamer(s); adjective—Surinamese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%, Creole (black and mixed) 31.0%, Javanese 15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1.0%, other 1.1%
_#_Religion: Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant (predominantly Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs about 5%
_#_Language: Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others; also Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a variant of Bhoqpuri) and Javanese
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 104,000 (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 49,000 members of labor force
_*Government#_Long-form name: Republic of Suriname
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Paramaribo
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 districts (distrikten, singular—distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
_#_Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana)
_#_Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council of State; note—commander in chief of the National Army maintains significant power
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—PresidentRonald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President andPrime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
traditional ethnic-based parties—The New Front (NF), Henck ARRON, a coalition formed of four parties following the 24 December 1990 military coup—Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON; Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy SOEMITA; and Suriname Labor Party (SLP), Frank DERBY;
promilitary New Democratic Party (NDP), Jules Albert WIJDENBOSCH, Frank PLAYFAIR;
Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91),Gerard BRUNINGS, a coalition of five parties formed inJanuary 1991—Alternative Forum, Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalall PARMISSER;Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP), Caprino ALLENDY;Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN; andIndependent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
leftists—Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP; Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results—elected by the National Assembly—Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes)
National Assembly—last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9
_#_Member of: ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB,IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES,LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through 7492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami;
US—Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. SophieRedmonstraat 129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821,Paramaribo); telephone [597] 72900, 77881, or 76459
_#_Flag: 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#_Overview: The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about 70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world bauxite prices that started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986, was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior. The guerrillas targeted the economic infrastructure, crippling the important bauxite sector and shutting down other export industries. These problems have created high inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and a bad climate for foreign investment. A small gain in economic growth of 2.0% was registered in 1989 due to reduced guerrilla activity and improved international markets for bauxite.
_#_GDP: $1.35 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 33% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million, including capital expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $425 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities—alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish, bananas;
partners—Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%, other 10%
_#_Imports: $370 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities—capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods;
partners—US 37%, Netherlands 15%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 3%, other 20%
_#_External debt: $138 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 16.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,090 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 11% of both GDP and labor force; paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land and represents 60% of total farm output; other products—bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and forestry products of increasing importance; self-sufficient in most foods
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.45 billion
_#_Currency: Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (plural—guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1—1.7850 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications#_Railroads: 166 km total; 86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track
_#_Highways: 8,300 km total; 500 km paved; 5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 2,400 km sand or clay
_#_Inland waterways: 1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging from 4.2 m to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways
_#_Ports: Paramaribo, Moengo
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 46 total, 42 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: international facilities good; domestic radio relay system; 27,500 telephones; stations—5 AM, 14 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces#_Branches: National Army (including Navy which is company-size, small Air Force element), Civil Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 107,544; 64,146 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $91 million, 7.2% of GDP (1990 est.)%@Svalbard (territory of Norway)*Geography#_Total area: 62,049 km2; land area: 62,049 km2; includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 3,587 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway, not recognized by USSR;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute between Norway and USSR
_#_Climate: arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
_#_Terrain: wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
_#_Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%; there are no trees and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry
_#_Environment: great calving glaciers descend to the sea
_#_Note: located 445 km north of Norway where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet
_*People#_Population: 3,942 (July 1991), growth rate NA% (1991); about one-third of the population resides in the Norwegian areas (Longyearbyen and Svea on Vestspitsbergen) and two-thirds in the Soviet areas (Barentsburg and Pyramiden on Vestspitsbergen); about 9 persons live at the Polish research station
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Ethnic divisions: Russian 64%, Norwegian 35%, other 1% (1981)
_#_Language: Russian, Norwegian
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: territory of Norway administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway
_#_Capital: Longyearbyen
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991);
Head of Government—Governor Leif ELDRING (since NA)
_#_Member of: none
_#_Flag: the flag of Norway is used
_*Economy#_Overview: Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9 February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Soviet. Each company mines about half a million tons of coal annually. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
_#_Budget: revenues $13.3 million, expenditures $13.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 11,420 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Currency: Norwegian krone (plural—kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1—5.9060 (January 1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)
_*Communications#_Ports: limited facilities—Ny-Alesund, Advent Bay
_#_Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 5 meteorological/radio stations; stations—1 AM, 1 (2 relays) FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces#Note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)%@Swaziland*Geography#_Total area: 17,360 km2; land area: 17,200 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 535 km total; Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: varies from tropical to near temperate
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
_#_Natural resources: asbestos, coal, clay, tin, hydropower, forests, and small gold and diamond deposits
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 67%; forest and woodland 6%; other 19%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
_#_Note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
_*People#_Population: 859,336 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 101 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 59 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Swazi(s); adjective—Swazi
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 97%, European 3%
_#_Religion: Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
_#_Language: English and siSwati (official); government business conducted in English
_#_Literacy: 55% (male 57%, female 54%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: 195,000; over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture; about 92,000 wage earners (many only intermittently), with agriculture and forestry 36%, community and social services 20%, manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, other 21%; 24,000-29,000 employed in South Africa (1987)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of wage earners
_*Government#_Long-form name: Kingdom of Swaziland
_#_Type: monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
_#_Capital: Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
_#_Independence: 6 September 1968 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally presented to the people
_#_Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Obed DLAMINI (since 12 July 1989)
_#_Political parties: none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: no direct elections
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA; Chancery at 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6683;
US—Ambassador Stephen H. ROGERS; Embassy at Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane (mailing address is P. O. Box 199, Mbabane); telephone [268] 46441 through 5
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
_*Economy#_Overview: The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies much of the labor force and contributes about 23% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another 26% of GDP. Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted in 1978, and health concerns cut world demand for asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products are the main earners of hard currency. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa, from which it receives 92% of its imports and to which it sends about 40% of its exports.
_#_GNP: $563 million, per capita $670; real growth rate 5.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $322.9 million; expenditures $325.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $543 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit;
partners—South Africa 40% (est.), EC, Canada
_#_Imports: $651 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals;
partners—South Africa 92% (est.), Japan, Belgium, UK
_#_External debt: $290 million (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA; accounts for 26% of GDP (1989)
_#_Electricity: 50,000 kW capacity; 130 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita (1989)