Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: common law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),represented by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994)head of government: Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 7 November1994); Deputy Prime Minister Dennis LULEI (since 10 November 1994)cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of theprime minister from members of parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament: elections last held NA November 1994 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leaders: People's Alliance Party (PAP); UnitedParty (UP), leader NA; Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP),Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), AndrewNORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU; National Action Party, leaderNA; Christian Fellowship, leader NA; National Unity Group, SolomonMAMALONI
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC,ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: ambassador traditionally resides inHoniara (Solomon Islands)
US diplomatic representation: embassy closed July 1993; the ambassadorto Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Flag: divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
@Solomon Islands:Economy
Overview: The bulk of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure. In 1993, the government was working with the IMF to develop a structural adjustment program to address the country's fiscal deficit.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate: 8% (1992)
National product per capita: $2,590 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:revenues: $48 millionexpenditures: $107 million, including capital expenditures of $45million (1991 est.)
Exports: $84 million (f.o.b., 1991)commodities: fish 46%, timber 31%, palm oil 5%, cocoa, coprapartners: Japan 39%, UK 23%, Thailand 9%, Australia 5%, US 2% (1991)
Imports: $110 million (c.i.f., 1991)commodities: plant and machinery, manufactured goods, food and liveanimals, fuelpartners: Australia 34%, Japan 16%, Singapore 14%, NZ 9%
External debt: $128 million (1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -3.8% (1991 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 21,000 kW production: 30 million kWh consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1993)
Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 31% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber; other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)
Economic aid:recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateralcommitments (1980-89), $250 million
Currency: 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.3113 (September 1994), 3.1877 (1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Solomon Islands:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:total: 1,300 kmpaved: 30 kmunpaved: gravel 290 km; earth 980 kmnote: in addition, there are 800 km of private logging and plantationroads of varied construction (1982)
Ports: Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Merchant marine: none
Airports:total: 31with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1with paved runways under 914 m: 19with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9
@Solomon Islands:Communications
Telephone system: 3,000 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 0televisions: NA
@Solomon Islands:Defense Forces
Branches: no military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
@Somalia:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the IndianOcean, east of Ethiopia
Map references: Africa
Area:total area: 637,660 sq kmland area: 627,340 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total 2,366 km, Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km,Kenya 682 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm
International disputes: southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden
Climate: principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 46% forest and woodland: 14% other: 38%
Irrigated land: 1,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to humanhealth problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;desertificationnatural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over easternplains in summerinternational agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of theSea; signed, but not ratified - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approachesto Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
@Somalia:People
Population: 7,347,554 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 45% (female 1,653,175; male 1,650,377)15-64 years: 51% (female 1,845,886; male 1,932,012)65 years and over: 4% (female 138,264; male 127,840) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 15.58% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 45.53 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 13.3 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 123.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 119.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.74 years male: 55.48 years female: 56 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.13 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Somali(s) adjective: Somali
Ethnic divisions: Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)total population: 24%male: 36%female: 14%
Labor force: 2.2 million (very few are skilled laborers) by occupation: pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30%
@Somalia:Government
Names:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Somaliaformer: Somali Republic
Digraph: SO
Type: none
Capital: Mogadishu
Administrative divisions: 18 regions (plural - NA, singular -gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo,Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag,Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence: 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, whichbecame independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and ItalianSomaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UNtrusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)
National holiday: NA
Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: Somalia has no functioning government; the UnitedSomali Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIADBarre on 27 January 1991; the present political situation is one ofanarchy, marked by inter-clan fighting and random banditry
Legislative branch: unicameral People's AssemblyPeople's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga): not functioning
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (not functioning)
Political parties and leaders: the United Somali Congress (USC) oustedthe former regime on 27 January 1991; formerly the only party was theSomali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), headed by formerPresident and Commander in Chief of the Army Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIADBarre
Other political or pressure groups: numerous clan and subclan factionsare currently vying for power
Member of: ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD,ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO,INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: Somalian Embassy ceased operations on8 May 1991
US diplomatic representation: note: the US Embassy in Mogadishu was evacuated and closed indefinitely in January 1991; Ambassador Daniel SIMPSON, ambassador to Kenya, represents US interests in Somalia liaison office: US Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya address: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi mailing address: P.O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi or APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (2) 334141 FAX: [254] (2) 340838
Flag: light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory)
@Somalia:Economy
Overview: One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and seminomads who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood make up about 70% of the population. Crop production generates only 10% of GDP and employs about 20% of the work force. The main export crop is bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are grown for the domestic market. The small industrial sector is based on the processing of agricultural products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. The greatly increased political turmoil of 1991-93 has resulted in a substantial drop in agricultural output, with widespread famine. In 1994 economic conditions stabilized in the countryside but may turn worse in 1995 if civil strife intensifies after the UN withdrawal.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $500 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1994)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $58 million (1990 est.)commodities: bananas, live animals, fish, hidespartners: Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)
Imports: $249 million (1990 est.) commodities: petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials partners: US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
External debt: $1.9 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity:capacity: prior to the civil war, 75,000 kW, but now almost completelyshut down due to war damage; note - UN and relief organizations usetheir own portable power systemsproduction: NA kWhconsumption per capita: NA kWh
Industries: a few small industries, including sugar refining,textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down) (1994)
Agriculture: dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep,goats); crops - bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; notself-sufficient in food; distribution of food disrupted by civilstrife; fishing potential largely unexploited
Economic aid:recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million;Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments(1970-89), $3.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion;Communist countries (1970-89), $336 million
Currency: 1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - approximately 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992), 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989),
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Somalia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 22,500 km paved: 2,700 km unpaved: gravel 3,000 km; improved, stabilized earth 16,800 km (1992)
Pipelines: crude oil 15 km
Ports: Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca,Mogadishu
Merchant marine:total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,529 GRT/6,892 DWTships by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1
Airports:total: 76with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1with paved runways under 914 m: 14with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 16with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 33
@Somalia:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; the public telecommunications systemwas completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; allrelief organizations depend on their own private systems (1993)local: NAintercity: NAinternational: NA
Radio:broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NAradios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: NAtelevisions: NA
@Somalia:Defense Forces
Branches: no functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to battle for control of key economic or political prizes
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,736,673; males fit for military service 972,203 (1995 est.
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
@South Africa:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent ofAfrica
Map references: Africa
Area:total area: 1,219,912 sq kmland area: 1,219,912 sq kmcomparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texasnote: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince EdwardIsland)
Land boundaries: total 4,750 km, Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km,Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 855 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline: 2,798 km
Maritime claims:continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Swaziland has asked South Africa to opennegotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territoriesthat are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of theSwazi Kingdom;
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days,cool nights
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrowcoastal plain
Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 65% forest and woodland: 3% other: 21%
Irrigated land: 11,280 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requiresextensive water conservation and control measures; growth in waterusage threatens to outpace supply; pollution of rivers fromagricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting inacid rain; soil erosion; desertificationnatural hazards: prolonged droughtsinternational agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, EndangeredSpecies, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completelysurrounds Swaziland
@South Africa:People
Population:total: 45,095,459 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 40% (female 8,842,764; male 9,091,722)15-64 years: 56% (female 12,825,617; male 12,508,039)65 years and over: 4% (female 1,047,285; male 780,032) (July 1995est.)
Population growth rate:total: 2.61% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 33.39 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 45.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.42 years male: 62.68 years female: 68.25 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.35 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: South African(s) adjective: South African
Ethnic divisions: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Religions: Christian (most whites and Coloreds and about 60% ofblacks), Hindu (60% of Indians), Muslim 2%
Languages: eleven official languages, including Afrikaans, English,Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)total population: 76%male: 78%female: 75%
Labor force: 13.4 million economically active (1990) by occupation: services 35%, agriculture 30%, industry 20%, mining 9%, other 6%
@South Africa:Government
Names:conventional long form: Republic of South Africaconventional short form: South Africa
Abbreviation: RSA
Digraph: SF
Type: republic
Capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative);Bloemfontein (judicial)
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, EasternTransvaal, KwaZulu/Natal, Northern Cape, Northern Transvaal,Northwest, Orange Free State, Gauteng, Western Cape
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)
National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution: 27 April 1994 (interim constitution, replacing theconstitution of 3 September 1984)
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; acceptscompulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state and head of government: Executive President NelsonMANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Thabo MBEKI(since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Frederik W. DE KLERK(since 10 May 1994)note: any political party that wins 20% or more of the NationalAssembly votes in a general election is entitled to name a DeputyExecutive Presidentcabinet: Cabinet appointed by the Executive President
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly: elections last held 26-29 April 1994 (next to be held NA); results - ANC 62.6%, NP 20.4%, IFP 10.5%, FF 2.2%, DP 1.7%, PAC 1.2%, ACDP 0.5%, other 0.9%; seats - (400 total) ANC 252, NP 82, IFP 43, FF 9, DP 7, PAC 5, ACDP 2 Senate: the Senate is composed of members who are nominated by the nine provincial parliaments (which are elected in parallel with the National Assembly) and has special powers to protect regional interests, including the right to limited self-determination for ethnic minorities; seats - (90 total) ANC 61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3
note: when the National Assembly meets in joint session with the Senate to consider the provisions of the constitution, the combined group is referred to as the Constitutional Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK, president; Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president; Freedom Front (FF), Constand VILJOEN, president; Democratic Party (DP); Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Clarence MAKWETU, president; African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), leader NA note: in addition to these seven parties which received seats in the National Assembly, twelve other parties won votes in the national elections in April 1994
Other political or pressure groups: NA;;
Member of: BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM,IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO,ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin SONN chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 consulate(s) general: Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Princeton N. LYMAN embassy: 877 Pretorius St., Arcadia 0083 mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048 FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244 consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separatedby a central green band which splits into a horozontal Y, the arms ofwhich end at the corners of the hoist side, embracing a black isocelestriangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; thered and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms bynarrow white stripesnote: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one- three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band ofthe former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontalbands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are avertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontalflag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag ofthe old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
@South Africa:Economy
Overview: Many of the white one-seventh of the South African population enjoy incomes, material comforts, and health and educational standards equal to those of Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population suffers from the poverty patterns of the Third World, including unemployment and lack of job skills. The main strength of the economy lies in its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports. Economic developments for the remainder of the 1990s will be driven largely by the new government's attempts to improve black living conditions, to set the country on an aggressive export-led growth path, and to cut back the enormous numbers of unemployed. The economy in recent years has absorbed less than 5% of the more than 300,000 workers entering the labor force annually. Local economists estimate that the economy must grow between 5% and 6% in real terms annually to absorb all of the new entrants, much less reduce the accumulated total.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $194.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,420 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 32.6% (1994 est.); an additional 11%underemployment
Budget:revenues: $26.3 billionexpenditures: $34 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.5billion (FY93/94 est.)
Exports: $25.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994)commodities: gold 27%, other minerals and metals 20%-25%, food 5%,chemicals 3%partners: Italy, Japan, US, Germany, UK, other EU countries, Hong Kong
Imports: $21.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994)commodities: machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%,oil, textiles, scientific instrumentspartners: Germany, US, Japan, UK, Italy
External debt: $18 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for about 40% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 39,750,000 kW production: 163 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,482 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GDP and 30% of labor force; diversified agriculture, with emphasis on livestock; products - cattle, poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: transshipment center for heroin and cocaine; cocaineconsumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicitmethaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through variouseast African countries
Economic aid: many aid packages for the new government are still being prepared; current aid pledges include US $600 million over 3 years; UK $150 million over 3 years; Australia $21 million over 3 years; Japan $1.3 billion over 2 years
Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1 - 3.5389 (January 1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@South Africa:Transportation
Railroads:total: 20,638 kmnarrow gauge: 20,324 km 1.067-m gauge (substantial electrification);314 km 0.610-m gauge
Highways:total: 188,309 kmpaved: 54,013 kmunpaved: crushed stone, gravel, improved earth 134,296 km
Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas322 km
Ports: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port Elizabeth,Richards Bay, Saldanha
Merchant marine:total: 4 container ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 211,276GRT/198,602 DWT
Airports:total: 853with paved runways over 3,047 m: 9with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 47with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 72with paved runways under 914 m: 327with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 39with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 354
@South Africa:Communications
Telephone system: over 4,500,000 telephones; the system is the bestdeveloped, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africalocal: NAintercity: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxialcables, microwave radio relay links, fiber optic cable, andradiocommunication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town,Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoriainternational: 1 submarine cable; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 286, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 67televisions: NA
@South Africa:Defense Forces
Branches: South African National Defence Force (SANDF; includes Army,Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service(SAPS)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 10,830,079; males fit formilitary service 6,601,323; males reach military age (18) annually439,793 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, 2.8% ofGDP (FY93/94)
________________________________________________________________________
(dependent territory of the UK)
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Geography
Location: Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area:total area: 4,066 sq kmland area: 4,066 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Islandnote: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: NA km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina
Climate: variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year, interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Terrain: most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes
Natural resources: fish
Land use:arable land: 0%permanent crops: 0%meadows and pastures: 0%forest and woodland: 0%other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with somesparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment:current issues: NAnatural hazards: the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weatherconditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship;they are also subject to active volcanisminternational agreements: NA
Note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:People
Population: no indigenous population; there is a small military garrison on South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Survey has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Government
Names:conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsconventional short form: none
Digraph: SX
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Constitution: 3 October 1985
Legal system: English common law
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),represented by Commissioner David Everard TATHAM (since August 1992;resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands)
Legislative branch: no elections
Judicial branch: none
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Economy
Overview: Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK.
Budget:revenues: $291,777expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988est.)
Electricity:capacity: 900 kWproduction: 2 million kWhconsumption per capita: NA kWh (1992)
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Transportation
Highways: total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: Grytviken
Airports: none
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; coastal radio station at Grytvikenlocal: NAintercity: NAinternational: NA
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 0televisions: NA
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
________________________________________________________________________
@Spain:Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay,Mediterranean Sea, and North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of France
Map references: Europe
Area:total area: 504,750 sq kmland area: 499,400 sq kmcomparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Oregonnote: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places ofsovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco -Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon deVelez de la Gomera
Land boundaries: total 1,903.2 km, Andorra 65 km, France 623 km,Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km
Coastline: 4,964 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Gibraltar question with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;Pyrenees in north
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 31% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 21% forest and woodland: 31% other: 7%
Irrigated land: 33,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage andeffluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; air pollution;deforestation; desertificationnatural hazards: periodic droughtsinternational agreements: party to - Air Pollution, AirPollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, NuclearTest Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur94, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
@Spain:People
Population: 39,404,348 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 17% (female 3,214,606; male 3,446,643)15-64 years: 68% (female 13,377,839; male 13,457,683)65 years and over: 15% (female 3,461,367; male 2,446,210) (July 1995est.)
Population growth rate: 0.27% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 11.21 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.91 years male: 74.67 years female: 81.39 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic divisions: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other sects 1%
Languages: Castilian Spanish, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986)total population: 96%male: 98%female: 94%
Labor force: 14.621 million by occupation: services 53%, industry 24%, agriculture 14%, construction 9% (1988)
@Spain:Government
Names:conventional long form: Kingdom of Spainconventional short form: Spainlocal short form: Espana
Digraph: SP
Type: parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidadesautonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon,Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon,Cataluna, Communidad Valencia, Extremadura, Galicia, Islas Baleares,La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasconote: there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast ofMorocco (Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, andPenon de Velez de la Gomera) with administrative status unknown
Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
National holiday: National Day, 12 October
Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975)head of government: Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2December 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Narcis SERRA y Serra (since 13March 1991)cabinet: Council of Ministers; designated by the prime ministerCouncil of State: is the supreme consultative organ of the government
Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly(Las Cortes Generales)Senate (Senado): elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held byJune 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (255 total)PSOE 117, PP 107, CiU 15, PNV 5, IU 2, other 9Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados): elections last held6 June 1993 (next to be held by June 1997); results - percent of voteby party NA; seats - (350 total) PSOE 159, PP 141, IU 18, CiU 17, PNV5, CC 4, HB 2, other 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo)
Political parties and leaders:principal national parties, from right to left: Popular Party (PP),Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez; Democratic Social Center (CDS), Rafael CALVOOrtega; Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZMarquez, secretary general; Socialist Democracy Party (DS), RicardoGARCIA Damborenea; Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITAGonzalez; United Left (IU - a coalition of parties including the PCE,a branch of the PSOE, and other small parties), Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez
chief regional parties: Convergence and Union (CiU), Miquel ROCA iJunyent, secretary general; Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), XabierARZALLUS Antia and Jose Antonio ARDANZA; Basque United People (HB),Jon IDIGORAS Guerricabeitia and Inaki ESNAOLA; Canarian Coalition(CC), a coalition of five parties
Other political or pressure groups: on the extreme left, the BasqueFatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First of October AntifascistResistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the government; freelabor unions (authorized in April 1977) include theCommunist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist GeneralUnion of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers SyndicalUnion (USO); business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church;Opus Dei; university students
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE,CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 8, GATT, IADB, IAEA,IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA(observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIH,UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime De OJEDA Eiseley chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard N. GARDNER embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: APO AE 09642 telephone: [34] (1) 577-4000 FAX: [34] (1) 577-5735 consulate(s) general: Barcelona consulate(s): 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
@Spain:Economy
Overview: Spain, with a per capita output approximately two-thirds that of the four leading economies of Western Europe, has shared with these countries the recession of the early 1990s and the upturn of their economic fortunes in 1994. But whereas unemployment in these countries has hovered just above 10%, Spain has been forced to cope with a 25% unemployment rate. Continued political turmoil has complicated the establishment of stable government policies toward budgetary restraint, interest rates, labor law reform, and Spain's role in the evolving economic integration of Western Europe. Because the recession has been so deep, the growth in industrial output, tourism, and other sectors in 1994, while welcome, falls far short of the growth required to bring unemployment down to, say, 10%. The recovery in the economies of major trade partners, the comparatively low inflation rate, lower interest rates, and prospects in the tourist sector suggest that Spain can make substantial progress in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $515.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $13,120 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 24.5% (yearend 1994)
Budget:revenues: $97.7 billionexpenditures: $128 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(1993 est.)
Exports: $72.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993)commodities: cars and trucks, semifinished manufactured goods,foodstuffs, machinerypartners: EC 71.2%, US 4.8%, other developed countries 7.9% (1992)
Imports: $92.5 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals partners: EC 60.7%, US 7.4%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 5.9% (1992)
External debt: $90 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1994 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 43,800,000 kW production: 148 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,545 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GDP 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
Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin
Economic aid:recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion;Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments(1970-79), $545 millionnote: not currently a recipient
Currency: 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 132.61 (January 1995), 133.96 (1994), 127.26 (1993), 102.38 (1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Spain:Transportation
Railroads:total: 14,400 kmbroad gauge: 12,111 km 1.668-m gauge (6,404 km electrified; 2,295 kmdouble track)standard gauge: 515 km 1.435-m gauge (515 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,774 km (privately owned: 1,727 km 1.000-m gauge, 560km electrified; 28 km 0.914-m gauge, 28 km electrified; governmentowned: 19 km 1.000-m gauge, all electrified)
Highways:total: 331,961 kmpaved: 328,641 km (2,700 km of expressways)unpaved: 3,320 km (1991)
Inland waterways: 1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
Pipelines: crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas1,666 km
Ports: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de laPlana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga,Melilla, Pasajes, Puerto de Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (CanaryIslands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine:total: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 868,326 GRT/1,382,335DWTships by type: bulk 12, cargo 41, chemical tanker 11, container 9,liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 25, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 34, short-sea passenger 5, specializedtanker 2
Airports:total: 106with paved runways over 3,047 m: 15with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 12with paved runways under 914 m: 34with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 16
@Spain:Communications
Telephone system: 15,350,464 telephones; generally adequate, modernfacilitieslocal: NAintercity: NAinternational: 22 coaxial submarine cables; 2 earth stations forINTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); earth stations forworking the EUTELSAT, INMARSAT, and MARECS satellite communicationssystems; microwave tropospheric scatter links to adjacent countries
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 190, FM 406 (repeaters 134), shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 100 (repeaters 1,297)televisions: NA
@Spain:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, NationalPolice, Coastal Civil Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 10,435,970; males fit formilitary service 8,434,460; males reach military age (20) annually335,967 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $8 billion, 1.6% ofGDP (1994)
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@Spratly Islands:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, group of reefs in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:total area: NA sq km but less than 5 km2land area: less than 5 sq kmcomparative area: NAnote: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scatteredover the South China Sea
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 926 km
Maritime claims: NA
International disputes: all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive economic zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment:current issues: NAnatural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerousreefs and shoalsinternational agreements: NA
Note: strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
@Spratly Islands:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are scattered garrisons
@Spratly Islands:Government
Names:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Spratly Islands
Digraph: PG
@Spratly Islands:Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Industries: none
@Spratly Islands:Transportation
Ports: none
Airports: total: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Spratly Islands:Communications
Telephone system: local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio:broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NAradios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: NAtelevisions: NA
@Spratly Islands:Defense Forces
Note: about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
________________________________________________________________________
@Sri Lanka:Geography
Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Map references: Asia
Area:total area: 65,610 sq kmland area: 64,740 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,340 km
Maritime claims:contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March);southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-centralinterior
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%
Irrigated land: 5,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populationsthreatened by poaching; coastal degradation from mining activities andincreased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrialwastes and sewage runoffnatural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoesinternational agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Lawof the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;signed, but not ratified - Marine Life Conservation
Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
@Sri Lanka:People
Population: 18,342,660 (July 1995 est.) note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of late 1992, nearly 115,000 were housed in refugee camps in south India, another 95,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought political asylum in the West
Age structure:0-14 years: 29% (female 2,597,969; male 2,713,696)15-64 years: 65% (female 6,042,228; male 5,902,343)65 years and over: 6% (female 547,715; male 538,709) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.15% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 18.13 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.78 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.14 years male: 69.58 years female: 74.82 years (1995 est.)