@Somalia:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the IndianOcean, east of Ethiopia
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 49 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 637,660 sq km land: 627,340 sq km water: 10,320 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 2,366 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Shimbiris 2,450 m
Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures : 69% forests and woodland: 26% other: 3% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer
Environment - current issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
@Somalia:People
Population: 6,590,325 (July 1997 est.) note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1987 by the Somali Government with the cooperation of the UN and the US Bureau of the Census; population estimates are updated year by year between census years by factoring growth rates into them and by taking account of refugee movements and of losses due to famine; lower estimates of Somalia's population in mid-1996 (on the order of 6.0 million to 6.5 million) have been made by aid and relief agencies, based on the number of persons being fed; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large numbers of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (male 1,449,037; female 1,452,171) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,777,131; female 1,718,389) 65 years and over: 3% (male 89,346; female 104,251) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.03% (1997 est.) (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 45.49 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 18.34 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.) (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (1997 est.) under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population : 1.01 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 125.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population : 46.23 years male: 44.66 years female: 47.85 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.76 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Somali(s) adjective : Somali
Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 24% male: 36% female: 14% (1990 est.)
@Somalia:Government
Country name: conventional long form : none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic
Data code: SO
Government type: none
National 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, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship 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 Major General Mohamed SIADBarre on 27 January 1991; the present political situation is one ofanarchy, marked by interclan fighting and random banditry
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Golaha Shacbiga note: the Golaha Shacbiga is not functioning
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (not functioning)
Political parties and leaders: the United Somali Congress or USC ousted the former regime on 27 January 1991; formerly the only party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party or SRSP, headed by former President and Commander in Chief of the Army Major General Mohamed SIAD Barre
Political pressure groups and leaders: numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power
International organization participation: 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, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991)
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi at Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue; mail address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 334141; FAX [254] (2) 340838
Flag description: 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)
Economy
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 a large portion 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 resulted in a substantial drop in agricultural output, with widespread famine. In 1994 economic conditions stabilized in the countryside, followed in 1995 by slight improvements. However, ongoing civil strife in Mogadishu and outlying areas is interfering with any substantial recovery.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.6 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $500 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 65.5% industry: 8.7% services: 25.8% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA
Labor force: total: 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)(1993 est.) by occupation: agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 144,000 kW prior to the civil war, but now largely shut down due to war damage; some localities operate their own generating plants, providing limited municipal power; note - UN and relief organizations use their own portable power systems
Electricity - production: 60 million kWh (1991)
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, goats; fishing potential largely unexploited
Exports: total value: $130 million (1994 est.) commodities: bananas, live animals, fish, hides (1995) partners: Saudi Arabia 57%, Yemen 14%, Italy 13%, US (bananas) (1995 est.)
Imports: total value: $269 million (1994 est.) commodities : manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials (1995) partners: Kenya 24%, Djibouti 18%, Pakistan 6% (1995 est.)
Debt - external: $2.6 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - 4,100 (November 1996 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Somalia:Communications
Telephones: 9,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems domestic: recently, local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers international : international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (there are at least five radio broadcast stations of NA type)
Radios: 350,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (Somalia's only TV station was demolished during the civil strife, sometime in 1991)
Televisions: 113,000 (1992 est.)
@Somalia:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 18,000 km paved: 2,700 km unpaved: 15,300 km (1993 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 15 km
Ports and harbors: Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu(Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,529 GRT/6,892 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 47 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m : 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total : 36 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 19 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: NA; note - no functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to battle for control of key economic or political prizes
Military manpower - military age: males: 1,615,598 years of age (1997 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,408,639 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 901,827 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: most of the southern half of the boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden ______________________________________________________________________
@South Africa:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent ofAfrica
Geographic coordinates: 29 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1,219,912 sq km land: 1,219,912 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total : 4,750 km border countries: 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 exploitation exclusive economic zone : 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point : Njesuthi 3,408 m
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% permanent pastures: 67% forests and woodland: 7% other: 15% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,700 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: prolonged droughts
Environment - current issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage threatens to outpace supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
@South Africa:People
Population: 42,327,458 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (male 7,470,444; female 7,340,734) 15-64 years: 61% (male 12,729,753; female 12,891,969) 65 years and over : 4% (male 762,041; female 1,132,517) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.51% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 26.89 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 11.89 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 53.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population : 56.29 years male: 54.4 years female: 58.23 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.22 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: South African(s) adjective: South African
Ethnic groups: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Religions: Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), traditional and animistic 28.5%
Languages: 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English,Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.8% male : 81.9% female: 81.7% (1995 est.)
@South Africa:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa abbreviation : RSA
Data code: SF
Government type: republic
National capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative);Bloemfontein (judicial)
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State,Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape,Northern Province, Western Cape
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)
National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution: 10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and deputy executive presidents elected by the National Assembly; election last held 9 May 1994 (next to be held in April 1999) election results: Nelson MANDELA elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation); Thabo MBEKI and Frederik W. DE KLERK elected deputy executive presidents; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation) note: the initial governing coalition, made up of the ANC, the IFP, and the NP, which constituted a Government of National Unity or GNU, no longer includes the NP which was withdrawn by DE KLERK on 30 June 1996 when he voluntarily gave up his position as deputy executive president and distanced himself from the programs of the ANC
Legislative branch: bicameral parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, ten members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February 1997 the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution elections: National Assembly and Senate - last held 26-29 April 1994 (next to be held NA April 1999); note - the Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces on 6 February 1997 election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - 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 by party - ANC 252, NP 82, IFP 43, FF 9, DP 7, PAC 5, ACDP 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; HighCourts; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders: African National Congress or ANC [Nelson MANDELA, president]; National Party or NP [Frederik W. DE KLERK, president]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president]; African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE, president]; Democratic Party or DP [Tony LEON, president]; Freedom Front or FF [Constand VILJOEN, president]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president] note: in addition to these seven parties which received seats in the National Assembly, 11 other parties won votes in the national elections in April 1994
Political pressure groups and leaders: South African National CivicsOrganization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president];Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [John GOMONO,president]; note - both SANCO and COSATU, as well as the South AfricanCommunist Party, are in a formal alliance with the ANC
International organization participation: AfDB, BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,ITU, MTCR, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Franklin SONN chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607 consulate(s) general: Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador James A. JOSEPH 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 description: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side, embracing a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one - three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
Economy
Economy - overview: Despite the efforts of South Africa's first majority-run government, income inequality remains among the world's most extreme. 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, lack of job skills, and bleak living conditions. 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 standards, to set the country on a steady 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 at least 5% in real terms annually to absorb all of the new entrants, much less reduce the accumulated total.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $227 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,400 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 5% industry: 37% services : 58% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 9% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total: 14.2 million economically active (1996) by occupation: services 35%, agriculture 30%, industry 20%, mining 9%, other 6%
Unemployment rate: 34% (1996 est.); note - an additional 11% of the workforce is underemployed
Budget: revenues : $30.5 billion expenditures: $38 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.6 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 34.57 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 158.78 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 3,305 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Exports: total value: $29.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: gold 27%, other minerals and metals 20%-25%, food 5%, chemicals 3% (1994) partners: Italy, Japan, US, Germany, UK, other EU countries, Hong Kong
Imports: total value : $26.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, petroleum products, textiles, scientific instruments (1994) partners: Germany, US, Japan, UK, Italy
Debt - external: $30 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA note: current aid pledges include US $600 million over three years, 1994-96; UK $150 million over three years; Australia $21 million over three years; Japan $1.3 billion over two years ending in 1996; EU $833 million over five years
Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1 - 4.6410 (January 1997), 4.2706 (1996), 3.6266 (1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@South Africa:Communications
Telephones: 5,206,235 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, and radiotelephone communication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international : 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 286, shortwave 0
Radios: 12.1 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 67 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 3.45 million (1990 est.)
@South Africa:Transportation
Railways: total: 21,431 km narrow gauge: 20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 182,329 km paved : 55,428 km (including 2,040 km of expressways) unpaved: 126,901 km (1991 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas 322 km
Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, PortElizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 270,848 GRT/266,029 DWT ships by type: container 6, oil tanker 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 662 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 351 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m : 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 43 914 to 1,523 m: 74 under 914 m: 220 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 311 1,524 to 2,437 m : 33 914 to 1,523 m: 278 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: South African National Defense Force or SANDF (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service or SAPS
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 10,972,813 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 6,672,760 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 435,972 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2.9 billion (FY95/96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.2% (FY95/96)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Swaziland has asked South Africa to open negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom
Illicit drugs: transshipment center for heroin and cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana ______________________________________________________________________
SOUTH GEORGIA AND THESandwich Islands]
(dependent territory of the UK)
@South Georgia and the:Geography
Location: Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Geographic coordinates: 54 30 S, 37 00 W
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total : 4,066 sq km land: 4,066 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: NA km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget 2,915 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland : 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to : NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography - 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:People
Population: no indigenous populationnote: there is a small military garrison on South Georgia, and theBritish Antarctic Survey has a biological station on Bird Island; theSouth Sandwich Islands are uninhabited
@South Georgia and the:Government
Country name: conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none
Data code: SX
Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK; administered by a civil commissioner based in the Falkland Islands
National capital: none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Flag description: the flag of the UK is used
Economy
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: $291,777 expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
@South Georgia and the:Communications
Telephones: NA
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: NA
@South Georgia and the:Transportation
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Grytviken
Airports: none
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina ______________________________________________________________________
@Spain:Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay,Mediterranean Sea, and North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 504,750 sq km land: 499,400 sq km water: 5,350 sq km note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 1,919.1 km border countries: Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
Coastline: 4,964 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean) territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point : Pico de Teide on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 30% permanent crops : 9% permanent pastures: 21% forests and woodland: 32% other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 34,530 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-EnvironmentalProtocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, EndangeredSpecies, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification,Law of the Sea
Geography - note: strategic location along approaches to Strait ofGibraltar
@Spain:People
Population: 39,107,912 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15% (male 3,121,625; female 2,942,492) 15-64 years: 69% (male 13,396,398; female 13,400,728) 65 years and over: 16% (male 2,592,692; female 3,653,977) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.06% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 9.94 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 9.54 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population : 77.39 years male: 73.59 years female: 81.46 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.18 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages: Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 98% female: 94% (1986 est.)
@Spain:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain conventional short form: Spain local short form: Espana
Data code: SP
Government type: parliamentary monarchy
National capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidadesautonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon,Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon,Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, 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 : President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President Francisco ALVAREZ-CASCOS FERNANDEZ (since 5 May 1996) and Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Rodrigo RATO FIGAREDO (since 5 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president note : there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government elections: the king is a hereditary monarch; president proposed by the king and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections; election last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by NA 2000) election results: Jose Maria AZNAR elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (256 seats; 208 members are directly elected by popular vote and the other 48 were appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by March 2000); Congress of Deputies - last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by March 2000) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 132, PSOE 96, CiU 11, PNV 6, IU 2, others 9; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 38.9%, PSOE 37.5%, IU 10.7%, CiU 4.6%; seats by party - PP 156, PSOE 141, IU 21, CiU 16, other 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders: principal national parties, from right to left: Popular Party or PP [Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez, secretary general]; Spanish Communist Party or PCE [Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other small parties) [Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez] chief regional parties: Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi PUJOL, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Pere ESTEVE] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN LLEIDA]); Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Xabier ARZALLUS Antia and Jose Antonio ARDANZA]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties)
Political pressure groups and leaders: on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty or ETA and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use terrorism to oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); Workers Confederation or CC.OO; the Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB,Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, EU,FAO, G- 8, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM(observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO,NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio de OYARZABAL MARCHESI 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)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard N. GARDNER embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address : APO AE 09642 telephone: [34] (1) 587-2200 FAX: [34] (1) 587-2303 consulate(s) general: Barcelona
Flag description: 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
Economy - overview: Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP three-fourths that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government has staked much on gaining admission to the first group of countries to implement the European single currency by developing an austere 1997 budget - including a wage freeze for public-sector employees - in hopes of meeting the Maastricht monetary convergence criteria. The government slashed spending by $1.6 billion in mid-1996 to ensure that Spain's deficit did not exceed its target of 4.4% of GDP for the year; the government forecasts a deficit of 3% for 1997. The AZNAR administration advocates liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy, and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment, nevertheless, remains the highest in the EU at about 22%, but the government, for political reasons, has made only limited progress in changing labor laws or reforming pension schemes, which are key to the sustainability of Spain's economic advances.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $593 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,300 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.6% industry: 33.6% services: 62.8% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.7% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total: 12.475 million by occupation: services 62%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 29%, agriculture 9% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 22% (1996 est.)
Budget: revenues: $113 billion expenditures : $139 billion, including capital expenditures of $15 billion (1995)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 39.58 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 163.7 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 3,752 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish catch of 866,831 metric tons in 1993
Exports: total value: $94.5 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: cars and trucks, semifinished manufactured goods, foodstuffs, machinery (1994) partners : EU 72.1%, US 4.2%, other developed countries 7.9% (1996)
Imports: total value : $118.3 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals (1994) partners: EU 65.6%, US 6.6%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 6.2% (1996)
Debt - external: $90 billion (1993 est.)
Economic aid: donor: ODA, $1.213 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 134.77 (January 1997), 126.66 (1996), 124.69 (1995), 133.96 (1994), 127.26 (1993), 102.38 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Spain:Communications
Telephones: 12.6 million (1990 est.)
Telephone system: generally adequate, modern facilities domestic: NA international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat, NA Inmarsat, and NA Marecs; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 190, FM 406 (repeaters 134), shortwave 0
Radios: 12 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 100 (repeaters 1,297)
Televisions: 15.7 million (1992 est.)
@Spain:Transportation
Railways: total: 14,343 km broad gauge: 12,139 km 1.668-m gauge (6,510 km electrified; 2,295 km double track) standard gauge: 488 km 1.435-m gauge (488 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,716 km (privately owned: 1,669 km 1.000-m gauge, 489 km electrified; 28 km 0.914-m gauge, 28 km electrified; government owned: 19 km 1.000-m gauge, all electrified)
Highways: total: 343,197 km paved: 339,765 km (including 7,747 km of expressways) unpaved : 3,432 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
Pipelines: crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas 1,666 km
Ports and harbors: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena,Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (CanaryIslands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife(Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine: total: 141 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 888,815 GRT/1,396,541 DWT ships by type : bulk 9, cargo 33, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 1, container 9, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 26, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 9, roll-on/roll-off cargo 31, short-sea passenger 6, specialized tanker 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 96 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 82 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m : 15 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 28 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14 1,524 to 2,437 m : 2 914 to 1,523 m: 12 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard,National Police, Coastal Civil Guard
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 10,387,353 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 8,381,141 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 333,758 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6.3 billion (1995)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: 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
Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin ______________________________________________________________________
@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
Geographic coordinates: 8 38 N, 111 55 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total : less than 5 sq km land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over the South China Sea
Area - comparative: NA
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 926 km
Maritime claims: NA
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point : unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use: arable land : 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - 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
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Data code: PG
Economy
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:Communications
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: NA
@Spratly Islands:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 4 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total : 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military - note: about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied byChina, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive economic zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island ______________________________________________________________________
@Sri Lanka:Geography
Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 81 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total : 65,610 sq km land: 64,740 sq km water: 870 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,340 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay
Land use: arable land: 14% permanent crops: 15% permanent pastures : 7% forests and woodland: 32% other: 32% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 5,500 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
@Sri Lanka:People
Population: 18,721,178 (July 1997 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 1996, 63,068 were housed in refugee camps in south India, another 30,000-40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought political asylum in the West
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 2,698,852; female 2,581,476) 15-64 years : 66% (male 6,019,140; female 6,266,311) 65 years and over: 6% (male 565,671; female 589,728) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.14% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 18.64 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.42 years male: 69.75 years female: 75.23 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.15 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, andVedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.2% male: 93.4% female: 87.2% (1995 est.)
@Sri Lanka:Government
Country name: conventional long form : Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Ceylon
Data code: CE
Government type: republic
National capital: Colombo
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Central, North Central, NorthEastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)
Constitution: adopted 16 August 1978
Legal system: a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister elections : president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 9 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 2000) election results : Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA elected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (People's Alliance) 62%, Srima DISSANAYAKE (United National Party) 37%, other 1%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system to serve six-year terms) elections: last held 16 August 1994 (next to be held by August 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - PA 49.0%, UNP 44.0%, SLMC 1.8%, TULF 1.7%, SLPF 1.1%, EPDP 0.3%, UPF 0.3%, PLOTE 0.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - PA 105, UNP 94, EPDP 9, SLMC 7, TULF 5, PLOTE 3, SLPF 1, UPF 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the JudicialService Commission; Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders: All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), C. G.Kumar PONNAMBALAM; Ceylon Workers Congress (CLDC), S. THONDAMAN;Communist Party, K. P. SILVA; Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N.SHANMUGATHASAN; Democratic People's Liberation Front (DPLF), leaderNA; Democratic United National Front (DUNF), G. M. PREMACHANDRA; EelamPeople's Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas DEVANANDA; Eelam People'sRevolutionary Liberation Front (EPRL), Suresh PREMACHANDRAN; EelamRevolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), Shankar RAJI; LankaSocialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP, or Lanka Sama Samaja Party), ColinR. DE SILVA; Liberal Party (LP), Chanaka AMARATUNGA; New SocialistParty (NSSP, or Nava Sama Samaja Party), Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA;People's Alliance (PA), Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA; People'sLiberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), DharmalingamSIDARTHAN; People's United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna),Dinesh GUNAWARDENE; Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), SirimavoBANDARANAIKE; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M. ASHRAFF; SriLanka People's Party (SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party), OssieABEYGUNASEKERA; Sri Lanka Progressive Front (SLPF), leader NA; TamilEelam Liberation Organization (TELO), leader NA; Tamil UnitedLiberation Front (TULF), M. SIVASITHAMBARAM; United National Party(UNP), Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGA; Upcountry People's Front (UPF), leaderNA; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in eitherparliament or provincial councilsnote: the United Socialist Alliance (USA), which was formed in 1987and included the NSSP, LSSP, SLMP, CP/M, and CP/B, was defunct as of1993, following the formation of the People's Alliance Party (PA)