@South Africa:Introduction
Background: After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.
@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: contiguous zone: 24 nm 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, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
@South Africa:People
Population: 43,421,021 note: South Africa took a census October 1996 which showed a population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8% underenumeration based on a post-enumeration survey); estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.46% (male 7,094,756; female 6,999,009) 15-64 years: 62.76% (male 13,111,457; female 14,139,372) 65 years and over: 4.78% (male 782,397; female 1,294,030) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.5% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 24.56 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 14.69 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 58.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 51.1 years male: 50.41 years female: 51.81 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (2000 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), indigenous beliefs and animist 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
Capital: Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center andBloemfontein the judicial center
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 bythe Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by thenPresident MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3February 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 Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 2 June 1999 (next scheduled for sometime between May and July 2004) election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation) note: ANC-IFP governing coalition
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, 10 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 National Council of Provinces - last held 2 June 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 66.4%, DP 9.6%, IFP 8.6%, NP 6.9%, UDM 3.4, FF 0.8%, other 4.3%; seats by party - ANC 266, DP 38, IFP 34, NP 28, UDM 14, FF 3, other 17; National Council of Provinces - 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 Christian Democratic Party or ACDP ; African National Congress or ANC ; Democratic Party or DP [Tony LEON, president]; Freedom Front or FF ; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP ; National Party (now the New National Party) or NP [Marthinus VAN SCHALKWYK, executive director]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC ; United Democratic Movement or UDM
Political pressure groups and leaders: Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU ; South African Communist Party or SACP ; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC
International organization participation: ACP, 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, ISO, ITU,MONUC, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNHCR, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Makate Sheila SISULU chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 232-4400 FAX: (202) 265-1607 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Delano E. LEWIS embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia 0083 mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 telephone: (12) 342-1048 FAX: (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; the Y embraces 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
@South Africa:Economy
Economy - overview: South Africa is a middle-income, developing country with an abundant supply of resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors, a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world, and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to cut into the 30% unemployment, and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially the problems of poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. Other problems are crime, corruption, and HIV/AIDS. At the start of 2000, President MBEKI vowed to promote economic growth and foreign investment by relaxing restrictive labor laws, stepping up the pace of privatization, and cutting unneeded governmental spending. His policies face strong opposition from organized labor.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $296.1 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.6% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,900 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 35% services: 60% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 47.3% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 15 million economically active (1997)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1999 est.)
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, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Industrial production growth rate: -5% (1998 est.)
Electricity - production: 192.015 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 92.09% hydro: 0.83% nuclear: 7.08% other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 174.486 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 4.093 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 5 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products
Exports: $28 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: gold, diamonds, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
Exports - partners: UK, Italy, Japan, US, Germany (1997)
Imports: $26 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery, foodstuffs and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments
Imports - partners: Germany, US, UK, Japan
Debt - external: $25.7 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $676.3 million
Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1 - 6.12439 (January 2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@South Africa:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 5.075 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: over 2,000,000 (1999)
Telephone system: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 13.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 5.2 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 58 (1999)
@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: 534,131 km paved: 63,027 km (including 2,032 km of expressways) unpaved: 471,104 km (1998 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: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 274,797 GRT/270,837 DWT ships by type: container 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 744 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 143 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 46 914 to 1,523 m: 73 under 914 m: 11 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 601 1,524 to 2,437 m: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 303 under 914 m: 265 (1999 est.)
@South Africa: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: 11,345,031 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 6,901,252 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 460,917 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY99/00)
Military - note: the National Defense Force continues to integrate former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces
@South Africa: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
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@Southern Ocean:Introduction
Background: A spring 2000 decision by the International Hydrographic Organization delimited a fifth world ocean from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The new ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth-largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean but larger than the Arctic Ocean).
@Southern Ocean:Geography
Location: body of water between 60 degrees south latitude andAntarctica
Geographic coordinates: 65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica, and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total: 20.327 million sq km note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of the US
Coastline: 17,968 km
Climate: sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Centigrade to -2 degrees Centigrade; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Centigrade; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter
Terrain: the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep - its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133 meters); the Antarctic ice pack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square kilometers in September, better than a sevenfold increase in area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers
Elevation extremes: lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources: probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs, squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fishes
Natural hazards: huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 meter thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue
Environment - current issues: increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries
Environment - international agreements: the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the region: International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (regulates fishing) note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the north
Geography - note: the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds
@Southern Ocean:Government
Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard for hydrographic codes - see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes appendix
@Southern Ocean:Economy
Economy - overview: Fisheries in 1998-1999 (1 July to 30 June) landed 119,898 metric tons, of which 85% was krill and 14% Patagonian toothfish. International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 1998-1999 season landed five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery. In the 1998-1999 antarctic summer 10,013 tourists, most of them seaborne, visited the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, compared to 9,604 the previous year. Nearly 16,000 tourists are expected during the 1999-2000 season.
@Southern Ocean:Transportation
Ports and harbors: McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject to inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers
Transportation - note: Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal
@Southern Ocean:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in the Antarctica entry); sections (some overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and UK; the US and most other nations do not recognize the maritime claims of other nations and have made no claims themselves (the US reserves the right to do so); no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west
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@Spain:Introduction
Background: Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating Civil War (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, it has played a catch-up role in the western international community. Continuing concerns are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist movement.
@Spain:Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 504,782 sq km land: 499,542 sq km water: 5,240 sq km note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - Ceuta, Melilla, 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: 1,917.8 km border countries: Andorra 63.7 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: contiguous zone: 24 nm 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 (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
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-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine LifeConservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, ShipPollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Geography - note: strategic location along approaches to Strait ofGibraltar
@Spain:People
Population: 39,996,671 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15% (male 3,046,379; female 2,866,712) 15-64 years: 68% (male 13,702,947; female 13,618,766) 65 years and over: 17% (male 2,830,607; female 3,931,260) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.11% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 9.22 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.79 years male: 75.32 years female: 82.49 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.15 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%,Basque 2%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA%
@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
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country) note: there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are administered as autonomous communities; Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera are under direct Spanish administration
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); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968 head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (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 monarch is hereditary; president proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections; election last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA 2004); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of the president election results: Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 44%
Legislative branch: bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 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 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 127, PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%, IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE 125, CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders: Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [XabierARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of fiveparties) ; Convergence and Union or CiU [JordiPUJOL i Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the DemocraticConvergence of Catalonia or CDC and theDemocratic Union of Catalonia or UDC );Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG ; Party ofIndependents from Lanzarote or PIL ; Popular Party or PP; Spanish Communist Party or PCE [FranciscoFRUTOS]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Joaquin ALMUNIAAmann, secretary general]; United Left or IU (a coalition of partiesincluding the PCE and other small parties)
Political pressure groups and leaders: business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; Euskal Herritarok or EH ; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); 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; Opus Dei; Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university students; Workers Confederation or CC.OO
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group,BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,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), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET,UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio OYARZABAL MARCHESI chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: (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 Edward L. ROMERO embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: APO AE 09642 telephone: (91) 587-2200 FAX: (91) 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
@Spain:Economy
Economy - overview: Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is three-fourths that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment, nonetheless, remains the highest in the EU at 16%. 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 both Spain's internal economic advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. Adjustment to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe - and reducing the unacceptably high level of unemployment - will pose difficult challenges to Spain in the next few years.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $677.5 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,300 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.2% industry: 33.6% services: 63.2% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 16.2 million (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 28%, agriculture 8% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues: $115 billion expenditures: $125 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 2.7% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 179.468 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 48.23% hydro: 19.16% nuclear: 31.23% other: 1.38% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 170.306 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 5.6 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 9 billion kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Exports: $112.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, other consumer goods
Exports - partners: EU 72% (France 20%, Germany 14%, Italy 9%,Portugal 9%, UK 8%), Latin America 7%, US 4% (1998)
Imports: $137.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997)
Imports - partners: EU 67% (France 18%, Germany 15%, Italy 10%, UK 8%,Benelux 8%), US 6%, OPEC 5%, Japan 3%, Latin America 4% (1998)
Debt - external: $90 billion (1993 est.)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.3 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 143.39 (January 1999), 149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997), 126.66 (1996), 124.69 (1995) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at a fixed rate of 166.386 pesetas per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Spain:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 17.336 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 8.394 million (1999)
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; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 13.1 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 228 (plus 2,112 repeaters); note - these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 89 repeaters in the Canary Islands (September 1995)
Televisions: 16.2 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 49 (1999)
@Spain:Transportation
Railways: total: 13,950 km broad gauge: 12,781 km 1.668-m gauge (6,358 km electrified; 2,295 km double track) standard gauge: 525 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified) narrow gauge: 644 km 1.000-m gauge (438 km electrified) (1998)
Highways: total: 346,858 km paved: 343,389 km (including 9,063 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,469 km (1997 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: 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,131,648 GRT/1,688,996 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 24, chemical tanker 9, container 9, liquified gas 2, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off 36, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 105 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 70 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 25 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)
@Spain: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: 10,569,785 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 8,481,690 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 295,335 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.1% (FY97)
@Spain:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Gibraltar issue 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 and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Geographic coordinates: 8 38 N, 111 55 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: less than 5 sq km land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
Area - comparative: NA
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 926 km
Maritime claims: NA
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% 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
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 occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2000 est.)
@Spratly Islands:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Data code: PG
@Spratly Islands: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.
@Spratly Islands:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 4 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
@Spratly Islands:Military
Military - note: Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
@Spratly Islands: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 fishing zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island
______________________________________________________________________
@Sri Lanka:Introduction
Background: Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester.
@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, hydropower
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 and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
@Sri Lanka:People
Population: 19,238,575 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 mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26% (male 2,605,251; female 2,490,416) 15-64 years: 67% (male 6,285,118; female 6,606,196) 65 years and over: 7% (male 602,470; female 649,124) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.89% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 16.78 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.83 years male: 69.33 years female: 74.45 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, andVedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 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
Capital: Colombo
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western note: North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern
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 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2005) election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA) 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms) elections: last held 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 president;Court of Appeals, judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC; Ceylon Workers Congress or CLDC ; CommunistParty ; Communist Party/Beijing or CP/B ;Democratic People's Liberation Front or DPLF ; DemocraticUnited National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF ; Desha VimukthiJanatha Party or DVJP ; Eelam People's Democratic Party orEPDP ; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front orEPRLF ; Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students orEROS ; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP ; LankaSocialist Party/Trotskyite or LSSP (Lanka Sama Samaja Party) [leaderNA]; Liberal Party or LP ; New Socialist Party or NSSP(Nava Sama Samaja Party) ; People's Alliance or PA; People's Liberation Organizationof Tamil Eelam or PLOTE ; People's United Front or MEP(Mahajana Eksath Peramuna) ; Sri Lanka FreedomParty or SLFP ; Sri Lanka MuslimCongress or SLMC ; Sri Lanka People's Party or SLMP (SriLanka Mahajana Party) ; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO ;Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF ; United NationalParty or UNP ; Upcountry People's Front or UPF; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented ineither parliament or provincial councils
Political pressure groups and leaders: Buddhist clergy; labor unions;Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE (insurgent group fighting fora separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as theNational Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Warnasena RASAPUTRAM chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 483-4025 through 4028 FAX: (202) 232-7181 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Shaun E. DONNELLY embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo telephone: (1) 448007 FAX: (1) 437345, 446013
Flag description: yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
@Sri Lanka:Economy
Economy - overview: In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic industries now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an annual average rate of 5.5% throughout the 1990s until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-98 with growth of 6.4% and 4.7% - but slowed to 3.7% in 1999. For the next round of reforms, the central bank of Sri Lanka recommends that Colombo expand market mechanisms in nonplantation agriculture, dismantle the government's monopoly on wheat imports, and promote more competition in the financial sector. A continuing cloud over the economy is the fighting between the Sinhalese and the minority Tamils, which has cost 50,000 lives in the past 15 years.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $50.5 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.7% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,600 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21% industry: 19% services: 60% (1998)
Population below poverty line: 22% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 39.7% (1995-96 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 6.6 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation: services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.5% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.7 billion expenditures: $4.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (1998 est.)
Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (1998)
Electricity - production: 5.505 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 30.97% hydro: 69.03% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 5.12 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Exports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports - commodities: textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products (1998)
Exports - partners: US 40%, UK 11%, Middle East 9%, Germany 5%, Japan 4% (1998)
Imports: $5.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, foodstuffs (1998)
Imports - partners: India 10%, Japan 10%, South Korea 8%, Hong Kong 7%, Taiwan 6% (1998)
Debt - external: $8.4 billion (1998)
Economic aid - recipient: $577 million (1998)
Currency: 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees (SLRe) per US$1 - 72.364 (January 2000), 70.402 (1999), 64.593 (1998), 58.995 (1997), 55.271 (1996), 51.252 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Sri Lanka:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 494,509 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 228,604 (1999)
Telephone system: very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; some hope for improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good international service (1999) domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999) international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 3.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 21 (1997)
Televisions: 1.53 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (1999)
@Sri Lanka:Transportation
Railways: total: 1,463 km broad gauge: 1,404 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (1996)
Highways: total: 11,285 km paved: 10,721 km unpaved: 564 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
Pipelines: crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports and harbors: Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee
Merchant marine: total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 192,190 GRT/293,832 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 16, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 5 (1999 est.)
Airports: 14 (1999 est.)