GDP: purchasing power parity - $232 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6%
industry: 47%
services: 47% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (2000)
Labor force: 7 million
note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $66 billion
expenditures: $66 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 120 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 111.6 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Exports: $81.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners: Japan 18%, US 18%, France 4%, South Korea,Singapore, India (1999)
Imports: $30.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners: US 25%, Japan 10%, Germany 7%, Italy 5%, France,UK (1999)
Debt - external: $26.3 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - donor: pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians
Currency: Saudi riyal (SAR)
Currency code: SAR
Exchange rates: Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Saudi Arabia Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.1 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1 million
note: in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems
international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 6.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 117 (1997)
Televisions: 5.1 million (1997)
Internet country code: .sa
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 42 (2001)
Internet users: 400,000 (2001)
Saudi Arabia Transportation
Railways: total: 1,390 km
standard gauge: 1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track) (1992)
Highways: total: 146,524 km
paved: 44,104 km
unpaved: 102,420 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km)
Ports and harbors: Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan,Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, MadinatYanbu' al Sinaiyah
Merchant marine: total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,154,619 GRT/1,533,732 DWT
ships by type: cargo 11, chemical tanker 8, container 5, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 13, short-sea passenger 8 (2000 est.)
Airports: 206 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 70
over 3,047 m: 31
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 136
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 77
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 15 (2000 est.)
Heliports: 5 (2000 est.)
Saudi Arabia Military
Military branches: Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air DefenseForce, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,894,691 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 3,291,185 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 233,402 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $18.3 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 13% (FY00)
Saudi Arabia Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: a final border resolution was agreed to with Qatar in March of 2001; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final, de facto boundary reflects a 1974 agreement; a June 2000 treaty delimited the boundary with Yemen, but final demarcation requires adjustments based on tribal considerations
Illicit drugs: death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine
======================================================================
@Senegal
Senegal Introduction
Background: Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However, the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
Senegal Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 14 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries: total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Coastline: 531 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; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 16%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 18% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 710 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geography - note: The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal
Senegal People
Population: 10,284,929 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.07% (male 2,279,996; female 2,252,255)
15-64 years: 52.88% (male 2,603,829; female 2,834,328)
65 years and over: 3.05% (male 155,877; female 158,644) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.93% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 37.46 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 8.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 56.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.56 years
male: 60.94 years
female: 64.22 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.77% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 79,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 7,800 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Senegalese
Ethnic groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%,Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%
Religions: Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostlyRoman Catholic)
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 33.1%
male: 43%
female: 23.2% (1995 est.)
Senegal Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
conventional short form: Senegal
local long form: Republique du Senegal
local short form: Senegal
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Dakar
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region);Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis,Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Constitution: 3 March 1963, revised 1991
Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Madior BOYE (since 3 March 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats
elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals; note-the judicial system was reformed in 1992
Political parties and leaders: African Party for Democracy andSocialism or And Jef (also known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE,secretary general]; African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP];Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democraticand Patriotic Convention or CDP (also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. IbaDer THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr.Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for Socialism and Democracy or FSD [CheikhAbdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS];Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; NationalDemocratic Rally or RND [Madier DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Partyor PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]; Senegalese Democratic Party-Renewal orPDS-R [Serigne Lamine DIOP, secretary general]; SenegaleseDemocratic Union-Renewal or UDS-R [Mamadou Puritain FALL]; SocialistParty or PS [President Abdou DIOUF]; SOPI Coalition (a 40-partycoalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE]; Union for DemocraticRenewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC,OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET,UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorMamadou Mansour SECK
chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorHarriet L. ELAM-THOMAS
embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone: [221] 823-4296, 823-7384
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Senegal Economy
Economy - overview: In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform program with the support of the international donor community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's currency, the CFA franc, which is linked at a fixed rate to the French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in 1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform program, with real growth in GDP averaging 5% annually in 1995-99. Annual inflation has been pushed down to 2%, and the fiscal deficit has been cut to less than 1.5% of GDP. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating a miniboom in information technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82% of GDP. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems of chronic unemployment, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction. Real GDP growth is expected to rise above 6%, while inflation is likely to hold at 2% in 2001-02.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 19%
industry: 20%
services: 61% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 42.8% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2000 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 60%
Unemployment rate: NA%; urban youth 40%
Budget: revenues: $885 million
expenditures: $885 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1996 est.)
Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1998 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.27 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 1.181 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $959 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports - partners: France 17%, India 17%, Italy 12%, Spain 6%, Mali 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4% (1999)
Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners: France 30%, Nigeria 7%, Italy 6%, Thailand 5%,Germany 4%, US 4% (1999)
Debt - external: $4.1 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $647.5 million (1995)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code: XOF
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1966); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
Senegal Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 116,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,149 (1996)
Telephone system: general assessment: good system
domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 361,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 30,000 (2000)
Senegal Transportation
Railways: total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (70 km double track)
Highways: total: 14,576 km
paved: 4,271 km
unpaved: 10,305 km (1996)
Waterways: 897 km
note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river
Ports and harbors: Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll,Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor
Airports: 20 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Senegal Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie,National Police (Surete Nationale)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,311,063 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,207,360 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 114,189 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $68 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY97)
Senegal Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis
======================================================================
@Seychelles
Seychelles Introduction
Background: A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993.
Seychelles Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates: 4 35 S, 55 40 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 455 sq km
land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 491 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 marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use: arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 74% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Environment - current issues: water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, OzoneLayer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
Seychelles People
Population: 79,715 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.27% (male 11,367; female 11,167)
15-64 years: 65.47% (male 25,453; female 26,737)
65 years and over: 6.26% (male 1,673; female 3,318) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.49% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 17.66 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.69 years
male: 65.17 years
female: 76.37 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychelles
Ethnic groups: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
Languages: English (official), French (official), Creole
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 56%
female: 60% (1971 est.)
Seychelles Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles
Government type: republic
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse auxPins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, BaieLazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade,Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue,La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe LaRue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 18 June (1993)
Constitution: 18 June 1993
Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 66.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 19.5%, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 13.8%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least ten percent of the vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 61.7%, UO 26.1%, DP 12.1%; seats by party - SPPF 30, UO 3, DP 1
note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of each party in the total vote
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or DP [JamesMANCHAM]; Seychelles National Party or SNP (formerly the UnitedOpposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles People'sProgressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE] - the governing party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; trade unions
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorClaude Sylvestre MOREL
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles
Flag description: five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side
Seychelles Economy
Economy - overview: Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. The vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war. Although the industry has rebounded, the government recognizes the continuing need for upgrading the sector in the face of stiff international competition. Other issues facing the government are the curbing of the budget deficit and further privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2000, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have hindered short-term economic prospects. The black market value of the Seychelles ruppee is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency the tourist sector should remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $610 million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 26.3%
services: 70.6% (1999)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 30,900 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 19%, services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $249 million
expenditures: $262 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 160 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 148.8 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish
Exports: $111 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - partners: France, UK, Netherlands, Italy, China, Germany,Japan
Imports: $440 million (c.i.f., 1999)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners: South Africa, UK, China, Singapore, France, Italy
Debt - external: $240 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $16.4 million (1995)
Currency: Seychelles rupee (SCR)
Currency code: SCR
Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 6.0397 (November 2000), 5.6009 (2000), 5,3426 (1999), 5.2622 (1998), 5.0263 (1997), 4.9700 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Seychelles Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 19,635 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 16,316 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: effective system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago
international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 42,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 11,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 5,000 (2000)
Seychelles Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 373 km
paved: 315 km
unpaved: 58 km (1997)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Victoria
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,353GRT/7,638 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 14 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.)
Seychelles Military
Military branches: Army, Coast Guard, air wing, National Guard,Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 22,951 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 11,452 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $13 million (FY93)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.8% (FY93)
Seychelles Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: claims the Chagos Archipelago(UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
======================================================================
@Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone Introduction
Background: Since 1991, civil war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. A peace agreement, signed in July 1999, collapsed in May 2000 after the RUF took over 500 UN peacekeepers hostage. The RUF stepped up attacks on Guinea in December 2000, despite a cease-fire that it signed with the Freetown government one month earlier. As of late 2000, up to 13,000 UN peacekeepers were protecting the capital and key towns in the south. A UK force of 750 was helping to reinforce security and train the Sierra Leone army.
Sierra Leone Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 11 30 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May toDecember); winter dry season (December to April)
Terrain: coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use: arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 31%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 33% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 290 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from theSahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Environment - current issues: rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear TestBan, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Sierra Leone People
Population: 5,426,618 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.73% (male 1,190,207; female 1,237,326)
15-64 years: 52.12% (male 1,351,455; female 1,477,155)
65 years and over: 3.15% (male 84,364; female 86,111) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.61% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 45.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 19.19 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 10.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: by the end of 1999 refugees from Sierra Leone are assumed to be returning
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 146.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 45.6 years
male: 42.69 years
female: 48.61 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.01 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.99% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 68,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 8,200 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups: 20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Religions: Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Languages: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write English,Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 31.4%
male: 45.4%
female: 18.2% (1995 est.)
Sierra Leone Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Government type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Freetown
Administrative divisions: 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern,Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution: 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election held 26-27 February and 15 March 1996 (next to be held NA September 2001); note - president's tenure of office is limited to two five-year terms
election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH elected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 59.5%, John KAREFA-SMART (UNPP) 40.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (80 seats - 68 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 26-27 February 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 36.1%, UNPP 21.6%, PDP 15.3%, APC 5.7%, NUP 5.3%, DCP 4.8%, other 11.2%; seats by party - SLPP 27, UNPP 17, PDP 12, APC 5, NUP 4, DCP 3; note - first elections since the former House of Representatives was shut down by the military coup of 29 April 1992
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders: All People's Congress or APC [Edward Mohammed TURAY, chairman]; Democratic Centre Party or DCP [Adu Aiah KOROMA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National Republican Party or NRP [Sahr Stephen MAMBU]; National Unity Party or NUP [Dr. John KARIMU, chairman]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Thaimu BANGURA, chairman]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Abass Chernok BUNDU, chairman]; Revolutionary United Front Party or RUFP [Foday SANKOH, chairman]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH, chairman]; United National People's Party or UNPP [John KARIFA-SMART in exile, Raymond KAMARA, acting leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Trade Unions and StudentUnions
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorJohn Ernest LEIGH
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorJoseph H. MELROSE, Jr.
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
Sierra Leone Economy
Economy - overview: Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Bauxite and rutile mines have been shut down by civil strife. The major source of hard currency is found in the mining of diamonds, the large majority of which are smuggled out of the country. The resurgence of internal warfare in 1999 brought another substantial drop in GDP, with GNP recovering part of the way in 2000. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.7 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $510 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43%
industry: 26%
services: 31% (1999)
Population below poverty line: 68% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.369 million (1981 est.)
note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, servicesNA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 240 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 223.2 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Exports: $65 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
Exports - partners: Belgium 38%, US 6%, Italy 4%, UK 4% (1999)
Imports: $145 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals
Imports - partners: UK 34%, US 8%, Italy 7%, Nigeria 5% (1999)
Debt - external: $1.28 billion (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: $203.7 million (1995)
Currency: leone (SLL)
Currency code: SLL
Exchange rates: leones per US dollar - 1,653.39 (January 2001), 2,092.13 (2000), 1,804.20 (1999), 1,563.62 (1998), 981.48 (1997), 920.73 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Sierra Leone Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 17,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 650 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service
domestic: national microwave radio relay trunk system, made unserviceable by military activities, is now operating from Freetown to Bo and Kenema (April 2001)
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)
Radios: 1.12 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1999)
Televisions: 53,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sl
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 2,000 (2000)
Sierra Leone Transportation
Railways: total: 84 km used on a limited basis because the mine atMarampa is closed
narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways: total: 11,300 km
paved: 904 km
unpaved: 10,396 km (1997)
Waterways: 800 km (of which 600 km navigable year round)
Ports and harbors: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,057GRT/3,498 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 11 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)
Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)
Sierra Leone Military
Military branches: Army
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,161,790 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 563,631 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $46 million (FY96/97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY96/97)
Sierra Leone Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: civil war has engendered massive refugee movements into neighboring Guinea and Liberia
======================================================================
@Singapore
Singapore Introduction
Background: Founded as a British trading colony in 1819, Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963, but withdrew two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP above that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
Singapore Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map references: Southeast Asia