Railways:total: 14,189 kmbroad gauge: 11,804 km 1.668-m gauge (6,409 km electrified)standard gauge: 455 km 1.435-m gauge (455 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,902 km 1.000-m gauge (781 km electrified); 28 km0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2002)
Highways:total: 663,795 kmpaved: 657,157 km (including 10,317 km of expressways)unpaved: 6,638 km (1999)
Waterways:1,045 km (of minor economic importance)
Pipelines:gas 7,290 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,110 km; unknown(oil/water) 397 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana,Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga,Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands),Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine:total: 140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,585,563 GRT/2,022,104 DWTships by type: bulk 9, cargo 31, chemical tanker 10, container 13,liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker22, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 33, short-sea passenger6, vehicle carrier 4note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag ofconvenience: Croatia 1, Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 7, Italy 1,Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Uruguay 3 (2002 est.)
Airports:152 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 93 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 27 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 59 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 43 (2002)
Heliports: 7 (2002)
Military Spain
Military branches:Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police,Coastal Civil Guard
Military manpower - military age:20 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 10,524,715 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 8,391,612 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 255,826 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$8.6 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:1.15% (2002)
Transnational Issues Spain
Disputes - international:Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against"total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain andUK to change 300-year rule over colony; Morocco protests Spain'scontrol over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon deVelez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and IslasChafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco also rejected Spain'sunilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in2002 to set limits to undersea resource exploration and refugeeinterdiction; Morocco allowed Spanish fishermen to fish temporarilyoff the coast of Western Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanishfishing grounds; Portugal has periodically reasserted claims toterritories around the town of Olivenza, Spain
Illicit drugs:key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and NorthAfrican hashish entering the European market; destination and minortransshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Spratly Islands
Introduction Spratly Islands
Background:The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands orreefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentiallyby gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety byChina, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysiaand the Philippines. About 50 islands are occupied by China (about450 soldiers), Malaysia (70-90), the Philippines (about 100), andVietnam (about 1,500). Brunei is a claimant but has no outposts.
Geography Spratly Islands
Location:Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South ChinaSea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to thesouthern Philippines
Geographic coordinates:8 38 N, 111 55 E
Map references:Southeast Asia
Area:total: less than 5 sq kmnote: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mountsscattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central SouthChina Seawater: 0 sq kmland: less than 5 sq km
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% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs andshoals
Environment - current issues:NA
Geography - note:strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in thecentral South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls,shoals, and coral reefs
People Spratly Islands
Population:no indigenous inhabitantsnote: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of severalclaimant states (July 2003 est.)
Government Spratly Islands
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Economy Spratly Islands
Economy - overview:Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximityto nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests thepotential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largelyunexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potentialreserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Transportation Spratly Islands
Waterways:none
Ports and harbors:none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:3 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 1914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 2914 to 1,523 m: 1under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Military Spratly Islands
Military - note:Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, ofwhich about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues Spratly Islands
Disputes - international:all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, andVietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines;in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone thatencompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has notpublicly claimed the island; claimants in November 2002 signed the"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", amechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding"code of conduct"
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Sri Lanka
Introduction Sri Lanka
Background:The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C.,probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning inabout the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developedat the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14thcentury, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north andestablished a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16thcentury and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was cededto the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and wasunited under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independentin 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions betweenthe Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence inthe mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war thatcontinues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the governmentand Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began a ceasefire in December2001, with Norway brokering peace negotiations.
Geography Sri Lanka
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 kmwater: 870 sq kmland: 64,740 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:1,340 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwestmonsoon (June to October)
Terrain:mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-centralinterior
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 mhighest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Natural resources:limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay,hydropower
Land use:arable land: 13.43%permanent crops: 15.78%other: 70.79% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:6,510 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Environment - current issues:deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened bypoaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from miningactivities and increased pollution; freshwater resources beingpolluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; airpollution in Colombo
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of theSea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
People Sri Lanka
Population:19,742,439 (2003 est.)note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government andarmed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousandTamil civilians have fled the island; as of yearend 2000,approximately 65,000 were housed in 131 refugee camps in southIndia, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 25.2% (male 2,543,336; female 2,431,223)15-64 years: 67.9% (male 6,518,145; female 6,890,424)65 years and over: 6.9% (male 641,708; female 717,603) (2003 est.)
Median age:total: 28.7 yearsmale: 27.7 yearsfemale: 29.7 years (2002)
Population growth rate:0.83% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:16.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:6.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:-1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 15.22 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)male: 16.45 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 72.62 yearsmale: 70.09 yearsfemale: 75.29 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:4,800 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:250 (2001 est.)
Nationality:noun: Sri Lankan(s)adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups:Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Religions:Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)
Languages:Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (nationallanguage) 18%, other 8%note: English is commonly used in government and is spokencompetently by about 10% of the population
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 92.3%male: 94.8%female: 90% (2003 est.)
Government Sri Lanka
Country name:conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lankaconventional short form: Sri Lankaformer: Serendib, Ceylon
Government type:republic
Capital:Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital
Administrative divisions:8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western,Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note - North Eastern provincemay have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern
Independence:4 February 1948 (from UK)
National holiday:Independence 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 compulsoryICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December2001) is the prime minister; the president is considered both thechief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA(since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9December 2001) is the prime minister; the president is consideredboth the chief of state and head of governmentcabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with theprime ministerelections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;election last held 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December2005)election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelectedpresident; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA)51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%
Legislative branch:unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular voteon the basis of a modified proportional representation system bydistrict to serve six-year terms)elections: last held 7 December 2001 (next to be held NA December2007)election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance -UNP, SLMC and CWC 46.8%, PA and EPDP 38%, JVP 9.1%, TNA 3.89%, PLOTE0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114,PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, TNA 15, PLOTE 1
Judicial branch:Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts areappointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon WorkersCongress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D.GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF[Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP[Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Frontor EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP[Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF];People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA];People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leaderNA]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; Sri Lanka FreedomParty or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka MuslimCongress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF[P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO[SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [Nadarajah RAVIRAJ];Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [R. SAMPATHAN]; UnitedNational Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Upcountry People'sFront or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslimparties, represented in either Parliament or provincial councils
Political pressure groups and leaders:Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam orLTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for aseparate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as theNational Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
International organization participation:AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Devinda R. SUBASINGHE consulate(s): New York consulate(s) general: Los Angeles FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028) chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador E. Ashley WILLSembassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombotelephone: [94] (1) 448007FAX: [94] (1) 437345
Flag description:yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equalvertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel isa large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, andthere is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appearsas a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
Economy Sri Lanka
Economy - overview:In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its importsubstitution trade policy for market-oriented policies andexport-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are foodprocessing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages,telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996 plantationcrops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), whiletextiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an averageannual rate of 5.5% in the early 1990s until a drought and adeteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. Theeconomy rebounded in 1997-2000 with average growth of 5.3%, but 2001saw the first contraction in the country's history, -1.4%, due to acombination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, theglobal slowdown, and continuing civil strife. Growth recovered to3.2% in 2002. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in theMiddle East. They send home about $1 billion a year.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $73.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:3.2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20% industry: 26% services: 54% (2001)
Population below poverty line: 22% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 28% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:34.4 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):9.6% (2002 est.)
Labor force:6.6 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation:services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:8% (2002)
Budget:revenues: $2.8 billionexpenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(2001 est.)
Industries:rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agriculturalcommodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate:1.1% (2002)
Electricity - production:6.36 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 51.7% hydro: 48.3% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:5.915 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:75,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Exports: $4.6 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities: textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products
Exports - partners:US 39.1%, UK 12.9%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4.5% (2002)
Imports:$5.4 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities:textiles, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery andequipment
Imports - partners:India 11%, Hong Kong 7.6%, Singapore 7.1%, China 6.3%, Taiwan 5.9%,South Korea 5.7%, Japan 5.3%, Iran 4.2% (2002)
Debt - external:$9.8 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:$577 million (1998)
Currency:Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Currency code:LKR
Exchange rates:Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 95.66 (2002), 89.38 (2001), 77.01(2000), 70.64 (1999), 64.45 (1998)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Sri Lanka
Telephones - main lines in use:494,509 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular:228,604 (1999)
Telephone system:general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularlyin rural areas; likely improvement with privatization of nationaltelephone company and encouragement to private investment; goodinternational service (1999)domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digitalmicrowave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo areaand two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competitionis strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains lowat 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satelliteearth 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 country code:.lk
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):5 (2000)
Internet users:121,500 (2001)
Transportation Sri Lanka
Railways:total: 1,508 kmbroad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gaugenarrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Highways:total: 96,695 kmpaved: 91,860 kmunpaved: 4,835 km (1999)
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: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 62,157 GRT/84,898 DWTships by type: cargo 13, container 1, petroleum tanker 1note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag ofconvenience: Germany 9, Hong Kong 1, UAE 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:15 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 1under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Military Sri Lanka
Military branches:Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Military manpower - military age:18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 5,383,661 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 4,172,921 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 186,691 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$719 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:4.2% (FY98)
Transnational Issues Sri Lanka
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Sudan
Introduction Sudan
Background:Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments havedominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956.Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war for all but 10 years of thisperiod (1972-82). The wars are rooted in northern economic,political, and social domination of non-Muslim, non-Arab southernSudanese. Since 1983, the war and war- and famine-related effectshave led to more than 2 million deaths and over 4 million peopledisplaced. The ruling regime is a mixture of military elite and anIslamist party that came to power in a 1989 coup. Some northernopposition parties have made common cause with the southern rebelsand entered the war as a part of an anti-government alliance. Peacetalks gained momentum in 2002-03 with the signing of severalaccords, including a cease-fire agreement.
Geography Sudan
Location:Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Geographic coordinates:15 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 2,505,810 sq kmwater: 129,810 sq kmland: 2.376 million sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Land boundaries:total: 7,687 kmborder countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km,Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
Coastline:853 km
Maritime claims:contiguous zone: 18 NMcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationterritorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies byregion (April to November)
Terrain:generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Red Sea 0 mhighest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Natural resources:petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc,tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 7.03% permanent crops: 0.08% other: 92.89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:19,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Environment - current issues:inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populationsthreatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification;periodic drought
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protectionsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
People Sudan
Population:38,114,160 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 44% (male 8,562,412; female 8,195,201)15-64 years: 53.8% (male 10,260,581; female 10,246,045)65 years and over: 2.2% (male 468,898; female 381,023) (2003 est.)
Median age:total: 17.7 yearsmale: 17.5 yearsfemale: 17.9 years (2002)
Population growth rate:2.71% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:36.48 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:9.59 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 65.59 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 64.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)male: 66.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 57.73 yearsmale: 56.59 yearsfemale: 58.93 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:5.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:2.6% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:450,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:23,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)adjective: Sudanese
Ethnic groups:black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions:Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5%(mostly in south and Khartoum)
Languages:Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic,Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, Englishnote: program of "Arabization" in process
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 61.1%male: 71.8%female: 50.5% (2003 est.)
Government Sudan
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of the Sudanconventional short form: Sudanlocal short form: As-Sudanlocal long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudanformer: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Government type:authoritarian regime - ruling military junta took power in 1989;government is run by an alliance of the military and the NationalCongress Party (NCP), formerly the National Islamic Front (NIF),which espouses an Islamist platform
Capital:Khartoum
Administrative divisions:26 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil, Al Bahr alAhmar, Al Buhayrat, Al Jazirah, Al Khartum, Al Qadarif, Al Wahdah,An Nil al Abyad, An Nil al Azraq, Ash Shamaliyah, Bahr al Jabal,Gharb al Istiwa'iyah, Gharb Bahr al Ghazal, Gharb Darfur, GharbKurdufan, Janub Darfur, Janub Kurdufan, Junqali, Kassala, Nahr anNil, Shamal Bahr al Ghazal, Shamal Darfur, Shamal Kurdufan, Sharq alIstiwa'iyah, Sinnar, Warab
Independence:1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
National holiday:Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Constitution:12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interimconstitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partiallysuspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR
Legal system:based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991,the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law inthe northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of thenorthern states regardless of their religion; some separatereligious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, withreservations
Suffrage:17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
Executive branch:chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman MuhammadTAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR(since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief ofstate and head of governmentelections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;election last held 13-23 December 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)note: Lt. Gen. al-BASHIR assumed supreme executive power in 1989 andretained it through several transitional governments in the earlyand mid-1990s before being popularly elected for the first time inMarch 1996election results: Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelectedpresident; percent of vote - Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%,Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received acombined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popularopposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack ofguarantees for a free and fair electioncabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - theNational Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Frontor NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinethead of government: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman MuhammadTAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR(since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief ofstate and head of government
Legislative branch:unicameral National Assembly (360 seats; 270 popularly elected, 90elected by supra assembly of interest groups known as NationalCongress; members serve four-year terms)elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held NADecember 2004)note: on 12 December 1999, BASHIR dismissed the National Assemblyduring an internal power struggle between the president and thespeaker of the National Assembly Hassan al-TURABIelection results: NCP 355, others 5
Judicial branch:Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts
Political parties and leaders:the government allows political "associations" under a 1998 lawrevised in 2000; to obtain government approval parties must acceptthe constitution and refrain from advocating or using violenceagainst the regime; approved parties include the National CongressParty or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR], Popular National Congress or PNC[Hassan al-TURABI], and over 20 minor, pro-government parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:Democratic Unionist Party [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI]; NationalCongress Party [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR]; National Democratic Alliance[Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI, chairman]; Sudan People's LiberationMovement/Army [Dr. John GARANG]; Umma [Sadiq al-MAHDI]
International organization participation:ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC,OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCO, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affairs, Ad InterimKhidir Haroun AHMED (since April 2001)telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:US Embassy in Khartoum is located on Sharia Abdul Latif Avenue;mailing address - P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829; telephone -[249] (11) 774611 or 774700; FAX - [249] (11) 774137
Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with agreen isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
Economy Sudan
Economy - overview:Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economicpolicies and infrastructure investments, but it still facesformidable economic problems, notably the low level of per capitaoutput. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMFmacroeconomic reforms. In 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil andin the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which,along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate.Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expandedexport processing zones helped maintain GDP growth at 5.1% in 2002.Agriculture production remains Sudan's most important sector,employing 80% of the work force and contributing 43% of GDP, butmost farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Chronicdomestic instability, lagging reforms, adverse weather, and weakworld agricultural prices - but, above all, the low starting point -ensure that much of the population will remain at or below thepoverty line for years.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $52.9 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 43%industry: 17%services: 40% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):9.2% (2002 est.)
Labor force:11 million (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:18.7% (2002 est.)
Budget:revenues: $1.6 billionexpenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(2001 est.)
Industries:oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soapdistilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments,automobile/light truck assembly
Industrial production growth rate:8.5% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production:2.389 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.1% hydro: 47.9% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:2.222 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:209,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:50,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:631.5 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - proved reserves:99.11 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic,sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweetpotatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock
Exports:$1.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts,gum arabic, sugar
Exports - partners:China 55.7%, Japan 14%, Saudi Arabia 4.9% (2002)
Imports:$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment,medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
Imports - partners:China 19.7%, Saudi Arabia 7.4%, Germany 5.5%, India 5.5%, UK 5.4%,Indonesia 4.7%, Australia 4% (2002)
Debt - external:$15.8 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$187 million (1997)
Currency:Sudanese dinar (SDD)
Currency code:SDD
Exchange rates:Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001), 257.12(2000), 252.55 (1999), 200.8 (1998)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Sudan
Telephones - main lines in use:400,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular:20,000 (2000)
Telephone system:general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regionalstandards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in1996 and have expanded substantiallydomestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephonecommunications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellitesystem with 14 earth stationsinternational: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (AtlanticOcean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:7.55 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:3 (1997)
Televisions:2.38 million (1997)
Internet country code:.sd
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):2 (2002)
Internet users:56,000 (2002)
Transportation Sudan
Railways:total: 5,978 kmnarrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gaugeplantation line (2002)
Highways:total: 11,900 kmpaved: 4,320 kmunpaved: 7,580 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:5,310 km
Pipelines:gas 156 km; oil 2,297 km; refined products 810 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin
Merchant marine:total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 29,854 GRT/39,084 DWTships by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1, roll on/roll off 2(2002 est.)
Airports:63 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 12over 3,047 m: 12,438 to 3,047 m: 81,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 51under 914 m: 10 (2002)1,524 to 2,437 m: 17914 to 1,523 m: 24
Heliports:2 (2002)
Military Sudan
Military branches:Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force Militia
Military manpower - military age:18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 9,032,834 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 5,558,462 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 429,334 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$581 million (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.5% (1999)
Transnational Issues Sudan
Disputes - international:the north-south civil war has drawn Sudan's neighbors into thefighting, sheltering refugees, and infiltration by rebel groups -Kenya and Uganda have acted as mediators; Sudan accuses Eritrea ofsupporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porousboundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan;Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan,creating the "Ilemi triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims toadminister the triangular areas that extend north and south of the1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawntheir military presence; Egypt is economically developing the"Hala'ib triangle"
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Suriname
Introduction Suriname
Background:Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five yearslater the civilian government was replaced by a military regime thatsoon declared a socialist republic. It continued to rule through asuccession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, wheninternational pressure finally forced a democratic election. In1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but ademocratically-elected government returned to power in 1991.
Geography Suriname
Location:Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, betweenFrench Guiana and Guyana
Geographic coordinates:4 00 N, 56 00 W
Map references:South America
Area:total: 163,270 sq kmland: 161,470 sq kmwater: 1,800 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: total: 1,707 km border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Elevation extremes:lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 mhighest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m
Natural resources:timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and smallamounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
Land use:arable land: 0.37%permanent crops: 0.06%note: there are 95,000 hectares of arable land, 7,000 hectares ofpermanent crops, and 15,000 hectares of permanent pastures (1998est.)other: 99.57%
Irrigated land:490 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues: deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, OzoneLayer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:smallest independent country on South American continent; mostlytropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, forthe most part, is increasingly threatened by new development;relatively small population, mostly along the coast
People Suriname
Population:435,449 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 30.7% (male 68,536; female 65,165)15-64 years: 63.3% (male 141,048; female 134,699)65 years and over: 6% (male 11,686; female 14,315) (2003 est.)
Median age:total: 25.5 yearsmale: 25.1 yearsfemale: 26 years (2002)
Population growth rate:0.37% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:19.4 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:-8.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 24.74 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 20.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)male: 28.93 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 69.23 yearsmale: 66.79 yearsfemale: 71.78 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:1.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:3,700 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:330 (2001 est.)
Nationality:noun: Surinamer(s)adjective: Surinamese
Ethnic groups:Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestorsemigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19thcentury) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%,"Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country inthe 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior)10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Religions:Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2%(predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%
Languages:Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo(Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language ofCreoles and much of the younger population and is lingua francaamong others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 93%male: 95%female: 91% (1995 est.)
Government Suriname
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Surinameconventional short form: Surinamelocal short form: Surinameformer: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guianalocal long form: Republiek Suriname
Government type:constitutional democracy
Capital:Paramaribo
Administrative divisions:10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo,Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo,Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
Independence:25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)
National holiday:Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution:ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system:based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12 August2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernmenthead of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12August 2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state andhead of governmentcabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president from amongthe members of the National Assemblyelections: president and vice president elected by the NationalAssembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidatereceives a constitutional majority in the National Assembly aftertwo votes, by the larger People's Assembly (869 representatives fromthe national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms;election last held 6 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN elected president by theNational Assembly; percent of legislative vote - Runaldo RonaldVENETIAAN 72.5%; Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP) 19.6%; total votes cast -Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (New Front) 37 votes, Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP)10 votesnote: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to thecall for elections a year early
Legislative branch:unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats;members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -NF 33, MC 10, DNP 2000 3, DA '91 2, PVF 2, PALU 1note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to thecall for elections a year earlyelections: last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)
Judicial branch:Court of Justice (justices are nominated for life)
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Alternative '91 or DA '91 (a coalition of theAlternative Forum or AF and Party for Brotherhood and Unity inPolitics or BEP, formed in January 1991) [Winston JESSURUN];Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP 2000 (coalition of twoparties, Democratic Party and Democrats of the 21st Century) [JulesWIJDENBOSCH]; Independent Progressive Democratic Alternative or OPDA[Joginder RAMKHILAWAN]; Millennium Combination or MC (a coalition ofthree parties, Democratic Alternative, Party for National Unity andSolidarity, and National Democratic Party) [leader NA]; NationalDemocratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; Naya Kadam or NK [leaderNA]; Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN]; Partyof National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA]; PertjajaLuhur [Paul SOMOHARDJO]; Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers'Union or PALU [Ir Iwan KROLIS]; The New Front or NF (a coalition offour parties Suriname National Party or NPS, Progressive ReformParty or VHP, Suriname Labor Party or SPA, and Pertjaja Luhur)[Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN]; The Progressive Development Alliance (acombination of three parties, Renewed Progressive Party or HPP,Party of the Federation of Land Workers or PVF, and SurinameProgressive People's Party or PSV) [Harry KISOENSINGH]
Political pressure groups and leaders:General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [RonnieBRUNSWIJK]; Mandela Bushnegro Liberation Movement [Leendert ADAMS];Tucayana Amazonica [Alex JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO]; Union forLiberation and Democracy [Kofi AFONGPONG]
International organization participation:ACP, Caricom, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDB,IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS,OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henry Lothar ILLES FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878 consulate(s) general: Miami telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488 chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008