Fiscal year:NA
Communications Somalia
Telephones - main lines in use:100,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:500,000 (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almostcompletely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;private wireless companies offer service in most major cities andcharge the lowest international rates on the continentdomestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established inMogadishu and in several other population centersinternational: country code - 252; international connections areavailable from Mogadishu by satellite
Radio broadcast stations:AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM inSomaliland (2001)
Radios:470,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:4; note - two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)
Televisions:135,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.so
Internet hosts:3 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000)
Internet users:90,000 (2005)
Transportation Somalia
Airports: 65 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 58 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 6 (2006)
Roadways:total: 22,100 kmpaved: 2,608 kmunpaved: 19,492 km (1999)
Merchant marine:total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,659 GRT/2,540 DWTby type: cargo 1foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu
Military Somalia
Military branches:a Somali National Army was attempted under the interim government;numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and theSomaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their ownsecurity and police forces
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age (est.) (2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 1,787,727females age 18-49: 1,714,792 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 1,022,360females age 18-49: 1,038,697 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$22.34 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:0.9% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Somalia
Disputes - international:"Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to landlockedEthiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states;"Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek support fromneighboring states in their secessionist aspirations and inconflicts with each other; Ethiopia has only an administrative linewith the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains allianceswith local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Somali InterimGovernment, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to Mogadishu;rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodicallyspills over into Kenya
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 400,000 (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition forresources) 5,000 (26 December 2004 tsunami) (2005)
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@South Africa
Introduction South Africa
Background:After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, manyof the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their ownrepublics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurredwealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the nativeinhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but weredefeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of SouthAfrica operated under a policy of apartheid - the separatedevelopment of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheidpolitically and ushered in black majority rule.
Geography South Africa
Location:Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Geographic coordinates:29 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 1,219,912 sq kmland: 1,219,912 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmnote: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and PrinceEdward Island)
Area - comparative:slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:total: 4,862 kmborder countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline:2,798 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate:mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, coolnights
Terrain:vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastalplain
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest 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: 12.1%permanent crops: 0.79%other: 87.11% (2005)
Irrigated land:14,980 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:prolonged droughts
Environment - current issues:lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive waterconservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacingsupply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urbandischarge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion;desertification
Environment - international agreements:party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine LivingResources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, ClimateChange, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, MarineLife Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completelysurrounds Swaziland
People South Africa
Population:44,187,637note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lowerpopulation and growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 29.7% (male 6,603,220/female 6,525,810)15-64 years: 65% (male 13,955,950/female 14,766,843)65 years and over: 5.3% (male 905,870/female 1,429,944) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 24.1 yearsmale: 23.3 yearsfemale: 25 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:-0.4% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:18.2 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 populationnote: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africaand Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.02 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 60.66 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 64.31 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 56.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 42.73 yearsmale: 43.25 yearsfemale: 42.19 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:21.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:5.3 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:370,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: South African(s)adjective: South African
Ethnic groups:black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5%(2001 census)
Religions:Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%,Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001census)
Languages:IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%,English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2%(2001 census)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 86.4%male: 87%female: 85.7% (2003 est.)
Government South Africa
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of South Africaconventional short form: South Africaformer: Union of South Africaabbreviation: RSA
Government type:republic
Capital:name: Pretoria (administrative capital)geographic coordinates: 29 12 S, 28 10 Etime difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicialcapital)
Administrative divisions:9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal,Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape
Independence:31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in1961 following an October 1960 referendum
National holiday:Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution:10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by theConstitutional 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
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernmenthead of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernmentcabinet: Cabinet appointed by the presidentelections: president elected by the National Assembly for afive-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24April 2004 (next to be held April 2009)election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of NationalAssembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system ofproportional representation to serve five-year terms) and theNational Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by eachof the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has specialpowers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding ofcultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note -following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February1997, the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the NationalCouncil of Provinces with essentially no change in membership andparty affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilitieshave been changed somewhat by the new constitutionelections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces -last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%;seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%;seats by party - NA
Judicial branch:Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts;Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders:African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE,president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI,president]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Anthony LEON] (formed fromthe merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance orFA); Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president];Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; NewNational Party or NNP; United Democratic Movement or UDM [BantuHOLOMISA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI,general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [BladeNZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National CivicsOrganization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note- COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC
International organization participation:ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB,OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELAchancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Jendayi E. FRAZERembassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoriamailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag description:two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated bya central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms ofwhich end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a blackisosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrowyellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the greenband and its arms by narrow white stripes
Economy South Africa
Economy - overview:South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundantsupply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal,communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange thatranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructuresupporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centersthroughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough tolower South Africa's high unemployment rate, and daunting economicproblems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty and lackof economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. SouthAfrican economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic,focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means toincrease job growth and household income.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$540.8 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$187.3 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$12,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.5% industry: 30.3% services: 67.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 15.23 million economically active (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30% industry: 25% services: 45% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:26.6% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:50% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:59.3 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):4% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):16.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $65.91 billionexpenditures: $70.62 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Public debt:35.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton,wool, dairy products
Industries:mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium),automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron andsteel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:3.6% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:215.9 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 93.5% hydro: 1.1% nuclear: 5.5% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:197.4 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:10.14 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:6.739 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:216,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:484,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:7.84 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:2.35 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:2.35 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:28.32 million cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-11.08 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$50.91 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery andequipment
Exports - partners:UK 11.1%, US 9.1%, Japan 8.3%, Germany 6.3%, China 5.2%, Italy 4.5%(2005)
Imports:$52.97 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientificinstruments, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Germany 14.9%, US 7%, China 6.9%, UK 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Japan5.9%, Iran 5.8%, France 4.3% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$20.63 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$29.97 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$487.5 million (2000)
Currency (code):rand (ZAR)
Currency code:ZAR
Exchange rates:rand per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003),10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)
Fiscal year:1 April - 31 March
Communications South Africa
Telephones - main lines in use:4.729 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:33.96 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: the system is the best developed and mostmodern in Africadomestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxialcables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; keycenters are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, PortElizabeth, and Pretoriainternational: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satelliteearth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:17 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations:556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:6 million (2000)
Internet country code:.za
Internet hosts:645,179 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):150 (2001)
Internet users:5.1 million (2005)
Transportation South Africa
Airports: 731 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 146 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 67 under 914 m: 13 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 585 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 302 under 914 m: 249 (2006)
Pipelines:condensate 100 km; gas 1,062 km; oil 966 km; refined products 1,354km (2006)
Railways:total: 20,872 kmnarrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,868 km electrified); 436 km0.610-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 362,099 kmpaved: 73,506 kmunpaved: 288,593 km (2002)
Merchant marine:total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,815 GRT/39,295 DWTby type: container 1, petroleum tanker 2foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, UK 5) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay,Saldanha Bay
Military South Africa
Military branches:South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army,South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), JointOperations Command, Joint Support Command, Military Intelligence,Military Health Service (2005)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women have a long history of military service in noncombat roles, dating back to World War I (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 10,354,769females age 18-49: 10,626,550 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 4,927,757females age 18-49: 4,609,071 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 512,407females age 18-49: 506,078 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$3.55 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:1.5% (2005 est.)
Military - note:with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule,former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forceswere integrated into the South African National Defense Force(SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete
Transnational Issues South Africa
Disputes - international:South Africa has placed military along the border to stem thethousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape politicalpersecution; managed dispute with Namibia over the location of theboundary in the Orange River
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 5,774 (Angola) 9,516 (DemocraticRepublic of Congo) 7,118 (Somalia) (2005)
Trafficking in persons:current situation: South Africa is a source, transit, anddestination country for men, women, and children trafficked forforced labor and sexual exploitation; women and girls are traffickedinternally - and occasionally to European and Asian countries - forsexual exploitation; women from other African countries aretrafficked to South Africa and, less frequently, onward to Europefor sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked fromneighboring countries for forced agricultural labor; Asian andEastern European women are trafficked to South Africa fordebt-bonded sexual exploitationtier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - South Africa is placed on the Tier2 Watch List for its failure to show increasing efforts to addresstrafficking in 2005
Illicit drugs:transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and cocaine;cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicitmethaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through variouseast African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana; attractivevenue for money launderers given the increasing level of organizedcriminal and narcotics activity in the region
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@Southern Ocean
Introduction Southern Ocean
Background:A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that theAntarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flowsfrom west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in globalocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meetand mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinctborder - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with theseasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a uniqueecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, whichpromotes marine plant life, and which in turn allows for a greaterabundance of animal life. In the spring of 2000, the InternationalHydrographic Organization decided to delimit the waters within theConvergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - bycombining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean,and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast ofAntarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides withthe Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the extent of theAntarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourthlargest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean,Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does notimply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primaryoceans by the US Government.
Geography Southern Ocean
Location:body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica
Geographic coordinates:60 00 S, 90 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the uniquedistinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totallyencircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water liesbetween 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica andencompasses 360 degrees of longitude
Map references:Antarctic Region
Area:total: 20.327 million sq kmnote: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the DrakePassage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, andother 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 Celsius to -2 degreesCelsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent andfrequently are intense because of the temperature contrast betweenice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south tothe Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhereon Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees southlatitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in theAtlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degreesCelsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage windsfrom 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 itsextent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarcticcontinental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edgelying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million squarekilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; theAntarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) movesperpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100times the flow of all the world's rivers
Elevation extremes:lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South SandwichTrenchhighest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on thecontinental 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; smallerbergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 meterthick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with largeannual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored byglacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds andlarge 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 Antarcticozone 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 morePatagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely toaffect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidentalmortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfishnote: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strongcomeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries
Environment - international agreements:the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreementsregarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to theseagreements specific to the Antarctic region: International WhalingCommission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south[south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degreeswest]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limitssealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine LivingResources (regulates fishing)note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resourceexploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front(Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the AntarcticCircumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the verycold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to thenorth
Geography - note:the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America andAntarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the bestnatural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; itis a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic CircumpolarCurrent that separates the very cold polar surface waters to thesouth from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Currentextend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degreessouth near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far SouthAtlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds
Economy Southern Ocean
Economy - overview:Fisheries in 2003-04 landed 136,262 metric tons, of which 87%(118,166 tons) was krill and 8% (11,182 tons) Patagonian toothfish,compared to 142,555 tons in 2002-03 of which 83% (117,728 tons) waskrill and 12% (16,479 tons) Patagonian toothfish (estimated fishingfrom the area covered by the Convention of the Conservation ofAntarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightlybeyond the Southern Ocean area). International agreements wereadopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulatedfishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish. In the 2004-05Antarctic summer 28,202 tourists, most of them seaborne(approximately 97%), visited the Southern Ocean and Antarctica,compared to 14,762 in 1999-2000.
Transportation Southern Ocean
Ports and terminals:McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarcticanote: few ports or harbors exist on southern side of Southern Ocean;ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; eventhen some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; mostAntarctic ports are operated by government research stations and,except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or privatevessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subjectto inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers (see Article 7); TheHydrographic Committee on Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographiccommission of International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), isresponsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting mattersin Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and facilitates provisionof accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation insupport of safety of navigation in region; membership of HCA is opento any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to theAntarctic Treaty and which contributes resources and/or data to IHOChart coverage of the area; members of HCA are Argentina, Australia,Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway,Russia, South Africa, Spain, and the UK (2005)
Transportation - note:Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal
Transnational Issues Southern Ocean
Disputes - international:Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), butArgentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assertclaims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in theSouthern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest inextending those continental shelf claims under the United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersearidges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land ormaritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves(the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formalclaims exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and150 degrees west
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@South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Introduction South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Background:The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lieapproximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have beenunder British administration since 1908 - except for a brief periodin 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia,was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorerErnest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fatedattempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 monthslater with a few companions in a small boat and arranged asuccessful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off theAntarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition andis buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists fromthe British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance ofpreserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993,extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around eachisland.
Geography South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Location:Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, eastof the tip of South America
Geographic coordinates:54 30 S, 37 00 W
Map references:Antarctic Region
Area:total: 3,903 sq kmland: 3,903 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmnote: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South GeorgiaIsland, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consistof eleven islands
Area - comparative:slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:NA km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the yearinterspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls assnow
Terrain:most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged andmountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep,glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are ofvolcanic origin with some active volcanoes
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
Natural resources:fish
Land use:arable land: 0%permanent crops: 0%other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with somesparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)
Irrigated land:0 sq km
Natural hazards:the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions thatgenerally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are alsosubject to active volcanism
Environment - current issues:NA
Geography - note:the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, whichprovide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20thcentury, live on South Georgia
People South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Population:no indigenous inhabitantsnote: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of theBritish Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station onBird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2006est.)
Government South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Country name:conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsconventional short form: noneabbreviation: SGSSI
Dependency status:overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina;administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who isconcurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing QueenELIZABETH II; Grytviken - formerly a whaling station on SouthGeorgia - is a scientific base
Legal system:the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistratefrom the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court
Diplomatic representation in the US:none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Diplomatic representation from the US:none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Flag description:blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant andthe South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of armscentered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features ashield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a furseal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appearsabove the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAMPROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)
Economy South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Economy - overview:Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potentialsource of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islandsreceive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale offishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels.Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.
Communications South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Radio broadcast stations:0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:0 (2003)
Internet country code:.gs
Internet hosts:271 (2006)
Transportation South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Ports and terminals:Grytviken
Military South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Disputes - international:Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and brieflyoccupied the islands by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longerseek settlement by force
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Spain
Introduction Spain
Background:Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuriesultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequentfailure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions causedthe country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economicand political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II,but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peacefultransition to democracy following the death of dictator FranciscoFRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined theEU in 1986), have given Spain one of the most dynamic economies inEurope and made it a global champion of freedom. Continuingchallenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism andrelatively high unemployment.
Geography Spain
Location:Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, MediterraneanSea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest ofFrance
Geographic coordinates:40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 504,782 sq kmland: 499,542 sq kmwater: 5,240 sq kmnote: there are 2 autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and CanaryIslands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast ofMorocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velezde la Gomera
Area - comparative:slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries:total: 1,917.8 kmborder 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:territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
Climate:temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudyalong coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy andcool along coast
Terrain:large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;Pyrenees in north
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Natural resources:coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten,mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin,potash, hydropower, arable land
Land use:arable land: 27.18%permanent crops: 9.85%other: 62.97% (2005)
Irrigated land:37,800 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluentsfrom the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality andquantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
People Spain
Population:40,397,842 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 14.4% (male 3,000,686/female 2,821,325)15-64 years: 67.8% (male 13,751,963/female 13,653,426)65 years and over: 17.7% (male 2,993,496/female 4,176,946) (2006est.)
Median age: total: 39.9 years male: 38.6 years female: 41.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.13% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:10.06 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.07 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 3.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 79.65 yearsmale: 76.32 yearsfemale: 83.2 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:140,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups:composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions:Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Languages:Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note -Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languagesare official regionally
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 97.9%male: 98.7%female: 97.2% (2003 est.)
Government Spain
Country name:conventional long form: Kingdom of Spainconventional short form: Spainlocal long form: Reino de Espanalocal short form: Espana
Government type:parliamentary monarchy
Capital:name: Madridgeographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 Wtime difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in Octobernote: Spain is divided into two time zones, including the CanaryIslands
Administrative divisions:17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular -comunidad autonoma)and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas,singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares(Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria,Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana,Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra,Pais Vasco (Basque Country)note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three smallislands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velezde la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish centralgovernment, are all located along the coast of Morocco and arecollectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas deSoberania)
Independence:the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independentkingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8thcentury AD and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christianredoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately,culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completedthe unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally consideredthe forging of present-day Spain
National holiday:National Day, 12 October
Constitution:6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system:civil law system, with regional applications; accepts compulsoryICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); HeirApparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968head of government: President of the Government and Prime MinisterJose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First VicePresident and Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of the Presidency)Maria Teresa FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004) and SecondVice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro SOLBES(since 18 April 2004)cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the presidentnote: there is also a Council of State that is the supremeconsultative organ of the government, but its recommendations arenon-bindingelections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislativeelections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of themajority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch andelected by the National Assembly; election last held 14 March 2004(next to be held March 2008); vice presidents appointed by themonarch on the proposal of the presidentelection results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (PSOE) electedpresident; percent of National Assembly vote - 52.29%
Legislative branch:bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las CortesGenerales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 membersdirectly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by theregional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress ofDeputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members areelected by popular vote on block lists by proportionalrepresentation to serve four-year terms)elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March2008); Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to beheld March 2008)election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 49%, PSOE38.9%, Entesa Catalona de Progress 5.7%, CiU 1.99%, PNV 2.8%, CC1.4%; seats by party - PP 102, PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress12, CiU 4, PNV 6, CC 3; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote byparty - PSOE 43.3%, PP 37.8%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU 3.2%,CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU 10, ERC 8, PNV 7, IU2, CC 3, other 8
Judicial branch:Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders:Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Josu Jon IMAZ]; Canarian Coalitionor CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO Baute];Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a coalition ofthe Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro]and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN yLLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition groupingfour Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA); Galician NationalistBloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA]; Party of Independents fromLanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [MarianoRAJOY]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Joan PuigcercosBOIXASSA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose LuisRODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of partiesincluding the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES]
Political pressure groups and leaders:business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free laborunions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union ofWorkers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union orUSO; university students; Trade Union Confederation of Workers'Commissions or CC.OO.; Nunca Mas (Galician for "Never Again"; formedin response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill)
International organization participation:AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI(observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNRWA,UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos WESTENDORPchancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo AGUIRRE, Jr.embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madridmailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303consulate(s) general: Barcelona
Flag description:three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and redwith 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 ofHercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) oneither side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
Economy Spain
Economy - overview:The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging fivepercent annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994.Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capitabasis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. Thecenter-right government of former President AZNAR successfullyworked to gain admission to the first group of countries launchingthe European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNARadministration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization,and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms tothat end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administrationbut remains high at 10.1%. Growth of 2.5% in 2003, 2.6% in 2004, and3.4% in 2005 was satisfactory given the background of a falteringEuropean economy. The socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, hasinitiated economic and social reforms that are generally popularamong the masses of people, but that are anathema to religious andother conservative elements. Adjusting to the monetary and othereconomic policies of an integrated Europe, reducing unemployment,and absorbing widespread social changes will pose challenges toSpain over the next few years.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$1.033 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$1.019 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:3.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$25,600 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 29.5% services: 66.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 20.67 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 5.3% industry: 30.1% services: 64.6% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:9.2% (2005 est.)