Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:32.5 (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):3.4% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):29.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $440.9 billionexpenditures: $448.4 billion; including capital expenditures of$12.8 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:42.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef,pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Industries:textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages,metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles,machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear,pharmaceuticals, medical equipment
Industrial production growth rate:0.7% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:247.3 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 50.4% hydro: 18.2% nuclear: 27.2% other: 4.1% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:231.2 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:7.5 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:8.7 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:24,540 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:1.544 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:135,100 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:1.582 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:10.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:216 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:23.27 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:17.26 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:2.662 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-83.14 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$194.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines,other consumer goods
Exports - partners:France 19.4%, Germany 11.4%, Portugal 9.5%, UK 8.5%, Italy 8.4%(2005)
Imports:$271.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods,foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments
Imports - partners:Germany 15%, France 14.5%, Italy 8.5%, UK 5.8%, Netherlands 4.9%,China 4.3% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$17.23 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$970.7 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $1.33 billion (1999)
Currency (code):euro (EUR)note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced theeuro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutionsof member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the solecurrency for everyday transactions with the member countries
Currency code:EUR
Exchange rates:euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Spain
Telephones - main lines in use:18.322 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:41.328 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities;teledensity is 45 main lines for each 100 personsdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 IndianOcean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations:AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:13.1 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters) note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)
Televisions:16.2 million (1997)
Internet country code:.es
Internet hosts:2,520,711 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):56 (2000)
Internet users:19,204,771 (2006)
Transportation Spain
Airports: 157 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 96 over 3,047 m: 16 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 26 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 61 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 44 (2006)
Heliports:8 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 7,962 km; oil 622 km; refined products 3,447 km (2006)
Railways:total: 14,873 kmbroad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,928 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways:total: 666,292 kmpaved: 659,629 km (including 12,009 km of expressways)unpaved: 6,663 km (2003)
Waterways:1,000 km (2003)
Merchant marine:total: 169 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,902,839 GRT/1,874,161 DWTby type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 13, chemical tanker 14, container 27,liquefied gas 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 49, petroleum tanker15, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 2,vehicle carrier 5foreign-owned: 36 (Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 12, Italy 2, Mexico 3,Norway 7, UK 1, Uruguay 2, US 7)registered in other countries: 112 (Bahamas 12, Belize 3, Brazil 4,Cambodia 1, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7, Italy 1, Malta 6,Marshall Islands 3, Nigeria 1, Panama 53, Portugal 15, Saint Kittsand Nevis 2, UK 1, Venezuela 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna,Tarragona, Valencia
Military Spain
Military branches:Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy(Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force(Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2006)
Military service age and obligation:20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 20-49: 9,366,588females age 20-49: 9,155,057 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 20-49: 7,623,356females age 20-49: 7,434,465 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 233,384females age 20-49: 221,805 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$9,906.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:1.2% (2003)
Transnational Issues Spain
Disputes - international:in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum toremain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty"arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UKand Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greaterautonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclavesof Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera,Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters;Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migrationinto Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanishsovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference ofinterpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty ofBadajoz
Illicit drugs:key European gateway country and consumer for Latin Americancocaine and North African hashish entering the European market;destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asianheroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics traffickingorganizations and organized crime
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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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 45 islands are occupied by relativelysmall numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishingzone that overlaps a southern reef, but has not made any formalclaim.
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 kmland: less than 5 sq kmwater: 0 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 Sea
Area - comparative:NA
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:926 km
Maritime claims:NA
Climate:tropical
Terrain:flat
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:0 sq km
Natural hazards:typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard
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 (2004)
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. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves.Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Transportation Spratly Islands
Airports: 3 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 1914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Ports and terminals:none; offshore anchorage only
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 reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,"which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "codeof conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, thePhilippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marineseismic activities in the Spratly Islands
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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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 circaA.D. 1000) 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 into war in1983. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic conflict thatcontinues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the governmentand Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam formalized a cease-fire inFebruary 2002, 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 kmland: 64,740 sq kmwater: 870 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:1,340 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 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: 13.96%permanent crops: 15.24%other: 70.8% (2005)
Irrigated land:7,430 sq km (2003)
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, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone LayerProtection, Ship Pollution, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
People Sri Lanka
Population:20,222,240note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government andarmed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousandTamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamilshave sought refuge in the West (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 24.1% (male 2,488,689/female 2,379,233)15-64 years: 68.6% (male 6,727,399/female 7,140,751)65 years and over: 7.3% (male 687,842/female 798,326) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 29.8 yearsmale: 28.7 yearsfemale: 30.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.78% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:15.51 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:6.52 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 73.41 yearsmale: 70.83 yearsfemale: 76.12 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.84 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:3,500 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Sri Lankan(s)adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups:Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, SriLankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 censusprovisional data)
Religions:Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%,unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
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 Lankalocal long form: Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya diJanarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachulocal short form: Shri Lamka/Ilankaiformer: Serendib, Ceylon
Government type:republic
Capital:name: Colombogeographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 Etime difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
Administrative divisions:8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western,Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Westernnote: in 1998 the Government of Sri Lanka proposed a merger of theformer Northern and Eastern provinces; while this merger was neverratified, the Government treats North Eastern Province as a de factosingular administrative unit
Independence:4 February 1948 (from UK)
National holiday:Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Constitution:adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 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 Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19 November2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernment; Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE (since 21 November 2005) holdsthe ceremonial title of prime ministerhead of government: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19 November2005)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with theprime ministerelections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term(eligible for a second term); election last held 17 November 2005(next to be held 2011)election results: Mahinda RAJAPAKSE elected president; percent ofvote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSE 50.3%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 48.4%, other1.3%
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 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010)election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance -SLFP and JVP (no longer in formal UPFA alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.83%,TNA 6.84%, JHU 5.97%, SLMC 2.02%, UPF 0.54%, EPDP 0.27%, others0.93%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, UNP dissident 1,TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, JHU dissidents 2, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4,Communist Party 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 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 Perumuna or JVP[Somawansa AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP; MahajanaEksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D. GUNAWARDENE];National Heritage Party or JHU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; National UnityAlliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation Organizationof Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sihala Urumaya or SU; SriLanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA];Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri LankaProgressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam LiberationOrganization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA[R. SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V.ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [RanilWICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P.CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties,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, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS(observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard GOONETILLEKE chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028) FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Robert O. BLAKE, Jr.embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombotelephone: [94] (11) 249-8500FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345
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. In 2003, plantationcrops made up only 15% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), whiletextiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an averageannual rate of about 5.5% in the 1990s, but 2001 saw the firstcontraction in the country's history, by 1.4%, due to a combinationof power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown,and continuing civil strife. Growth recovered to 5% between 2002 and2005. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in the Middle East.They send home about $1 billion a year. The struggle by the TamilTigers of the north and east for a largely independent homelandcontinues to cast a shadow over the economy. In late December 2004,a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left more than 6,300missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an estimated $1.5billion worth of property.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$86.07 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$21.62 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:6% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$4,300 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.8% industry: 27.6% services: 54.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 8.08 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 38% industry: 17% services: 45% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:7.7% (2005 est.)
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):11.6% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):26.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $3.804 billionexpenditures: $5.469 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Public debt:92.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber,coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish
Industries:processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agriculturalcommodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing,textiles; cement, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate:8.2% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:7.308 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 51.7% hydro: 48.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:6.796 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:79,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:$-776 million (2005 est.)
Exports:$6.442 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies;coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish
Exports - partners:US 30.9%, UK 11.6%, India 7.3%, Belgium 4.8%, Germany 4.5% (2005)
Imports:$8.37 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machineryand transportation equipment
Imports - partners:India 19.7%, China 9.9%, Singapore 7.2%, Iran 5.5%, Malaysia 4.6%,Hong Kong 4.5% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$2.737 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$11.05 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$577 million (1998)
Currency (code):Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Currency code:LKR
Exchange rates:Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 100.498 (2005), 101.194 (2004),96.521 (2003), 95.662 (2002), 89.383 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Sri Lanka
Telephones - main lines in use:1.244 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:3.362 million (2005)
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 low(1999)international: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia andDjibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:3.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:21 (1997)
Televisions:1.53 million (1997)
Internet country code:.lk
Internet hosts:6,526 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):5 (2000)
Internet users:280,000 (2005)
Transportation Sri Lanka
Airports: 16 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 2under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Railways:total: 1,449 kmbroad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 97,287 km paved: 78,802 km unpaved: 18,485 km (2003)
Waterways:160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 144,066 GRT/196,418 DWTby type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 17, container 2, petroleum tanker 2foreign-owned: 7 (Germany 5, UAE 2)registered in other countries: 5 (Panama 5) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Colombo, Galle
Military Sri Lanka
Military branches:Sri Lankan Army, Sri Lankan Navy, Sri Lankan Air Force (2006)
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 4,933,217females age 18-49: 5,153,597 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 3,789,627females age 18-49: 4,281,043 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 174,049females age 18-49: 167,201 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$606.2 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.6% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Sri Lanka
Disputes - international: none
Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 353,000 (both Tamils and non-Tamils displaced due to Tamil conflict); 450,000 (resulting from 2004 tsunami) (2005)
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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 was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of theremainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted innorthern economic, political, and social domination of largelynon-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in1972, but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-relatedeffects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and,according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over aperiod of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 withthe signing of several accords; a final Naivasha peace treaty ofJanuary 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years,after which a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. Aseparate conflict that broke out in the western region of Darfur in2003 has resulted in at least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 milliondisplaced; as of late 2005, peacekeeping troops were struggling tostabilize the situation. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxesfrom neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad, and armedconflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of governmentsupport have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarianassistance to affected populations.
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 kmland: 2.376 million sq kmwater: 129,810 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:territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 18 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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: 6.78% permanent crops: 0.17% other: 93.05% (2005)
Irrigated land:18,630 sq km (2003)
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, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, OzoneLayer 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:41,236,378 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 42.7% (male 8,993,483/female 8,614,022)15-64 years: 54.9% (male 11,327,679/female 11,297,798)65 years and over: 2.4% (male 536,754/female 466,642) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 18.3 yearsmale: 18.1 yearsfemale: 18.5 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:2.55% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:34.53 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 1.15 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 61.05 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 61.88 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 60.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 58.92 yearsmale: 57.69 yearsfemale: 60.21 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:4.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:2.3% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:400,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:23,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
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 long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudanlocal short form: As-Sudanformer: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Government type:Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party(NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed apower-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive PeaceAgreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates nationalelections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe.
Capital:name: Khartoumgeographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 Etime difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile),Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat (Lakes), Al Jazirah (ElGezira), Al Khartum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahdah(Unity), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile),Ash Shamaliyah (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Bahr al Jabal), Gharb alIstiwa'iyah (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al Ghazal (Western Bahral Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (SouthernDarfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Junqali (Jonglei),Kassala (Kassala), Nahr an Nil (Nile), Shamal Bahr al Ghazal(Northern Bahr al Ghazal), Shamal Darfur (Northern Darfur), ShamalKurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al Istiwa'iyah (EasternEquatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab (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; under the CPA,Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution ofSouthern Sudan signed December 2005
Legal system:based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20 January 1991,the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Shari'a law inthe northern states; Shari'a law applies to all residents of thenorthern states regardless of their religion; some separatereligious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, withreservations; the southern legal system is still developing underthe CPA following the civil war; Shari'a law will not apply to thesouthern states
Suffrage:17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
Executive branch:chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note- the president is both the chief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note- the president is both the chief of state and head of governmentcabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - theNational Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Frontor NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinetelections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be heldno later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive PeaceAgreementelection results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president;percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afarMuhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combinedvote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popularopposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack ofguarantees for a free and fair electionnote: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's RevolutionaryCommand Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and servedconcurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister,and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointedpresident by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote forthe first time in March 1996
Legislative branch:bi-cameral body comprising the National Assembly and Council ofStates (replaced unicameral National Assembly of 360 seats); pendingelections and National Election Law, the Presidency appointed 450members to the National Assembly according to the provisions of the2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement: 52% NCP; 28% SPLM; 14% otherNortherners; 6% other Southerners; 2 representatives from everystate constitute the Council of States; terms in each chamber arefive years following the first electionselections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2008-2009timeframe)election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointmentsunder the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Judicial branch:Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court;National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National JudicialService Commission will undertake overall management of the NationalJudiciary
Political parties and leaders:political parties in the Government of National Unity include:National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed OMAR]; Sudan People'sLiberation Movement or SPLM [Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and elements ofthe National Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of theDemocratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI] and Umma Party[SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]
Political pressure groups and leaders:Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassanal-TURABI]
International organization participation:ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA,IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA,NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires, AdInterim Khidir HAROUN (since April 2001)chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires CameronHUMEembassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoummailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829telephone: [249] (183) 774701FAX: [249] (183) 774137note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service for Khartoum;consular services are being established in Juba (southern Sudan)
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, starting from its low level of percapita output. 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 sustain GDP growth at 8.6% in 2004.Agricultural production remains Sudan's most important sector,employing 80% of the work force, contributing 39% of GDP, andaccounting for most of GDP growth, but most farms remain rain-fedand susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - resulting from thelong-standing civil war between the Muslim north and theChristian/pagan south, adverse weather, and weak world agriculturalprices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or belowthe poverty line for years.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$85.89 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$22.75 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$2,100 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38.7% industry: 20.3% services: 41% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 7.415 million (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 7% services: 13% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:18.7% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:40% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):9% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):16.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $6.182 billionexpenditures: $5.753 billion; including capital expenditures of $304million (2005 est.)
Public debt:107% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic,sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweetpotatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock
Industries:oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soapdistilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments,automobile/light truck assembly
Industrial production growth rate:8.5% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production:3.165 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.1% hydro: 47.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:2.943 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:401,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:70,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:275,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:1.6 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:84.95 billion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:$-3.013 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$6.989 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts,gum arabic, sugar
Exports - partners:China 71.1%, Japan 12%, Saudi Arabia 2.8% (2005)
Imports:$5.028 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment,medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
Imports - partners:China 20.7%, Saudi Arabia 9.4%, UAE 5.9%, Egypt 5.5%, Japan 5.1%,India 4.8% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$2.45 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$27.34 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$172 million (2001)
Currency (code):Sudanese dinar (SDD)
Currency code:SDD
Exchange rates:Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 243.61 (2005), 257.91 (2004),260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Sudan
Telephones - main lines in use:670,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:1.828 million (2005)
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: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) 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 hosts:16 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):2 (2002)
Internet users:2.8 million (2005)
Transportation Sudan
Airports: 88 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 73 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 17 (2006)
Heliports:1 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 156 km; oil 3,930 km; refined products 1,613 km (2006)
Railways:total: 5,978 kmnarrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge forcotton plantations (2005)
Roadways:total: 11,900 kmpaved: 4,320 kmunpaved: 7,580 km (1999)
Waterways:4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers)(2005)
Merchant marine:total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,326 GRT/14,068 DWTby type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Saudi Arabia 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Port Sudan
Military Sudan
Military branches:Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF): Army, Navy, Air Force,Popular Defense Force
Military service age and obligation:18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscriptservice obligation - three years (August 2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 8,291,695females age 18-49: 8,135,683 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 5,427,474females age 18-49: 5,649,566 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 442,915females age 18-49: 426,320 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$587 million (2001 est.) (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:3% (1999) (2004)
Transnational Issues Sudan
Disputes - international:the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militiafighting since the mid-twentieth century have penetrated all of itsborder states that provide shelter for fleeing refugees and cover todisparate domestic and foreign conflicting elements; since 2003,Janjawid armed militia and Sudanese military have driven about200,000 Darfur region refugees into eastern Chad; large numbers ofSudanese refugees have also fled to Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, theCentral African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo;southern Sudan provides shelter to Ugandans seeking periodicprotection from soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army; Sudanaccuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts todemarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed bycivil and ethnic fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative boundaryextends into the southern Sudan, creating the "Ilemi Triangle";Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer triangular areas thatextend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22ndParallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt iseconomically developing the "Hala'ib Triangle" north of the TreatyLine; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over waterand grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations fromthe Central African Republic along the border