Administrative divisions:
metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden, Midtjylland, Nordjylland, Sjaelland, Syddanmark note: an extensive local government reform merged 271 municipalities into 98 and 13 counties into five regions, effective 1 January 2007
Independence:
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
National holiday:
none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally viewed as the National Day
Constitution:
5 June 1953 constitution allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state
Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born 26 May 1968) head of government: Prime Minister Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN (since 27 November 2001) cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch elections: the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Folketinget (179 seats, including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms unless the Folketinget is dissolved earlier) elections: last held 13 November 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 26.2%, Social Democrats 25.5%, Danish People's Party 13.9%, Socialist People's Party 13.0%, Conservative People's Party 10.4%, Social Liberal Party 5.1%, New Alliance 2.8%, Red-Green Alliance 2.2%, other 0.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 46, Social Democrats 45, Danish People's Party 25, Socialist People's Party 23, Conservative People's Party 18, Social Liberal Party 9, New Alliance 5, Red-Green Alliance 4; note - does not include the two seats from Greenland and the two seats from the Faroe Islands
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch for life)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democrats [Bjarne Hartung KIRKEGAARD] (was ChristianPeople's Party); Conservative Party [Bendt BENDTSEN] (sometimesknown as Conservative People's Party); Danish People's Party [PiaKJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; New Alliance[Naser KHADER]; Red-Green Unity List (Alliance) [collectiveleadership] (bloc includes Left Socialist Party, Communist Party ofDenmark, Socialist Workers' Party); Social Democratic Party [HelleTHORNING-SCHMIDT]; Social Liberal Party [Margrethe VESTAGER];Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Danish Free Press Society (freedom of speech); Danish National Socialist Movement or DNSB [Jonni HANSEN] (neo-Nazi organization) other: human rights groups
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), ArcticCouncil, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA,EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Friis Arne PETERSEN chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300 FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James P. CAIN embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716 telephone: [45] 33 41 71 00 FAX: [45] 35 43 02 23
Flag description:
red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side; the banner is referred to as the Dannebrog (Danish flag) note: the shifted design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
EconomyDenmark
Economy - overview:
The Danish economy has in recent years undergone strong expansion fueled primarily by private consumption growth, but also supported by exports and investments. This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Unemployment is low and capacity constraints are limiting growth potential. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Government objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and further privatization of state assets. The government has been successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), but so far Denmark has decided not to join 15 other EU members in the euro. Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Economic growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn continued through 2007. The controversy over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad printed in a Danish newspaper in September 2005 led to boycotts of some Danish exports to the Muslim world, especially exports of dairy products, but the boycotts did not have a significant impact on the overall Danish economy. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish living standards are among the highest in the world. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$203.3 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$311.9 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.3% industry: 25.7% services: 73% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.86 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3% industry: 21% services: 76% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 24% (2000 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
24 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $170.6 billion expenditures: $156.8 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
26% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of money:
$148.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$81.64 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$684.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish
Industries:
iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products, shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment
Industrial production growth rate:
0.5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
36.99 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
34.68 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
11.38 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
10.43 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 82.7% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 17.3% (2001)
Oil - production:
313,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
190,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
320,000 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports:
164,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.188 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
9.223 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
4.555 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
4.517 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
70.51 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$4.279 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$101.2 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
Exports - partners:
Germany 17.4%, Sweden 14.5%, UK 8%, US 6.1%, Norway 5.7%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.8% (2007)
Imports:
$102 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
Germany 21.6%, Sweden 14.4%, Netherlands 7.1%, Norway 6%, China 5.4%, UK 5.3%, Italy 4.1%, France 4% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $2.236 billion (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$34.32 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external:
$492.6 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$149.7 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$166.6 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$178 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
Danish krone (DKK)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003)
CommunicationsDenmark
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.824 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.243 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph services domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems international: country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 355, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
6.02 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
26 (plus 51 repeaters) (1998)
Televisions:
3.121 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.dk
Internet hosts:
3.642 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (2000)
Internet users:
3.5 million (2007)
TransportationDenmark
Airports:
91 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 28 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 63 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 60 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 11 km; gas 4,073 km; oil 617 km; oil/gas/water 2 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 2,644 km standard gauge: 2,644 km 1.435-m gauge (636 km electrified) (2007)
Roadways:
total: 72,362 km paved: 72,362 km (includes 1,032 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
400 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 327 by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 63, carrier 2, chemical tanker 78, container 84, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 42, petroleum tanker 29, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 4 foreign-owned: 26 (Canada 1, Germany 1, Germany 9, Greece 4, Iceland 2, Norway 3, Sweden 6) registered in other countries: 534 (Antigua and Barbuda 19, Bahamas 67, Belgium 4, Brazil 2, Cayman Islands 3, Cyprus 4, Egypt 1, Estonia 1, France 2, Germany 1, Gibraltar 7, Hong Kong 24, Isle of Man 29, Italy 3, Jamaica 2, Liberia 12, Lithuania 5, Luxembourg 1, Malta 30, Marshall Islands 10, Mexico 2, Netherlands 29, Netherlands Antilles 2, Norway 25, Panama 40, Portugal 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16, Singapore 87, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Spain 1, Sweden 4, Togo 1, UAE 1, UK 62, US 31, Venezuela 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Ensted, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Kalundborg
MilitaryDenmark
Military branches:
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet,Island Command Greenland, Tactical Air Command, Home Guard (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,235,067 females age 16-49: 1,215,418 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,012,716 females age 16-49: 996,436 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 36,561 female: 34,603 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.5% of GDP (2006; 1.28% 2007 est.)
Transnational IssuesDenmark
Disputes - international:
Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the FaroeIslands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continueto study proposals for full independence; sovereignty dispute withCanada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between EllesmereIsland and Greenland
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Dhekelia
IntroductionDhekelia
Background:
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.
GeographyDhekelia
Location:
Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus nearFamagusta
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 130.8 sq km note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves
Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 103 km (approximately) border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately)
Coastline:
27.5 km
Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Environment - current issues:
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn
Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
PeopleDhekelia
Population:
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK Based Contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents
Languages:
English, Greek
GovernmentDhekelia
Country name:
conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area conventional short form: Dhekelia
Dependency status:
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
Capital:
name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Legal system:
the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used
EconomyDhekelia
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Industries:
none
Currency (code):
euro (EUR) adopted 1 January 2008; note - the Cypriot pound (CYP) formerly used
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.4286 (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)
CommunicationsDhekelia
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), shortwave NA (British ForcesBroadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service toAkrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)
MilitaryDhekelia
Military - note:
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Djibouti
IntroductionDjibouti
Background:
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, but also has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.
GeographyDjibouti
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, betweenEritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 23,000 sq km land: 22,980 sq km water: 20 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 516 km border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km
Coastline:
314 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
desert; torrid, dry
Terrain:
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m
Natural resources:
geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 0.04% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.3 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%) per capita: 25 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa
PeopleDjibouti
Population:
506,221 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.3% (male 110,089/female 109,331) 15-64 years: 53.1% (male 139,164/female 129,614) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 9,068/female 8,955) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.2 years male: 18.6 years female: 17.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.945% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
38.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
19.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 99.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 106.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.31 years male: 41.89 years female: 44.77 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.14 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.9% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,100 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
690 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian
Ethnic groups:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages:
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.9% male: 78% female: 58.4% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 4 years male: 5 years female: 4 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
8.4% of GDP (2006)
GovernmentDjibouti
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Djibouti geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah
Independence:
27 June 1977 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Constitution:
multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992
Legal system:
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4 March 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2005 (next to be held by April 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 8 February 2008 (next to be held 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLAH) 65
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; DemocraticRenewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti DevelopmentParty or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration del'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's ProgressAssembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party); PeoplesSocial Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; RepublicanAlliance for Democracy or ARD; Union for a Presidential Majority orUMP (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD);Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James C. SWAN embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95 FAX: [253] 35 39 40
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center
EconomyDjibouti
Economy - overview:
The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in the Horn of Africa. Two-thirds of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia represent 85% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of nearly 60% continues to be a major problem. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of payments. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% between 1999 and 2006 because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.738 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$841 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.2% industry: 14.9% services: 81.9% (2006)
Labor force:
282,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
59% in urban areas, 83% in rural areas (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
42% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $135 million expenditures: $182 million (1999 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of money:
$380 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$284.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$224.7 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides
Industries:
construction, agricultural processing
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production:
250 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
232.5 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
12,170 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
19.18 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
11,810 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$212 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$340 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
Exports - partners:
Somalia 66.4%, Ethiopia 21.5%, Yemen 3.4% (2007)
Imports:
$1.555 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 21%, India 18.1%, China 9.4%, Ethiopia 4.7%, Malaysia 4.6%, Japan 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$78.6 million (2005)
Debt - external:
$428 million (2006)
Currency (code):
Djiboutian franc (DJF)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.71 (2007), 174.75 (2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003)
CommunicationsDjibouti
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,800 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
45,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country domestic: microwave radio relay network; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:
52,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)
Televisions:
28,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.dj
Internet hosts:
161 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
11,000 (2006)
TransportationDjibouti
Airports:
13 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Railways:
total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but remains largely inoperable (2006)
Roadways:
total: 3,065 km paved: 1,226 km unpaved: 1,839 km (2000)
Ports and terminals:
Djibouti
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom
MilitaryDjibouti
Military branches:
Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 111,274 females age 16-49: 105,168 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 54,460 females age 16-49: 51,684 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 5,618 female: 5,609 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesDjibouti
Disputes - international:
Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 8,642 (Somalia) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Dominica
IntroductionDominica
Background:
Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.
GeographyDominica
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North AtlanticOcean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 754 sq km land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
148 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain:
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 6.67% permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Total renewable water resources:
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr per capita: 213 cu m/yr (1996)
Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Environment - current issues:
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world
PeopleDominica
Population:
72,514 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 9,175/female 8,762) 15-64 years: 65.1% (male 24,192/female 22,995) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,178/female 4,212) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.4 years male: 29 years female: 29.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.196% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
15.73 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.33 years male: 72.39 years female: 78.41 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups:
black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census)
Religions: