Radio broadcast stations:
153 (station types NA) (2001)
Internet country code:
.rs
Internet hosts:
Internet users:
1.5 million (2007)
TransportationSerbia
Airports:
39 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 12 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 1,921 km; oil 393 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 3,379 km standard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 1,254 km) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 36,875 km paved: 31,392 km unpaved: 5,483 km note: roadways in Kosovo listed separately (2006)
Waterways:
587 km (primarily on Danube and Sava rivers) (2005)
MilitarySerbia
Military branches:
Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Land Forces Command(includes Riverine Component, consisting of a river flotilla on theDanube), Joint Operations Command, Air and Air Defense ForcesCommand (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
19-35 years of age for compulsory military service; under a state of war or impending war, conscription can begin at age 16; conscription is to be abolished in 2010; 9-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 60 for men and 50 for women (2007)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 66,263 female: 62,165 (2008 est.)
Transnational IssuesSerbia
Disputes - international:
Serbia with several other states protest the U.S. and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaring itself as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 71,111 (Croatia); 27,414 (Bosnia and Herzegovina); 206,000 (Kosovo), note - mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled Kosovo in 1999 (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Seychelles
IntroductionSeychelles
Background:
A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected in 2001, but stepped down in 2004. Vice President James MICHEL took over the presidency and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term.
GeographySeychelles
Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 455 sq km land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
491 km
Maritime claims:
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 marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain:
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources:
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use:
arable land: 2.17% permanent crops: 13.04% other: 84.79% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Environment - current issues:
water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands
PeopleSeychelles
Population:
82,247 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 10,337/female 10,108) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 27,752/female 29,048) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,575/female 3,427) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.7 years male: 27.6 years female: 29.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.428% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
15.6 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.6 years male: 67.27 years female: 78.1 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.73 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois
Ethnic groups:
mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
Religions:
Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)
Languages:
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.8% male: 91.4% female: 92.3% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
6.5% of GDP (2006)
GovernmentSeychelles
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles local long form: Republic of Seychelles local short form: Seychelles
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Victoria geographic coordinates: 4 38 S, 55 27 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, AnseEtoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, BeauVallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe),Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, MontBuxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, SaintLouis, Takamaka
Independence:
29 June 1976 (from UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
Constitution:
18 June 1993
Legal system:
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 45.71%, Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; SeychellesNational Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the UnitedOpposition or UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF[France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Roman Catholic Church other: trade unions
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Ronald JUMEAU chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles
Flag description:
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side
EconomySeychelles
Economy - overview:
Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence, near-subsistence level, moving the island into the upper-middle income group of countries. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years, the government has encouraged foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. Sharp drops illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf War and once again following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Economic growth slowed in 1998-2002 and fell in 2003-04, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors, but resumed in 2005-07. Real GDP grew by 5.8% in 2007, driven by tourism and a boom in tourism-related construction. The Seychelles rupee was allowed to depreciate in 2006 after being overvalued for years and fell by 10% in the first 9 months of 2007.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.378 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$710 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$16,600 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.1% industry: 28.3% services: 69.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
39,560 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3% industry: 23% services: 74% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
2% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
8.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $372.3 million expenditures: $362.2 million (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
92.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5.13% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.89% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$330.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$249 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$660.2 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; poultry; tuna
Industries:
fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
208 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
193.4 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:
6,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports:
5,722 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006)
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:
-$272 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$395 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - partners:
UK 23.7%, France 19.8%, Mauritius 10%, Japan 8.3%, Italy 5.7%, Spain 5.1% (2007)
Imports:
$823 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 17.6%, Germany 10.8%, France 8.1%, Spain 7.6%, SouthAfrica 6.4%, Singapore 5.8% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$18.81 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$40.8 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.059 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Seychelles rupee (SCR)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 6.5 (2007), 5.5 (2006), 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004), 5.4007 (2003)
CommunicationsSeychelles
Telephones - main lines in use:
22,700 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
77,300 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: effective system domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 125 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios:
42,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
11,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.sc
Internet hosts:
284 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
32,000 (2007)
TransportationSeychelles
Airports:
15 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 458 km paved: 440 km unpaved: 18 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 by type: cargo 1, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6 foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Victoria
MilitarySeychelles
Military branches:
Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval Wing,Air Wing), National Guard (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 23,598 females age 16-49: 24,424 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,942 females age 16-49: 20,436 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 770 female: 750 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational IssuesSeychelles
Disputes - international:
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Sierra Leone
IntroductionSierra Leone
Background:
Democracy is slowly being reestablished after the civil war from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). The military, which took over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers at the end of 2005, is increasingly developing as a guarantor of the country's stability. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007 presidential election, but still look to the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) - a civilian UN mission - to support efforts to consolidate peace. The new government's priorities include furthering development, creating jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.
GeographySierra Leone
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 71,740 sq km land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 958 km border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline:
402 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Terrain:
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources:
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use:
arable land: 7.95% permanent crops: 1.05% other: 91% (2005)
Irrigated land:
300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
160 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.38 cu km/yr (5%/3%/92%) per capita: 69 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Environment - current issues:
rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleted natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
PeopleSierra Leone
Population:
6,294,774 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.6% (male 1,377,981/female 1,429,993) 15-64 years: 52.2% (male 1,573,990/female 1,708,840) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 94,359/female 109,611) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.5 years male: 17.2 years female: 17.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.282% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
45.08 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
22.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 156.48 deaths/1,000 live births male: 173.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 138.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 40.93 years male: 38.64 years female: 43.28 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.95 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
170,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2001 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 and yellow fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups:
20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Religions:
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%
Languages:
English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic total population: 35.1% male: 46.9% female: 24.4% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years male: 8 years female: 6 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2005)
GovernmentSierra Leone
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone conventional short form: Sierra Leone local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone local short form: Sierra Leone
Government type:
constitutional democracy
Capital:
name: Freetown geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence:
27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution:
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Legal system:
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007) cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 August 2007 and 8 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: second round results; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 54.6%, Solomon BEREWA 45.4%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 11 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 59, SLPP 43, PMDC 10
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]; Peace andLiberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON]; People's Movement forDemocratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI]; Sierra Leone People'sParty or SLPP [Solomon BEREWA]; numerous others
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: student unions; trade unions
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIT,UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263 FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY embassy: Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [232] (22) 515 000 or [232] (76) 515 000 FAX: [232] (22) 515 355
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
EconomySierra Leone
Economy - overview:
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its physical and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.991 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.664 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$600 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 49% industry: 31% services: 21% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
1.369 million (1981 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
70.2% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
62.9 (1989)
Budget:
revenues: $96 million expenditures: $351 million (2000 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
25% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$184.6 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$177.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$162.9 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Industries:
diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
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:
0.7008 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
8,430 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
432.3 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
8,271 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:
-$63 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$216 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
Exports - partners:
Belgium 49.3%, US 20.5%, Netherlands 4.5%, Canada 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
$560 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Cote d'Ivoire 10%, China 10%, US 9.5%, UK 6.2%, Netherlands 5.1%,India 4.7% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$343.4 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.61 billion (2003 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
leone (SLL)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
leones (SLL) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2,961.7 (2006), 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9 (2003)
CommunicationsSierra Leone
Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
776,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: marginal telephone service domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema; mobile-cellular service is growing rapidly from a small base international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:
1.12 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1999)
Televisions:
53,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.sl
Internet hosts:
8 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2001)
Internet users:
13,000 (2007)
TransportationSierra Leone
Airports:
10 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 11,300 km paved: 904 km unpaved: 10,396 km (2002)
Waterways:
800 km (600 km year round) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 182 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 143, carrier 2, chemical tanker 3, container 6, liquefied gas 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 95 (Belgium 1, China 15, Egypt 3, Greece 1, Hong Kong 1, Lebanon 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 1, Romania 3, Russia 11, Syria 18, Taiwan 1, Turkey 15, Ukraine 10, UAE 8, UK 2, US 1, Yemen 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands
MilitarySierra Leone
Military branches:
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Navy(Maritime Wing), Air Wing) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,315,561 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 671,418 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 70,068 female: 73,930 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.3% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesSierra Leone
Disputes - international:
as domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone gradually abate, the number of refugees in border areas has begun to slowly dwindle; UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone since 1999; Sierra Leone considers excessive Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands including the hamlet of Yenga occupied since 1998
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 27,311 (Liberia) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Singapore
IntroductionSingapore
Background:
Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
GeographySingapore
Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 692.7 sq km land: 682.7 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
193 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms
Terrain:
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Natural resources:
fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
arable land: 1.47% permanent crops: 1.47% other: 97.06% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Total renewable water resources:
0.6 cu km (1975)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.19 cu km/yr (45%/51%/4%) per capita: 44 cu m/yr (1975)
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
PeopleSingapore
Population:
4,608,167 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.8% (male 353,333/female 329,005) 15-64 years: 76.5% (male 1,717,357/female 1,809,462) 65 years and over: 8.7% (male 177,378/female 221,632) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 38.4 years male: 38 years female: 38.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.135% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
8.99 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: