domestic: virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)
Television broadcast stations:
71 (2008)
Internet country code:
.cz
Internet hosts:
3.233 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 24
Internet users:
6.028 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 38
Transportation ::Czech Republic
Airports:
122 (2009) country comparison to the world: 48
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 44
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 18 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 78
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 50 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 9,620 km country comparison to the world: 22 standard gauge: 9,521 km 1.435-m gauge (3,013 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 99 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 128,512 km country comparison to the world: 36 paved: 128,512 km (includes 657 km of expressways) (2007)
Waterways:
664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2008) country comparison to the world: 77
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008) country comparison to the world: 150
Ports and terminals:
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Military ::Czech Republic
Military branches:
Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes Land Forces and Air Forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-28 years of age for voluntary and 19-28 for compulsory military service (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,522,383
females age 16-49: 2,425,095 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,095,038
females age 16-49: 2,011,531 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 60,150
female: 57,157 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.46% of GDP (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Transnational Issues ::Czech Republic
Disputes - international:
while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the popular Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closes its controversial Soviet-style nuclear plant in Temelin, bordering Austria
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Denmark (Europe)
Introduction ::Denmark
Background:
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
Geography ::Denmark
Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 43,094 sq km country comparison to the world: 133 land: 42,434 sq km
water: 660 sq km
note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 68 km
border countries: Germany 68 km
Coastline:
7,314 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Terrain:
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
highest point: Yding Skovhoej 173 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
Land use:
arable land: 52.59%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 47.22% (2005)
Irrigated land:
4,490 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
6.1 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.67 cu km/yr (32%/26%/42%)
per capita: 123 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
People ::Denmark
Population:
5,500,510 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.1% (male 511,882/female 485,782)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,817,800/female 1,798,964)
65 years and over: 16.1% (male 387,142/female 498,940) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.5 years
male: 39.6 years
female: 41.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.28% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Birth rate:
10.54 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 184
Death rate:
10.22 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Net migration rate:
2.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Urbanization:
urban population: 87% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 203 male: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.3 years country comparison to the world: 46 male: 75.96 years
female: 80.78 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.74 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Nationality:
noun: Dane(s)
adjective: Danish
Ethnic groups:
Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant andRoman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
Languages:
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority)
note: English is the predominant second language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
8.3% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 12
Government ::Denmark
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form: Denmark
local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
local short form: Danmark
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Copenhagen
geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
note: applies to continental Denmark only, not to its North Atlantic components
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; note - 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 Lars Lokke RASMUSSEN (since 5 April 2009)
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 Folketing (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 Folketing 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 Unity List 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 for life by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democrats [Bjarne Hartung KIRKEGAARD] (was ChristianPeople's Party); Conservative Party [Lene ESPERSEN] (sometimes knownas Conservative People's Party); Danish People's Party [PiaKJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; LiberalAlliance [Naser KHADER](formerly known as New Alliance); Red-GreenUnity List (Alliance) [collective leadership] (bloc includes LeftSocialist Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers'Party); Social Democratic Party [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT]; SocialLiberal Party [Margrethe VESTAGER]; Socialist People's Party [VillySOEVNDAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Danish Free Press Society (freedom of speech); Danish NationalSocialist Movement or DNSB [Jonni HANSEN] (neo-Nazi organization)
other: human rights groups
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council,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
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
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) and is one of the oldest national flags in the world; traditions as to the origin of the flag design vary, but the best known is a legend that the banner fell from the sky during an early-13th century battle; caught up by the Danish king before it ever touched the earth, this heavenly talisman inspired the royal army to victory
note: the shifted design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
Economy ::Denmark
Economy - overview:
This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, an equitable distribution of income, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, a stable political system, and high dependence on foreign trade. Unemployment is low and capacity constraints limit growth potential. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. 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 16 other EU members in the euro. Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Denmark's fiscal position is among the strongest in the EU. Economic growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn continued through 2006. After a long consumption-driven upswing, Denmark's economy began slowing in early 2007 with the end of a housing boom. This cyclical slowdown has been exacerbated by the global financial crisis through increased borrowing costs and lower export demand, consumer confidence, and investment. The slowing global economy cut GDP by 1.2% in 2008. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$204.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $206.6 billion (2007 est.)
$203.3 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$340 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 209 1.6% (2007 est.)
3.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 $37,800 (2007 est.)
$37,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 26.1%
services: 72.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.88 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.9%
industry: 23.8%
services: 72.7% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 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) country comparison to the world: 132 24.7 (1992)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Budget:
revenues: $188.6 billion
expenditures: $176.3 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
33.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 42.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 1.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 126 4% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of money:
$143 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 9 $148.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$95.82 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 23 $81.64 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$695.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 16 $684.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 31 $277.7 billion (31 December 2007)
$231 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
-3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Electricity - production:
36.92 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Electricity - consumption:
35.79 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Electricity - exports:
11.36 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
12.82 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
288,800 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Oil - consumption:
181,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Oil - exports:
287,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Oil - imports:
153,800 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Oil - proved reserves:
1.06 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Natural gas - production:
10.09 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Natural gas - consumption:
4.59 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - exports:
5.516 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 26
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - proved reserves:
61.3 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Current account balance:
$6.938 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 $2.378 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$114.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 $100.5 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
Exports - partners:
Germany 18%, Sweden 14.5%, UK 8.2%, Norway 5.7%, US 5.3%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.6% (2008)
Imports:
$116.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 $100.8 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
Germany 20.9%, Sweden 14%, Netherlands 6.7%, Norway 6.3%, China 5.7%, UK 5.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$42.32 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 $34.32 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$588.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 18 $567.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$142.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $131.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$181.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 $153.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004)
Communications ::Denmark
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.487 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 53
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.551 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 75
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph services
domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, multiple 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 355, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
172 (2008)
Internet country code:
.dk
Internet hosts:
3.991 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 19
Internet users:
4.579 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 44
Transportation ::Denmark
Airports:
92 (2009) country comparison to the world: 65
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 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 64
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 61 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 2,858 km; oil 107 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,667 km country comparison to the world: 63 standard gauge: 2,667 km 1.435-m gauge (640 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 72,362 km country comparison to the world: 64 paved: 72,362 km (includes 1,032 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
400 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 88
Merchant marine:
total: 327 country comparison to the world: 29 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 2, Sweden 4, Togo 1, UAE 1, UK 62, US 31, Venezuela 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Ensted, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Kalundborg
Military ::Denmark
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: 1,013,223
females age 16-49: 998,837 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 37,231
female: 35,306 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Transnational Issues ::Denmark
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Dhekelia (Europe)
Introduction ::Dhekelia
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.
Geography ::Dhekelia
Location:
Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus nearFamagusta
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 130.8 sq km country comparison to the world: 222 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
People ::Dhekelia
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 country comparison to the world: 219
Languages:
English, Greek
Government ::Dhekelia
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 Major General Jamie GORDON (since October 2008); 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
Economy ::Dhekelia
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
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008)
note: on 1 January 2008, Dhekelia and Akrotiri adopted the euro along with the rest of Cyprus
Communications ::Dhekelia
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)
Military ::Dhekelia
Military - note:
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway
page last updated on July 2, 2009
======================================================================
@Djibouti (Africa)
Introduction ::Djibouti
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.
Geography ::Djibouti
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, betweenEritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 23,200 sq km country comparison to the world: 150 land: 23,180 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
People ::Djibouti
Population:
516,055 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.3% (male 112,135/female 111,343)
15-64 years: 53% (male 141,298/female 132,360)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 9,502/female 9,417) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.1 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 17.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.903% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Birth rate:
38.13 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Death rate:
19.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 87% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 97.51 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 12 male: 104.98 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 89.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.37 years country comparison to the world: 217 male: 41.89 years
female: 44.89 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.06 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
16,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
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 (2009)
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):