Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 444,030; NA fit for military service; 18,219 reach military age
(18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - 13.5 billion Slovene Tolars, 4.5% of GDP (1992);
note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current
exchange rate could produce misleading results
:Solomon Islands Geography
Total area:
28,450 km2
Land area:
27,540 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
5,313 km
Maritime claims:
(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Natural resources:
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates
Land use:
arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
woodland 93%; other 4%
Environment:
subject to typhoons, which are rarely destructive; geologically active
region with frequent earth tremors
Note:
located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
:Solomon Islands People
Population:
360,010 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
40 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
67 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Solomon Islander(s); adjective - Solomon Islander
Ethnic divisions:
Melanesian 93.0%, Polynesian 4.0%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese
0.3%, other 0.4%
Religions:
almost all at least nominally Christian; Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%,
Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%,
other Protestant 5%
Languages:
120 indigenous languages; Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua
franca; English spoken by 1-2% of population
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
23,448 economically active; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%;
services 25%; construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%; commerce,
transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)
Organized labor:
NA, but most of the cash-economy workers have trade union representation
:Solomon Islands Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Honiara
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira,
Malaita, Temotu, Western
Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK; formerly British Solomon Islands)
Constitution:
7 July 1978
Legal system:
common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament
Judicial branch:
High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Sir George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general
since 7 July 1988)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March 1989); Deputy Prime Minister
Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since NA October 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
People's Alliance Party (PAP); United Party (UP), leader NA; Solomon Islands
Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU; Nationalist Front for Progress
(NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU
Suffrage:
universal at age 21
Elections:
National Parliament:
last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held NA February 1993); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4,
LP 2, independents 9
Member of:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IOC, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador (vacant) resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)
US:
the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands;
Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is American Embassy, P. O.
Box 561, Honiara); telephone (677) 23890; FAX (677) 23488
Flag:
divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner;
the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars
arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
:Solomon Islands Economy
Overview:
About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and
forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and
forestry contribute about 70% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors
being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to
GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The
islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc,
nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986
that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $200 million, per capita $600; real growth rate
6.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.2% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $44 million; expenditures $45 million, including capital
expenditures of $22 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
$67.3 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%
partners:
Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)
Imports:
$86.0 million (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%
partners:
Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%,
China 3% (1985)
External debt:
$128 million (1988 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 0% (1987); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
copra, fish (tuna)
Agriculture:
including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 70% of GDP; mostly
subsistence farming; cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels,
timber; other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs;
not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500
metric tons was exported (1988)
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89),
$250 million
Currency:
Solomon Islands dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) =
100 cents
Exchange rates:
Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 2.8740 (March 1992), 2.7148 (1991),
2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Solomon Islands Communications
Highways:
about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km paved, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth, 800
private logging and plantation roads of varied construction
Ports:
Honiara, Ringi Cove
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
33 total, 30 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
3,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
:Solomon Islands Defense Forces
Branches:
Police Force
Manpower availability:
NA
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
:Somalia Geography
Total area:
637,660 km2
Land area:
627,340 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
2,340 km total; Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline:
3,025 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
200 nm
Disputes:
southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative
Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden; possible claims to
Djibouti and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya based on unification of ethnic
Somalis
Climate:
desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest monsoon
(May to October); irregular rainfall; hot, humid periods (tangambili)
between monsoons
Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite,
copper, salt
Land use:
arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and
woodland 14%; other 38%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el
Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
:Somalia People
Population:
7,235,226 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-12 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
56 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
7.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Somali(s); adjective - Somali
Ethnic divisions:
Somali 85%, rest mainly Bantu; Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
Religions:
almost entirely Sunni Muslim
Languages:
Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy:
24% (male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
2,200,000; very few are skilled laborers; pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture,
government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30%; 53% of population
of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
General Federation of Somali Trade Unions was controlled by the government
prior to January 1991; the fall of SIAD regime may have led to collapse of
Trade Union organization
:Somalia Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
none
Capital:
Mogadishu
Administrative divisions:
16 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay,
Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal,
Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence:
1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent
from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became
independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to
form the Somali Republic)
Constitution:
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
National holiday:
NA
Executive branch:
president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Interim President ALI Mahdi Mohamed (since 27 January 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister OMAR Arteh Ghalib (since 27 January 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the former regime on 27 January
1991; note - formerly the only party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist
Party (SRSP), headed by former President and Commander in Chief of the Army
Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 23 December 1986 (next to be held NA); results - President SIAD
was reelected without opposition
People's Assembly:
last held 31 December 1984 (next to be held NA); results - SRSP was the only
party; seats - (177 total, 171 elected) SRSP 171; note - the United Somali
Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27
January 1991; the provisional government has promised that a democratically
elected government will be established
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at Suite 710, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-1575; there is a Somali Consulate
General in New York; note - Somalian Embassy ceased operations on 8 May 1991
:Somalia Government
US:
Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at K-7, AFGOI Road, Mogadishu (mailing address
is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu); telephone [252] (01) 39971; note - US Embassy
evacuated and closed indefinitely in January 1991
Flag:
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based
on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory)
:Somalia Economy
Overview:
One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few
resources. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, with the
livestock sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export
earnings. Nomads and seminomads who are dependent upon livestock for their
livelihoods make up more than half of the population. Crop production
generates only 10% of GDP and employs about 20% of the work force. The main
export crop is bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are grown for the domestic
market. The small industrial sector is based on the processing of
agricultural products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP. Greatly
increased political turmoil in 1991-92 has resulted in a substantial drop in
output, with widespread famine a grim fact of life.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate
-1.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
210% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $190 million; expenditures $195 million, including capital
expenditures of $111 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
$58.0 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
bananas, livestock, fish, hides, skins
partners:
US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)
Imports:
$249 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
commodities:
petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials
partners:
US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
External debt:
$1.9 billion (1989)
Industrial production:
growth rate -5.0% (1988); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
75,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 10 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum
refining
Agriculture:
dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats); crops -
bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food;
fishing potential largely unexploited
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.8 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $336
million
Currency:
Somali shilling (plural - shillings); 1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100
centesimi
Exchange rates:
Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7
(1989), 170.45 (1988), 105.18 (1987), 72.00 (1986)
:Somalia Economy
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Somalia Communications
Highways:
15,215 km total; including 2,335 km paved, 2,880 km gravel, and 10,000 km
improved earth or stabilized soil (1983)
Pipelines:
crude oil 15 km
Ports:
Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu, Bosaso
Merchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,913 GRT/8,718 DWT; includes 2 cargo,
1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
53 total, 40 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over
3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
minimal telephone and telegraph service; microwave and troposcatter system
centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones; broadcast
stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station;
scheduled to receive an ARABSAT ground station
:Somalia Defense Forces
Branches:
NA
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 1,673,542; 942,153 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
:South Africa Geography
Total area:
1,221,040 km2
Land area:
1,221,040 km2; includes Walvis Bay, Marion Island, and Prince Edward Island
Comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
4,973 km total; Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km,
Namibia 1,078 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline:
2,881 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay exclave and 12 offshore islands administered
by South Africa; South Africa and Namibia have agreed to jointly administer
the area for an interim period; the terms and dates to be covered by joint
administration arrangements have not been established at this time; and
Namibia will continue to maintain a claim to sovereignty over the entire
area
Climate:
mostly semiarid; subtropical along coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain:
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Natural resources:
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates,
tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use:
arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 65%; forest and
woodland 3%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water
conservation and control measures
Note:
Walvis Bay is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia; South Africa completely
surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
:South Africa People
Population:
41,688,360 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992); includes the 10 so-called
homelands, which are not recognized by the US
Population:
four independent homelands:
Bophuthatswana 2,489,347, growth rate 2.86%; Ciskei 1,088,476, growth rate
2.99%; Transkei 4,746,796, growth rate 4.13%; Venda 718,207, growth rate
3.81%
six other homelands:
Gazankulu 803,806, growth rate 3.96%; Kangwane 597,783, growth rate 3.60%;
KwaNdebele 373,012, growth rate 3.40%; KwaZulu 5,748,950, growth rate 3.58%;
Lebowa 2,924,584, growth rate 3.90%; QwaQwa 288,155, growth rate 3.60%
Birth rate:
34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
50 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
62 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - South African(s); adjective - South African
Ethnic divisions:
black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Religions:
most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks are Christian; about 60% of
Indians are Hindu; Muslim 20%
Languages:
Afrikaans, English (both official); many vernacular languages, including
Zulu, Xhosa, North and South Sotho, Tswana
Literacy:
76% (male 78%, female 75%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
11,000,000 economically active (1989); services 34%, agriculture 30%,
industry and commerce 29%, mining 7% (1985)
Organized labor:
about 17% of total labor force belongs to a registered trade union (1989);
African unions represent 15% of black labor force
:South Africa Government
Long-form name:
Republic of South Africa; abbreviated RSA
Type:
republic
Capital:
Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
Administrative divisions:
4 provinces; Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal; there are 10
homelands not recognized by the US - 4 independent (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei,
Transkei, Venda) and 6 other (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu,
Lebowa, QwaQwa)
Independence:
31 May 1910 (from UK)
Constitution:
3 September 1984
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Republic Day, 31 May (1910)
Executive branch:
state president, Executive Council (cabinet), Ministers' Councils (from the
three houses of Parliament)
Legislative branch:
tricameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of the House of Assembly
(Volksraad; whites), House of Representatives (Raad van Verteenwoordigers;
Coloreds), and House of Delegates (Raad van Afgevaardigdes; Indians)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
State President Frederik W. DE KLERK (since 13 September 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
white political parties and leaders:
National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK (majority party); Conservative
Party (CP), Dr. Andries P. TREURNICHT (official opposition party);
Democratic Party (DP), Zach DE BEER
Colored political parties and leaders:
Labor Party (LP), Allan HENDRICKSE (majority party); Freedom Party; note -
the Democratic Reform Party (DRP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) were
disbanded in May 1991
Indian political parties and leaders:
Solidarity, J. N. REDDY (majority party); National People's Party (NPP),
Amichand RAJBANSI; Merit People's Party
Suffrage:
universal at age 18, but voting rights are racially based
Elections:
House of Assembly (whites):
last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held by NA March 1995); results - NP
58%, CP 23%, DP 19%; seats - (178 total, 166 elected) NP 103, CP 41, DP 34;
note - by February 1992 because of byelections, changes in number of seats
held by parties were as follows: NP 102, CP 42, DP 33, vacant 1
House of Representatives (Coloreds):
last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held no later than March 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (85 total, 80 elected) LP 69,
DRP 5, UDP 3, Freedom Party 1, independents 2; note - since the National
Party became multiracial, by February 1992 many representatives from other
parties have changed their allegiance causing the following changes in
seating: LP 39, NP 38, Freedom Party 1, independents 7
:South Africa Government
House of Delegates (Indians):
last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held no later than March 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (45 total, 40 elected)
Solidarity 16, NPP 9, Merit People's Party 3, independents 6, other 6; note
- due to delegates changing party affiliation, seating as of February 1992
is as follows: Solidarity 25, NPP 7, Merit People's Party 2, other 5,
independents 5, vacancy 1
Communists:
South African Communist Party, Chris HANI, secretary general, and Joe SLOVO,
national chairman
Other political or pressure groups:
African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; Inkatha Freedom
Party (IFP), Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president; Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC),
Clarence MAKWETU, president
Member of:
BIS, CCC, ECA, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO (suspended), ICC, IDA, IFC, IMF,
INTELSAT, ISO, ITU (suspended), LORCS, SACU, UN, UNCTAD, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO (suspended)
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Harry SCHWARZ; Chancery at 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-4400; there are South African
Consulates General in Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, Houston, and New
York
US:
Ambassador William L. SWING; Embassy at Thibault House, 225 Pretorius
Street, Pretoria; telephone [27] (12) 28-4266, FAX [27] (12) 21-92-78; there
are US Consulates General in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg
Flag:
actually four flags in one - three miniature flags reproduced in the center
of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three
equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags
are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal
flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old
Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
:South Africa Economy