Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Type:
republic
Capital:
Colombo
Administrative divisions:
the administrative structure now includes 9 provinces - Central, Eastern,
North, North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, and
Western and 24 districts - Amparai, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa,
Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalla,
Kurunegala, Mannar, Matale, Matara, Moneragala, Mullaittivu, Nuwara Eliya,
Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Vavuniya; note - in the
future there may be only 8 provinces (combining the two provinces of North
and Eastern into one province of North Eastern) and 25 districts (adding
Kilinochchi to the existing districts)
Independence:
4 February 1948 (from UK; formerly Ceylon)
Constitution:
31 August 1978
Legal system:
a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim,
Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Ranasinghe PREMADASA (since 2 January 1989)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGE (since 6 March 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
United National Party (UNP), Ranasinghe PREMADASA; Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(SLFP), Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M.
ASHRAFF; All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar PONNAMBALAM; People's
United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna), Dinesh GUNAWARDENE; Eelam
Democratic Front (EDF), Edward Sebastian PILLAI; Tamil United Liberation
Front (TULF), leader (vacant); Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students
(EROS), Velupillai BALAKUMARAN; New Socialist Party (NSSP, or Nava Sama
Samaja Party), Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA; Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP,
or Lanka Sama Samaja Party), Colin R. de SILVA; Sri Lanka People's Party
(SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party), Ossie ABEYGUNASEKERA; Communist Party,
K. P. SILVA; Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N. SHANMUGATHASAN; note - the
United Socialist Alliance (USA) includes the NSSP, LSSP, SLMP, CP/M, and
CP/B
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1994); results -
Ranasinghe PREMADASA (UNP) 50%, Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE (SLFP) 45%, other 5%
:Sri Lanka Government
Parliament:
last held 15 February 1989 (next to be held by NA February 1995); results -
UNP 51%, SLFP 32%, SLMC 4%, TULF 3%, USA 3%, EROS 3%, MEP 1%, other 3%;
seats - (225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67, other 33
Other political or pressure groups:
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other smaller Tamil separatist
groups; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People's Liberation Front);
Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor unions
Member of:
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador W. Susanta De ALWIS; Chancery at 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4025 through 4028; there is a Sri
Lankan Consulate in New York
US:
Ambassador Marion V. CREEKMORE, Jr.; Embassy at 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
(mailing address is P. O. Box 106, Colombo); telephone [94] (1) 44180107,
FAX [94] (1) 43-73-45
Flag:
yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical
bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red
rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf
in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the
entire flag and extends between the two panels
:Sri Lanka Economy
Overview:
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy, employing half of
the labor force and accounting for one quarter of GDP. The plantation crops
of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about one-third of export earnings. The
economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s.
Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in
1991 as domestic conditions began to improve.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $7.2 billion, per capita $410; real growth rate
5.0% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
14% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2.0 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $500 million (1992)
Exports:
$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
textiles and garment, teas, petroleum products, coconut, rubber,
agricultural products, gems and jewelry, marine products
partners:
US 25%, FRG, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
Imports:
$3.0 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
food and beverages, textiles and textile materials, petroleum, machinery and
equipment
partners:
Japan, Iran, US 7.7%, India, Taiwan, Singapore, FRG, UK
External debt:
$5.8 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 8% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
1,300,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities;
cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing
Agriculture:
accounts for 26% of GDP and nearly half of labor force; most important
staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops - sugarcane, grains, pulses,
oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops - tea, rubber, coconuts; animal products
- milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369
million
Currency:
Sri Lankan rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees (SLRes) per US$1 - 43.112 (March 1992), 41.372 (1991),
40.063 (1990), 36.047 (1989), 31.807 (1988), 29.445 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Sri Lanka Communications
Railroads:
1,948 km total (1990); all 1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double track; no
electrification; government owned
Highways:
75,749 km total (1990); 27,637 km paved (mostly bituminous treated), 32,887
km crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km improved earth or unimproved earth;
several thousand km of mostly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)
Inland waterways:
430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
Pipelines:
crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports:
Colombo, Trincomalee
Merchant marine:
30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 310,173 GRT/489,378 DWT; includes 13
cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 5 container, 3 petroleum tanker, 3 bulk
Civil air:
8 major transport (including 1 leased)
Airports:
14 total, 13 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
good international service; 114,000 telephones (1982); broadcast stations -
12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2
Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
:Sri Lanka Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 4,709,203; 3,678,952 fit for military service; 177,554 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $432 million, 6% of GDP (1991)
\
:Sudan Geography
Total area:
2,505,810 km2
Land area:
2,376,000 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Land boundaries:
7,697 km total; Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt
1,273 km, Ethiopia 2,221 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km,
Zaire 628 km
Coastline:
853 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
18 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international
boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with
international boundary
Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October)
Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west
Natural resources:
small reserves of crude oil, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten,
mica, silver, crude oil
Land use:
arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and
woodland 20%; other 51%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
dominated by the Nile and its tributaries; dust storms; desertification
Note:
largest country in Africa
:Sudan People
Population:
28,305,046 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
83 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
53 years male, 54 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective - Sudanese
Ethnic divisions:
black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (in north) 70%, indigenous beliefs 20%, Christian (mostly in
south and Khartoum) 5%
Languages:
Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic,
Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages, English; program of Arabization in
process
Literacy:
27% (male 43%, female 12%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
6,500,000; agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6%; labor
shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.); 52%
of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
trade unions suspended following 30 June 1989 coup; now in process of being
legalized anew
:Sudan Government
Long-form name:
Republic of the Sudan
Type:
military; civilian government suspended and martial law imposed after 30
June 1989 coup
Capital:
Khartoum
Administrative divisions:
9 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or wilayah*); A'ali an Nil, Al Wusta*,
Al Istiwa'iyah*, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al
Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan
Independence:
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK; formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan)
Constitution:
12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim
constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989
Legal system:
based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the
Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the six northern states
of Al Wusta, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah, Ash Sharqiyah, Darfur, and
Kurdufan; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic
law; Islamic law will apply to all residents of the six northern states
regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Executive branch:
executive and legislative authority vested in a 12-member Revolutionary
Command Council (RCC); chairman of the RCC acts as prime minister; in July
1989, RCC appointed a predominately civilian 22-member cabinet to function
as advisers
Legislative branch:
appointed 300-member Transitional National Assembly; note - as announced 1
January 1992 by RCC Chairman BASHIR, the Assembly assumes all legislative
authority for Sudan until the eventual, unspecified resumption of national
elections
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
Revolutionary Command Council Chairman and Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Umar
Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 30 June 1989); Deputy Chairman of the Command
Council and Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH Ahmed
(since 9 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup
Suffrage:
none
Elections:
none
Member of:
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador `Abdallah Ahmad `ABDALLAH; Chancery at 2210 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 338-8565 through 8570; there is a
Sudanese Consulate General in New York
:Sudan Government
US:
Ambassador James R. CHEEK (will be replaced summer of 1992); Embassy at
Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum (mailing address is P. O. Box 699,
Khartoum, or APO AE 09829); telephone 74700 or 74611; Telex 22619
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
:Sudan Economy
Overview:
Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse
weather, high inflation, and counterproductive economic policies. The
economy is dominated by governmental entities that account for more than 70%
of new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are
agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating
1980. The economy's base is agriculture, which employs 80% of the work
force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic
performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual
rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A high
foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the
International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan
noncooperative because of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund. Despite
subsequent government efforts to implement reforms urged by the IMF and the
World Bank, the economy remained stagnant in FY91 as entrepreneurs lack the
incentive to take economic risks.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $12.1 billion, per capita $450; real growth rate
0% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
95% (FY91 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% (FY91 est.)
Budget:
revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $505 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$325 million (f.o.b., FY91 est.)
commodities:
cotton 52%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts
partners:
Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3%
(FY88)
Imports:
$1.40 billion (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment,
medicines and chemicals, textiles
partners:
Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)
External debt:
$14.6 billion (June 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%; accounts for 11% of GDP (FY89)
Electricity:
610,000 kW capacity; 905 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling,
shoes, petroleum refining
Agriculture:
accounts for 35% of GDP and 80% of labor force; water shortages; two-thirds
of land area suitable for raising crops and livestock; major products -
cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally
self-sufficient in most foods
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.5 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $588
million
:Sudan Economy
Currency:
Sudanese pound (plural - pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (#Sd) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates:
official rate - Sudanese pounds (#Sd) per US$1 - 90.1 (March 1992), 5.4288
(1991), 4.5004 (fixed rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987); note - free market
rate 83 (December 1991)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Sudan Communications
Railroads:
5,500 km total; 4,784 km 1.067-meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter-gauge
plantation line
Highways:
20,000 km total; 1,600 km bituminous treated, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301 km
improved earth, 12,399 km unimproved earth and track
Inland waterways:
5,310 km navigable
Pipelines:
refined products 815 km
Ports:
Port Sudan, Swakin
Merchant marine:
5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,277 GRT/59,588 DWT; includes 3
cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
Civil air:
18 major transport aircraft
Airports:
72 total, 57 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 31 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and
poorly maintained by modern standards; consists of microwave, cable, radio
communications, and troposcatter; domestic satellite system with 14
stations; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT
:Sudan Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 6,432,270; 3,949,518 fit for military service; 302,696 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $610 million, 7.2% of GDP (1989 est.)
:Suriname Geography
Total area:
163,270 km2
Land area:
161,470 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
1,707 km total; Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline:
386 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini
(both headwaters of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper
Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small
amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
Land use:
arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest
and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
mostly tropical rain forest
:Suriname People
Population:
410,016 (July 1992), growth rate 1.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
34 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Surinamer(s); adjective - Surinamese
Ethnic divisions:
Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%, Creole (black and mixed) 31.0%, Javanese
15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1.0%,
other 1.1%
Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant (predominantly
Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs about 5%
Languages:
Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes
called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger
population and is lingua franca among others; also Hindi Suriname Hindustani
(a variant of Bhoqpuri) and Javanese
Literacy:
95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
104,000 (1984)
Organized labor:
49,000 members of labor force
:Suriname Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Suriname
Type:
republic
Capital:
Paramaribo
Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne,
Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini,
Wanica
Independence:
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch
Guiana)
Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system:
NA
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Executive branch:
president, vice president and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council
of State; note - Commander in Chief of the National Army maintains
significant power
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President and
Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
traditional ethnic-based parties:
The New Front (NF), a coalition formed of four parties following the 24
December 1990 military coup - Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath
LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON; Indonesian Peasants
Party (KTPI), Willie SOEMITA; and Suriname Labor Party (SPA) Fred DERBY;
promilitary:
National Democratic Party (NDP), Orlando VAN AMSON; Democratic Alternative
'91 (DA '91), Winston JESSURUN, a coalition of five parties formed in
January 1991 - Alternative Forum (AF), Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalal PARMESSAR; Party for Brotherhood
and Unity in Politics (BEP), Cipriano ALLENDY; Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN;
and Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
leftists:
Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP; Progressive Workers
and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - elected
by the National Assembly - Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules
WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes)
National Assembly:
last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - percent of
vote NA; seats - (51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9
:Suriname Government
Member of:
ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through
7492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami
US:
Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129,
Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo); telephone [597]
472900, 477881, or 476459; FAX [597] 410025
Flag:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple
width), white, and green (double width); there is a large yellow
five-pointed star centered in the red band
:Suriname Economy