expenditures: $19.04 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
23.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.82% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$9.347 billion
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro
Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for
the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual
members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi
money circulating within their own borders (31 December 2006)
Stock of quasi money:
$12.69 billion (31 December 2006)
Stock of domestic credit:
NA (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep,
poultry
Industries:
ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting;
electronics (including military electronics), trucks, automobiles,
electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals,
machine tools
Industrial production growth rate:
9.5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
14.13 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
13.4 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
5.894 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
6.14 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 35.2%
hydro: 27.3%
nuclear: 36.8%
other: 0.7% (2001)
Oil - production:
5 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
54,310 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
4,535 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
59,110 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
4 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
1.105 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
1.073 billion cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$2.181 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$27.06 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,
food
Exports - partners:
Germany 18.7%, Italy 12.5%, Croatia 8%, Austria 7.5%, France 5.9%,
Russia 4.4% (2007)
Imports:
$29.39 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals,
fuels and lubricants, food
Imports - partners:
Germany 18.1%, Italy 17.1%, Austria 11.7%, France 5%, Croatia 4.6%
(2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $484 million (2004-06)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.682 billion (30 September 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$40.42 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$10.41 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$6.127 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$15.18 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 2007, the euro became Slovenia's currency; both
the tolar and the euro were in circulation from 1 January until 15
January 2007
Currency code:
SIT
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), tolars per US dollar -
190.85 (2006), 192.71 (2005), 192.38 (2004), 207.11 (2003)
note: Slovenia adopted the euro as its currency on 1 January 2007
Communications
Slovenia
Telephones - main lines in use:
857,100 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.928 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: well-developed telecommunications infrastructure
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 140 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 386
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 230, shortwave 0 (2006)
Radios:
805,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
31 (2006)
Televisions:
710,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.si
Internet hosts:
75,984 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)
Internet users:
1.3 million (2007)
Transportation
Slovenia
Airports:
14 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 840 km; oil 11 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 1,229 km
standard gauge: 1,229 km 1.435-m gauge (504 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 38,562 km
paved: 38,562 km (includes 579 km of expressways) (2006)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 29 (Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas 1,
Cyprus 4, Liberia 3, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 4, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines 5, Singapore 1, Slovakia 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Koper
Military
Slovenia
Military branches:
Slovenian Army (includes air and naval forces)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in 2003 (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 494,496
females age 16-49: 481,180 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 406,951
females age 16-49: 395,444 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 10,516
female: 9,934 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Slovenia
Disputes - international:
the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which
would have ceded most of Piran Bay and maritime access to Slovenia
and several villages to Croatia, remains unratified and in dispute;
Slovenia also protests Croatia's 2003 claim to an exclusive economic
zone in the Adriatic; as a member state that forms part of the EU's
external border, Slovenia has implemented the strict Schengen border
rules to curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern
Europe while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia
Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for
Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Solomon Islands
Introduction
Solomon Islands
Background:
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the
1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on
this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and
independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government
malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil
society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought
the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the
following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to
restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance
Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective
in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Geography
Solomon Islands
Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua
New Guinea
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 159 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
5,313 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Natural resources:
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 2.04%
other: 97.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
44.7 cu km (1987)
Natural hazards:
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with
frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are
dead or dying
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean,
the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea
earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of
the capital Honiara, the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas
of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and
thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially
hard hit
People
Solomon Islands
Population:
581,318 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.1% (male 118,856/female 114,173)
15-64 years: 56.5% (male 166,004/female 162,317)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 9,487/female 10,481) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.4 years
male: 19.3 years
female: 19.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.467% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
28.48 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
3.81 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.44 years
male: 70.9 years
female: 76.1 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.65 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%,
unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
Religions:
Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas
Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%,
Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%,
unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)
Languages:
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English
(official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120
indigenous languages
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 9 years
female: 8 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (1999)
Government
Solomon Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Honiara
geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul,
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona,
Temotu, Western
Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution:
7 July 1978
Legal system:
English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Derek SIKUA (since 20 December
2007); note - Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE defeated in a no
confidence vote in parliament on 13 December 2007; SIKUA elected on
20 December 2007
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members
of Parliament
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years
(eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime
minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the
prime minister from among the members of Parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from
single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held on 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%,
PAP 6.3%, SIPRA 6.3%, Liberal 5%, Democratic 4.9%, SOCRED 4.3%,
LAFARI 2.8%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4,
SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2,
independents 30
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian
Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John
GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or
PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh
Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon
Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party
or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew
ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA
[Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid
coalitions
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note -
these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a
wave of violence from 1999 to 2003
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed
July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the
Solomon Islands
Flag description:
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
Government - note:
by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon
Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of police and troops from
Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled
back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72
military advisers from 15 countries across the region
Economy
Solomon Islands
Economy - overview:
The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and
forestry for at least part of its livelihood. Most manufactured
goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich
in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and
gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the
Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key
businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic
collapse. RAMSI's efforts to restore law and order and economic
stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$948 million (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$358 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,900 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11%
services: 47% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
249,200 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 75%
industry: 5%
services: 20% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.12% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$118.3 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$57.89 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$126.9 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables,
fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish
Industries:
fish (tuna), mining, timber
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
70 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
70 million kWh (2007 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:
1,320 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
1,426 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:
-$143 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$237 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners:
China 50.8%, South Korea 7%, Thailand 6.5%, Japan 5.7%, Philippines
4.3% (2007)
Imports:
$256 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Singapore 28.2%, Australia 25.4%, Japan 4.6%, NZ 4.5%, Fiji 4% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$198.2 million annually, mainly from Australia (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$166 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
Currency code:
SBD
Exchange rates:
Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 7.3447
(2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003)
Communications
Solomon Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
7,600 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
10,900 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)
Radios:
57,000 (1997)
Televisions:
3,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.sb
Internet hosts:
3,804 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
8,000 (2006)
Transportation
Solomon Islands
Airports:
35 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Heliports:
3 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 1,360 km
paved: 33 km
unpaved: 1,327 km
note: includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)
Ports and terminals:
Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor
Military
Solomon Islands
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Solomon Islands Police Force (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 141,051 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 116,891 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,924
female: 6,679 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Solomon Islands
Disputes - international:
since 2003, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands
(RAMSI), consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn
from 15 countries, has assisted in reestablishing and maintaining
civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and
security
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 5,400 (displaced by tsunami on 2 April 2007) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Somalia
Introduction
Somalia
Background:
Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 to allow its
protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the new nation
of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in
an authoritarian socialist rule that managed to impose a degree of
stability in the country for a couple of decades. After the regime's
collapse early in 1991, Somalia descended into turmoil, factional
fighting, and anarchy. In May 1991, northern clans declared an
independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the
administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag,
and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has
maintained a stable existence and continues efforts to establish a
constitutional democracy, including holding municipal,
parliamentary, and presidential elections. The regions of Bari,
Nugaal, and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared
autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since
1998 but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides
toward reconstructing a legitimate, representative government but
has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with
Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag.
Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in
the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN
withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order
still had not been restored. A two-year peace process, led by the
Government of Kenya under the auspices of the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD), concluded in October 2004 with the
election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of the Transitional
Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and the formation of an interim
government, known as the Somalia Transitional Federal Institutions
(TFIs). The Somalia TFIs include a 275-member parliamentary body,
known as the Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA), a transitional
Prime Minister, Nur "Adde" Hassan HUSSEIN, and a 90-member cabinet.
The TFIs are based on the Transitional Federal Charter, which
outlines a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new
Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government
following national elections. While its institutions remain weak,
the TFG continues to reach out to Somali stakeholders and work with
international donors to help build the governance capacity of the
TFIs and work towards national elections in 2009. In June 2006, a
loose coalition of clerics, business leaders, and Islamic court
militias known as the Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) defeated
powerful Mogadishu warlords and took control of the capital. The
Courts continued to expand militarily throughout much of southern
Somalia and threatened to overthrow the TFG in Baidoa. Ethiopian and
TFG forces, concerned over links between some CIC factions and the
al-Qaida East Africa network and the al-Qaida operatives responsible
for the bombings of the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998,
intervened in late December 2006, resulting in the collapse of the
CIC as an organization. However, the TFG continues to face violent
resistance from extremist elements, such as the al-Shabaab militia
previously affiliated with the now-defunct CIC.
Geography
Somalia
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean,
east of Ethiopia
Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 49 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area: