country comparison to the world: 226
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.2% (male 734/female 696)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 2,855/female 2,402)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 378/female 383) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.1 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 38.9 years (2009 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.14 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Ethnic groups:
white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)
Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness
Languages:
French (primary), English
Government ::Saint Barthelemy
Country name:
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy
local long form: Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy
local short form: Saint-Barthelemy
Dependency status:
overseas collectivity of France
Capital:
name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during
Standard Time)
Independence:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy
Day, 24 August
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007),
represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Bruno
MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007)
cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory,
economic, social, and cultural council
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is
elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term
election results: Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the
Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - SBA 72.2%,
Action-Equilibre-Transparence 9.9%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy
7.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 9.9%; seats by party - SBA 16,
Action-Equilibre-Transparence 1, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 1,
Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1
note: Saint Barthelemy elects one seat to the French Senate;
elections last held 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September
2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP
1
Political parties and leaders:
Action-Equilibre-Transparence [Maxime DESOUCHES]; Ensemble pour
Saint-Barthelemy [Benoit CHAUVIN]; Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA
[Bruno MAGRAS]; Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy [Karine MIOT-RICHARD]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
The Marine Reserve (protection of fish); Rotary Club
International organization participation:
UPU, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy ::Saint Barthelemy
Economy - overview:
The economy of Saint Barthelemy is based upon high-end tourism and
duty-free luxury commerce, serving visitors primarily from North
America. The luxury hotels and villas host 70,000 visitors each year
with another 130,000 arriving by boat. The relative isolation and
high cost of living inhibits mass tourism. The construction and
public sectors also enjoy significant investment in support of
tourism. With limited fresh water resources, all food must be
imported, as must all energy resources and most manufactured goods.
Employment is strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal.
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041
(2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Communications ::Saint Barthelemy
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable
provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe
Internet country code:
.bl; note - .gp, the internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr,
the internet country code for France, might also be encountered
Transportation ::Saint Barthelemy
Airports:
1 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 215
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Transportation - note:
nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana
International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten (Netherlands
Antilles)
Military ::Saint Barthelemy
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,594
females age 16-49: 1,340 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 21
female: 20 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France
page last updated on September 22, 2009
======================================================================
@Saint Helena (Africa)
Introduction ::Saint Helena
Background:
Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint
Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da
Cunha.
Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in
1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th
century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile
from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of
call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. During
the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer prisoners
were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.
Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered
and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the
island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena. It
served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa
Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty
control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena.
During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an
airfield on Ascension in support of trans-Atlantic flights to Africa
and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s
the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In
1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces
during the Falklands War. It remains a critical refueling point in
the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.
Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of the islands of
Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan da
Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was
garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue
Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been
designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases a site for a
meteorological station on Gough Island.
Geography ::Saint Helena
Location:
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South
America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint
Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2,300 nm southwest of Saint Helena
Geographic coordinates:
Saint Helena: 15 57 S, 5 42 W
Ascension Island: 7 57 S, 14 22 W
Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S, 12 30 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 308 sq km
country comparison to the world: 208
land: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 88 sq km;
Tristan da Cunha island group 98 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
Saint Helena: 60 km
Ascension Island: NA
Tristan da Cunha: 40 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid
Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
(tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Terrain:
the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated
with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44
dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east
Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly
circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply
dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the
coastal cliffs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,062 m; Green
Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena
Island 818 m
Natural resources:
fish, lobster
Land use:
arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere
else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles
and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the
highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent
landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa
People ::Saint Helena
Population:
7,637
country comparison to the world: 225
note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are
inhabited (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.3% (male 712/female 685)
15-64 years: 70.4% (male 2,744/female 2,629)
65 years and over: 11.4% (male 412/female 455) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.6 years
male: 37.7 years
female: 37.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.445% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Birth rate:
11.13 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Death rate:
6.68 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 39% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 17.63 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 116
male: 20.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.44 years
country comparison to the world: 44
male: 75.52 years
female: 81.5 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.56 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian
note: referred to locally as "Saints"
Ethnic groups:
African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
Religions:
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic
Languages:
English
Literacy:
definition: age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1987 est.)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Saint Helena
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Jamestown
geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena,
Tristan da Cunha*
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:
1 January 1989
Legal system:
English common law and statutes supplemented by local statutes
Suffrage:
NA
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Andrew GURR
(since 11 November 2007)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, 3 ex-officio
officers, and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the
monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker,
three ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held in November
2009)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12
Judicial branch:
Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: private sector; unions
International organization participation:
UPU, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag;
the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
Economy ::Saint Helena
Economy - overview:
The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK,
which amounted to about $27 million in FY06/07 or more than twice
the level of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns
income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts.
Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek
employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18 million (1998 est.)
country comparison to the world: 225
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,500 (1998 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
2,486
country comparison to the world: 217
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 48%
services: 46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate:
14% (1998 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $12.33 million
expenditures: $30.28 million
note: revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget
deficit is resolved by grant aid from the United Kingdom (FY06/07
est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (1997 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
3.2% (1997 est.)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, lobster (on
Tristan da Cunha); livestock
Industries:
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing,
philatelic sales
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
8 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
Electricity - consumption:
7.44 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Oil - consumption:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Oil - imports:
79.73 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 118
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Exports:
$19 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Exports - commodities:
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee,
handicrafts
Imports:
$45 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
Imports - commodities:
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building
materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Saint Helenian pounds (SHP) per US dollar - 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993
(2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004)
note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound
Communications ::Saint Helena
Telephones - main lines in use:
2,300 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 223
Telephone system:
general assessment: can communicate worldwide
domestic: automatic digital network
international: country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island)
- 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data
communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4,
Saint Helena - 1)
Radio broadcast stations:
Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed
by UHF) (2005)
Internet country code:
.sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac
Internet hosts:
343 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 178
Internet users:
1,100; note - includes Ascension Island (2008)
country comparison to the world: 213
Communications - note:
South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island
Transportation ::Saint Helena
Airports:
1 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 216
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da
Cunha 20 km)
country comparison to the world: 207
paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da
Cunha 10 km)
unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha
10 km) (2002)
Ports and terminals:
Saint Helena: Jamestown
Ascension Island: Georgetown
Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor
Transportation - note:
there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; an
international airport for Saint Helena is in development for 2010
Military ::Saint Helena
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,586
females age 16-49: 1,600 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 47
female: 45 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Saint Helena
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Saint Kitts and Nevis (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Saint Kitts and Nevis
Background:
Carib Indians occupied the islands for hundreds of years before the
British began settlement in 1623. The islands became an associated
state of the UK with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of
Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and
Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a
referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds
majority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to separate from
Saint Kitts.
Geography ::Saint Kitts and Nevis
Location:
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way
from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
17 20 N, 62 45 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
country comparison to the world: 211
land: 261 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
135 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain:
volcanic with mountainous interiors
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
Natural resources:
arable land
Land use:
arable land: 19.44%
permanent crops: 2.78%
other: 77.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
0.02 cu km (2000)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes (July to October)
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two
volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide channel called The
Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint
Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its
almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that
of its sister island
People ::Saint Kitts and Nevis
Population:
40,131 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.3% (male 5,397/female 5,138)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 13,231/female 13,196)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,326/female 1,843) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.6 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 29.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.847% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Birth rate:
17.67 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Death rate:
8.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Net migration rate:
-1.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Urbanization:
urban population: 32% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% 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 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.94 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 130
male: 15.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.2 years
country comparison to the world: 109
male: 70.33 years
female: 76.25 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.26 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
Ethnic groups:
predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
Religions:
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
Languages:
English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97.8%
male: NA
female: NA (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
9.3% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 8
Government ::Saint Kitts and Nevis
Country name:
conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis
former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Government type: