rights of the older generation); Slovenian Roma Association [Jozek
Horvat MUC]
other: Catholic Church
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OIF (observer), OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roman KIRN
chancery: 2410 California Street N.W., Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 386-6601
FAX: [1] (202) 386-6633
consulate(s) general: Cleveland, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Brad FREDEN
embassy: Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana
mailing address: American Embassy Ljubljana, US Department of State,
7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140
telephone: [386] (1) 200-5500
FAX: [386] (1) 200-5555
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, with the
Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's
highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center;
beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and
above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted
triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of
Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early
15th centuries); the seal is in the upper hoist side of the flag
centered on the white and blue bands
Economy ::Slovenia
Economy - overview:
Slovenia, which on 1 January 2007 became the first 2004 European
Union entrant to adopt the euro, is a model of economic success and
stability for the region. With the highest per capita GDP in Central
Europe, Slovenia has excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work
force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western
Europe. Privatization has lagged since 2002, and the economy has one
of highest levels of state control in the EU. Structural reforms to
improve the business environment have allowed for somewhat greater
foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and have helped to lower
unemployment. In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition
country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the
World Bank. In December 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the
accession process for joining the OECD. Despite its economic
success, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia has lagged
behind the region average, and taxes remain relatively high.
Furthermore, the labor market is often seen as inflexible, and
legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in
China, India, and elsewhere.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$59.49 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
$57.47 billion (2007 est.)
$53.81 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$54.64 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
6.8% (2007 est.)
5.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$29,600 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
$28,600 (2007 est.)
$26,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 33.4%
services: 64.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
940,000 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.5%
industry: 36%
services: 61.5% (2007)
Unemployment rate:
6.7% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
7.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
12.9% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 24.6% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
24 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 133
28.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
28% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Budget:
revenues: $22.55 billion
expenditures: $22.7 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
23% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
31.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.7% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
3.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 103
5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal
lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro
area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.41% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 123
6.82% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$9.347 billion (31 December 2006)
note: the figure for 2006 represents the US dollar value of tolars
in circulation prior to Slovenia joining the Economic and Monetary
Union (EMU); see entry for the European Union for money supply in
the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary
policy for the 16 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
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$12.69 billion (31 December 2006)
Stock of domestic credit:
$50.31 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 47
$41.63 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$11.77 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 64
$28.96 billion (31 December 2007)
$15.18 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
1.7% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - production:
14.14 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Electricity - consumption:
13.5 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Electricity - exports:
7.82 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
6.218 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
5 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Oil - consumption:
61,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Oil - exports:
8,450 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Oil - imports:
63,080 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Natural gas - consumption:
1 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - imports:
1 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Current account balance:
-$3.323 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
-$1.982 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$29.61 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
$27.09 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,
food
Exports - partners:
Germany 18.7%, Italy 11.7%, Croatia 8.3%, Austria 7.5%, France 5.7%,
Russia 4.8% (2008)
Imports:
$33.49 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
$29.42 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals,
fuels and lubricants, food
Imports - partners:
Germany 17.2%, Italy 16.6%, Austria 11.2%, France 4.7%, Croatia 4.1%
(2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$7.57 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$5.682 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$54.61 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
$50.58 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$11.96 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$10.41 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$7.592 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
$6.127 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007)
note: Slovenia adopted the euro as its currency on 1 January 2007
Communications ::Slovenia
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.01 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 81
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.055 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 121
Telephone system:
general assessment: well-developed telecommunications infrastructure
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 150 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 386
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 230, shortwave 0 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
31 (2006)
Internet country code:
.si
Internet hosts:
88,567 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 75
Internet users:
1.126 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 84
Transportation ::Slovenia
Airports:
16 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 143
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 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 840 km; oil 11 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 1,228 km
country comparison to the world: 85
standard gauge: 1,228 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2007)
Roadways:
total: 38,709 km
country comparison to the world: 90
paved: 38,709 km (includes 579 km of expressways) (2007)
Waterways:
some transport on Danube River (2008)
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)
country comparison to the world: 88
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: 402,484
females age 16-49: 390,559 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 10,192
female: 9,717 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Solomon Islands (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Solomon Islands
Background:
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the
1890s. Some of the most bitter 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: 28,896 sq km
country comparison to the world: 143
land: 27,986 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:
595,613 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.5% (male 119,875/female 115,127)
15-64 years: 57.1% (male 171,792/female 168,023)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 9,849/female 10,947) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.5 years
female: 19.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.392% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Birth rate:
27.69 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Death rate:
3.77 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 18% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.1% 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: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.03 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 107
male: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.69 years
country comparison to the world: 100
male: 71.14 years
female: 76.37 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.52 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
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)
country comparison to the world: 135
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 and a Commonwealth realm
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 the 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 Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009)
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 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):
$1.546 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
$1.441 billion (2007 est.)
$1.306 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$642 million (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
10.3% (2007 est.)
6.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,700 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
$2,500 (2007 est.)
$2,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11%
services: 47% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
202,500 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 164
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)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.3% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.44% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
14.12% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$86.96 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 114
$94 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$96.79 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 121
$85.47 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$166.1 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 124
$126.5 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:
71 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
Electricity - consumption:
66.03 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195