potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish
Exports: $53 million ( f.o.b., 1995)
Exports--commodities: fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum
products (reexports)
Exports--partners: France, UK, China, Germany, Japan (1993)
Imports: $340 million (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports--commodities: manufactured goods, food, petroleum
products, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment
Imports--partners: China, Singapore, South Africa, UK (1993)
Debt--external: $170 million (1994 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $16.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1--5.4540 (January
1999), 5.2622 (1998), 5.0263 (1997), 4.9700 (1996), 4.7620 (1995),
5.0559 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 13,000 (1995 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the
archipelago
international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent
island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth
station--1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 50,000 (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (in addition, there are 9
repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 12,000 (1996 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 280 km
paved: 176 km
unpaved: 104 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Victoria
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 14 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 4 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Coast Guard, Marines, air wing, National
Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 22,420 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 11,242 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $13.7 million (1995)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claims Chagos Archipelago in British
Indian Ocean Territory
======================================================================
@Sierra Leone
------------
Introduction
Background: On 25 May 1997, the democratically-elected government
of President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH was overthrown by a disgruntled
coalition of army personnel from the Armed Forces Revolutionary
Council (AFRC) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under the
command of Major Johnny Paul KOROMA; President KABBAH fled to exile
in Guinea. The Economic Community of West African States Cease-Fire
Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) forces, led by a strong Nigerian
contingent, undertook the suppression of the rebellion. They were
initially unsuccessful, but, by October 1997, they forced the rebels
to agree to a cease-fire and to a plan to return the government to
democratic control. President KABBAH returned to office on 10 March
1998 to face the task of restoring order to a demoralized population
and a disorganized and severely damaged economy. Many of the leaders
of the coup were tried and executed in October 1998. In January
1999, the situation had deteriorated even further, with commerce at
a standstill, hundreds of thousands of people driven from their
homes, and bitter fighting between the AFRC/RUF and ECOMOG troops
intensifying by large-scale import of arms.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Guinea and Liberia
Geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 11 30 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to
December); winter dry season (December to April)
Terrain: coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country,
upland plateau, mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore,
gold, chromite
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 31%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 33% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 290 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the
Sahara (November to May); sandstorms, dust storms
Environment--current issues: rapid population growth pressuring
the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle
grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in
deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural
resources; overfishing
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
People
Population: 5,296,651 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 1,182,181; female 1,219,956)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,307,475; female 1,423,046)
65 years and over: 3% (male 82,374; female 81,619) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.34% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 45.62 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 16.77 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 14.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 126.23 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.13 years
male: 46.07 years
female: 52.27 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.16 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups: 20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende
30%, other 30%), Creole 10% (descendents of freed Jamaican slaves
who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-eighteenth
century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of
Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Religions: Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Languages: English (official, regular use limited to literate
minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne
(principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole,
spoken by the descendents of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled
in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10%
of the population but understood by 95%)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende,
Temne, or Arabic
total population: 31.4%
male: 45.4%
female: 18.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Data code: SL
Government type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Freetown
Administrative divisions: 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern,
Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: Republic Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution: 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous
to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996,
reinstated 10 March 1998); note--the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March
1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note--the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the
approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible
to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election held 26-27 February 1996 (next to be held NA 2001);
note--president's tenure of office is limited to two five-year terms
election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH elected president; percent of
vote--first round--KABBAH 36.0%, second round--KABBAH 59.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (80
seats--68 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs
elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 26-27 February 1996 (next to be held 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--SLPP
27, UNPP 17, PDP 12, APC 5, NUP 4, DCP 3; note--first elections since
the former House of Representatives was shut down by the military
coup of 29 April 1992
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: 15 parties registered for the
M. B. JALLOH]; National Alliance for Democracy Party or NADP
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John Ernest LEIGH
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph MELROSE; note--embassy closed in
late December 1998
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of light green
(top), white, and light blue
Economy
Economy--overview: Sierra Leone has substantial mineral,
agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and
social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social
disorders continue to hamper economic development. The period of
AFRC/RUF junta rule (May 1997-February 1998) led to UN sanctions and
20% drop in GDP in 1997. The continued fighting at yearend 1997 set
back what small progress had been made by the KABBAH government in
recovering from the junta period and reestablishing a viable
economy. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in
subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the
processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the
domestic market. Bauxite and rutile mines have been shut down by
civil strife. The major source of hard currency is found in the
mining of diamonds, the large majority of which are smuggled out of
the country. The fate of the economy in 1999 depends on the outcome
of negotiations to end the civil strife.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$2.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 0.7% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$530 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 52%
industry: 16%
services: 32% (1996)
Population below poverty line: 68% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 37.4% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.369 million (1981 est.)
note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 19%,
services 16% (1981 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $150 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing
(beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 230 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 230 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm
oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Exports: $41 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
Exports--partners: Belgium 49%, Spain 10%, US 8%, UK 3% (1997)
Imports: $166 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels
and lubricants
Imports--partners: UK 16%, US 9%, Cote d'Ivoire 8%,
Belgium-Luxembourg 3% (1997)
Debt--external: $1.15 billion (1998)
Economic aid--recipient: $203.7 million (1995)
Currency: 1 leone (Le) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: leones (Le) per US$1--1,630.5 (January 1999),
1,597.2 (1998), 981.48 (1997), 920.73 (1996), 755.22 (1995), 586.74
(1994)
Fiscal year: 1 July--30 June
Communications
Telephones: 17,526 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: marginal telephone and telegraph service
domestic: national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable
by military activities
international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave NA
Radios: 980,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 45,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 84 km used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is
closed
narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total: 11,700 km
paved: 1,287 km
unpaved: 10,413 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round
Ports and harbors: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 10 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,119,239 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 543,210 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $46 million (FY96/97)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2% (FY96/97)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Singapore
---------
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and
Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 647.5 sq km
land: 637.5 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as
defined in treaties and practice
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry
seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in
April)
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains
water catchment area and nature preserve
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 87% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: industrial pollution; limited natural
fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste
disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires
in Indonesia
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
People
Population: 3,531,600 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 387,786; female 364,018)
15-64 years: 72% (male 1,265,291; female 1,268,458)
65 years and over: 7% (male 109,418; female 136,629) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.15% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 13.38 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 3.84 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.84 years
male: 75.79 years
female: 82.14 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore
Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu,
Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national),
Tamil (official), English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.1%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
Data code: SN
Government type: republic within Commonwealth
Capital: Singapore
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
National holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence
State of Singapore Constitution)
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November
1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November
1990) and Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to
Parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 28 August 1993 (next to be held NA August 1999);
following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime
minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president
election results: ONG Teng Cheong elected president in the country's
first popular election for president; percent of vote--ONG Teng
Cheong 59%, CHUA Kim Yeow 41%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (83 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 2 January 1997 (next to be held by 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party--PAP 65% (in contested
constituencies), other 35%; seats by party--PAP 81, WP 1, SPP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the
president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are
appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice;
Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders:
general]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN,
Australia Group (observer), BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Steven J. GREEN
embassy: 27 Napier Street, Singapore 258508
mailing address: FPO AP 96534-0001
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and
white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical,
white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially
enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
Economy
Economy--overview: Singapore has an open economy with strong
service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international
trading links derived from its entrepot history. Extraordinarily
strong fundamentals allowed Singapore to weather the effects of the
Asian financial crisis better than its neighbors, but the crisis did
pull GDP growth down to 1.3% in 1998 from 6% in 1997. Projections
for 1999 GDP growth are in the -1% to 1% range. Rising labor costs
and appreciation of the Singapore dollar against its neighbors'
currencies continue to be a threat to Singapore's competitiveness.
The government's strategy to address this problem includes cutting
costs, increasing productivity, improving infrastructure, and
encouraging higher value-added industries. In applied technology,
per capita output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has
key attributes of a developed country.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$91.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 1.3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$26,300 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: NEGL%
industry: 28%
services: 72%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.856 million (1997 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: financial, business, and other
services 33.5%, manufacturing 25.6%, commerce 22.9%, construction
6.6%, other 11.4% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $16.3 billion
expenditures: $13.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY97/98 est.)
Industries: electronics, financial services, oil drilling
equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber
products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade,
biotechnology
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
Electricity--production: 28 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 28 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture--products: rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables; poultry
Exports: $128 billion (1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: computer equipment, rubber and rubber
products, petroleum products, telecommunications equipment
Exports--partners: Malaysia 19%, US 18%, Hong Kong 9%, Japan 8%,
Thailand 6% (1995)
Imports: $133.9 billion (1997 est.)
Imports--commodities: aircraft, petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports--partners: Japan 21%, Malaysia 15%, US 15%, Thailand 5%,
Taiwan 4%, South Korea 4% (1995)
Debt--external: $NA
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1--1.6781 (January
1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995),
1.5274 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 1.4 million (1997 est.)
Telephone system: good domestic facilities; good international
service
domestic: NA
international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular
Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth
stations--2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1
Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997)
Televisions: 1.05 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 38.6 km
narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge
note: there is a 67 km mass transit system with 42 stations
Highways:
total: 3,017 km
paved: 2,936 km (including 148 km of expressways)
unpaved: 81 km (1997 est.)