Antarctica
Geographic coordinates: 65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern
Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of
water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of
water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of
Antarctica, and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 20.327 million sq km
note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake
Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and
other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of the US
Coastline: 17,968 km
Climate: sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Centigrade to -2
degrees Centigrade; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the
continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature
contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about
latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average
winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to
65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south
latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well
below 0 degrees Centigrade; at some coastal points intense persistent
drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free
throughout the winter
Terrain: the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most
of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the antarctic
continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep - its edge
lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133 meters);
the Antarctic ice pack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million
square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square kilometers in
September, better than a sevenfold increase in area; the Antarctic
Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward;
it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million
cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the
world's rivers
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich
Trench
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources: probable large and possible giant oil and gas
fields on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer
deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs, squid, whales, and
seals - none exploited; krill, fishes
Natural hazards: huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred
meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to
1 meter thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with
large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf
floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high
winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially
May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and
rescue
Environment - current issues: increased solar ultraviolet radiation
resulting from the antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing
marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and
damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated
fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five
to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery,
which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large
amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line
fishing for toothfish
note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong
comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries
Environment - international agreements: the Southern Ocean is subject
to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in
addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the region:
International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south
of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and
130 degrees west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals
(limits sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine
Living Resources (regulates fishing)
note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource
exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front
(Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic
Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very
cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the
north
Geography - note: the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between
South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence)
is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern
Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic
Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters
to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the
Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60
degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far
South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds
@Southern Ocean:Government
Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard for
hydrographic codes - see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data
Codes appendix
@Southern Ocean:Economy
Economy - overview: Fisheries in 1998-1999 (1 July to 30 June) landed
119,898 metric tons, of which 85% was krill and 14% Patagonian
toothfish. International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to
reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the
1998-1999 season landed five to six times more Patagonian toothfish
than the regulated fishery. In the 1998-1999 antarctic summer 10,013
tourists, most of them seaborne, visited the Southern Ocean and
Antarctica, compared to 9,604 the previous year. Nearly 16,000
tourists are expected during the 1999-2000 season.
@Southern Ocean:Transportation
Ports and harbors: McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in
Antarctica
note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern
Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short periods in
midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort;
most antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and,
except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels;
vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject to
inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers
Transportation - note: Drake Passage offers alternative to transit
through the Panama Canal
@Southern Ocean:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see
Antarctic Treaty Summary in the Antarctica entry); sections (some
overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New
Zealand, Norway, and UK; the US and most other nations do not
recognize the maritime claims of other nations and have made no claims
themselves (the US reserves the right to do so); no formal claims have
been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west
______________________________________________________________________
SOUTH GEORGIA
______________________________________________________________________
SPAIN
@Spain:Introduction
Background: Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th
centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England.
Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial
revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and
Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in
World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating Civil War
(1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, it has played a
catch-up role in the western international community. Continuing
concerns are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist
movement.
@Spain:Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay,
Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains,
southwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 504,782 sq km
land: 499,542 sq km
water: 5,240 sq km
note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of
sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco -
Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de
Velez de la Gomera
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 1,917.8 km
border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km,
Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
Coastline: 4,964 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and
cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy
and cool along coast
Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites,
fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash,
hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 30%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 21%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 34,530 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from
raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas;
water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation;
desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Geography - note: strategic location along approaches to Strait of
Gibraltar
@Spain:People
Population: 39,996,671 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15% (male 3,046,379; female 2,866,712)
15-64 years: 68% (male 13,702,947; female 13,618,766)
65 years and over: 17% (male 2,830,607; female 3,931,260) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.11% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 9.22 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.79 years
male: 75.32 years
female: 82.49 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.15 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Spaniard(s)
adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%,
Basque 2%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Spain:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
conventional short form: Spain
local short form: Espana
Data code: SP
Government type: parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades
autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon,
Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands),
Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad
Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra,
Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
note: there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of
Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are administered as autonomous communities;
Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
are under direct Spanish administration
Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
National holiday: National Day, 12 October
Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not
accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir
Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez
(since 5 May 1996); First Vice President Francisco ALVAREZ CASCOS
Fernandez (since 5 May 1996) and Second Vice President (and Minister
of Economy and Finance) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 5 May 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
consultative organ of the government
elections: the monarch is hereditary; president proposed by the
monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative
elections; election last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA 2004);
vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of the president
election results: Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president;
percent of National Assembly vote - 44%
Legislative branch: bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or
Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208
members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by
the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress
of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are
elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March
2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held
NA March 2004)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PP 127, PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%, IU
5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE 125,
CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders: Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Xabier
ARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five
parties) ; Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi
PUJOL i Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic
Convergence of Catalonia or CDC and the
Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC );
Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG ; Party of
Independents from Lanzarote or PIL ; Popular Party or PP
; Spanish Communist Party or PCE [Francisco
FRUTOS]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Joaquin ALMUNIA
Amann, secretary general]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties
including the PCE and other small parties)
Political pressure groups and leaders: business and landowning
interests; Catholic Church; Euskal Herritarok or EH ;
free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); on the extreme left, the
Basque Fatherland and Liberty or ETA and the First of October
Antifascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use terrorism to oppose the
government; Opus Dei; Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and
the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university
students; Workers Confederation or CC.OO
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group,
BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio OYARZABAL MARCHESI
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: (202) 452-0100, 728-2340
FAX: (202) 833-5670
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward L. ROMERO
embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
mailing address: APO AE 09642
telephone: (91) 587-2200
FAX: (91) 587-2303
consulate(s) general: Barcelona
Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double
width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of
the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by
the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and
Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
@Spain:Economy
Economy - overview: Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP
that on a per capita basis is three-fourths that of the four leading
West European economies. Its center-right government successfully
worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the
European single currency on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration
has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and
deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to
that end. Unemployment, nonetheless, remains the highest in the EU at
16%. The government, for political reasons, has made only limited
progress in changing labor laws or reforming pension schemes, which
are key to the sustainability of both Spain's internal economic
advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. Adjustment
to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe -
and reducing the unacceptably high level of unemployment - will pose
difficult challenges to Spain in the next few years.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $677.5 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,300 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 33.6%
services: 63.2% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 16.2 million (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and
construction 28%, agriculture 8% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $115 billion
expenditures: $125 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and
beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding,
automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 2.7% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 179.468 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 48.23%
hydro: 19.16%
nuclear: 31.23%
other: 1.38% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 170.306 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 5.6 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 9 billion kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar
beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Exports: $112.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, other
consumer goods
Exports - partners: EU 72% (France 20%, Germany 14%, Italy 9%,
Portugal 9%, UK 8%), Latin America 7%, US 4% (1998)
Imports: $137.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals,
semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997)
Imports - partners: EU 67% (France 18%, Germany 15%, Italy 10%, UK 8%,
Benelux 8%), US 6%, OPEC 5%, Japan 3%, Latin America 4% (1998)
Debt - external: $90 billion (1993 est.)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.3 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999);
pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 143.39 (January 1999), 149.40 (1998), 146.41
(1997), 126.66 (1996), 124.69 (1995)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is
now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at a
fixed rate of 166.386 pesetas per euro; the euro will replace the
local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Spain:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 17.336 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 8.394 million (1999)
Telephone system: generally adequate, modern facilities
domestic: NA
international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations -
2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 13.1 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 228 (plus 2,112 repeaters); note -
these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 89
repeaters in the Canary Islands (September 1995)
Televisions: 16.2 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 49 (1999)
@Spain:Transportation
Railways:
total: 13,950 km
broad gauge: 12,781 km 1.668-m gauge (6,358 km electrified; 2,295 km
double track)
standard gauge: 525 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 644 km 1.000-m gauge (438 km electrified) (1998)
Highways:
total: 346,858 km
paved: 343,389 km (including 9,063 km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,469 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: 1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
Pipelines: crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas
1,666 km
Ports and harbors: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena,
Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary
Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
(Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine:
total: 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,131,648 GRT/1,688,996
DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 24, chemical tanker 9, container 9,
liquified gas 2, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker
24, refrigerated cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off 36, short-sea passenger 7,
specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 105 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 70
over 3,047 m: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 25 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)
@Spain:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard,
National Police, Coastal Civil Guard
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 10,569,785 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 8,481,690 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 295,335 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.1% (FY97)
@Spain:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Gibraltar issue with UK; Spain controls five
places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of
Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco
contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez
de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas