the European Parliament meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, France;
the Court of Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg
Member states:
27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK;
note - candidate countries: Croatia, Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Turkey
Independence:
7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1
November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
National holiday:
Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that
Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel
Community to achieve an organized Europe
Constitution:
none
note: based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set
up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the
Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC)
and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the
Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union
(Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the
Treaty of Nice in 2003; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty,
signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for
ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum
before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in
French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 dealt a severe setback
to the ratification process; in June 2007, the European Council
agreed on a clear and concise mandate for an Intergovernmental
Conference to form a political agreement and put it into legal form;
this agreement, known as the Reform Treaty, would have served as a
constitution and was presented to the European Council in October
2007 for individual country ratification; it was rejected by Irish
voters in June 2008, again stalling the ratification process; the
Reform Treaty, more recently known as the Treaty of Lisbon, was
again circulated for ratification, and by November 2009 was approved
by all 27 countries; it came into effect on 1 December 2009
Legal system:
comparable to the legal systems of member states; first
supranational law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose Manuel
BARROSO (since 2004)
cabinet: European Commission (composed of 27 members, one from each
member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy
areas)
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the president of the European Commission designated by
member governments and confirmed by the European Parliament; working
from member state recommendations, the Commission president then
assembles a "college" of Commission members; the European Parliament
confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; the next
confirmation process will likely be held in January 2015
note: the European Council brings together heads of state and
government and the president of the European Commission and meets at
least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the
major political issues relating to European integration and to issue
general policy guidelines; leaders of the EU member states appointed
then Belgian Prime Minister Herman VAN ROMPUY to be the first
full-time president of the European Council in November 2009; he
took office on 1 December 2009 and will serve a
two-and-one-half-year term, renewable once; his core
responsibilities include chairing the four summits each year and
providing continuity beyond the rotating, six-month presidencies of
the Council of the EU
Legislative branch:
two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European
Union (27 member-state ministers having 345 votes; the number of
votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population) and the
European Parliament (736 seats; seats allocated among member states
in proportion to population; members elected by direct universal
suffrage for a five-year term); note - the Council is the main
decision-making body of the EU; leaders of the EU member states
appointed UK Baroness Catherine Ashton to be the first High
Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;
Ashton took office on 1 December 2009; her concurrent appointment as
Vice President of the European Commission - both of which are
subject to confirmation by the European Parliament - endows her
position with the policymaking influence of the Council of the EU
and the budgetary influence of the European Commission
elections: last held on 4-7 June 2009 (next to be held in June 2014)
election results: percent of vote - EPP 36%, S&D 25%, ALDE 11.4%,
Greens/EFA 7.5%, ECR 7.3%, GUE/NGL 4.8%, EFD 4.3%, independents
3.7%; seats by party - EPP 265, S&D 184, ALDE 84, Greens/EFA 55, ECR
54, GUE/NGL 35, EFD 32, independents 27
Judicial branch:
Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the
treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU;
resolve constitutional issues among the EU institutions) - 27
justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term;
note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 13
justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 27
justices appointed for a six-year term
Political parties and leaders:
Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or
GUE/NGL [Lothar BISKY]; Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group or EFD
[Nigel FARAGE and Francesco SPERONI]; European Conservatives and
Reformists Group or ECR [Michael KAMINSKI]; Group of Greens/European
Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Rebecca HARMS and Daniel COHN-BENDIT];
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE
[Guy VERHOFSTADT]; Group of the European People's Party or EPP
[Joseph DAUL]; Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
Democrats in the European Parliament or S&D [Martin SCHULZ]
International organization participation:
European Union: ARF (dialogue member), ASEAN (dialogue member), FAO,
G-8, G-20, IDA, OAS (observer), PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN
(observer), WTO
European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, EBRD, FATF, G-10,
IEA, LAIA WTO, ZC (observer)
European Central Bank: BIS
European Investment Bank: EBRD
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joao P. Castanheira do VALE DE ALMEIDA
chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500
FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Christopher
MURRAY
embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: same as above
telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111
FAX: [32] (2) 508-2063
Flag description:
a blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in
the center; blue represents the sky of the Western world, the stars
are the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity; the number
of stars is fixed
National anthem:
name: "Ode to Joy""
lyrics/music: none/Ludwig VON BEETHOVEN, arranged by Herbert VON
KARAJAN
note: adopted 1972, not in use until 1986; according to the European
Union, the song is meant to represent all of Europe rather than just
the organization; the song also serves as the anthem for the Council
of Europe
Economy ::European Union
Economy - overview:
Internally, the EU has abolished trade barriers, adopted a common
currency, and is striving toward convergence of living standards.
Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and
its political and economic power. Because of the great differences
in per capita income among member states (from $7,000 to $78,000)
and in national attitudes toward issues like inflation, debt, and
foreign trade, the EU faces difficulties in devising and enforcing
common policies. In the wake of the global economic crisis, the
European Commission projected that the EU's economy would shrink by
4% in 2009 and 0.1% in 2010. The EU has recovered from the crisis
faster than expected, however, and the Commission estimates 2010
growth at 1.8%. Significant risks to growth nevertheless remain,
including, high official debts and deficits, aging populations,
over-regulation of non-financial businesses, and doubts about the
sustainability of European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). In
June 2010, prompted by the Greek financial crisis, the EU and the
IMF set up a $1 trillion bailout fund to rescue any EMU member in
danger of default, but it has not calmed market jitters that have
diminished the value of the euro. Eleven established EU member
states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January
1999 (Greece did so two years later), but the UK and Denmark have
'opt-outs' that allow them to keep their national currencies, and
Sweden has not taken the steps needed to participate. Between 2004
and 2007, the EU admitted 12 countries that are, in general, less
advanced economically than the other 15. Of the 12 most recent
member states, only Slovenia (1 January 2007), Cyprus and Malta (1
January 2008), Slovakia (1 January 2009), and Estonia (1 January
2011) have adopted the euro; the remaining states other than the UK
and Denmark are legally required to adopt the currency upon meeting
EU's fiscal and monetary convergence criteria.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.89 trillion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
$14.64 trillion (2009 est.)
$15.27 trillion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$15.9 trillion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
-4% (2009 est.)
0.6% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$32,900 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
$32,400 (2009 est.)
$33,900 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 25.2%
services: 72.9% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
225.2 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5.6%
industry: 27.7%
services: 66.7% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
9% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
note - see individual country entries of member states
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2002 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
31.2 (1996 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
1.8% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1.75% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 121
3% (31 December 2008)
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:
7.52% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
8.58% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$5.542 trillion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 2
$5.649 trillion (31 December 2007)
note: this is the quantity of money, M1, for the euro area,
converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date
indicated; it excludes the stock of money carried by non-euro-area
members of the European Union
Stock of broad money:
$11.17 trillion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
$10.83 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
note: this is the quantity of quasi money, M2-M1, for the euro area,
converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date
indicated; it excludes the stock of quasi money carried by
non-euro-area members of the European Union
Stock of domestic credit:
$22.65 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
$21.24 trillion (31 December 2008 est.)
note: this figure refers to the euro area only; it excludes credit
data for non-euro-area members of the EU
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
$7.564 trillion (31 December 2008)
$15.57 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products,
cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish
Industries:
among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the EU
industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production
and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger
and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial
equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools
and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and
telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverage processing,
furniture, paper, textiles, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
3.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Electricity - production:
3.08 trillion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Electricity - consumption:
2.906 trillion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Electricity - exports:
NA kWh
Electricity - imports:
NA kWh
Oil - production:
2.383 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
Oil - consumption:
13.68 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Oil - exports:
2.196 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Oil - imports:
8.613 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Oil - proved reserves:
5.414 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Natural gas - production:
181.6 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - consumption:
489.4 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Natural gas - exports:
NA cu m
Natural gas - imports:
NA cu m
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.242 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Current account balance:
$NA (2009)
$51.4 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$1.952 trillion (2007)
country comparison to the world: 1
$1.33 trillion (2005)
note: external exports, excluding intra-EU trade
Exports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and
other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp
and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic
beverages.
Imports:
$1.69 trillion (2007)
country comparison to the world: 2
$1.466 trillion (2005)
note: external imports, excluding intra-EU trade
Imports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals,
textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA
Debt - external:
country comparison to the world: 2
$13.72 trillion (30 June 2010); This is the external debt for the
euro area only; it excludes the external debt of the non-euro-area
members of the EU
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008),
0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)
Communications ::European Union
Telephones - main lines in use:
238 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
466 million (2005)
Telephone system:
note - see individual country entries of member states
Internet country code:
.eu; note - see country entries of member states for individual
country codes
Internet hosts:
140,277; note - this sum reflects the number of internet hosts
assigned the .eu internet country code (2010)
Internet users:
247 million (2006)
Transportation ::European Union
Airports:
3,383 (2010)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1,992
over 3,047 m: 116
2,438 to 3,047 m: 340
1,524 to 2,437 m: 546
914 to 1,523 m: 422
under 914 m: 568 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,391
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 254
under 914 m: 1,112 (2010)
Heliports:
99 (2010)
Railways:
total: 229,450 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 5,919,704 km (2008)
Waterways:
52,332 km (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen
(Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen
(Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany),
Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre
(France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples
(Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam
(Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia), Tulcea
(Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)
Military ::European Union
Military - note:
the five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany,
Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has deployed troops and police on
peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and assumed command of the ISAF in
Afghanistan in August 2004; Eurocorps directly commands the
5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support
Brigade, and EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; in November 2004, the
EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating 13 1,500-man
battle groups by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises
on a rotating basis; 22 of the EU's 27 nations have agreed to supply
troops; France, Italy, and the UK formed the first of three battle
groups in 2005; Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland established the
Nordic Battle Group effective 1 January 2008; nine other groups are
to be formed; a rapid-reaction naval EU Maritime Task Group was
stood up in March 2007 (2007)
Transnational Issues ::European Union
Disputes - international:
as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring
countries, but Estonia has no land boundary agreements with Russia,
Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and
Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco and with
the UK over Gibraltar; the EU has set up a Schengen area -
consisting of 22 EU member states that have signed the convention
implementing the Schengen agreements or "acquis" (1985 and 1990) on
the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border
controls in Europe; these agreements became incorporated into EU law
with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May
1999; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the
Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996
(full members in 2001), and Switzerland since 2008 bringing the
total current membership to 25; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland
(since 2002) take part in only some aspects of the Schengen area,
especially with respect to police and criminal matters; nine of the
12 new member states that joined the EU since 2004 joined Schengen
on 21 December 2007; of the three remaining EU states, Cyprus is
expected to join by 2009, while Romania and Bulgaria continue to
enhance their border security systems
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (South America)
Introduction ::Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Background:
Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first
landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in
1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until
1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the
islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first
between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The
UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval
garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April
1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed
seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine
surrender on 14 June 1982.
Geography ::Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of
southern Argentina
Geographic coordinates:
51 45 S, 59 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 12,173 sq km
country comparison to the world: 164
land: 12,173 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and
about 200 small islands
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,288 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on
more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches
in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and
February, but typically does not accumulate
Terrain:
rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m
Natural resources:
fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
strong winds persist throughout the year
Environment - current issues:
overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were
introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is
the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the
1986 Chornobyl disaster
Geography - note:
deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing
season
People ::Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Population:
3,140 (July 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 230
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate:
0.011% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island
Ethnic groups:
British
Religions:
Christian 67.2%, none 31.5%, other 1.3% (2006 census)
Languages:
English
Literacy:
NA
Government ::Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Stanley
geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
third Sunday in April
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Constitution:
1 January 2009
Legal system:
English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Nigel HAYWOOD (since 16 October 2010)
is the Queen's representative; Chief Executive Dr. Tim THOROGOOD
(since 3 January 2008)