arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90%
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
subject to hurricanes from July to November
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
the northern border is shared with the French overseas collectivity
of Saint Martin; together, these two enties make up the smallest
landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states
People ::Sint Maarten
Population:
37,429 (January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.4% (male 4,299/female 4,455)
15-64 years: 73% (male 13,053/female 14,259)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 608/female 755) (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
NA
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
3 deaths/1,000 population (2009)
country comparison to the world: 221
Net migration rate:
14.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 4
Sex ratio:
at birth: 0.98 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2010)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: 73.1 years
female: 78.2 years (2009)
Total fertility rate:
1.7 children born/woman (2009)
country comparison to the world: 170
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Religions:
Roman Catholic 39%, Protestant 27%, Pentecostal 11.6%, none 6.7%,
Seventh Day Adventist 6.2%, other 5.4%, Jewish 3.4%, not reported
0.7% (2001 census)
Languages:
English 67.5% (official), Spanish 12.9%, Creole 8.2%, Dutch 4.2%
(official), Papiamento 2.2% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English
dialect), French 1.5%, other 3.5% (2001 census)
Government ::Sint Maarten
Country name:
Dutch long form: Land Sint Maarten
Dutch short form: Sint Maarten
English long form: Country of Sint Maarten
English short form: Sint Maarten
former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status:
constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full
autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government
responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Government type:
parliamentary
Capital:
name: Philipsburg
geographic coordinates: 18 1 N, 63 2 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the
throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Constitution:
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending
Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law
influence
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April
1980); represented by Governor General Eugene HOLIDAY (since 10
October 2010)
head of government: Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS (since 10 October 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister
by the legislature
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament or Staten (15 seats; members elected by
popular vote for four year term)
elections: last held 17 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - National Alliance
45.9%, UPP 36.1%, Democratic Party 17.1%; seats by party - National
Alliance 7, UPP 6, Democratic Party 2
Judicial branch:
Common Court of Justice, Joint High Court of Justice (judges
appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DP [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; National Alliance
or NA [William MARLIN]; United People's Party or UPP [Theodore
HEYLIGER]; Concordia Political Alliance or CPA [Jeffery RICHARDSON]
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Sint Maarten; the Consul General
to Curacao is accredited to Sint Maarten
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a white
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the center of the
triangle displays the Sint Maarten coat of arms; the arms consist of
an orange-bordered blue shield prominently displaying the white
court house in Philipsburg, as well as a bouquet of yellow sage (the
national flower) in the upper left, and the silhouette of a
Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; the shield is
surmounted by a yellow rising sun in front of which is a Brown
Pelican in flight; a yellow scroll below the shield bears the motto:
SEMPER PROGREDIENS (Always Progressing); the three main colors are
identical to those on the Dutch flag
note: the flag somewhat resembles that of the Philippines, but with
the main red and blue bands reversed; the banner more closely evokes
the wartime Philippine flag
National anthem:
name: "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land"
lyrics/music: Gerard KEMPS
note: the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for
the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); as a collectivity
of France, in addition to the local anthem, "La Marseillaise" is
official on the French side (see France); as a constituent part of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in addition to the local anthem,
"Het Wilhelmus" is official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)
Economy ::Sint Maarten
Economy - overview:
The economy of Sint Maarten centers around tourism with nearly
four-fifths of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one
million visitors come to the island each year - 1.3 million in 2008
- with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International
Airport. Cruise ships and yachts also call on Sint Maarten's
numerous ports and harbors. No significant agriculture and limited
local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy
resources and manufactured goods are also imported. Sint Maarten had
the highest per capita income among the five islands that formerly
comprised the Netherlands Antilles.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$794.7 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
$748.9 million (2007 est.)
$703.2 million (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$794.7 million (2008)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
4.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,400 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 18.3%
services: 81.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
23,200 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1.1%
industry: 15.2%
services: 83.7% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
10.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.7% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
4.6% (2008 est.)
Agriculture - products:
sugar
Industries:
tourism, light industry, and manufacturing
Electricity - production:
304.3 million kWh (2008)
country comparison to the world: 167
Exports - commodities:
sugar
Exports - partners:
China 23.49%, US 10.91%, Japan 5.92% (2009)
Imports - partners:
China 17.35%, Japan 14.79%, US 8.96%, Saudi Arabia 6.89% (2009)
Exchange rates:
Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - 1.79 (2009),
1.79 (2008), 1.79 (2007), 1.79 (2006)
Communications ::Sint Maarten
Telephones - main lines in use:
5,153 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 210
Telephone system:
general assessment: generally adequate facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international: country code - 599; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems
provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and
the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation ::Sint Maarten
Airports:
1
country comparison to the world: 214
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 53 km
country comparison to the world: 216
Ports and terminals:
Philipsburg
Military ::Sint Maarten
Military branches:
the Royal Netherlands Navy maintains a permanent and active presence
in the region from its main operating base on Curacao and through a
detachment on Sint Maarten; other local security forces include a
coast guard, para-military National Guard (Vrijwilligers Korps Sint
Maarten), and Police Force (KPSM) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
no conscription (2010)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Slovakia (Europe)
Introduction ::Slovakia
Background:
The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World
War I allowed the Slovaks to join the closely related Czechs to form
Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia
became a Communist nation within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe.
Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more
became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate
peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU
in the spring of 2004 and the euro area on 1 January 2009.
Geography ::Slovakia
Location:
Central Europe, south of Poland
Geographic coordinates:
48 40 N, 19 30 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 49,035 sq km
country comparison to the world: 130
land: 48,105 sq km
water: 930 sq km
Area - comparative:
about twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
total: 1,474 km
border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 197 km, Hungary 676
km, Poland 420 km, Ukraine 90 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain:
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in
the south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m
highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m
Natural resources:
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and
manganese ore; salt; arable land
Land use:
arable land: 29.23%
permanent crops: 2.67%
other: 68.1% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,830 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
50.1 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.04
per capita: 193 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks;
acid rain damaging forests
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra
Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and
valleys
People ::Slovakia
Population:
5,470,306 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 442,168/female 422,055)
15-64 years: 71.7% (male 1,952,527/female 1,965,646)
65 years and over: 12.5% (male 254,510/female 426,140) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.3 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 38.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.129% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Birth rate:
10.55 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
Death rate:
9.56 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Net migration rate:
0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Urbanization:
urban population: 56% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.051 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 170
male: 7.83 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.62 years
country comparison to the world: 79
male: 71.7 years
female: 79.74 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.36 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
Nationality:
noun: Slovak(s)
adjective: Slovak
Ethnic groups:
Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%,
other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other
or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census)
Languages:
Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%,
other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2004)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 129
Government ::Slovakia
Country name:
conventional long form: Slovak Republic
conventional short form: Slovakia
local long form: Slovenska Republika
local short form: Slovensko
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Bratislava
geographic coordinates: 48 09 N, 17 07 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky,
Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky
Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)
Constitution:
ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993; changed in
September 1998; amended February 2001
note: the change in September 1998 allowed direct election of the
president; the amendment of February 2001 allowed Slovakia to apply
for NATO and EU membership
Legal system:
civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; legal code modified to comply
with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Iveta RADICOVA (since 8 July
2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Jan FIGEL, Ivan MIKLOS, Jozef MIHAL,
Rudolf CHMEL (since 9 July 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 March and 4
April 2009 (next to be held no later than April 2014); following
National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by
the president
election results: Ivan GASPAROVIC reelected president in runoff;
percent of vote - Ivan GASPAROVIC 55.5%, Iveta RADICOVA 44.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada
Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members elected on the basis of
proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 12 June 2010 (next to be held in June 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - Smer 34.8%, SDKU-DS
15%, SaS 12.1%, KDH 8.5%, Most-Hid 8.1%, SNS 5.1%, other 16.2%;
seats by party - Smer 62, SDKU-DS 28, SaS 22, KDH 15, Most-Hid 14,
SNS 9
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council);
Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of
nominees approved by the National Council); Special Court (judges
elected by a council of judges and appointed by president)
Political parties and leaders:
parties in the Parliament:: Bridge or Most-Hid [Bela BUGAR];
Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Jan FIGEL]; Direction-Social
Democracy or Smer-SD [Robert FICO]; Freedom and Solidarity or SaS
[Richard SULIK]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic
Party or SDKU-DS [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS
[Jan SLOTA]
selected parties outside the Parliament:: Alliance for a Europe of
Nations or AZEN [Milan URBANI]; Association of Slovak Workers or ZRS
[Jan LUPTAK]; Civic Conservative Party or OKS [Peter ZAJAC]; Green
Party or SZ [Peter PILINSKY]; Party of the Democratic Left or SDL
[Marek BLAHA]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Jozsef
BERENYI]; People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or
LS-HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR]; People's Party - Our Slovakia or LSNS
[Marian KOTLEBA]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Jozef HRDLICKA];
Union - Party for Slovakia or Unia [Milan CELIK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade
Unions or KOZ; Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia or ZPS;
Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak Republic;
National Union of Employers or RUZ; Slovak Chamber of Commerce and
Industry or SOPK; Slovenska Pospolitost; The Business Alliance of
Slovakia or PAS
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CEI,
CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter BURIAN
chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Theodore SEDGWICK
embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava
telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338
FAX: [421] (2) 5441-8861
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red derive
from the Pan-Slav colors; the Slovakian coat of arms (consisting of
a red shield bordered in white and bearing a white Cross of Lorraine
surmounting three blue hills) is centered over the bands but offset
slightly to the hoist side
note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of
Russia
National anthem:
name: "Nad Tatrou sa blyska" (Storm Over the Tatras)
lyrics/music: Janko MATUSKA/traditional
note: adopted 1993, in use since 1844; the anthem"s music is based
on the Slovak folk song "Kopala studienku"
Economy ::Slovakia
Economy - overview:
Slovakia has made significant economic reforms since its separation
from the Czech Republic in 1993. Reforms to the taxation,
healthcare, pension, and social welfare systems helped Slovakia to
consolidate its budget and get on track to join the EU in 2004 and
to adopt the euro in January 2009. Major privatizations are nearly
complete, the banking sector is almost entirely in foreign hands,
and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom
with business friendly policies such as labor market liberalization
and a 19% flat tax. Foreign investment in the automotive and
electronic sectors has been strong. Slovakia's economic growth
exceeded expectations in 2001-08 despite the general European
slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 18% in 2003-04, dropped
to 7.7% in 2008 but remains the economy's Achilles heel. FICO's
cabinet was careful to keep a lid on spending in order to meet euro
adoption criteria and has focused on regulating energy and food
prices instead. To maintain a stable operating environment for
investors, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
advised the Slovak government to refrain from intervening in
important sectors of the economy. However, Bratislava's approach to
mitigating the economic slowdown has included substantial government
intervention and the option to nationalize strategic companies.
Slovakia was admitted to the euro zone in January 2009. RADICOVA's
government, in power since July 2010, has allowed the budget deficit
to rise slightly, to 8.2% of GDP in 2010. GDP fell nearly 5% in 2009
before gaining back 4% in 2010, and unemployment rose above 12% in
2010, as the global recession impacted many segments of the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$121.3 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$116.7 billion (2009 est.)
$122.4 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$86.26 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
-4.7% (2009 est.)
6.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$22,200 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
$21,400 (2009 est.)
$22,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 35.6%
services: 61.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
2.673 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 27%
services: 69.4% (December 2009)
Unemployment rate:
12.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
11.4% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
21% (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 20.9% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 130
26.3 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Public debt:
41% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
35.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
1.6% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 124
3% (31 December 2008)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal
lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks from the
euro area; as of 1 January 2009 Slovakia became a member of the
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
NA% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$34.37 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 52
$34.1 billion (31 December 2009 est)