name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
first Sunday in November
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution:
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order
2009, S.I. 2009/701 - effective 14 August 2009 - suspended
Ministerial government, the House of Assembly, and the
constitutional right to trial by jury, and imposed direct British
rule
Legal system:
based on laws of England and Wales with a few adopted from Jamaica
and The Bahamas
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 5 August 2008)
head of government: Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 14 August
2009); note - the office of premier is suspended by the Order in
Council, effective 14 August 2009
cabinet: under provisions of the Order in Council, the cabinet is
suspended effective 14 August 2009 and replaced by an Advisory
Council appointed by the governor
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch
note: following an investigation into allegations of widespread
corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government,
the UK foreign minister directed the governor to bring into effect
on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council suspending Ministerial
government and the House of Assembly, and imposing direct rule for a
period of up to two years
Legislative branch:
under provisions of the Order in Council, the unicameral House of
Assembly is dissolved and all seats vacated for a period of up to
two years; in the interim, a Consultative Forum, appointed by the
governor, will be established
elections: last held on 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July
2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all
seats in the House of Assembly are vacated
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive
National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
shield is yellow and displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and
Turks Head cactus - three common elements of the islands' biota
National anthem:
name: "This Land of Ours"
lyrics/music: Conrad HOWELL
note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United
Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is the official anthem (see United
Kingdom)
Economy ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial
services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic
consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists,
accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that
arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include
fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$216 million (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,500 (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
Labor force - by occupation:
note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing;
significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
Unemployment rate:
10% (1997 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (1995)
country comparison to the world: 115
Agriculture - products:
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Industries:
tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
12 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Electricity - consumption:
11.16 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - consumption:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
Oil - imports:
80 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Exports:
$169.2 million (2000)
country comparison to the world: 183
Exports - commodities:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Imports:
$175.6 million (2000)
country comparison to the world: 202
Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction
materials
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
3,700 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 217
Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,100 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 205
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct
dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service
available
international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable
provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
while there are no local terrestrial TV stations, broadcasts from
the Bahamas can be received; multi-channel cable and satellite TV
services are available; government-run radio network operates
alongside private broadcasters with a total of about 15 stations
broadcasting (2007)
Internet country code:
.tc
Internet hosts:
8,969 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 127
Transportation ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Airports:
8 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 163
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 121 km
country comparison to the world: 211
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 151
Ports and terminals:
Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales
Military ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,062
females age 16-49: 4,772 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 229
female: 223 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Disputes - international:
have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US
and Europe
page last updated on December 28, 2010
======================================================================
@Tuvalu (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Tuvalu
Background:
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert
and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to
vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands.
The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British
colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu
negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50
million in royalties over a 12-year period.
Geography ::Tuvalu
Location:
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South
Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 26 sq km
country comparison to the world: 237
land: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
24 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:
low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 66.67%
other: 33.33% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were
three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes
in sea level
Environment - current issues:
since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable,
most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage
facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant
and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use
of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest
undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread
of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is concerned about global
increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea
levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in
2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take
in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the
nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and
Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao
have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
People ::Tuvalu
Population:
10,472 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 224
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.2% (male 1,841/female 1,770)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 3,973/female 4,141)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 240/female 408) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.9 years
male: 22.4 years
female: 26 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.659% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Birth rate:
23.01 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
Death rate:
9.36 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Net migration rate:
-7.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 207
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.051 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 35.52 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 71
male: 38.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 32.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.39 years
country comparison to the world: 168
male: 62.36 years
female: 66.51 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.14 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic groups:
Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist
1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages:
Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the
island of Nui)
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Tuvalu
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
local long form: none
local short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands
note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight" referring to the country's
eight traditionally inhabited islands
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Funafuti
geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
1 October 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution:
1 October 1978
Legal system:
English common law supplemented by local customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since May 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Willie TELAVI (since 24 December
2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the
recommendation of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime
minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members
of parliament following parliamentary elections
election results: Willie TELAVI elected prime minister in a
parliamentary election on 24 December 2010 following a no-confidence
vote on 21 December 2010 that ousted Maatia TOAFA
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly
(15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 16 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15; 10
members reelected
Judicial branch:
High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its
sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in
Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
there are no political parties but members of parliament usually
align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, IDA, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO,
IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only
diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office
located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017,
telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534, fax: [1] (212) 937-0692
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji
is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description:
light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant;
the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine
yellow, five-pointed stars on a blue field symbolizing the nine
atolls in the ocean
National anthem:
name: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)
lyrics/music: Afaese MANOA
note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto
Economy ::Tuvalu
Economy - overview:
Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine
coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral
resources and few exports and is almost entirely dependent upon
imported food and fuel. Subsistence farming and fishing are the
primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average,
visit Tuvalu annually. Job opportunities are scarce and public
sector workers make up most of those employed. About 15% of the
adult male population work as seamen on merchant ships abroad, and
remittances are a vital source of income contributing around $2
million in 2007. Substantial income is received annually from the
Tuvalu Trust Fund (TTF) an international trust fund established in
1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and
South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative
withdrawals, this fund grew from an initial $17 million to an
estimated value of $77 million in 2006. The TTF contributed nearly
$9 million towards the government budget in 2006 and is an important
cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. The US
Government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu because of
payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to ensure
financial stability and sustainability, the government is pursuing
public sector reforms, including privatization of some government
functions and personnel cuts. Tuvalu also derives royalties from the
lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name with revenue of more than $2
million in 2006. A minor source of government revenue comes from the
sale of stamps and coins. With merchandise exports only a fraction
of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing
and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas
workers, official transfers, and income from overseas investments.
Growing income disparities and the vulnerability of the country to
climatic change are among leading concerns for the nation.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.94 million (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 226
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.94 million (2002)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,600 (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.6%
industry: 27.2%
services: 56.2% (2002)
Labor force:
3,615 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220
Labor force - by occupation:
note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea,
reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly
workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Agriculture - products:
coconuts; fish
Industries:
fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Current account balance:
-$11.68 million (2003)
country comparison to the world: 62
Exports:
$1 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
Exports - commodities:
copra, fish
Imports:
$12.91 million (2005)
country comparison to the world: 220
Imports - commodities:
food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.1151
(2009), 1.2059 (2008), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006)
Communications ::Tuvalu
Telephones - main lines in use:
1,700 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 226
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 215
Telephone system:
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: country code - 688; international calls can be made
by satellite
Broadcast media:
no television broadcast stations; many households use satellite
dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio
station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from
international broadcasters (2009)
Internet country code:
.tv
Internet hosts:
109,478 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 77
Internet users:
4,200 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 205
Transportation ::Tuvalu
Airports:
1 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 213
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 8 km
country comparison to the world: 221
paved: 8 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 66
country comparison to the world: 64
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 20, chemical tanker 16, container 3,
passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated
cargo 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 49 (Thailand 1, Vietnam 6, Turkey 1, Switzerland 1,
South Korea 1, Singapore 25, Maldives 1, Malaysia 1, Kenya 1, Hong
Kong 1, China 9, Ukraine 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Funafuti
Military ::Tuvalu
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2009)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,981
females age 16-49: 2,005 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 120
female: 110 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::Tuvalu
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Uganda (Africa)
Introduction ::Uganda
Background:
The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped
together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political
systems and cultures. These differences prevented the establishment
of a working political community after independence was achieved in
1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79) was responsible
for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human
rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at least another
100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986 has brought
relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. During the 1990s,
the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative
elections.
Geography ::Uganda
Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 241,038 sq km
country comparison to the world: 80
land: 197,100 sq km
water: 43,938 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933
km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to
February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain:
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold
Land use:
arable land: 21.57%
permanent crops: 8.92%
other: 69.51% (2005)
Irrigated land:
90 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
66 cu km (1970)