Chapter 42
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bente KLINTE, chief administrative officer (since NA) head of government: Prime Minister Anfinn KALLSBERG (since 9 May 1998) cabinet: Landsstyri elected by the Faroese Parliament elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held 30 April 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Anfinn KALLSBERG elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote--NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 April 1998 (next to be held by NA July 2002) election results: percent of vote by party--Republicans 23.8%, People's Party 21.3%, Social Democrats 21.9%, Coalition Party (Union Party, Labor Front, Home Rule Party) 15%; seats by party--Republicans 8, People's Party 8, Social Democrats 7, Coalition Party 6, other parties 3 note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 11 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002); results--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--Social Democrats 1, Conservatives 1
Judicial branch: none
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party [Joannes KALLSBERG]
International organization participation: NC, NIB
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Flag description: white with a red cross outlined in blue that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy
Economy--overview: After the severe economic troubles of the early 1990s, brought on by a drop in the vital fish catch, the Faroe Islands have come back in the last few years, with unemployment down to 5% in mid-1998. Nevertheless the total dependence on fishing means the economy remains extremely vulnerable. The Faroese hope to broaden their economic base by building new fish-processing plants. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may lay the basis for sustained economic prosperity. The Faroese are supported by a substantial annual subsidy from Denmark.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$700 million (1996 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 6% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$16,000 (1996 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 20% industry: 16% services: 64% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (1996 est.)
Labor force: 20,345 (1995 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Unemployment rate: 5% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $467 million expenditures: $468 million, including capital expenditures of $11 million (1996 est.)
Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, construction, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 170 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 52.94% hydro: 47.06% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 170 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish
Exports: $362 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Exports--commodities: fish and fish products 92%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment (ships)
Exports--partners: Denmark 22.2%, UK 25.8%, Germany 9.7%, France 8.3%, Norway 6.2%, US 2.0%
Imports: $315.6 (c.i.f., 1995)
Imports--commodities: machinery and transport equipment 17.0%, consumer goods 33%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 26.9%, fuels 11.4%, fish and salt 6.7%
Imports--partners: Denmark 34.5%, Norway 15.9%, UK 8.4% Germany 7.8%, Sweden 5.8%, US 1.5%
Debt--external: $767 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $150 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1995)
Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--6.408 (January 1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997), 5.799 (1966), 5.602 (1995), 6.361 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 22,500 (3,500 cellular telephone subscribers) (1996)
Telephone system: good international communications; good domestic facilities domestic: digitalization was to hve been completed in 1998 international: satellite earth stations--1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1 (repeaters 13), shortwave 0
Radios: 11,800 (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (in addition, there are 29 low-power repeaters; satellite relays of MTV Europe, BBC World, and Scansat TV3 Eurosport are also available) (1997)
Televisions: 11,600 (1996 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 458 km paved: 450 km unpaved: 8 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: Torshavn, Klaksvik, Tvoroyri, Runavik, Fuglafjorour
Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,853 GRT/13,481 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: no organized native military forces; only a small Police Force and Coast Guard are maintained
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
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@Fiji ----
Geography
Location: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 18 00 S, 175 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 18,270 sq km land: 18,270 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,129 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m
Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 10% forests and woodland: 65% other: 11% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion
Environment--international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertication, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
People
Population: 812,918 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 138,796; female 133,428) 15-64 years: 63% (male 257,130; female 256,834) 65 years and over: 4% (male 12,527; female 14,203) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.28% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.76 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.59 years male: 64.19 years female: 69.11 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian
Ethnic groups: Fijian 51%, Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.)
Religions: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2% note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)
Languages: English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.6% male: 93.8% female: 89.3% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands conventional short form: Fiji
Data code: FJ
Government type: republic note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Capital: Suva
Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
Constitution: 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; amended 25 July 1997 to allow non-ethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multi-party government mandatory; entered into force 28 July 1998; note-- the May 1999 election will be the first test of the amended constitution and will introduce open voting--not racially prescribed--for the first time at the national level
Legal system: based on British system
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (acting president since 15 December 1993, president since 12 January 1994); Vice President Ratu Josefa Iloilo ULUIVUDA (since 18 January 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992); Deputy Prime Minister Taufa VAKATALE (since 7 August 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament note: there is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs which consists of the highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA elected president; percent of Great Council of Chiefs vote--NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (34 seats; 24 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 9 for Indians and others, and 1 for the island of Rotuma; members appointed by the president to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (70 seats; 37 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 27 reserved for ethnic Indians, and 6 for independents and others; members elected by popular vote on a communal basis to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives--last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held 11 May 1999) election results: House of Representatives--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FAP 5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1; note--results are for the last election before the new constitution came into force note: when the new constitution is applied to the upcoming May elections, the composition of the legislative branch will change to the following: Senate--32 seats (14 appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the prime minister, eight appointed by the leader of the opposition, and one appointed by the council of Rotuma) and House of Representatives--71 seats (23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the Rotuman constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Fijian Political Party or SVT Lewenivanua Vakarisito Party or VLV or Christian Fellowship Party note: in early 1995, ethnic Fijian members of the All National Congress or ANC merged with the Fijian Association or FA; the remaining members of the ANC have renamed their party the General Electors' Association
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador "Ratu" Napolioni MASIREWA chancery: Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
Flag description: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
Economy
Economy--overview: Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity. Roughly 250,000 tourists visit each year. Political uncertainty and drought, however, contribute to substantial fluctuations in earnings from tourism and sugar and to the emigration of skilled workers. Fiji's growth slowed in 1997 because the sugar industry suffered from low world prices and rent disputes between farmers and landowners. Drought in 1998 further damaged the sugar industry. Overall growth in 1991-98 has averaged less than 2% per year, with long-term problems of low investment and uncertain property rights. The central bank predicts growth of 2% to 3% in 1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$5.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 2.4% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,700 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 19% industry: 22% services: 59% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1997 est.)
Labor force: 235,000
Labor force--by occupation: subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 6% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $540.65 million expenditures: $742.65 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries
Industrial production growth rate: 2.9% (1995)
Electricity--production: 545 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 21.1% hydro: 78.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 545 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish
Exports: $655 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Exports--commodities: sugar 32%, clothing, gold, processed fish, lumber
Exports--partners: Australia 27%, UK 14%, NZ 12%, US 8%, Japan (1996)
Imports: $838 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Imports--commodities: machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals
Imports--partners: Australia 44%, NZ 15%, US 9%, Japan 5%, Singapore 5% (1996)
Debt--external: $217 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $40.3 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1--1.9556 (January 1999), 1.9868 (1998), 1.4437 (1997), 1.4033 (1996), 1.4063 (1995), 1.4641 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 60,017 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center domestic: NA international: access to important cable link between US and Canada and NZ and Australia; satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: 12,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 597 km; note--belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation narrow gauge: 597 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 3,440 km paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Ports and harbors: Labasa, Lautoka, Levuka, Savusavu, Suva
Merchant marine: total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,721 GRT/13,145 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, specialized tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 24 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 17 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF; includes ground and naval forces)
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability: males age 15-49: 218,853 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 120,555 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually: males: 9,326 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $34 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.6% (1997)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
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@Finland -------
Introduction
Background: Long ruled by foreign powers, including Sweden and the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, Finland finally declared independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland fought the USSR twice and then the Germans toward the end of the war. In the following half-century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy. Per capita income has risen to the West European level; Finland is a member of the European Union and is the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 64 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 337,030 sq km land: 305,470 sq km water: 31,560 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total: 2,628 km border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km
Coastline: 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 6 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland--3 nm)
Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: 76% other: 16% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 640 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
Environment--international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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
Geography--note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
People
Population: 5,158,372 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 483,700; female 464,431) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,743,340; female 1,706,873) 65 years and over: 15% (male 289,405; female 470,623) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 10.77 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.67 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.32 years male: 73.81 years female: 80.98 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.68 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish
Ethnic groups: Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Lapp 0.11%, Gypsy 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
Languages: Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi
Data code: FI
Government type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (laanit, singular--laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Lanni, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Russia)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Constitution: 17 July 1919