$NA
Exchange rates:
Serbian dinars (RSD) per US dollar - 54.5 (2007), 59.98 (2006)
Communications ::Serbia
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.085 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 49
Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.619 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 61
Telephone system:
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999 war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network was 90% digitalized in 2006
domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring states; GSM wireless service, available through multiple providers with national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications service centered in urban centers
international: country code - 381
Radio broadcast stations:
153 (station types NA) (2001)
Internet country code:
.rs
Internet hosts:
181,313 (2009) country comparison to the world: 64
Internet users:
2.936 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 59
Transportation ::Serbia
Airports:
28 (2009) country comparison to the world: 121
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 8 (2009)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 1,921 km; oil 323 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 3,379 km country comparison to the world: 52 standard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 1,254 km) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 36,875 km country comparison to the world: 92 paved: 31,392 km
unpaved: 5,483 km (2006)
Waterways:
587 km (primarily on Danube and Sava rivers) (2008) country comparison to the world: 81
Military ::Serbia
Military branches:
Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Land Forces Command
(includes Riverine Component, consisting of a river flotilla on the
Danube), Joint Operations Command, Air and Air Defense Forces
Command (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; under a state of war or impending war, conscription can begin at age 16; conscription is to be abolished in 2010; 6-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 60 for men and 50 for women (2007)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,415,007
females age 16-49: 1,379,541 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 44,601
female: 41,845 (2009 est.)
Transnational Issues ::Serbia
Disputes - international:
Serbia with several other states protest the U.S. and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaring itself as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 71,111 (Croatia); 27,414 (Bosnia and Herzegovina); 206,000 (Kosovo), note - mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled Kosovo in 1999 (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Seychelles (Africa)
Introduction ::Seychelles
Background:
A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected in 2001, but stepped down in 2004. Vice President James MICHEL took over the presidency and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term.
Geography ::Seychelles
Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
4 35 S, 55 40 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 455 sq km country comparison to the world: 198 land: 455 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
491 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain:
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Natural resources:
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use:
arable land: 2.17%
permanent crops: 13.04%
other: 84.79% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Environment - current issues:
water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands
People ::Seychelles
Population:
87,476 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 197
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.8% (male 10,201/female 9,732)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 31,870/female 29,439)
65 years and over: 7.1% (male 2,321/female 3,913) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 31.4 years
male: 30.9 years
female: 32 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.999% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Birth rate:
15.87 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Death rate:
6.93 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Net migration rate:
1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Urbanization:
urban population: 54% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 142 male: 15.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.02 years country comparison to the world: 112 male: 68.33 years
female: 77.85 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.93 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychellois
Ethnic groups:
mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
Religions:
Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)
Languages:
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8%
male: 91.4%
female: 92.3% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
6.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 31
Government ::Seychelles
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles
local long form: Republic of Seychelles
local short form: Seychelles
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Victoria
geographic coordinates: 4 38 S, 55 27 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse
Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau
Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe),
Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont
Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint
Louis, Takamaka
Independence:
29 June 1976 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
Constitution:
18 June 1993
Legal system:
based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 45.71%, Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Paul CHOW]; Seychelles
National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United
Opposition or UO); People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [France Albert
RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Roman Catholic Church
other: trade unions
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Ronald JUMEAU
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles
Flag description:
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side
Economy ::Seychelles
Economy - overview:
Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence, near-subsistence level, moving the island into the upper-middle income group of countries. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years, the government has encouraged foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. GDP grew about 7-8% per year in 2006-07, driven by tourism and a boom in tourism-related construction. The Seychelles rupee was allowed to depreciate in 2006 after being overvalued for years and fell by 10% in the first 9 months of 2007. Despite these actions, the Seychelles economy has struggled to maintain its gains and in 2008 suffered from food and oil price shocks, a foreign exchange shortage, high inflation and large financing gaps, with GDP growth reduced to about 3% in 2008. In July 2008 the government defaulted on a Euro amortizing note worth roughly US$80 million, leading to a downgrading of Seychelles credit rating. Seychelles requested an IMF Stand-By Agreement in December 2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.821 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185 $1.838 billion (2007 est.)
$1.675 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$822 million (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206 9.7% (2007 est.)
9.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 $21,400 (2007 est.)
$19,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 28.9%
services: 69.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
39,560 (2006) country comparison to the world: 191
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 23%
services: 74% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
2% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
13.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Budget:
revenues: $260.5 million
expenditures: $291.2 million (2008 est.)
Public debt:
74.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 122.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
37% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 220 5.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 90 5.13% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.81% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76 10.89% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$164.8 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 107 $330.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$188.5 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 117 $249 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$375.6 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 117 $660.2 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares: