Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Rwanda
Disputes - international:
Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated
political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces
continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries
of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to
gain control over populated areas and natural resources - government
heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence continues
despite UN peacekeeping efforts
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Saint Helena
Introduction Saint Helena
Background:
Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint
Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It
acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815
until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call
declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Ascension
Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough
Island has a meteorological station.
Geography Saint Helena
Location:
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South
America and Africa