Disputes - international:
The Philippines claims sovereignty over certain of the Spratly
Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also
claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has
eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally
binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in
March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines,
and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic
activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant
claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the
Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of
attorney to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 150,000 (fighting between government troops and MILF and Abu
Sayyaf groups) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
exports locally-produced marijuana and hashish to East Asia, the
US, and other Western markets; serves as a transit point for heroin
and crystal methamphetamine; domestic methamphetamine production is
a growing problem; remains on Financial Action Task Force
Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure
to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@Pitcairn Islands
Introduction Pitcairn Islands
Background:
Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled
in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.
Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in
1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South
Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the
population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.
Geography Pitcairn Islands
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between
Peru and New Zealand