The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

million f.o.b. (2006)

      Exports - commodities:

      fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999)

      Exports - partners:

      Denmark 29.6%, UK 24.5%, Norway 13.3%, Nigeria 10.5%, Netherlands 6.8% (2007)

      Imports:

      $751 million c.i.f. (2006)

      Imports - commodities:

      consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, machinery and transport equipment 29%, fuels, fish, salt (1999)

      Imports - partners:

      Denmark 51.9%, Norway 21.6%, Sweden 5%, UK 4.6% (2007)

      Economic aid - recipient:

      $105 million; note - annual subsidy from Denmark (2005)

      Debt - external:

      $64 million (1999)

      Currency (code):

      Danish krone (DKK)

      Currency code:

      DKK

      Exchange rates:

      Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003)

      Communications

       Faroe Islands

      Telephones - main lines in use:

      23,000 (2006)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

      50,000 (2006)

      Telephone system:

      general assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable

      Radio broadcast stations:

      AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

      Radios:

      26,000 (1997)

      Television broadcast stations:

      3 (plus 43 repeaters) (September 1995)

      Televisions:

      15,000 (1997)

      Internet country code:

      .fo

      Internet hosts:

      8,516 (2008)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

      2 (2000)

      Internet users:

      34,000 (2006)

      Transportation

       Faroe Islands

      Airports:

      1 (2007)

      Airports - with paved runways:

      total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

      Roadways:

      total: 463 km (2006)

      Merchant marine:

      total: 12 by type: cargo 9, passenger/cargo 3 foreign-owned: 5 (Iceland 1, Norway 4) (2008)

      Ports and terminals:

      Torshavn, Vagur

      Military

       Faroe Islands

      Military branches:

      no regular military forces

      Manpower available for military service:

      males age 16–49: 11,725 (2008 est.)

      Manpower fit for military service:

      males age 16–49: 9,735 (2008 est.)

      Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

      male: 400 female: 387 (2008 est.)

      Military expenditures:

      NA

      Military - note:

      defense is the responsibility of Denmark

      Transnational Issues

       Faroe Islands

      Disputes - international:

      because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferred; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

      This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

      ======================================================================

      @Fiji

      Introduction

       Fiji

      Background:

      Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji, led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president. In January 2007, BAINIMARAMA was appointed interim prime minister.

      Geography

       Fiji

      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 straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added

      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