FAROE ISLANDS (Continued)
Government leaders: Queen MARGRETHE II; Lagmand (Chairman) Pauli ELLEFSEN; Danish Governor Leif GROTH
Suffrage: universal, but not compulsory, over age 21
Elections: held every four years; most recent, 8 November 1980
Political parties and leaders: Coalition, Pauli Effefsen; Peoples, Jogvan Sundstein; Republican, Erlendur Patursson; Home Rule, Tobjern Poulsen; Progressive and Fishermen's, Adolf Hansen; Social Democratic, Atli Dam
Voting strength (1980 election): Coalition, 23.8%; Social Democratic, 21.7%; Republican, 17.0%; Peoples, 17.9%; Home Rule, 8.4%; Progressive and Fishermen's, 8.2%
Communists: insignificant number
Member of: Nordic Council
ECONOMY
GDP: $420.8 million (1979), about $8,280 per capita
Agriculture: sheep and cattle grazing
Fishing: catch 261,800 metric tons (1979); exports, $131.6 million (1979 est.)
Major industry: fishing
Electric power: 48,000 kW capacity (1980); 90 million kWh produced (1980), 2,140 kWh per capita
Exports: $150.7 million (f.o.b., 1979); mostly fish and fish products
Imports: $205 8 million (c.i.f., 1979); machinery and transport equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, food products
Major trade partners: 48.1% Denmark, 8.9% US, 8.6% Norway, 8.1% UK (1978)
Budget: (FY78) expenditures $73.3 million, revenues $73.3 million
Monetary conversion rate: 5.261 Danish Kroner=US$1
Fiscal year: calendar year beginning 1 January 1979
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: none
Highways: 200 km
Ports: 1 minor
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airfields: 1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439m
Telecommunications: good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 15,000 telephones (35 per 100 popl.); 1 AM and 3 FM stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables
DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15-49 included with Denmark
FIJI
(See reference map X) |
LAND
18,272 km2; consists of more than 300 islands and many more coral atolls and cays; the larger islands, Viti Levu, Taveuni, and Kadavu are all mountainous and volcanic in origin, with peaks rising over 1,210 meters; landownership—83.6% Fijians, 1.7% Indians, 6.4% government, 7.2% European, 1.1% other; about 30% of land area is suitable for farming
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): (economic zone 200 nm)
Coastline: 1,129 km
PEOPLE
Population: 654,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.8%
Nationality: noun—Fijian(s); adjective—Fijian
Ethnic divisions: 50% Indian, 44% Fijian, 6% European, Chinese, and others
Religion: Fijians mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu with a Muslim minority
Language: English and Fijian (official), Hindustani spoken among Indians
Literacy: over 80%
Labor force: 176,000 (1979); 43.8% agriculture, 15.6% industry
Organized labor: about 50% of labor force organized into 22 unions; unions organized along lines of work, breakdown by ethnic origin causes further fragmentation
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Fiji
Type: independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth; Elizabeth II recognized as chief of state
Capital: Suva located on the south coast of the island of Viti Levu