93,032 (Sudan) 23,578 (Somalia) IDPs: 132,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998–2000 and ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
Transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia
and destined for Europe and North America as well as cocaine
destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for
local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia
(legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed
financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering
center
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@Europa Island
Introduction Europa Island
Background:
A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily wooded; it is
the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.
Geography Europa Island
Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about half way
between southern Madagascar and southern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates:
22 20 S, 40 22 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 28 sq km
land: 28 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.16 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
22.2 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
low and flat
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 24 m
Natural resources:
NEGL
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mangrove forests and woodlands) (2001)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
wildlife sanctuary
People Europa Island
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison and a few
meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2005 est.)
Government Europa Island
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Europa Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Europa
Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur
of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy Europa Island
Economy - overview:
no economic activity
Industries:
none
Communications Europa Island
Communications - note: 1 meteorological station
Transportation Europa Island
Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Europa Island
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Europa Island
Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@European Union
Introduction European Union
Preliminary statement:
The evolution of the European Union (EU) from a regional economic
agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's
supranational organization of 25 countries across the European
continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of
history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the
norm in Europe. On a few occasions even country-level unions were
arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the
Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples - but for such a large number
of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching
entity is truly unique. Although the EU is not a federation in the
strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as
ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes
associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding
date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and
security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future,
many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded.
Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed
appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook.
However, because of the EU's special status, this description is
placed after the regular country entries.
Background: Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany,