British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) | San Marino (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 16.8% (male 2,573/female 2,404)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 9,388/female 10,178) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 2,190/female 2,882) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese, hides |
Airports | 1 (2001) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total: 61.2 sq km
land: 61.2 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | The third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco), San Marino also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marino in A.D. 301. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy; social and political trends in the republic also track closely with those of its larger neighbor. |
Birth rate | - | 9.89 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $709.6 million
expenditures: $672.3 million (2004) |
Capital | - | name: San Marino
geographic coordinates: 43 56 N, 12 25 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers |
Coastline | 698 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | - | 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
conventional short form: San Marino local long form: Repubblica di San Marino local short form: San Marino |
Death rate | - | 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the ambassador to Italy is accredited to San Marino |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
honorary consulate(s) general: New York, Washington, DC honorary consulate(s): Detroit, Honolulu |
Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 2006 more than 2.1 million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries are banking, clothing and apparel, electronics, and ceramics. Main agricultural products are wine and cheeses. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of the most prosperous regions of Italy, which supplies much of its food. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m
highest point: Monte Titano 755 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution |
Ethnic groups | - | Sammarinese, Italian |
Exchange rates | - | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: Co-chiefs of State Captain Regent Mirko TOMASSONI and Captain Regent Alberto SELVA (for the period 1 October 2007-31 March 2008)
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Fiorenzo STOLFI (since 27 July 2006) cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term elections: co-chiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great and General Council for a six-month term; election last held in September 2007 (next to be held in March 2008); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term; election last held 27 July 2006 (next to be held by 2011) election results: Mirko TOMASSONI and Alberto SELVA elected captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA; Fiorenzo STOLFI elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote - NA note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (co-chiefs of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which has 10 other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council; assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some prime ministerial roles |
Exports | - | $1.291 billion (2004) |
Exports - commodities | - | building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, ceramics |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 4.6% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 43 46 N, 12 25 E |
Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $2.035 billion (2004) |
Imports - commodities | - | wide variety of consumer manufactures, food |
Independence | - | 3 September AD 301 |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 5.6% (2005 est.) |
Industries | - | tourism, banking, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | -1.5% (2006) |
International organization participation | - | CE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII |
Labor force | - | 20,470 (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 0.2%
industry: 40.1% services: 59.7% (2006 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 39 km
border countries: Italy 39 km |
Land use | arable land: NEGL
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 0% other: 83.33% (2005) |
Languages | - | Italian |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 4 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 32.9%, Party of Socialists and Democrats 31.9%, AP 11.9%, United Left 8.7%, New Socialist Party 5.4%, other parties 9.2%; seats by party - PDCS 21, Party of Socialists and Democrats 20, AP 7, United Left 5, New Socialist Party 3, others 4; note - following a government reshuffle on 28 NOvember 2007, a splinter party of the PDCS joined the center-left coalition formed by the Party of Socialists and Democrats, the APDS, and the United Left strengthening the government's parliamentary majority to 36 seats out of 60 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 81.8 years
male: 78.33 years female: 85.57 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 96% male: 97% female: 95% |
Location | Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy |
Map references | Political Map of the World | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | defense is the responsibility of Italy |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Voluntary Military Force (Corpi Militari Voluntar) performs ceremonial duties and limited police functions (2006) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
National holiday | - | Founding of the Republic, 3 September (AD 301) |
Nationality | - | noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sammarinese |
Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | building stone |
Net migration rate | - | 10.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Ideas in Movement or IM [Alessandro ROSSI]; National Alliance or AN [Glauco SANSOVINI]; New Socialist Party [Augusto CASALI]; Party of Socialists and Democrats [Claudio FELICI]; San Marino Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Pier Marino MENICUCCI]; San Marino Popular Alliance of Democrats or AP [Roberto GIORGETTI]; San Marino Socialist Party or PSS [Alberto CECCHETTI]; Socialists for Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI]; United Left |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.) |
29,615 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 1.219% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | NA | - |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.922 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.915 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 130 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 378; connected to Italian international network |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 21,000 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 17,390 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (San Marino residents also receive broadcasts from Italy) (1997) |
Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | rugged mountains |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.34 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 3.8% (2004) |
Waterways | none | - |