San Marino (2003) | Eritrea (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle | 6 regions (regions, singular - region); Central, Anelba, Southern Red Sea, Northern Red Sea, Southern, Gash-Barka |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 16.3% (male 2,364; female 2,220)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 9,149; female 9,731) 65 years and over: 16.6% (male 2,009; female 2,646) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 958,564; female 955,625)
15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,192,454; female 1,213,313) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 73,017; female 72,678) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese, hides | sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish |
Airports | none (2002) | 21 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Area | total: 61.2 sq km
land: 61.2 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 121,320 sq km
land: 121,320 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than Pennsylvania |
Background | The third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco) also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in 301 A.D. 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. | Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two and a half year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices on 12 December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that will monitor the border region until an international commission determines and demarcates the boundary between the two countries. |
Birth rate | 10.49 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 42.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $400 million
expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $206.4 million
expenditures: $615.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | San Marino | Asmara (formerly Asmera) |
Climate | Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers | hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except in coastal desert |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 2,234 km total; mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km |
Constitution | 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution | the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
conventional short form: San Marino local long form: Repubblica di San Marino local short form: San Marino |
conventional long form: State of Eritrea
conventional short form: Eritrea local long form: Hagere Ertra local short form: Ertra former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia |
Currency | euro (EUR) | nakfa (ERN) |
Death rate | 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.82 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $281 million (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US Consul General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino | chief of mission: Ambassador Donald J. McCONNELL
embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
honorary consulate(s) general: Washington, DC and New York honorary consulate(s): Detroit and Honolulu |
chief of mission: Ambassador GIRMA Asmerom
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 consulate(s) general: Oakland (California) |
Disputes - international | none | Eritrea and Ethiopia have expressed general approval of the April 2002 arbitration commission ruling re-delimiting the boundary, the focus of their 1998-2000 war; United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) will monitor activities within the 25-km wide temporary security zone in Eritrea until demarcation and de-mining are complete; Yemen has asserted traditional fishing rights to islands ceded to Eritrea in ICJ ruling |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $77 million (1999) (1999) |
Economy - overview | The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 2000 more than 3 million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries are banking, wearing 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. | Since independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth in 1999 fell to less than 1%, and GDP decreased by 8.2% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges. Eritrea's economic future remains mixed. The cessation of Ethiopian trade, which mainly used Eritrean ports before the war, leaves Eritrea with a large economic hole to fill. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master fundamental social problems like illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to convert the diaspora's money and expertise into economic growth. |
Electricity - consumption | NA (2000) | 195.3 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh
note: electric power supplied by Italy |
0 kWh NA kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh
note: electricity supplied by Italy |
0 kWh NA kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | NA | 210 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 41.18%
hydro: 58.82% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m
highest point: Monte Titano 755 m |
lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Sammarinese, Italian | ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3% |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) | nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 9.5 (January 2000), 7.6 (January 1999), 7.2 (March 1998 est.) |
Executive branch | chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Giovanni LONFERNINI and Captain Regent Valeria CIAVATTA (for the period 1 October 2003-31 March 2004)
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Fiorenzo STOLFI (since 17 December 2002) cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term elections: cochiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA September 2003 (next to be held NA March 2004); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term; election last held 17 December 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007) election results: Giovanni LONFERNINI and Valeria CIAVATTA elected captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA%; Fiorenzo STOLFI elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote - 40% note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs 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 of the prerogatives of a prime minister |
chief of state: President Afworki ISAIAS (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
head of government: President Afworki ISAIAS (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95% |
Exports | trade data are included with the statistics for Italy | $34.8 million f.o.b. (2000) |
Exports - commodities | building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, ceramics | livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures |
Exports - partners | - | Sudan 27.2%, Ethiopia 26.5%, Japan 13.2%, UAE 7.3%, Italy 5.3% (1998) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | 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) | red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $940 million (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3.2 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 17%
industry: 29% services: 54% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $34,600 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $740 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.5% (2001 est.) | 7% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 43 46 N, 12 25 E | 15 00 N, 39 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines | strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993 |
Highways | total: 220 km
paved: 220 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
total: 3,850 km
paved: 810 km unpaved: 3,040 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | trade data are included with the statistics for Italy | $470.5 million c.i.f. (2000) |
Imports - commodities | wide variety of consumer manufactures, food | machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods |
Imports - partners | - | Italy 17.4%, UAE 16.2%, Germany 5.7%, UK 4.5%, Korea 4.4% (1998) |
Independence | 3 September 301 | 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia) |
Industrial production growth rate | 6% (1997 est.) | NA% |
Industries | tourism, banking, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine | food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles |
Infant mortality rate | total: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
73.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.3% (2001) | 15% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | CE, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO | ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | 5 (2001) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 220 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII | High court, regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts |
Labor force | 18,500 (1999) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | services 57%, industry 42%, agriculture 1% (2000 est.) | agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% |
Land boundaries | total: 39 km
border countries: Italy 39 km |
total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km |
Land use | arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 0% other: 83.33% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 3.87%
permanent crops: 0.02% other: 96.11% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Italian | Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages |
Legal system | based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 10 June 2001 (next to be held by June 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 41.4%, PSS 24.2%, PD 20.8%, APDS 8.2%, RC 3.4%, AN 1.9%; seats by party - PDCS 25, PSS 15, PD 12, APDS 5, RC 2, AN 1 |
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)
elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinately |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 81.43 years
male: 77.9 years female: 85.26 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 56.57 years
male: 54.09 years female: 59.13 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 96% male: 97% female: 95% (1976 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: 25% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy | Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan |
Map references | Europe | Africa |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,100 GRT/23,399 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Voluntary Military Force (Corpi Militari Voluntar), Gendarmerie; note - the Voluntary Military Force performs ceremonial duties and limited police assistance | Army, Navy, Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $700,000 (FY00/01) | $138.3 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 19.8% (FY01) |
National holiday | Founding of the Republic, 3 September (301) | Independence Day, 24 May (1993) |
Nationality | noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sammarinese |
noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean |
Natural hazards | NA | frequent droughts; locust swarms |
Natural resources | building stone | gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish |
Net migration rate | 11.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 7.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: UNHCR began repatriating about 150,000 Eritrean refugees from Sudan in 2001 following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2000 (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Ideas in Movement or IM [Alessandro ROSSI]; National Alliance or AN [leader NA]; Party of Democrats or PD [Claudio FELICI]; San Marino Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Giovanni LONFERNINI]; San Marino Popular Alliance of Democrats or APDS [Roberto GIORGETTI]; San Marino Socialist Party or PSS [Alberto CECCHETTI]; Socialists for Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI] | People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [Afworki ISAIAS]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly had not yet debated or voted on it as of December 2001 |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council or ELF-RC [Ahmed NASSER]; Eritrean Liberation Front-United Organization or ELF-UO [Mohammed Said NAWD]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob] |
Population | 28,119 (July 2003 est.) | 4,465,651 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.38% (2003 est.) | 3.8% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000) |
Radios | - | 345,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km; note - there is a 1.5-km cable railway connecting the city of San Marino to Borgo Maggiore | total: 317 km
narrow gauge: 317 km 0.950-m gauge note: links Ak'ordat and Asmara with the port of Massawa; nonoperational since 1978 except for about a 5 km stretch that was reopened in Massawa in 1994; rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock is under way (2001 est.) |
Religions | Roman Catholic | Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system international: connected to Italian international network |
general assessment: inadequate
domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002) international: NA; note - international connections exist |
Telephones - main lines in use | 18,000 (1998) | 30,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,010 (1998) | NA; note - mobile cellular service was introduced in May 2001 |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (San Marino residents also receive broadcasts from Italy) (1997) | 1 (2000) |
Terrain | rugged mountains | dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains |
Total fertility rate | 1.31 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 5.8 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.6% (2001) | NA% |
Waterways | none | none |