Svalbard (2005) | Puerto Rico (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
0-14 years: 22% (male 441,594/female 421,986)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,228,583/female 1,337,066) 65 years and over: 12.4% (male 211,283/female 276,120) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens |
Airports | 4 (2004 est.) | 30 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
total: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 62,049 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
total: 9,104 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km water: 145 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island |
Background | First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. | Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose to retain commonwealth status. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 13.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00) |
Capital | Longyearbyen | San Juan |
Climate | arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year | tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 3,587 km | 501 km |
Constitution | - | ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | - | NA |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway | commonwealth associated with the US |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (commonwealth associated with the US) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (commonwealth associated with the US) |
Disputes - international | despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone | increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work |
Economic aid - recipient | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) | NA (2001) |
Economy - overview | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. | Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 20.54 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | - | 22.09 billion kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages |
Ethnic groups | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) | white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9% |
Exchange rates | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001) and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice |
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4% |
Exports | $NA | NA |
Exports - commodities | - | chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment |
Exports - partners | - | US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of Norway is used | five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 1%
industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 2.7% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 78 00 N, 20 00 E | 18 15 N, 66 30 W |
Geography - note | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area | important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 25,328 km
paved: 23,665 km (including 426 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,363 km (2004) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | $NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | - | chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | - | US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.) |
Independence | none (territory of Norway) | none (commonwealth associated with the US) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 8.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 6.5% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | none | ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 400 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate) |
Labor force | NA | 1.3 million (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001) |
arable land: 3.95%
permanent crops: 5.52% other: 90.53% (2001) |
Languages | Norwegian, Russian | Spanish, English |
Legal system | NA | based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice |
Legislative branch | - | bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD 40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1 note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); results - percent of vote by party - PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1; Luis FORTUNO elected resident commissioner |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population: 78.29 years
male: 74.35 years female: 82.43 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 93.9% female: 94.4% (2002 est.) |
Location | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic |
Map references | Arctic Region | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 36,728 GRT/37,048 DWT
by type: roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 2 (United States 2) registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
Military - note | demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920 | defense is the responsibility of the US |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force |
National holiday | NA | US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952) |
Nationality | - | noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican |
Natural hazards | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic | periodic droughts; hurricanes |
Natural resources | coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution |
Population | 2,701 (July 2005 est.) | 3,916,632 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | -0.02% (2005 est.) | 0.47% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden | Las Mareas, Mayaguez, San Juan |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% |
Sex ratio | NA% | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections |
Telephone system | general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 1,329,500 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 1,211,111 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 6 (19 relay stations) (2004) |
Terrain | wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts | mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 12% (2002) |