significant age annually:

male: 111,791
female: 112,131 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues
Rwanda

Disputes - international:

fighting among ethnic groups - loosely associated political rebels,
armed gangs, and various government forces in Great Lakes region
transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda - abated substantially from a decade ago
due largely to UN peacekeeping, international mediation, and efforts
by local governments to create civil societies; nonetheless, 57,000
Rwandan refugees still reside in 21 African states, including
Zambia, Gabon, and 20,000 who fled to Burundi in 2005 and 2006 to
escape drought and recriminations from traditional courts
investigating the 1994 massacres; the 2005 DROC and Rwanda border
verification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both sides of the
border remains in place

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 46,272 (Democratic Republic of the
Congo); 4,400 (Burundi) (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Saint Barthelemy

Introduction
Saint Barthelemy

Background:

Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his
brother Bartolomeo, St. Barthelemy was first settled by the French
in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who renamed
the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and
made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply
center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France
repurchased the island in 1878 and placed it under the
administration of Guadeloupe. St. Barthelemy retained its free port
status along with various Swedish appelations such as Swedish street
and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In
2003, the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and
in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity.

Geography
Saint Barthelemy

Location:

located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe

Geographic coordinates:

17 90 N, 62 85 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

21 sq km

Area - comparative:

less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Climate:

tropical, with practically