, unreported,
and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one
estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish.
In the 2004-05 Antarctic summer 28,202 tourists, most of them
seaborne (approximately 97%), visited the Southern Ocean and
Antarctica, compared to 14,762 in 1999-2000.
Spain
The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging 5%
annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early 1990s,
the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994.
Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita
basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. The
center-right government of former President AZNAR successfully
worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching
the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR
administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization,
and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to
that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration
but remains high at 8.7%. Growth averaging 3% annually during
2003-06 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering
European economy. The Socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has
made mixed progress in carrying out key structural reforms, which
need to be accelerated and deepened to sustain Spain's strong
economic growth. Despite the economy's relative solid footing
significant downside risks remain, including Spain's continued loss
of competitiveness, the potential for a housing market collapse, the
country's changing demographic profile and a decline in EU
structural funds.
Spratly Islands
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing.
The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins
suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is
largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential
reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Sri Lanka
In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and
its import substitution trade policy for more market-oriented
policies, export-oriented trade, and encouragement of foreign
investment. Recent changes in government have brought some policy
reversals, however. Currently, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party
has a more statist economic approach which seeks to reduce poverty
by steering investm
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