Читать книгу The 2009 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 394

Land use:

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

occasional tropical cyclones

Environment - current issues:

no permanent fresh water resources

Geography - note:

important nesting area for birds and turtles

People ::Coral Sea Islands

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants

note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station on Willis Island (July 2007 est.)

Government ::Coral Sea Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory

conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands

Dependency status:

territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department

Legal system:

the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply

Executive branch:

administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Flag description:

the flag of Australia is used

Economy ::Coral Sea Islands

Economy - overview:

no economic activity

Communications ::Coral Sea Islands

Communications - note:

there are automatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs relaying data to the mainland

Transportation ::Coral Sea Islands

Ports and terminals:

none; offshore anchorage only

Military ::Coral Sea Islands

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues ::Coral Sea Islands

Disputes - international:

none

page last updated on July 2, 2009

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@Costa Rica (Central America and Caribbean)

Introduction ::Costa Rica

Background:

Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread. In January 2008, Costa Rica assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008–09 term.

Geography ::Costa Rica

Location:

Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North

Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Geographic coordinates: