Culture Of Comoros
Comoros (06/05)
Agriculture, involving more than 80% of the population and 40% of the gross domestic product, provides virtually all foreign exchange earnings. Services including tourism, construction, and commercial activities constitute the remainder of the GDP. Plantations engage a large proportion of the population in producing the islands' major cash crops for export: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and copra. Comoros is the world's leading producer of essence of ylang-ylang, used in manufacturing perfume. It also is the world's second-largest producer of vanilla. Principal food crops are coconuts, bananas, and cassava. Foodstuffs constitute 32% of total imports. ... [Read More]
Program Information – Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation
Congress specified that Ambassadors from eligible countries (see list below) may submit proposals for consideration. Projects are brought to the attention of the U.S. Ambassadors in different ways. Often the project is a partnership between the U.S. Embassy and the country's Ministry of Culture or local non-profit organization. It is the Embassy's Public Affairs Section that oversees the project. Organizations wishing to suggest projects for consideration may contact the Public Affairs Officer at the American Embassy in the eligible countries. ... [Read More]
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Tips for Travelers to Sub Saharan Africa
March 2001 Foreword Your trip to Africa will be an adventure off the beaten path. Conditions and customs in sub-Saharan Africa can contrast sharply with those in the United States. These pages contain advice to help you avoid inconvenience and difficulties. Take our advice seriously but don’t let it keep you at home. Most Americans have unforgettable experiences in Africa. We are often welcomed and helped by Africans who are happy to share not just their scenery, but their culture and tradition ... [Read More]
US Dept of State - Press Release on the Indictment of Bin Laden and Atef
BIN LADEN and ATEF, along with ABDULLAH MOHAMMED, ODEH, and AL-'OWHALI, are also charged with bombing the two embassies and causing the deaths of more than 200 persons and injuring more than 4,500 others. Those five defendants are also charged with murdering all of the civilians killed in the embassy bombings. The Indictment names all of the victims of the bombings and each victim is charged as a separate count of murder for a total of 224 counts of murder against BIN LADEN, ATEF, ABDULLAH MOHAMMED, ODEH and AL-OWHALI. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Agriculture dominates the economic life of the 70% of the population living in rural areas - and rice paddies even dot the urban landscape of Antananarivo. The poor performance of the traditional agricultural sector, dominated by subsistence production of staple foods, is a key factor in persistent poverty that keeps 80% of the rural population below the official poverty line. Rice, the main staple crop, accounts for over half of farm output. However, Madagascar, which was self-sufficient in rice until the early 1970s, has since been a net importer. Plots are inefficiently small and productivity is restrained by reliance on traditional cultivation techniques and minimal use of inputs, resulting in yields less than a third of those widely achieved elsewhere. Other major staple crops for local consumption are cassava, corn and sweet potatoes. Cash crops include vanilla, cloves, coffee, sugar cane, cotton, pepper and other spices. Madagascar is tr ... [Read More]
Hague Convention on Legalization of Foreign Public Documents
Korea, Republic of (South Korea): Ratified Convention January 13, 2000; in accordance with Article 28, second paragraph, the Convention will enter into force for the Republic of Korea in the absence of any objections from a State which has ratified the Convention before the deposit of the accession, notified to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands within a period of six months after the date on which the Ministry has notified it of the accession. For practical reasons, this six month's period will run from January 31, 2000 to July 31, 2000. Pursuant to Article 10, the Republic of Korea objects to the following: a) the freedom to send judicial documents, by postal channels, directly to persons abroad, b) [Read More]
Seychelles (06/05)
Seychelles is located in the Indian Ocean about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) east of Kenya. The nation is an archipelago of 115 tropical islands with two distinct collections of islands, some comprised of granite and others of coral. The Mahe Group consists of 42 granite islands, all within a 56-kilometer (35-mi.) radius of the main island of Mahe. These islands are rocky, and most have a narrow coastal stripe and a central range of hills rising as high as 914 meters (3,000 ft.). Mahe is the largest island--9,142 sq. km (55 sq. mi.)--and is the site of Victoria, the capital. The coral islands are flat with elevated coral reefs at different stages of formation. They have no fresh water; human life can be sustained on them only with difficulty. ... [Read More]
South Africa (06/05)
South Africa's GDP is expected to increase gradually during the next few years, and the government recently revised upward its 2005 estimated growth to 4.3%. Annual GDP growth between 1994 and 2004 averaged 3.0%. In 2003, real GDP growth slowed to a rate of 2.8%, but increased to 3.7% in 2004. The government estimates that the economy must achieve growth at a minimum of 6% to offset unemployment, which is estimated at 28%, although unofficial sources put it as high as 41%. In an effort to boost economic growth and spur job creation, the government has launched special investment corridors to promote development in specific regions and also is working to encourage small, medium, and microenterprise development. One of the great successes of the ANC government has been to get consumer inflation, which had been running in the double digits for over 20 years, under control. By 1998, inflation had fallen to 6.9%, and in 1999 and 2000 inflation was running at less than 6.0%. The rand's rapid ... [Read More]
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