The 2008 CIA World Factbook (part 2 of 20)

The 2008 CIA World Factbook (part 2 of 20)

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@Bahamas, The

Introduction Bahamas, The

Background:

Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.

Geography Bahamas, The

Location:

Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Geographic coordinates:

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

3,542 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain:

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources:

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

NA

Natural hazards:

hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

Environment - current issues:

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited

People Bahamas, The

Population:

307,451 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 26.4% (male 40,608/female 40,506) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 101,150/female 104,457) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 8,472/female 12,258) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 28.4 years male: 27.6 years female: 29.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.57% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

17.06 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 23.67 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.89 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 65.72 years male: 62.5 years female: 69 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.13 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5,600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Ethnic groups:

black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

Religions:

Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)

Languages:

English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Education expenditures:

3.6% of GDP (2000)

Government Bahamas, The

Country name:

conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas

Government type:

constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Nassau geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Administrative divisions:

21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay

Independence:

10 July 1973 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

Constitution:

10 July 1973

Legal system:

based on English common law

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the Parliament and call elections at any time elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18

Judicial branch:

Privy Council in London; Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; Magistrates' Courts

Political parties and leaders:

Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Friends of the Environment other: trade unions

International organization participation:

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours) FAX: [1] (242) 328-2206

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side

Economy Bahamas, The

Economy - overview:

The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but tourist arrivals have been on the decline since 2006. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$8.553 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$6.586 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$28,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.)

Labor force:

181,900 (2006)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.6% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:

9.3% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: 27% (2000)

Budget:

revenues: $1.03 billion expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

5.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

5.5% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.274 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.324 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$7.395 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Industries:

tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

2.05 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

1.793 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

26,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

transshipments of 38,740 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

69,780 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$1.442 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$674 million (2006)

Exports - commodities:

mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables

Exports - partners:

US 20.4%, Singapore 15.5%, Spain 14.5%, Poland 14.3%, Germany 6.6%, Guatemala 5.7%, Switzerland 5.2% (2007)

Imports:

$2.401 billion (2006)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals

Imports - partners:

US 26.7%, South Korea 14.1%, Japan 13.5%, Italy 7.5%, Singapore 5.2%, Venezuela 4.5%, Spain 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$4.78 million (2004)

Debt - external:

$342.6 million (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Bahamian dollar (BSD)

Currency code:

BSD

Exchange rates:

Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar - 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003)

Communications Bahamas, The

Telephones - main lines in use:

132,900 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

374,000 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern facilities domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006)

Radios:

215,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

2 (2006)

Televisions:

67,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bs

Internet hosts:

41 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

19 (2000)

Internet users:

120,000 (2007)

Transportation Bahamas, The

Airports:

62 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 24 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 22 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 2,717 km paved: 1,560 km unpaved: 1,133 km (2002)

Merchant marine:

total: 1,223 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 210, cargo 226, carrier 2, chemical tanker 88, combination ore/oil 12, container 65, liquefied gas 77, passenger 109, passenger/cargo 35, petroleum tanker 209, refrigerated cargo 119, roll on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 51 foreign-owned: 1,150 (Angola 6, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 2, Canada 84, China 10, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 25, Denmark 67, Finland 9, France 30, Germany 44, Greece 209, Hong Kong 30, Iceland 1, Indonesia 2, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 1, Italy 4, Japan 87, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 13, Monaco 15, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 9, Nigeria 2, Norway 189, Poland 17, Russia 4, Saudi Arabia 16, Singapore 17, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 14, Sweden 4, Switzerland 1, Thailand 5, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 8, UAE 23, UK 56, US 106, Venezuela 1) registered in other countries: 12 (Bolivia 1, Panama 9, Peru 1, Portugal 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point

Military Bahamas, The

Military branches:

Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 80,200 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 50,282 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 3,016 female: 3,024 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Bahamas, The

Disputes - international:

disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Bahrain

Introduction Bahrain

Background:

In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shi'a discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.

Geography Bahrain

Location:

Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:

26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 665 sq km land: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

161 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined

Climate:

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Terrain:

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Natural resources:

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

Land use:

arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2005)

Irrigated land:

40 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.1 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%) per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic droughts; dust storms

Environment - current issues:

desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

People Bahrain

Population:

718,306 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 26.4% (male 95,709/female 93,747) 15-64 years: 69.8% (male 288,957/female 212,706) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 14,224/female 12,963) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 29.9 years male: 33 years female: 26.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.337% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

17.26 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

4.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.36 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.25 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 15.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 74.92 years male: 72.41 years female: 77.5 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.53 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

fewer than 600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic groups:

Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)

Religions:

Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)

Languages:

Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.5% male: 88.6% female: 83.6% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 16 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.9% of GDP (1991)

Government Bahrain

Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun

Government type:

constitutional monarchy

Capital:

name: Manama geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor

Independence:

15 August 1971 (from UK)

National holiday:

National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection

Constitution:

adopted 14 February 2002

Legal system:

based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman al-Khalifa (since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:

bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held in 2010) election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by party as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4, unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1

Judicial branch:

High Civil Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders:

political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators other: several small leftist and other groups are active

International organization participation:

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Houda Ezra Ibrahim NUNU chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador J. Adam ERELI embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama mailing address: PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama telephone: [973] 1724-2700 FAX: [973] 1727-0547

Flag description:

red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam

Economy Bahrain

Economy - overview:

With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Petroleum production and refining account for over 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, over 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP (exclusive of allied industries), underpinning Bahrain's strong economic growth in recent years. Aluminum is Bahrain's second major export after oil. Other major segments of Bahrain's economy are the financial and construction sectors. Bahrain is focused on Islamic banking and is competing on an international scale with Malaysia as a worldwide banking center. Bahrain is actively pursuing the diversification and privatization of its economy to reduce the country's dependence on oil. As part of this effort, in August 2006 Bahrain and the US implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Continued strong growth hinges on Bahrain's ability to acquire new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are long-term economic problems.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$24.01 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$19.66 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$33,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.3% industry: 43.6% services: 56% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

437,000 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 1% industry: 79% services: 20% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:

15% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Investment (gross fixed):

22.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $5.418 billion expenditures: $4.968 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

31.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.3% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.35% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$4.169 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$10.63 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$10.32 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish

Industries:

petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

5.2% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

9.233 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

8.742 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

48,610 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

32,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

238,900 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

221,500 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

124.6 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

11.33 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

11.33 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$2.907 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$13.79 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles

Exports - partners:

Saudi Arabia 3.5%, US 2.5%, UAE 2.5% (2007)

Imports:

$10.93 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

crude oil, machinery, chemicals

Imports - partners:

Saudi Arabia 37.7%, Japan 7.2%, US 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, UK 4.5%, UAE 4.2%, China 4.1% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$103.9 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$4.101 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$7.858 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$13.31 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$7.72 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$21.12 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Bahraini dinar (BHD)

Currency code:

BHD

Exchange rates:

Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003)

Communications Bahrain

Telephones - main lines in use:

194,200 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.116 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern system domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth station - 1 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

338,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

4 (1997)

Televisions:

275,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bh

Internet hosts:

2,621 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

250,000 (2007)

Transportation Bahrain

Airports:

3 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 20 km; oil 52 km (2007)

Roadways:

total: 3,498 km paved: 2,768 km unpaved: 730 km (2003)

Merchant marine:

total: 9 by type: bulk carrier 4, container 4, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 6 (Kuwait 5, UAE 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Military Bahrain

Military branches:

Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard

Military service age and obligation:

17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 210,938 females age 16-49: 170,471 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 171,536 females age 16-49: 142,714 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 6,543 female: 6,429 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

4.5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Bahrain

Disputes - international:

none

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Bahrain is a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; men and women from Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia migrate voluntarily to Bahrain to work as laborers or domestic servants where some face conditions of involuntary servitude such as unlawful withholding of passports, restrictions on movements, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse; women from Thailand, Morocco, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia are trafficked to Bahrain for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bahrain is on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to show evidence of increased efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly efforts that enforce laws against trafficking in persons, and that prevent the punishment of victims of trafficking; during 2007, Bahrain passed a comprehensive law prohibiting all forms of trafficking in persons; the government also established a specialized anti-trafficking unit within the Ministry of Interior to investigate trafficking crimes; however, the government did not report any prosecutions or convictions for trafficking offenses during 2007, despite reports of a substantial problem of involuntary servitude and sex trafficking (2008)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Bangladesh

Introduction Bangladesh

Background:

Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A military-backed caretaker regime suspended planned parliamentary elections in January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption; the regime has pledged new democratic elections by the end of 2008. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.

Geography Bangladesh

Location:

Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Geographic coordinates:

24 00 N, 90 00 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 144,000 sq km land: 133,910 sq km water: 10,090 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Iowa

Land boundaries:

total: 4,246 km border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline:

580 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin

Climate:

tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain:

mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Natural resources:

natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Land use:

arable land: 55.39% permanent crops: 3.08% other: 41.53% (2005)

Irrigated land:

47,250 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1,210.6 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 79.4 cu km/yr (3%/1%/96%) per capita: 560 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

Environment - current issues:

many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal

People Bangladesh

Population:

153,546,896 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 33.4% (male 26,364,370/female 24,859,792) 15-64 years: 63.1% (male 49,412,903/female 47,468,013) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,912,321/female 2,529,502) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 22.8 years male: 22.8 years female: 22.9 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.022% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

28.86 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 57.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 58.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 56.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 63.21 years male: 63.14 years female: 63.28 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.08 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

13,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

650 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations water contact disease: leptospirosis animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladeshi

Ethnic groups:

Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims) (1998)

Religions:

Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

Languages:

Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 43.1% male: 53.9% female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 8 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

2.7% of GDP (2005)

Government Bangladesh

Country name:

conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh local short form: Banladesh former: East Bengal, East Pakistan

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Dhaka geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet

Independence:

16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

National holiday:

Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

Constitution:

4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended many times

Legal system:

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002) note: the country has a caretaker government until a general election is held; Iajuddin AHMED remains as President and Minister of Defense, and all other Cabinet portfolios are held by Caretaker Advisers (CAs); the Chief CA, Fakhruddin AHMED, is roughly equivalent to a prime minister elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next election NA); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared president-elect by the Election Commission; he ran unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms; note - parliament not in session during the extended caretaker regime elections: last held 1 October 2001 (the scheduled January 2007 election has been postponed until 29 December 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%, other 19%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001 brought to power a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:

Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Manjurul A. KHAN]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA (Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs) other: environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders; teachers; union leaders

International organization participation:

ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador M. Humayun KABIR chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183 FAX: [1] (202) 244-7830/2771 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212 mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000 telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500 FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744

Flag description:

green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

Economy Bangladesh

Economy - overview:

The economy has grown 5-6% over the past few years despite inefficient state-owned enterprises, delays in exploiting natural gas resources, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Garment exports and remittances from Bangladeshis working overseas, mainly in the Middle East and East Asia, fuel economic growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$208.3 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$72.42 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 19% industry: 28.7% services: 52.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

69.4 million note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $4.8 billion in 2005-06. (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 63% industry: 11% services: 26% (FY95/96)

Unemployment rate:

2.5% (includes underemployment) (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

45% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 27.9% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

33.4 (2000)

Investment (gross fixed):

24.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $7.01 billion expenditures: $9.464 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Public debt:

37.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

9.1% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

16% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$8.444 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$32.4 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$40.15 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Industries:

cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar

Industrial production growth rate:

8.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

22.78 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

21.37 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 93.7% hydro: 6.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

6,746 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

89,940 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

1,351 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

83,220 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

28 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

15.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

15.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

141.6 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$804.7 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$12.45 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood

Exports - partners:

US 23%, Germany 13%, UK 9.1%, France 5.5%, Belgium 4% (2007)

Imports:

$16.67 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement

Imports - partners:

China 15%, India 14.3%, Kuwait 8.3%, Singapore 6.2%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$1.321 billion (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$5.278 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$21.23 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$4.971 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$104 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$3.61 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

taka (BDT)

Currency code:

BDT

Exchange rates:

taka (BDT) per US dollar - 69.893 (2007), 69.031 (2006), 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15 (2003)

Communications Bangladesh

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.187 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

34.37 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: inadequate for a modern country; fixed-line telephone density remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and is approaching 25 per 100 persons domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities international: country code - 880; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 15, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006)

Radios:

6.15 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

15 (1999)

Televisions:

770,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bd

Internet hosts:

1,440 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

10 (2000)

Internet users:

500,000 (2007)

Transportation Bangladesh

Airports:

16 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 2,644 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 2,768 km broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 239,226 km paved: 22,726 km unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)

Waterways:

8,370 km note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 40 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 27, container 5, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4 foreign-owned: 1 (China 1) registered in other countries: 10 (Comoros 2, Honduras 1, Malta 2, Panama 2, Singapore 2, Togo 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Chittagong, Mongla Port

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh as high risk for armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Military Bangladesh

Military branches:

Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini, BAF) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

16 years of age for voluntary military service; 17 years of age for officers (both with parental consent); conscription legally possible in emergency, but has never been implemented (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 41,199,340 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 31,968,168 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 1,311,850 female: 1,246,012 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Bangladesh

Disputes - international:

discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange territory for 51 small Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 small Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's fencing and walling off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary commission resurveyed and reconstructed 92 missing pillars in 2007; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; after 21 years, Bangladesh resumes talks with Burma on delimiting a maritime boundary

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 26,268 (Burma) IDPs: 65,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Barbados

Introduction Barbados

Background:

The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

Geography Barbados

Location:

Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 431 sq km land: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

97 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain:

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, fish, natural gas

Land use:

arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005)

Irrigated land:

50 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.1 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.09 cu km/yr (33%/44%/22%) per capita: 333 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Environment - current issues:

pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

easternmost Caribbean island

People Barbados

Population:

281,968 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 19.3% (male 27,270/female 27,193) 15-64 years: 71.7% (male 99,357/female 102,683) 65 years and over: 9% (male 9,856/female 15,609) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 35.4 years male: 34.2 years female: 36.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.36% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

12.48 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.58 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 11.05 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.21 years male: 71.2 years female: 75.24 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.65 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

2,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Ethnic groups:

black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%

Religions:

Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)

Languages:

English

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2001)

Education expenditures:

6.9% of GDP (2005)

Government Barbados

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Bridgetown geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas

Independence:

30 November 1966 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

Constitution:

30 November 1966

Legal system:

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996) head of government: Prime Minister David THOMPSON (since 16 January 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at his discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 15 January 2008 (next to be called in 2013) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice is the highest court of appeal

Political parties and leaders:

Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST]; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD]

International organization participation:

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York consulate(s): Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN embassy: U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006 mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 227-4399 FAX: [1] (246) 431-0179

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

Economy Barbados

Economy - overview:

Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism, with about three-quarters of GDP and 80% of exports being attributed to services. Growth has rebounded since 2003, bolstered by increases in construction projects and tourism revenues - reflecting its success in the higher-end segment. The country enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region and an investment grade rating which benefits from its political stability and stable institutions. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners and thrive from having the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$5.31 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$3.739 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$18,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 6% industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.)

Labor force:

128,500 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 10% industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate:

10.7% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $847 million (including grants) expenditures: $886 million (2000 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

5.5% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

12% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

10.8% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.478 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$2.717 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$3.533 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

Industries:

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Industrial production growth rate:

-3.2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:

1.003 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

939.9 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

1,111 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

8,674 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

1,750 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

10,710 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

2.2 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

29.17 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

29.17 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

141.6 million cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$254 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$385 million (2006)

Exports - commodities:

manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components

Exports - partners:

Trinidad and Tobago 15.5%, Jamaica 13.5%, UK 9.4%, US 9.3%, Brazil 8.3%, Saint Lucia 7.2%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.5% (2007)

Imports:

$1.586 billion (2006)

Imports - commodities:

consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Imports - partners:

US 30.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 27.6%, UK 6.5% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$2.07 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$620 million (2007)

Debt - external:

$668 million (2003)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$5.513 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

Barbadian dollar (BBD)

Currency code:

BBD

Exchange rates:

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)

Communications Barbados

Telephones - main lines in use:

134,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

237,100 (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of about 85 per 100 persons domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:

237,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)

Televisions:

76,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bb

Internet hosts:

104 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

19 (2000)

Internet users:

160,000 (2005)

Transportation Barbados

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 1,600 km paved: 1,600 km (2004)

Merchant marine:

total: 85 by type: bulk carrier 15, cargo 50, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 80 (Canada 9, Greece 12, India 1, Iran 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 38, Sweden 7, Syria 1, UK 9) registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Bridgetown

Military Barbados

Military branches:

Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger requires parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 75,265 females age 16-49: 75,389 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 58,556 females age 16-49: 58,143 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 2,157 female: 2,155 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Military - note:

the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2007)

Transnational Issues Barbados

Disputes - international:

Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:

one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Belarus

Introduction Belarus

Background:

After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion continue.

Geography Belarus

Location:

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Geographic coordinates:

53 00 N, 28 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 207,600 sq km land: 207,600 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries:

total: 3,306 km border countries: Latvia 171 km, Lithuania 680 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Terrain:

generally flat and contains much marshland

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Natural resources:

forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Land use:

arable land: 26.77% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 72.63% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,310 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

58 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.79 cu km/yr (23%/47%/30%) per capita: 286 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

People Belarus

Population:

9,685,768 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.4% (male 717,885/female 677,254) 15-64 years: 70.9% (male 3,333,699/female 3,531,920) 65 years and over: 14.7% (male 459,627/female 965,383) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 38.4 years male: 35.4 years female: 41.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.393% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

9.62 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

13.92 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 6.53 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 70.34 years male: 64.63 years female: 76.4 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

15,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

1,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian

Ethnic groups:

Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)

Religions:

Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Languages:

Belarusian, Russian, other

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.8% female: 99.4% (1999 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

6.1% of GDP (2006)

Government Belarus

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Byelarus' local short form: Byelarus' former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Capital:

name: Minsk geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers

Independence:

25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:

15 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits

Legal system:

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Sergey SIDORSKIY (since 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the president to run in a third election, which was held on 19 March 2006; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 82.6%, Aleksandr MILINKEVICH 6%, Aleksandr KOZULIN 2.3%; note - election marred by electoral fraud

Legislative branch:

bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and eight members appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Palata Predstaviteley - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held fall of 2012); international observers widely denounced the elections as flawed and undemocratic based on massive government falsification; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won all 110 seats election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)

Political parties and leaders:

pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolay ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergey GAYDUKEVICH]; Party of Labor and Justice [Viktor SOKOLOV]; Social-Sports Party [Vladimir ALEXANDROVICH] opposition parties: Belarusian Christian Democracy Party (unregistered) [Pavel SEVERINETS]; Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Sergey KALYAKIN]; Belarusian Party of Labor (unregistered) [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV, Leonid LEMESHONAK]; Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Vintsyuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Gramada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada (People's Assembly) or BSDPH [Aleksandr KOZULIN; Anatoliy LEVKOVICH, acting]; Green Party [Oleg GROMYKO]; Party of Freedom and Progress (unregistered) [Vladimir NOVOSYAD]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatoliy LEBEDKO]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH, chairperson] other opposition includes: Christian Conservative BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; Ecological Party of Greens [Mikhail KARTASH]; Party of Popular Accord [Sergey YERMAKK]; Republican Party [Vladimir BELAZOR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Tatiana PROTKO]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV]; For Freedom (unregistered) [Aleksandr MILINKEVICH]; Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of the Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike Committee of Entrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery LEVONEVSKY]; Partnership NGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA]; Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dmitriy DASHKEVICH, Sergey BAKHUN]; Zubr youth group [Vladimir KOBETS]

International organization participation:

BSEC (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604 FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jonathan MOORE embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002 mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723 telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348 FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853

Flag description:

red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red

Economy Belarus

Economy - overview:

Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subject to pressure by central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest in the world. Because of these restrictive economic policies, Belarus has had trouble attracting foreign investment. Nevertheless, GDP growth has been strong in recent years, reaching nearly 7% in 2007, despite the roadblocks of a tough, centrally directed economy with a high, but decreasing, rate of inflation. Belarus receives heavily discounted oil and natural gas from Russia and much of Belarus' growth can be attributed to the re-export of Russian oil at market prices. Trade with Russia - by far its largest single trade partner - decreased in 2007, largely as a result of a change in the way the Value Added Tax (VAT) on trade was collected. Russia has introduced an export duty on oil shipped to Belarus, which will increase gradually through 2009, and a requirement that Belarusian duties on re-exported Russian oil be shared with Russia - 80% will go to Russia in 2008, and 85% in 2009. Russia also increased Belarusian natural gas prices from $47 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $100 per tcm in 2007, and plans to increase prices gradually to world levels by 2011. Russia's recent policy of bringing energy prices for Belarus to world market levels may result in a slowdown in economic growth in Belarus over the next few years. Some policy measures, including tightening of fiscal and monetary policies, improving energy efficiency, and diversifying exports, have been introduced, but external borrowing has been the main mechanism used to manage the growing pressures on the economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$103.5 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$44.77 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

8.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$10,600 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 8.7% industry: 40.6% services: 50.6% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.3 million (31 December 2005)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 14% industry: 34.7% services: 51.3% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:

1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers (2005)

Population below poverty line:

27.1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 23.5% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

29.7 (2002)

Investment (gross fixed):

30.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $20.75 billion expenditures: $20.87 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

10% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.58% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$4.065 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$6.823 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$12.16 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

Industries:

metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

Industrial production growth rate:

5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

29.91 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

30.43 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

5.789 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

10.15 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001)

Oil - production:

33,700 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

179,700 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

256,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:

394,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

198 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

164 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

21.76 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

21.6 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$2.876 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$24.47 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:

Russia 36.5%, Netherlands 17.8%, UK 6.3%, Ukraine 6.1%, Poland 5%, Latvia 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$28.32 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals

Imports - partners:

Russia 59.9%, Germany 7.6%, Ukraine 5.4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$53.76 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$4.266 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$7.347 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)

Currency code:

BYB/BYR

Exchange rates:

Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 2,145 (2007), 2,144.6 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004), 2,051.27 (2003)

Communications Belarus

Telephones - main lines in use:

3.672 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

5.96 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service; fixed-line teledensity of roughly 35 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of about 60 per 100 persons; modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of switching equipment now digital domestic: fixed-line penetration is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; 3 GSM wireless networks are experiencing rapid growth; strict government controls on telecommunications technologies international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)

Radios:

3.02 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

2.52 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.by

Internet hosts:

68,118 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

23 (2002)

Internet users:

6 million (2007)

Transportation Belarus

Airports:

67 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 31 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 27 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 5,250 km; oil 1,528 km; refined products 1,730 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 5,512 km broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified) standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2006)

Roadways:

total: 94,797 km paved: 84,028 km unpaved: 10,769 km (2005)

Waterways:

2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003)

Ports and terminals:

Mazyr

Military Belarus

Military branches:

Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,491,643 females age 16-49: 2,528,779 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,727,974 females age 16-49: 2,093,106 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 64,232 female: 60,788 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Belarus

Disputes - international:

Boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania in 2006; 1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security

Illicit drugs:

limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; new anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Belgium

Introduction Belgium

Background:

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

Geography Belgium

Location:

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

Geographic coordinates:

50 50 N, 4 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 30,528 sq km land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km

Area - comparative:

about the size of Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 1,385 km border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

Coastline:

66.5 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors

Climate:

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Terrain:

flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: North Sea 0 m highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m

Natural resources:

construction materials, silica sand, carbonates

Land use:

arable land: 27.42% permanent crops: 0.69% other: 71.89% note: includes Luxembourg (2005)

Irrigated land:

400 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

20.8 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 7.44 cu km/yr (13%/85%/1%) per capita: 714 cu m/yr (1998)

Natural hazards:

flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

Environment - current issues:

the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) had slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO

People Belgium

Population:

10,403,951 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 16.3% (male 864,287/female 828,435) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,476,802/female 3,416,383) 65 years and over: 17.5% (male 751,745/female 1,066,299) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 41.4 years male: 40.2 years female: 42.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.106% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

10.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

10.38 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 79.07 years male: 75.9 years female: 82.38 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.65 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

10,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian

Ethnic groups:

Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%

Languages:

Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 16 years male: 16 years female: 16 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

6% of GDP (2004)

Government Belgium

Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie local short form: Belgique/Belgie

Government type:

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Capital:

name: Brussels geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Brussels* (Bruxelles) capital region; Flanders* region (five provinces): Antwerpen (Antwerp), Limburg, Oost-Vlaanderen (East Flanders), Vlaams-Brabant (Flemish Brabant), West-Vlaanderen (West Flanders); Wallonia* region (five provinces): Brabant Wallon (Walloon Brabant), Hainaut, Liege, Luxembourg, Namur note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities

Independence:

4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)

National holiday:

21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King LEOPOLD I

Constitution:

7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state

Legal system:

based on civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:

chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Yves LETERME (20 March 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers are formally appointed by the monarch elections: the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and then approved by parliament

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 June 2007 (next to be held no later than June 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA 19.4%, Open VLD 12.4%, MR 12.3%, VB 11.9%, PS 10.2%, SP.A-Spirit 10%, CDH 5.9%, Ecolo 5.8%, Groen! 3.6%, Dedecker List 3.4%, FN 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CDV/N-VA 9, Open VLD 5, MR 6, VB 5, PS 4, SP.A-Spririt 4, CDH 2, Ecolo 2, Groen! 1, Dedecker List 1, FN 1 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA 18.5%, MR 12.5%, VB 12%, Open VLD 11.8%, PS 10.9%, SP.A-Spirit 10.3%, CDH 6.1%, Ecolo 5.1%, Dedecker List 4%, Groen! 4%, FN 2%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CDV/N-VA 30, MR 23, VB 17, Open VLD 18, PS 20, SP.A-Spirit 14, CDH 10, Ecolo 8, Dedecker List 5, Groen! 4, FN 1 note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments each with its own legislative assembly

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice Council)

Political parties and leaders:

Flemish parties: Christian Democratic and Flemish or CDV [Marianne THYSSEN]; Dedecker List [Jean-Marie DEDECKER]; Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Bart SOMERS]; Groen! [Mieke VOGELS] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens); New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER]; Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [Caroline GENNEZ]; VlaamsProgressieven (Flemish Progressives) or VP [Bettina GEYSEN] - formerly Spirit; Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Bruno VALKENIERS] Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Isabelle DURANT, Claude BROUIR]; Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel HUYGENS]; Reform Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; other minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries other: numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants

International organization participation:

ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Dominique STRUYE DE SWIELANDE chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York consulate(s): Atlanta

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Sam FOX embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan], B-1000 Brussels mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710 telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111 FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red note: the design was based on the flag of France

Economy Belgium

Economy - overview:

This modern, private-enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north. With few natural resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Roughly three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt is more than 85% of GDP. On the positive side, the government has succeeded in balancing its budget, and income distribution is relatively equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply because of the global economic slowdown, with moderate recovery in 2004-07. Economic growth and foreign direct investment are expected to slow down in 2008, due to credit tightening, falling consumer and business confidence, and above average inflation. However, with the successful negotiation of the 2008 budget and devolution of power within the government, political tensions seem to be easing and could lead to an improvement in the economic outlook for 2008.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$376.5 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$453.6 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$36,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1.1% industry: 24.5% services: 74.4% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.94 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 2% industry: 25% services: 73% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.5% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

15.2% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 28.4% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

28 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $220.1 billion expenditures: $221 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

84.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.8% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.98% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

NA note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders

Stock of quasi money:

NA

Stock of domestic credit:

$767.7 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk

Industries:

engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate:

2.8% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

82.94 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

85.54 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

9.035 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

15.78 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 38.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 59.3% other: 1.8% (2001)

Oil - production:

8,671 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

628,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

528,700 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

1.119 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

17.39 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

17.34 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006)

Current account balance:

$3.282 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$322.2 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:

Germany 19.5%, France 16.7%, Netherlands 11.9%, UK 7.6%, US 5.7%, Italy 5.2% (2007)

Imports:

$323.2 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products

Imports - partners:

Germany 17.7%, Netherlands 17.6%, France 11.2%, UK 6.2%, US 5.4%, Ireland 4.9%, China 4.1% (2007)

Economic aid - donor:

ODA, $1.978 billion (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$16.51 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$1.313 trillion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$678.2 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$540.1 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$422.7 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

euro (EUR)

Currency code:

EUR

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Communications Belgium

Telephones - main lines in use:

4.668 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

10.23 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network international: country code - 32; landing point for a number of submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 7, FM 79, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

8.075 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:

4.72 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.be

Internet hosts:

3.841 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

61 (2000)

Internet users:

5.22 million (2007)

Transportation Belgium

Airports:

43 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 27 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 9 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 15 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 1,562 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 3,536 km standard gauge: 3,536 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 152,256 km paved: 119,079 km (includes 1,763 km of expressways) unpaved: 33,177 km (2006)

Waterways:

2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 79 by type: bulk carrier 20, cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, container 6, liquefied gas 20, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 10 foreign-owned: 6 (Denmark 4, France 2) registered in other countries: 111 (Bahamas 15, Cyprus 2, France 6, Gibraltar 2, Greece 16, Hong Kong 3, Liberia 4, Luxembourg 7, Malta 15, Mozambique 2, Netherlands 2, Netherlands Antilles 1, Panama 2, Portugal 1, Portugal 7, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 8, Vanuatu 4) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Antwerp, Gent, Liege, Zeebrugge

Military Belgium

Military branches:

Belgian Armed Forces: Land Operations Command, Naval Operations Command, Air Operations Command (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,407,128 females age 16-49: 2,340,039 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,973,167 females age 16-49: 1,915,990 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 64,659 female: 61,881 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Belgium

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Belize

Introduction Belize

Background:

Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include an unsustainable foreign debt, high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, growing urban crime, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.

Geography Belize

Location:

Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

Geographic coordinates:

17 15 N, 88 45 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:

total: 516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

Coastline:

386 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)

Terrain:

flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,160 m

Natural resources:

arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 3.05% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 95.56% (2005)

Irrigated land:

30 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

18.6 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.15 cu km/yr (7%/73%/20%) per capita: 556 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

People Belize

Population:

301,270 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 38.4% (male 58,987/female 56,674) 15-64 years: 58.1% (male 88,521/female 86,450) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 5,095/female 5,543) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 20.1 years male: 20 years female: 20.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.207% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

27.84 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.77 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 23.65 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 68.19 years male: 66.39 years female: 70.08 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.44 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

2.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

3,600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups:

mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% (2000 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000)

Languages:

Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.9% male: 76.7% female: 77.1% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 13 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

5.3% of GDP (2004)

Government Belize

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Belmopan geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

Independence:

21 September 1981 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

Constitution:

21 September 1981

Legal system:

English law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Dean BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch:

bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Judicature (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:

National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR; National Reform Party or NRP [Cornelius DUECK]; People's National Party or PNP [Wil MAHEIA]; People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW]; Vision Inspired by the People or VIP [Paul MORGAN]; We the People Reform Movement or WTP [Hipolito BAUTISTA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ]

International organization participation:

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Nestor MENDEZ chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District mailing address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize telephone: [501] 822-4011 FAX: [501] 822-4012

Flag description:

blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

Economy Belize

Economy - overview:

In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy, tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by exports of marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2007. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered the economic growth in 2006 and 2007. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and unsustainable foreign debt. In February 2007, the government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial debt, which will reduce interest payments and relieve liquidity concerns. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.444 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.274 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$7,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 21.3% industry: 13.7% services: 65% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

113,000 note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 22.5% industry: 15.2% services: 62.3% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

9.4% (2006)

Population below poverty line:

33.5% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Investment (gross fixed):

19.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $307 million expenditures: $344 million (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.3% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

12% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

14.33% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$323.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$549 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$877.6 million (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments

Industries:

garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

Industrial production growth rate:

0.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

213.5 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

193.3 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 59.9% hydro: 40.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

3,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

7,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

1,960 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports:

7,122 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

6.7 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$43 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$429 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood

Exports - partners:

US 28.7%, UK 16.3%, Thailand 5.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.4%, Finland 4.2%, Spain 4% (2007)

Imports:

$642 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

Imports - partners:

US 31.2%, Mexico 13.6%, Cuba 8.5%, Guatemala 8%, Russia 4.6% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$12.91 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$109 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$1.2 billion (June 2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Belizean dollar (BZD)

Currency code:

BZD

Exchange rates:

Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)

Communications Belize

Telephones - main lines in use:

33,900 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

118,300 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: above-average system; fixed-line teledensity of 12 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of about 40 per 100 persons domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)

Radios:

133,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

5 (2006)

Televisions:

41,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bz

Internet hosts:

2,751 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

2 (2000)

Internet users:

32,000 (2007)

Transportation Belize

Airports:

44 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 40 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 27 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 3,007 km paved: 575 km unpaved: 2,432 km (2006)

Waterways:

825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 216 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 32, cargo 152, chemical tanker 2, container 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 178 (Australia 1, China 71, Croatia 2, Cyprus 1, Estonia 6, Greece 1, Iceland 2, Italy 3, Japan 8, South Korea 1, Latvia 12, Norway 3, Peru 1, Russia 31, Singapore 2, Spain 1, Turkey 15, Ukraine 7, UAE 5, UK 5) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Belize City, Big Creek

Military Belize

Military branches:

Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, BDF Air Wing, BDF Volunteer Guard (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1 (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 74,605 females age 16-49: 72,926 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 54,627 females age 16-49: 53,500 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 3,580 female: 3,449 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.4% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Belize

Disputes - international:

OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures saw cooperation in repatriation of Guatemalan squatters and other areas, but Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea remain unresolved; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Honduras claims Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays in its constitution but agreed to a joint ecological park under the Differendum

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, primarily for local consumption; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Benin

Introduction Benin

Background:

Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI has begun a high profile fight against corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.

Geography Benin

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates:

9 30 N, 2 15 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:

total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Coastline:

121 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain:

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Natural resources:

small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use:

arable land: 23.53% permanent crops: 2.37% other: 74.1% (2005)

Irrigated land:

120 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

25.8 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.13 cu km/yr (32%/23%/45%) per capita: 15 cu m/yr (2001)

Natural hazards:

hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March

Environment - current issues:

inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands

People Benin

Population:

8,532,547 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 45.5% (male 1,978,897/female 1,901,005) 15-64 years: 51.9% (male 2,195,667/female 2,236,458) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 91,213/female 129,307) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.1 years male: 16.7 years female: 17.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.01% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

39.8 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 66.2 deaths/1,000 live births male: 69.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 62.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 58.56 years male: 57.42 years female: 59.76 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.58 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

68,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

5,800 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese

Ethnic groups:

Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9% (2002 census)

Religions:

Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)

Languages:

French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 34.7% male: 47.9% female: 23.3% (2002 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 7 years male: 9 years female: 6 years (2001)

Education expenditures:

4.4% of GDP (2004)

Government Benin

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Porto-Novo (official capital) geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Cotonou (seat of government)

Administrative divisions:

12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou

Independence:

1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday:

National Day, 1 August (1960)

Constitution:

adopted by referendum 2 December 1990

Legal system:

based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2011) election results: Thomas YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 31 March 2007 (next to be held by March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FCBE 35, ADD 20, PRD 10, other and independents 18

Judicial branch:

Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD; Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Benin Renaissance or RB [Rosine SOGLO]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin or FCBE; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Theophile NATA]; Key Force or FC [Lazare SÈHOUÉTO]; Movement for the People's Alternative or MAP [Olivier CAPO-CHICHI]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Dominique HOUNGNINOU]; Social Democrat Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Union for the Relief or UPR [Issa SALIFOU]; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS [Sacca LAFIA] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:

other: economic groups; environmentalists; political groups; teachers' unions and other educational groups

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Gayleatha B. BROWN embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 21-30-06-50 FAX: [229] 21-30-03-84

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side

Economy Benin

Economy - overview:

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past seven years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Specific projects to improve the business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture though the government annulled the privatization of Benin's state cotton company in November 2007 after the discovery of irregularities in the bidding process. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. An insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely affect Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$12 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$5.433 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 33.2% industry: 14.5% services: 52.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

5.38 million (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

37.4% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 29% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

36.5 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):

19.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $959.2 million expenditures: $1.211 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.3% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

4.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

NA

Stock of money:

$1.324 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$627.2 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$520.6 million (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock

Industries:

textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

Industrial production growth rate:

4.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

120 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

595 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

590 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

9,232 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

6,484 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

16,830 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

8 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$441 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$586 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood

Exports - partners:

China 24.7%, India 8.2%, Niger 6.6%, Togo 5.4%, Nigeria 5.3%, Belgium 4.6% (2007)

Imports:

$1.085 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

Imports - partners:

China 44.5%, France 8.2%, US 6.5%, Thailand 6.3%, Malaysia 4.8% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$374.7 million (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$1.209 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$1.2 billion (2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:

XOF

Exchange rates:

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

Communications Benin

Telephones - main lines in use:

110,300 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.895 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment with fixed-line teledensity stuck at 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing domestic: system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; multiple mobile-cellular providers international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)

Radios:

660,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:

6 (2007)

Televisions:

66,000 (2000)

Internet country code:

.bj

Internet hosts:

848 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

4 (2002)

Internet users:

150,000 (2007)

Transportation Benin

Airports:

5 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

Railways:

total: 758 km narrow gauge: 758 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 16,000 km paved: 1,400 km unpaved: 14,600 km (2006)

Waterways:

150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)

Ports and terminals:

Cotonou

Military Benin

Military branches:

Benin Armed Forces (FAB): Army (l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin People's Air Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,908,457 females age 16-49: 1,882,421 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,173,742 females age 16-49: 1,162,113 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 97,543 female: 94,008 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.7% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Benin

Disputes - international:

in September 2007, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened to attempt to resolve the dispute over two villages along the Benin-Burkina Faso border that remain from 2005 ICJ decision; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin, but border relations remain strained by rival cross-border gang clashes; talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 9,444 (Togo) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point used by Nigerian traffickers for narcotics destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Bermuda

Introduction Bermuda

Background:

Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the issue.

Geography Bermuda

Location:

North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)

Geographic coordinates:

32 20 N, 64 45 W

Map references:

North America

Area:

total: 53.3 sq km land: 53.3 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about one-third the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

103 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

Terrain:

low hills separated by fertile depressions

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Town Hill 76 m

Natural resources:

limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

Land use:

arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

hurricanes (June to November)

Environment - current issues:

sustainable development

Geography - note:

consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995

People Bermuda

Population:

66,536 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 18% (male 6,055/female 5,954) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 22,795/female 23,189) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 3,728/female 4,815) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 41 years male: 40.1 years female: 41.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.546% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

11.15 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.98 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

2.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 7.87 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.3 years male: 76.15 years female: 80.48 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.88 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.297% (2005)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

163 (2005)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

392 (2005)

Nationality:

noun: Bermudian(s) adjective: Bermudian

Ethnic groups:

black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)

Religions:

Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)

Languages:

English (official), Portuguese

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (2005 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

1.2% of GDP (2006)

Government Bermuda

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bermuda former: Somers Islands

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK

Government type:

parliamentary; self-governing territory

Capital:

name: Hamilton geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 47 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Administrative divisions:

9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick

Independence:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:

Bermuda Day, 24 May

Constitution:

8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003

Legal system:

English law

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir Richard GOZNEY (since 12 December 2007) head of government: Premier Ewart BROWN (since 30 October 2006); Deputy Premier Paula COX cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms) elections: last general election held 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders:

Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Kim SWAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]

International organization participation:

Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Consul General Gregory W. SLAYTON consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3 mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300 telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342 FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233

Flag description:

red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag

Economy Bermuda

Economy - overview:

Bermuda enjoys the third highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island following the 11 September 2001 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited with only 20% of the land being arable.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$4.5 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$NA

GDP - real growth rate:

4.6% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$69,900 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1% industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.)

Labor force:

38,360 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 21%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 7%, services 19% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:

2.1% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:

19% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $738 million expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.8% (November 2005)

Agriculture - products:

bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey

Industries:

international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

675.6 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

619.8 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

4,566 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

4,378 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Exports:

$763 million (2006)

Exports - commodities:

reexports of pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners:

Spain 13.8%, Germany 11.7%, Switzerland 8.8%, Denmark 6.6%, UK 6% (2007)

Imports:

$1.162 billion (2006)

Imports - commodities:

clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals

Imports - partners:

South Korea 36.4%, US 15.7%, Germany 13.2%, Italy 11.8% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$90,000 (2004)

Debt - external:

$160 million (FY99/00)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$2.125 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

Bermudian dollar (BMD)

Currency code:

BMD

Exchange rates:

Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)

Communications Bermuda

Telephones - main lines in use:

57,700 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

60,100 (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: good domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines international: country code - 1-441; landing point for the Atlantica-1 telecommunications submarine cable that extends from the US to Brazil; satellite earth stations - 3 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios:

82,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

3 (2005)

Televisions:

66,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bm

Internet hosts:

1,628 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

20 (2000)

Internet users:

48,000 (2007)

Transportation Bermuda

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 447 km paved: 447 km note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 137 by type: bulk carrier 23, chemical tanker 3, container 22, liquefied gas 33, passenger 24, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 9 foreign-owned: 115 (Australia 1, China 10, France 1, Germany 22, Greece 9, Hong Kong 4, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Japan 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 20, UK 3, US 23) registered in other countries: 50 (Bahamas 12, Marshall Islands 4, Philippines 34) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Hamilton, Saint George

Military Bermuda

Military branches:

Bermuda Regiment (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-23 years of age; eligible men required to register for conscription as needed into the Bermuda Regiment, which is largely voluntary; term of service 39 months (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 15,623 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 12,682 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 426 female: 445 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.11% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Bermuda

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Bhutan

Introduction Bhutan

Background:

In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of over 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which would introduce major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne to his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK, in order to give him experience as head of state before the democratic transition. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty to allow Bhutan greater autonomy in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate policy decisions in this area with New Delhi. In July 2007, seven ministers of Bhutan's ten-member cabinet resigned to join the political process, and the cabinet acted as a caretaker regime until democratic elections for seats to the country's first parliament were completed in March 2008. The king ratified the country's first constitution in July 2008.

Geography Bhutan

Location:

Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates:

27 30 N, 90 30 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 47,000 sq km land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about one-half the size of Indiana

Land boundaries:

total: 1,075 km border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas

Terrain:

mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m

Natural resources:

timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate

Land use:

arable land: 2.3% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 97.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:

400 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

95 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.43 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%) per capita: 199 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion; limited access to potable water

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

People Bhutan

Population:

682,321 note: the Factbook population estimate is consistent with the first modern census of Bhutan, conducted in 2005; previous Factbook population estimates for this country, which were on the order of three times the total population reported here, were based on Bhutanese government publications that did not include the census (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 30.8% (male 107,360/female 103,093) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 231,323/female 203,649) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 19,561/female 17,335) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 23.5 years male: 24.1 years female: 22.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.301% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

20.56 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 51.92 deaths/1,000 live births male: 53.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 50.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 65.53 years male: 64.75 years female: 66.35 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.48 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

fewer than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese

Ethnic groups:

Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%

Religions:

Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%

Languages:

Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 47% male: 60% female: 34% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 10 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

7% of GDP (2005)

Government Bhutan

Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan local long form: Druk Gyalkhap local short form: Druk Yul

Government type:

in transition to constitutional monarchy; special treaty relationship with India

Capital:

name: Thimphu geographic coordinates: 27 29 N, 89 36 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Gasa, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Tashi Yangtse, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang

Independence:

1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king)

National holiday:

National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)

Constitution:

ratified 23 July 2008

Legal system:

based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him head of government: Prime Minister Jigme THINLEY (since 9 April 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch elections: the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote; election of a new National Assembly occurred in March 2008; the leader of the majority party is nominated as the prime minister

Legislative branch:

new bicameral Parliament consists of the non-partisan National Council (25 seats; 20 members elected by each of the 20 electoral districts (dzongkhags) for four-year terms and 5 members nominated by the King); and the National Assembly (47 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote for five-year terms) elections: National Council elections last held on 31 December 2007 and 29 January 2008 (next to be held by December 2012); National Assembly elections last held on 24 March 2008 (next to be held by March 2013) election results: National Council - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPT 67%, PDP 33%; seats by party - DPT 45, PDP 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch); note - the draft constitution establishes a Supreme Court, which will serve as chief court of appeal

Political parties and leaders:

Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) or DPT [Jigme THINLEY]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Sangay NGEDUP]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

United Front for Democracy (exiled) other: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community

International organization participation:

ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none; note - the Permanent Mission to the UN for Bhutan has consular jurisdiction in the US; address: 763 First Avenue, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 682-2268; FAX [1] (212) 661-0551 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)

Flag description:

divided diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side

Economy Bhutan

Economy - overview:

The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 60% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Model education, social, and environment programs are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale, environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. Hydropower exports to India had a major impact on growth in 2007.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$3.359 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.308 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

22.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$5,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 22.3% industry: 37.9% services: 39.8% (2006)

Labor force:

NA note: major shortage of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 63% industry: 6% services: 31% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:

2.5% (2004)

Population below poverty line:

31.7% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $272 million expenditures: $350 million note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2005)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Public debt:

81.4% of GDP (2004)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.9% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

14% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$381.1 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$220.3 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$169.9 million (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs

Industries:

cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

9.3% (1996 est.)

Electricity - production:

4.475 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

528.8 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

3.644 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

11 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

1,250 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

1,152 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$116 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$350 million f.o.b. (2006)

Exports - commodities:

electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices

Exports - partners:

India 58.6%, Hong Kong 30.1%, Bangladesh 7.3% (2007)

Imports:

$320 million c.i.f. (2006)

Imports - commodities:

fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice

Imports - partners:

India 74.5%, Japan 7.4%, Sweden 3.2% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$941.2 million; note - substantial aid from India (2006)

Debt - external:

$713.3 million (2006)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code:

BTN; INR

Exchange rates:

ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar - 41.487 (2007), 45.279 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003) note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee

Communications Bhutan

Telephones - main lines in use:

29,900 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

149,400 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2007)

Radios:

37,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2007)

Televisions:

11,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bt

Internet hosts:

9,046 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

NA

Internet users:

40,000 (2007)

Transportation Bhutan

Airports:

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 8,050 km paved: 4,991 km unpaved: 3,059 km (2003)

Military Bhutan

Military branches:

Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 190,104 females age 16-49: 167,289 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 146,063 females age 16-49: 131,193 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 7,847 female: 7,530 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Bhutan

Disputes - international:

Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian Nagaland separatists; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Bolivia

Introduction Bolivia

Background:

Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority. However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of the eastern lowlands.

Geography Bolivia

Location:

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates:

17 00 S, 65 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 1,098,580 sq km land: 1,084,390 sq km water: 14,190 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries:

total: 6,940 km border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Terrain:

rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Natural resources:

tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 2.78% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 97.03% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,320 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

622.5 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.44 cu km/yr (13%/7%/81%) per capita: 157 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

flooding in the northeast (March-April)

Environment - current issues:

the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

People Bolivia

Population:

9,247,816 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 33.5% (male 1,580,887/female 1,519,960) 15-64 years: 61.8% (male 2,800,457/female 2,912,375) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 192,701/female 241,436) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 22.6 years male: 21.9 years female: 23.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.383% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

22.31 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 49.09 deaths/1,000 live births male: 52.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 45.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 66.53 years male: 63.86 years female: 69.33 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.67 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

4,900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian

Ethnic groups:

Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%

Languages:

Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.7% male: 93.1% female: 80.7% (2001 census)

Education expenditures:

6.4% of GDP (2003)

Government Bolivia

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia conventional short form: Bolivia local long form: Republica de Bolivia local short form: Bolivia

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: La Paz (administrative capital) geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Sucre (constitutional capital)

Administrative divisions:

9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Independence:

6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution:

2 February 1967; revised in August 1994; possible referendum on new constitution to be held in 2008

Legal system:

based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma elected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 53.7%; Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez 28.6%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 7.8%; Michiaki NAGATANI Morishit 6.5%; Felipe QUISPE Huanca 2.2%; Guildo ANGULA Cabrera 0.7%

Legislative branch:

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 70 members are directly elected from their districts and 60 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 73, PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases); Constitutional Tribunal (five primary or titulares and five alternate or suplente magistrates appointed by Congress; to rule on constitutional issues); National Electoral Court (six members elected by Congress, Supreme Court, the President, and the political party with the highest vote in the last election for 4-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:

Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Mirta QUEVEDO]; National Unity [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]; Poder Democratico Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Social Alliance [Rene JOAQUINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions

International organization participation:

CAN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINURCAT, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Erika DUENAS chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410 FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Krishna URS embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000 FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band

Economy Bolivia

Economy - overview:

Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. The period 2003-05 was characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company, which was made the sole exporter of natural gas. The law also required that the state energy company regain control over the five companies that were privatized during the 1990s - a process that is still underway. In 2006, higher earnings for mining and hydrocarbons exports pushed the current account surplus to about 12% of GDP and the government's higher tax take produced a fiscal surplus after years of large deficits. Debt relief from the G8 - announced in 2005 - also has significantly reduced Bolivia's public sector debt burden. Private investment as a share of GDP, however, remains among the lowest in Latin America, and inflation reached double-digit levels in 2007.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$39.75 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$13.19 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.6% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$4,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 14.5% industry: 30.5% services: 55% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

4.377 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 40% industry: 17% services: 43% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.5% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

60% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 0.3% highest 10%: 47.2% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

59.2 (2006)

Investment (gross fixed):

16.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $5.723 billion expenditures: $5.495 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

46.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.7% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

12.86% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$3.032 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.729 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$4.759 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber

Industries:

mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing

Industrial production growth rate:

1.1% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

5.668 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

5.092 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 44.4% hydro: 54% nuclear: 0% other: 1.5% (2001)

Oil - production:

61,790 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

31,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

18,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports:

8,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

465 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

14.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

3 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

11.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

750.4 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$1.796 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$4.49 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin

Exports - partners:

Brazil 46%, US 9.8%, Japan 7.6%, Argentina 5.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Peru 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$3.249 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans

Imports - partners:

Brazil 29.9%, Argentina 16.2%, Chile 10.5%, US 9.8%, Peru 8.1% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$582.9 million (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$5.318 billion (31 October 2007)

Debt - external:

$4.495 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$6.88 billion (31 December 2004)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$2.2 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

boliviano (BOB)

Currency code:

BOB

Exchange rates:

bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004), 7.6592 (2003)

Communications Bolivia

Telephones - main lines in use:

678,200 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

3.254 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: privatization begun in 1995; reliability has steadily improved; new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly; fixed-line teledensity of 7 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of 35 per 100 persons domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Radios:

5.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

48 (1997)

Televisions:

900,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bo

Internet hosts:

68,428 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

9 (2000)

Internet users:

1 million (2007)

Transportation Bolivia

Airports:

1,061 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 16 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1,045 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 57 914 to 1,523 m: 183 under 914 m: 800 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refined products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 3,504 km narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 62,479 km paved: 3,749 km unpaved: 58,730 km (2004)

Waterways:

10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 23 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 11, carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 7 (Bahamas 1, China 1, Iran 1, Singapore 1, Syria 2, Taiwan 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Puerto Aguirre (inland port on the Paraguay/Parana waterway at the Bolivia/Brazil border); Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Military Bolivia

Military branches:

Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,295,746 females age 16-49: 2,366,828 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,600,219 females age 16-49: 1,815,514 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 107,051 female: 103,620 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.9% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Bolivia

Disputes - international:

Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas and other commodities; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suárez/Ilha de Guajará-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Río Mamoré, under Bolivian administration in 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute

Illicit drugs:

world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 29,500 hectares under cultivation in 2007, a slight increase over 2006; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 120 metric tons of potential pure cocaine in 2007; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; cultivation generally increasing since 2000, despite eradication and alternative crop programs; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil and Paraguay; major cocaine consumption (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Bosnia and Herzegovina

Introduction Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background:

Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) was established to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewed hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace and stability throughout the country. EUFOR's mission changed from peacekeeping to civil policing in October 2007, with its presence reduced from nearly 7,000 to 2,500 troops.

Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina

Location:

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Geographic coordinates:

44 00 N, 18 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 51,209.2 sq km land: 51,197 sq km water: 12.2 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:

total: 1,538 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 249 km, Serbia 357 km

Coastline:

20 km

Maritime claims:

no data available

Climate:

hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Terrain:

mountains and valleys

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

Natural resources:

coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 1.89% other: 78.5% (2005)

Irrigated land:

30 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

37.5 cu km (2003)

Natural hazards:

destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues:

air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east

People Bosnia and Herzegovina

Population:

4,590,310 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.7% (male 347,679/female 326,091) 15-64 years: 70.6% (male 1,634,053/female 1,606,341) 65 years and over: 14.7% (male 277,504/female 398,642) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 39.4 years male: 38.2 years female: 40.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.666% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

8.82 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.54 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

6.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 9.34 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.33 years male: 74.74 years female: 82.19 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.24 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s) adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian

Ethnic groups:

Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000) note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Religions:

Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%

Languages:

Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.7% male: 99% female: 94.4% (2000 est.)

Education expenditures:

NA

Government Bosnia and Herzegovina

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina local long form: none local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Government type:

emerging federal democratic republic

Capital:

name: Sarajevo geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district remains under international supervision

Independence:

1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence completed 1 March 1992; independence declared 3 March 1992)

National holiday:

National Day, 25 November (1943)

Constitution:

the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995 in Paris, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution

Legal system:

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age, universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman since 6 November 2008; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Haris SILAJDZIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak); and Zeljko KOMSIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Croat) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 11 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the National House of Representatives elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years); the chairmanship rotates every eight months and resumes where it left off following each national election; election last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the National House of Representatives election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of the votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Haris SILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the votes for the Bosniak seat note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Borjana KRISTO (since 21 February 2007); Vice Presidents Spomenka MICIC (since NA 2007) and Mirsad KEBO (since NA 2007); President of the Republika Srpska: Rajko KUSMANOVIC (since 28 December 2007)

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats, 28 seats allocated for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats for the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation, to serve four-year terms); and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats, 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007) election results: national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ1990 2, other 5; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4, SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four members of the smaller communities

Judicial branch:

BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of Human Rights); BH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities); a War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005 note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has five municipal courts

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]; Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP [Zvonko JURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Marko TADIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BH [Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ1990 [Bozo LJUBIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 100 or HDZ100; Croatian Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ [Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC]; Serb Radical Party of the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social Democratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party of Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

other: displaced persons associations; student councils; war veterans

International organization participation:

BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Charles L. ENGLISH embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [387] (33) 445-700 FAX: [387] (33) 659-722 branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar

Flag description:

a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle

Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina

Economy - overview:

Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. The private sector is growing and foreign investment is slowly increasing, but government spending, at nearly 40% of adjusted GDP, remains unreasonably high. The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag in output was made up in 2003-07 when GDP growth exceeded 5% per year. National-level statistics are limited and do not capture the large share of black market activity. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the currency and the banking sector has increased. Implementing privatization, however, has been slow, particularly in the Federation, although more successful in the Republika Srpska. Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were shut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control most of the banking sector. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment rate remain the two most serious macroeconomic problems. On 1 January 2006 a new value-added tax (VAT) went into effect. The VAT has been successful in capturing much of the gray market economy and has developed into a significant and predictable source of revenues for all layers of government. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. The country receives substantial reconstruction assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$27.7 billion note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much as 50% of official GDP (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$14.78 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$6,100 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 10.2% industry: 23.9% services: 66% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

1.026 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Unemployment rate:

45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:

25% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 21.4% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

26.2 (2001)

Budget:

revenues: $7.094 billion expenditures: $7.137 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

34% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.6% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

7.17% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$5.13 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$5.597 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$8.895 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Industries:

steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining

Industrial production growth rate:

6.7% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

12.84 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

8.501 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

5.123 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

3.015 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 53.5% hydro: 46.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

27,590 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

27,370 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

400 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006)

Current account balance:

-$1.939 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$4.243 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners:

Croatia 21%, Slovenia 16.5%, Italy 16.1%, Germany 13.3%, Austria 9.6%, Hungary 5.7% (2007)

Imports:

$9.947 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Croatia 24.7%, Slovenia 13.3%, Germany 13.1%, Italy 10.4%, Austria 7%, Turkey 6.5%, Hungary 5.4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$546.1 million (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$4.525 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$6.734 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

konvertibilna marka (convertible mark) (BAM)

Currency code:

BAM

Exchange rates:

konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.4419 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003) note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro

Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.065 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.45 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: post-war reconstruction of the telecommunications network, aided by a internationally sponsored program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the number of main telephone lines available; mobile cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density exceeds 50 per 100 persons international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

940,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.ba

Internet hosts:

56,032 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

3 (2000)

Internet users:

1.055 million (2007)

Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Airports:

28 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 12 (2007)

Heliports:

5 (2007)

Railways:

total: 608 km standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 21,846 km paved: 11,425 km (4,714 km of interurban roads) unpaved: 10,421 km (2006)

Waterways:

Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2006)

Ports and terminals:

Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje

Military Bosnia and Herzegovina

Military branches:

Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces (OSBiH): Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzracna Obrana, ZPO) (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; conscription abolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,212,007 females age 16-49: 1,170,645 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 996,225 females age 16-49: 962,927 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 30,246 female: 28,189 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

4.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina

Disputes - international:

sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 7,269 (Croatia) IDPs: 131,600 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in 1992-95 war) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Botswana

Introduction Botswana

Background:

Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Geography Botswana

Location:

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates:

22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 600,370 sq km land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 4,013 km border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain:

predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

Natural resources:

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver

Land use:

arable land: 0.65% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

14.7 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.19 cu km/yr (41%/18%/41%) per capita: 107 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

Environment - current issues:

overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

People Botswana

Population:

1,842,323 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 35.2% (male 329,418/female 318,160) 15-64 years: 60.9% (male 566,239/female 556,286) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 29,165/female 43,055) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.2 years male: 21 years female: 21.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.434% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

22.96 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

14.02 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

5.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 44.01 deaths/1,000 live births male: 44.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 43.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 50.16 years male: 51.28 years female: 49.02 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.66 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

37.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

350,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

33,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Ethnic groups:

Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%

Religions:

Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)

Languages:

Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.2% male: 80.4% female: 81.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

8.7% of GDP (2007)

Government Botswana

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana local long form: Republic of Botswana local short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland

Government type:

parliamentary republic

Capital:

name: Gaborone geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern

Independence:

30 September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

Constitution:

March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Legal system:

based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%, BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1

Judicial branch:

High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)

Political parties and leaders:

Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites) other: diamond mining companies

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen J. NOLAN embassy: Embassy Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 395-3982 FAX: [267] 395-6947

Flag description:

light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center

Economy Botswana

Economy - overview:

Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth slowed to 4.7% annually in 2006-07. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of nearly $15,000 in 2007. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$26.04 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$12.31 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$14,300 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1.6% industry: 51.5% (including 36% mining) services: 46.9% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

288,400 formal sector employees (2004)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Unemployment rate:

7.5% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

30.3% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

63 (1993)

Investment (gross fixed):

19.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $4.741 billion expenditures: $3.816 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Public debt:

5.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

7.1% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

14.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

16.22% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.026 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.336 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

NA

Agriculture - products:

livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

Industries:

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles

Industrial production growth rate:

4.2% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

979 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

2.574 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

1.959 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

11,640 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

14,500 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$1.973 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$5.025 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles

Exports - partners:

European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006)

Imports:

$3.403 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products

Imports - partners:

Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$70.89 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$9.79 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$408 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$3.947 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

pula (BWP)

Currency code:

BWP

Exchange rates:

pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003)

Communications Botswana

Telephones - main lines in use:

136,900 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.427 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of mobile-cellular service and participation in regional development; system is fully digital with fiber-optic cables linking the major population centers in the east; fixed-line connections declined in recent years and now stand at roughly 8 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density currently is about 80 per 100 persons domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile-cellular service is growing fast international: country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)

Radios:

252,720 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:

2 (1 state-owned, 1 private)

Televisions:

31,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bw

Internet hosts:

6,374 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

11 (2001)

Internet users:

80,000 (2007)

Transportation Botswana

Airports:

85 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 74 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 54 under 914 m: 17 (2007)

Railways:

total: 888 km narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 25,798 km paved: 8,410 km unpaved: 17,388 km (2005)

Military Botswana

Military branches:

Botswana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Air Wing (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 487,853 females age 16-49: 464,278 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 290,093 females age 16-49: 257,700 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 23,007 female: 22,551 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3.3% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Botswana

Disputes - international:

Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and political persecution; Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Bouvet Island

Introduction Bouvet Island

Background:

This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters a nature reserve. Since 1977, it has run an automated meteorological station on the island.

Geography Bouvet Island

Location:

island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)

Geographic coordinates:

54 26 S, 3 24 E

Map references:

Antarctic Region

Area:

total: 49 sq km land: 49 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

29.6 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 4 nm

Climate:

antarctic

Terrain:

volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Olav Peak 935 m

Natural resources:

none

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (93% ice) (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve Norway

People Bouvet Island

Population:

uninhabited

Government Bouvet Island

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bouvet Island

Dependency status:

territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo

Legal system:

the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Flag description:

the flag of Norway is used

Economy Bouvet Island

Economy - overview:

no economic activity; declared a nature reserve

Communications Bouvet Island

Internet country code:

.bv

Internet hosts:

6 (2008)

Communications - note:

automatic meteorological station

Transportation Bouvet Island

Ports and terminals:

none; offshore anchorage only

Military Bouvet Island

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues Bouvet Island

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Brazil

Introduction Brazil

Background:

Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems.

Geography Brazil

Location:

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Geographic coordinates:

10 00 S, 55 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 8,511,965 sq km land: 8,456,510 sq km water: 55,455 sq km note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries:

total: 16,885 km border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km

Coastline:

7,491 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Climate:

mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Terrain:

mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m

Natural resources:

bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Land use:

arable land: 6.93% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:

29,200 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

8,233 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 59.3 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%) per capita: 318 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

Environment - current issues:

deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

People Brazil

Population:

196,342,592 note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 27% (male 26,986,909/female 25,961,947) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 64,939,225/female 66,157,812) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 5,182,987/female 7,113,707) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 28.3 years male: 27.5 years female: 29 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.228% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

18.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 23.33 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 71.71 years male: 68.15 years female: 75.45 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.22 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

660,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

15,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian

Ethnic groups:

white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census)

Languages:

Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.6% male: 88.4% female: 88.8% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

4% of GDP (2004)

Government Brazil

Country name:

conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil conventional short form: Brazil local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil local short form: Brasil

Government type:

federal republic

Capital:

name: Brasilia geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands

Administrative divisions:

26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

Independence:

7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Constitution:

5 October 1988

Legal system:

based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Luiz Inacio "LULA" DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Luiz Inacio "LULA" DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010) election results: Luiz Inacio "LULA" DA SILVA (PT) reelected president - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%

Legislative branch:

bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third and two-thirds elected every four years, alternately) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010) election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17; note - as of 1 January 2008: Federal Senate - seats by party - PMDB 20, DEM (formerly PFL) 14, PSDB 13, PT 12, PTB 6, PDT 5, PR 4, PRB 2, PSB 2, PCdoB 1, PP 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PMDB 90, PT 83, PSDB 64, DEM (formerly PFL) 62, PP 41, PR 34, PSB 28, PDT 23, PTB 21, PPS 17, PV 13, PCdoB 13, PSC 7, PAN 4, PSOL 3, PMN 3, PTC 3, PHS 2, PTdoB 1, PRB 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70

Political parties and leaders:

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz]; Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Sergio GUERRA]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Governor Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Christian Labor Party or PTC [Daniel TOURINHO]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]; the Democrats or DEM (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL) [Federal Deputy Rodrigo MAIA]; Freedom and Socialism Party or PSOL [Heloisa HELENA]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [Paulo Roberto MATOS]; Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB [Luis Henrique de Oliveira RESENDE]; Liberal Front Party or PFL (now known as the Democrats or DEM); National Mobilization Party or PMN [Oscar Noronha FILHO]; Party of the Republic or PR [Sergio TAMER]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Fernando CORUJA]; Progressive Party or PP [Francisco DORNELLES]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge Abdala NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Landless Workers' Movement or MST other: labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church

International organization participation:

AfDB (nonregional members), BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar PATRIOTA chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700 FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030 telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000 FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136 consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo consulate(s): Recife

Flag description:

green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

Economy Brazil

Economy - overview:

Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. Having weathered 2001-03 financial turmoil, capital inflows are regaining strength and the currency has resumed appreciating. The appreciation has slowed export volume growth, but since 2004, Brazil's growth has yielded increases in employment and real wages. The resilience in the economy stems from commodity-driven current account surpluses, and sound macroeconomic policies that have bolstered international reserves to historically high levels, reduced public debt, and allowed a significant decline in real interest rates. A floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and a tight fiscal policy are the three pillars of the economic program. From 2003 to 2007, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains coupled with high commodity prices contributed to the surge in exports. Brazil improved its debt profile in 2006 by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. "LULA" DA SILVA restated his commitment to fiscal responsibility by maintaining the country's primary surplus during the 2006 election. Following his second inauguration, "LULA" DA SILVA announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase investment in infrastructure. The government's goal of achieving strong growth while reducing the debt burden is likely to create inflationary pressures.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$1.849 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.314 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

5.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$9,500 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 5.5% industry: 28.7% services: 65.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

99.23 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 20% industry: 14% services: 66% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:

9.3% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

31% (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 44.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

56.7 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

17.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $244 billion expenditures: $219.9 billion (FY07)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

45.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.6% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

17.85% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

43.72% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$131.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$792.8 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.377 trillion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

Industries:

textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

Industrial production growth rate:

4.9% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

437.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

402.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

2.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

40.47 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 8.3% hydro: 82.7% nuclear: 4.4% other: 4.6% (2001)

Oil - production:

2.277 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

2.372 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

481,100 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

648,800 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

12.18 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

9.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

19.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

10 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

347.7 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$1.712 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$160.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos

Exports - partners:

US 16.1%, Argentina 9.2%, China 6.8%, Netherlands 5.6%, Germany 4.6% (2007)

Imports:

$120.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics

Imports - partners:

US 15.7%, China 10.5%, Argentina 8.6%, Germany 7.2%, Nigeria 4.4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$191.9 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$180.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Debt - external:

$229.4 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$248.9 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$107.1 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$711.1 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

real (BRL)

Currency code:

BRL

Exchange rates:

reals (BRL) per US dollar - 1.85 (2007 est.), 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003)

Communications Brazil

Telephones - main lines in use:

39.4 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

120.98 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: good working system; fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile cellular technology is a major driver in expanding telephone service to the low-income segment of the population with mobile-cellular telephone density reaching nearly 65 per 100 persons domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has more than tripled in the past 5 years international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables that provide direct links to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)

Radios:

71 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

138 (1997)

Televisions:

36.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.br

Internet hosts:

9.573 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

50 (2000)

Internet users:

50 million (2007)

Transportation Brazil

Airports:

4,263 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 718 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 167 914 to 1,523 m: 467 under 914 m: 52 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 3,545 1,524 to 2,437 m: 83 914 to 1,523 m: 1,555 under 914 m: 1,907 (2007)

Heliports:

16 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate/gas 244 km; gas 12,070 km; liquid petroleum gas 351 km; oil 5,214 km; refined products 4,410 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 29,295 km broad gauge: 4,932 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified) standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge narrow gauge: 23,773 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified) dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 1,751,868 km paved: 96,353 km unpaved: 1,655,515 km (2004)

Waterways:

50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 136 by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 22, carrier 1, chemical tanker 7, container 11, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 45, roll on/roll off 7 foreign-owned: 25 (Chile 1, Denmark 2, Germany 6, Greece 1, Mexico 1, Norway 5, Spain 9) registered in other countries: 8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall Islands 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao Sebastiao, Tubarao

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Atlantic Ocean as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Military Brazil

Military branches:

Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2001)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 52,449,957 females age 16-49: 52,375,921 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 39,263,710 females age 16-49: 44,109,056 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 1,666,791 female: 1,608,363 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues Brazil

Disputes - international:

unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested boundary dispute with Uruguay over Isla Brasilera at the confluence of the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada rivers, that form a tripoint with Argentina; the Itaipú Dam reservoir covers over a once contested section of Brazil-Paraguay boundary west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suárez/Ilha de Guajará-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Río Mamoré, under Bolivian administration in 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute

Illicit drugs:

second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@British Indian Ocean Territory

Introduction British Indian Ocean Territory

Background:

Formerly administered as part of the British Crown Colony of Mauritius, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established as an overseas territory of the UK in 1965. A number of the islands of the territory were later transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Between 1967 and 1973, former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius, but also to the Seychelles. Negotiations between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund by the British Government as compensation for the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians. Beginning in 1998, the islanders pursued a series of lawsuits against the British Government seeking further compensation and the right to return to the territory. In 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 BIOT Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. In 2008, the House of Lords, as the final court of appeal in the UK, ruled in favor of the British Goverment by overturning the lower court rulings and finding no right of return on the part of the Chagossians.

Geography British Indian Ocean Territory

Location:

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:

6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E

Map references:

Political Map of the World

Area:

total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands

Area - comparative:

land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

698 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain:

flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

Natural resources:

coconuts, fish, sugarcane

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility

People British Indian Ocean Territory

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors were living on the island of Diego Garcia

Government British Indian Ocean Territory

Country name:

conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

Legal system:

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Colin ROBERTS (since July 2008); Administrator Joanne YEADON (since December 2007); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:

white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag

Economy British Indian Ocean Territory

Economy - overview:

All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory earns foreign exchange by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.

Electricity - production:

NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military

Electricity - consumption:

NA kWh

Currency (code):

US Dollar (USD)

Communications British Indian Ocean Territory

Telephones - main lines in use:

NA

Telephone system:

general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

NA

Television broadcast stations:

1 (1997)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.io

Internet hosts:

89 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Transportation British Indian Ocean Territory

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

note: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia

Ports and terminals:

Diego Garcia

Military British Indian Ocean Territory

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016

Transnational Issues British Indian Ocean Territory

Disputes - international:

Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2007, the UK Court of Appeals upheld the May 2006 High Court of London judgment reversing the UK government's 2004 Orders of Council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@British Virgin Islands

Introduction British Virgin Islands

Background:

First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.

Geography British Virgin Islands

Location:

Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:

18 30 N, 64 30 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke

Area - comparative:

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

80 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Terrain:

coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m

Natural resources:

NEGL

Land use:

arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Environment - current issues:

limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)

Geography - note:

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

People British Virgin Islands

Population:

24,041 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 20% (male 2,432/female 2,366) 15-64 years: 74.4% (male 9,178/female 8,715) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 697/female 653) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 32 years male: 32.1 years female: 31.9 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.88% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

14.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

4.37 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

8.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 15.2 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 77.07 years male: 75.88 years female: 78.32 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.71 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups:

black 83.4%, white 7%, mixed 5.4%, Indian 3.4%, other 0.8% (1991 census)

Religions:

Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991)

Languages:

English (official)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 17 years male: 15 years female: 19 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

3.7% of GDP (2006)

Government British Virgin Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing

Government type:

NA

Capital:

name: Road Town geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:

Territory Day, 1 July (1956)

Constitution:

13 June 2007

Legal system:

English law

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006) head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch:

unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1

Judicial branch:

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders:

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

The Family Support Network; The Women's Desk other: environmentalists

International organization participation:

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:

blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)

Economy British Virgin Islands

Economy - overview:

The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$853.4 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$839.7 million (2003)

GDP - real growth rate:

1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$38,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)

Labor force:

12,770 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4% (2005)

Unemployment rate:

3.6% (1997)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $204.7 million expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2% (2005)

Agriculture - products:

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Industries:

tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

45 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

41.85 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

650 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

649.8 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$134.3 million (1999)

Exports:

$25.3 million (2002)

Exports - commodities:

rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand

Exports - partners:

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)

Imports:

$187 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Imports - partners:

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Debt - external:

$36.1 million (1997)

Currency (code):

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

the US dollar is used

Communications British Virgin Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:

11,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

8,000 (2002)

Telephone system:

general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:

9,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)

Televisions:

4,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.vg

Internet hosts:

465 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

16 (2000)

Internet users:

4,000 (2002)

Transportation British Virgin Islands

Airports:

3 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 200 km paved: 200 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Road Town

Military British Virgin Islands

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 7,101 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 5,921 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 184 female: 179 (2008 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues British Virgin Islands

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Brunei

Introduction Brunei

Background:

The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.

Geography Brunei

Location:

Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Geographic coordinates:

4 30 N, 114 40 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 5,770 sq km land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:

total: 381 km border countries: Malaysia 381 km

Coastline:

161 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Terrain:

flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use:

arable land: 2.08% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

8.5 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.09 per capita: 243 cu m/yr (1994)

Natural hazards:

typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Environment - current issues:

seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia

People Brunei

Population:

381,371 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 27.2% (male 53,400/female 50,333) 15-64 years: 69.6% (male 132,895/female 132,391) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 5,927/female 6,425) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 27.5 years male: 27.5 years female: 27.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.785% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

18.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

3.28 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 12.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 75.52 years male: 73.32 years female: 77.83 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.94 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic groups:

Malay 66.3%, Chinese 11.2%, indigenous 3.4%, other 19.1% (2004 est.)

Religions:

Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10%

Languages:

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.7% male: 95.2% female: 90.2% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

5.2% of GDP (2000)

Government Brunei

Country name:

conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei

Government type:

constitutional sultanate

Capital:

name: Bandar Seri Begawan geographic coordinates: 4 53 N, 114 56 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Independence:

1 January 1984 (from UK)

National holiday:

National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection

Constitution:

29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)

Legal system:

based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Sharia law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age for village elections; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967) cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch:

Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; council met in March 2006 and in March 2007 elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)

Political parties and leaders:

National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi] note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu] and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] were deregistered; parties are small and have limited activity

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Angela SHIM chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador William E. TODD embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 222-0384 FAX: [673] 222-5293

Flag description:

yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands

Economy Brunei

Economy - overview:

Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for just over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$19.64 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$12.39 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

0.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$51,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.9% industry: 71.6% services: 27.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:

180,400 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 2.9% industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4% (2006)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $3.765 billion expenditures: $4.815 billion (2004 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

0.4% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

5.5% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$2.674 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.258 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$2.38 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs

Industries:

petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction

Industrial production growth rate:

1.8% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:

3.1 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

2.924 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

180,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

13,200 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

200,000 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

304 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

13.8 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

3.99 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

9.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$7.101 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$6.767 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Exports - commodities:

crude oil, natural gas, refined products, clothing

Exports - partners:

Japan 32.8%, Indonesia 24.4%, Australia 13.4%, South Korea 12.2%, US 5.5% (2007)

Imports:

$2 billion c.i.f. (2006)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals

Imports - partners:

UK 46.4%, Singapore 19.5%, Malaysia 11.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$770,000 (2004)

Debt - external:

$0 (2005)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Bruneian dollar (BND)

Currency code:

BND

Exchange rates:

Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.5886 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003)

Communications Brunei

Telephones - main lines in use:

79,200 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

339,800 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service) (2006)

Radios:

329,000 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006)

Televisions:

201,900 (1998)

Internet country code:

.bn

Internet hosts:

14,950 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

2 (2000)

Internet users:

199,532 (2007)

Transportation Brunei

Airports:

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports:

3 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2007)

Roadways:

total: 3,650 km paved: 2,819 km unpaved: 831 km (2005)

Waterways:

209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 8 by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 1 (UK 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Lumut, Muara, Seria

Military Brunei

Military branches:

Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF): Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 108,356 females age 16-49: 110,153 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 91,297 females age 16-49: 93,228 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 3,223 female: 3,182 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

4.5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Brunei

Disputes - international:

Brunei and Malaysia agreed in September 2008 to resolve their offshore and deepwater seabed dispute, resume hydrocarbon exploration, and renounce any territorial claims on land; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands in 1984, but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants

Illicit drugs:

drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Bulgaria

Introduction Bulgaria

Background:

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.

Geography Bulgaria

Location:

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Geographic coordinates:

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:

total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km

Coastline:

354 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain:

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m

Natural resources:

bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 29.94% permanent crops: 1.9% other: 68.16% (2005)

Irrigated land:

5,880 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

19.4 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 6.92 cu km/yr (3%/78%/19%) per capita: 895 cu m/yr (2003)

Natural hazards:

earthquakes, landslides

Environment - current issues:

air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

People Bulgaria

Population:

7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 13.8% (male 514,238/female 489,608) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 2,449,812/female 2,532,845) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 520,962/female 755,210) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 41.1 years male: 38.9 years female: 43.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.813% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

9.58 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 18.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.83 years male: 69.22 years female: 76.66 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

346 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian

Ethnic groups:

Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)

Religions:

Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)

Languages:

Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.7% female: 97.7% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

4.5% of GDP (2005)

Government Bulgaria

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria local long form: Republika Balgariya local short form: Balgariya

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Sofia geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Independence:

3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution:

adopted 12 July 1991

Legal system:

civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Georgi PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005) and Meglena PLUGCHIEVA (since 25 April 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Georgi PARVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PARVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held in June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%, MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%, other 8.7%; seats by party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13, independents 4; note - seats by party as of January 2008 - CfB 82, NMS2 36, MRF 34, Bulgarian New Democracy 16, DSB 16, UDF 16, BPU 13, ATAKA 11, independents 16

Judicial branch:

Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)

Political parties and leaders:

ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Attack National Union [Volen SIDEROV]; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Tsvetan TSVETANOV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Stability and Progress or NMSS [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA] (formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Petar STOYANOV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF)

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

International organization participation:

ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Latechezar PETKOV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy McELDOWNEY embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed

Economy Bulgaria

Economy - overview:

Bulgaria, a former communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, has experienced strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996. Successive governments have demonstrated commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but have failed so far to rein in rising inflation and large current account deficits. Bulgaria has averaged more than 6% growth since 2004, attracting significant amounts of foreign direct investment, but corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain significant challenges.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$86.71 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$39.61 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$11,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 6.2% industry: 32.3% services: 61.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.593 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 8.5% industry: 33.6% services: 57.9% (2nd qtr. 2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

14.1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25.4% (2005)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

31.6 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

29.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $16.84 billion expenditures: $15.35 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

10.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

9.8% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

4.58% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

10% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$15.58 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$17.03 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$25.18 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock

Industries:

electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel

Industrial production growth rate:

14% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

43.15 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

30.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

7.534 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

3.054 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

3,661 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

109,600 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

50,530 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:

158,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

15 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

5.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

5.179 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$8.53 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$18.44 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels

Exports - partners:

Turkey 11.5%, Germany 10.3%, Italy 10.2%, Greece 9.1%, Belgium 6.2%, Romania 4.9% (2007)

Imports:

$28.67 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials

Imports - partners:

Russia 12.3%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 8.7%, Ukraine 7.2%, Turkey 6.9%, Greece 6.2%, Romania 4.5%, Austria 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$742 million (2005-06 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$17.38 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$34.88 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$33.91 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$559 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$10.32 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

lev (BGN)

Currency code:

BGN

Exchange rates:

leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003)

Communications Bulgaria

Telephones - main lines in use:

2.3 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

9.897 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now exceeds the population domestic: a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions; the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay international: country code - 359; submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios:

4.51 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:

3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.bg

Internet hosts:

513,470 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

200 (2001)

Internet users:

1.899 million (2007)

Transportation Bulgaria

Airports:

214 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 131 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 95 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 83 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 72 (2007)

Heliports:

4 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 2,500 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 4,294 km standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified) narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 40,231 km paved: 39,587 km (includes 331 km of expressways) unpaved: 644 km (2005)

Waterways:

470 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 74 by type: bulk carrier 37, cargo 14, chemical tanker 5, container 6, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 65 (Germany 63, Ireland 1, Russia 1) registered in other countries: 31 (Comoros 2, Malta 5, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15, Slovakia 6) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Burgas, Varna

Military Bulgaria

Military branches:

Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,701,979 females age 16-49: 1,691,092 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,364,029 females age 16-49: 1,401,348 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 39,477 female: 37,339 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Bulgaria

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Burkina Faso

Introduction Burkina Faso

Background:

Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.

Geography Burkina Faso

Location:

Western Africa, north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates:

13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries:

total: 3,193 km border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain:

mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

Natural resources:

manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt

Land use:

arable land: 17.66% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 82.12% (2005)

Irrigated land:

250 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

17.5 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.8 cu km/yr (13%/1%/86%) per capita: 60 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

recurring droughts

Environment - current issues:

recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas

People Burkina Faso

Population:

15,264,735 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 46.3% (male 3,549,034/female 3,521,684) 15-64 years: 51.1% (male 3,885,124/female 3,922,198) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 154,476/female 232,219) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 16.7 years male: 16.5 years female: 16.9 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.109% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

44.68 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

13.59 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 86.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 93.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 78.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 52.55 years male: 50.67 years female: 54.49 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

6.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

4.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

300,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

29,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe

Ethnic groups:

Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)

Religions:

Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%

Languages:

French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 21.8% male: 29.4% female: 15.2% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 5 years male: 5 years female: 4 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

4.2% of GDP (2006)

Government Burkina Faso

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Burkina Faso local long form: none local short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

Government type:

parliamentary republic

Capital:

name: Ouagadougou geographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo

Independence:

5 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday:

Republic Day, 11 December (1958)

Constitution:

2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted; last amended January 2002

Legal system:

based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Tertius ZONGO (since 4 June 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005 (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 4.9%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly election last held 6 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 73, ADF-RDA 14, UPR 5, UNIR-MS 4, CFD-B 3, UPS 2, PDP-PS 2, RDB 2, PDS 2, PAREN 1, PAI 1, RPC 1, UDPS 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders:

African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA [Gilbert OUEDRAOGO]; Citizen's Popular Rally or RPC [Antoine QUARE]; Coalition of Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist Party or PDP/PS [Ali LANKOANDE]; Party for Democracy and Socialism or PDS [Felix SOUBEIGA]; Party for National Rebirth or PAREN [Oumar DJIGUIMDE]; Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Antoine KARGOUGOU]; Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO]; Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS [Cyril GOUNGOUNGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Fidele HIEN]; Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS [Benewende STANISLAS]; Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY]; Union of Sankarist Parties or UPS [Ernest Nongma OUEDRAOGO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole SAGNON]; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE]; Group of 14 February [Benewende STANISLAS]; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO]; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE] other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Paramanga Ernest YONLI chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4 mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440 telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23 FAX: [226] 50-30-38-90

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center note: uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Burkina Faso

Economy - overview:

One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is vulnerable to periodic drought. Cotton is the main cash crop and the government has joined with three other cotton producing countries in the region - Mali, Niger, and Chad - to lobby in the World Trade Organization for fewer subsidies to producers in other competing countries. Since 1998, Burkina Faso has embarked upon a gradual but successful privatization of state-owned enterprises. Having revised its investment code in 2004, Burkina Faso hopes to attract foreign investors. Thanks to this new code and other legislation favoring the mining sector, the country has seen an upswing in gold exploration and production. While the bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire is beginning to be resolved, it is still having a negative effect on Burkina Faso's trade and employment. In 2007 higher costs for energy and imported foodstuffs, as well as low cotton prices, dampened a GDP growth rate that had averaged 6% in the last 10 years. Burkina Faso received a Millennium Challenge Account threshold grant to improve girls' education at the primary school level, and appears likely to receive a grant in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, and land reform.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$17.41 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$6.977 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 29.7% industry: 19.4% services: 50.9% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

5 million note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:

77% (2004)

Population below poverty line:

46.4% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.2% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

39.5 (2007)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $1.415 billion expenditures: $1.847 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

-0.2% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

4.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

NA

Stock of money:

$1.051 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$663 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$905.1 million (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock

Industries:

cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold

Industrial production growth rate:

5.2% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

611.6 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

509.3 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 69.9% hydro: 30.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

8,470 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

8,446 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$706 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$617 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

cotton, livestock, gold

Exports - partners:

China 29.6%, Singapore 15.7%, Thailand 7.2%, Ghana 6.4%, Niger 4.8% (2007)

Imports:

$1.296 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

Imports - partners:

Cote d'Ivoire 25.8%, France 20.6%, Togo 7.1% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$659.6 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$1.029 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$1.33 billion (2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:

XOF

Exchange rates:

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

Communications Burkina Faso

Telephones - main lines in use:

94,800 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.611 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: services only fair; in 2006 the government sold a 51 percent stake in the national telephone company and ultimately plans to retain only a 23 percent stake in the company; fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, fostered by multiple providers, is increasing rapidly from a low base domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 26, shortwave 3

Radios:

394,020 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:

3 (1 national, 2 private)

Televisions:

131,340 (2002)

Internet country code:

.bf

Internet hosts:

116 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2002)

Internet users:

80,000 (2006)

Transportation Burkina Faso

Airports:

33 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (2007)

Railways:

total: 622 km narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2006)

Roadways:

total: 92,495 km paved: 3,857 km unpaved: 88,638 km (2004)

Military Burkina Faso

Military branches:

Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,364,288 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,115,948 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 176,358 female: 173,856 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.2% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Burkina Faso

Disputes - international:

in September 2007, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened to attempt to resolve the dispute over two villages along the Benin-Burkina Faso border that remain from 2005 ICJ decision; in recent years citizens and rogue security forces rob and harass local populations on both sides of the poorly-defined Burkina Faso-Niger border; despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to work in Ivorian cocoa plantations

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Burma

Introduction Burma

Background:

Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest. After Burma's ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly increased fuel prices, tens of thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government brutally suppressed the protests, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. Since then, the regime has continued to raid homes and monasteries and arrest persons suspected of participating in the pro-democracy protests. The junta appointed Labor Minister AUNG KYI in October 2007 as liaison to AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who remains under house arrest and virtually incommunicado with her party and supporters.

Geography Burma

Location:

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

Geographic coordinates:

22 00 N, 98 00 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 678,500 sq km land: 657,740 sq km water: 20,760 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 5,876 km border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

Coastline:

1,930 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)

Terrain:

central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 14.92% permanent crops: 1.31% other: 83.77% (2005)

Irrigated land:

18,700 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1,045.6 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 33.23 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%) per capita: 658 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

People Burma

Population:

47,758,180 note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 25.7% (male 6,236,484/female 6,038,576) 15-64 years: 68.9% (male 16,300,380/female 16,627,045) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,098,344/female 1,457,352) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 27.8 years male: 27.2 years female: 28.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.8% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

17.23 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

9.23 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 49.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 55.53 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 62.94 years male: 60.73 years female: 65.28 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.92 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

330,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

20,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese

Ethnic groups:

Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%

Religions:

Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Languages:

Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.9% male: 93.9% female: 86.4% (2006 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 8 years (2001)

Education expenditures:

1.2% of GDP (2001)

Government Burma

Country name:

conventional long form: Union of Burma conventional short form: Burma local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar) local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

Government type:

military junta

Capital:

name: Rangoon (Yangon) geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital

Administrative divisions:

7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne) divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon states: Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan

Independence:

4 January 1948 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

Constitution:

30 May 2008

Legal system:

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992) head of government: Prime Minister, Lt. Gen THEIN SEIN (since 24 October 2007) cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by SPDC; military junta assumed power 18 September 1988 under name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) elections: none

Legislative branch:

unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene (junta has announced plans to hold elections in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60

Judicial branch:

remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive

Political parties and leaders:

National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, AUNG SAN SUU KYI]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy movement) [MIN KO NAING] other: several Shan factions

International organization participation:

ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: [95] (1) 536-509, 535-756, 538-038 FAX: [95] (1) 650-306

Flag description:

red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 14, white, five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven administrative divisions and seven states

Economy Burma

Economy - overview:

Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Despite Burma's increasing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated due to the regime's mismanagement of the economy. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions in August 2003 including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers attracting outside investment slowing the inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially causing environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2007, the largest private banks operated under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. Moreover, the September 2007 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, further strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about 500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In November 2007, the European Union announced new sanctions banning investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber and precious stones, while the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese government and military officials and their family members, as well as prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated companies. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$91.13 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$13.53 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 42.4% industry: 18.9% services: 38.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

29.26 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 70% industry: 7% services: 23% (2001)

Unemployment rate:

5.2% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

32.7% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Investment (gross fixed):

13.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: NA expenditures: NA (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

35% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

12% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

17% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$598 billion note: This number reflects the vastly overvalued official exchange rate of 5.38 kyat per dollar. At the unofficial black market rate of 1305 kyat per dollar, the stock of kyats would equal only US$2.465 billion and Burma's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be six, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region. (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$216.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$887.7 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products

Industries:

agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; natural gas; garments, jade and gems

Industrial production growth rate:

9% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

5.961 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

4.289 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 44.5% hydro: 43.4% nuclear: 0% other: 12.1% (2002)

Oil - production:

21,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

43,140 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

5,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - imports:

22,180 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

50 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

12.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

3.62 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

9.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

283.2 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$1.427 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$6.122 billion f.o.b. note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

natural gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems

Exports - partners:

Thailand 44.3%, India 14.5%, China 7.1%, Japan 5.7% (2007)

Imports:

$2.942 billion f.o.b. note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil

Imports - partners:

China 33.7%, Thailand 19.1%, Singapore 15.5%, South Korea 5.8%, Indonesia 5.2%, Malaysia 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$144.7 million (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.262 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$7.022 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

kyat (MMK)

Currency code:

MMK

Exchange rates:

kyats (MMK) per US dollar - 1,296 (2007), 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003) note: unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by yearend 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar; data shown for 2003-05 are official exchange rates

Communications Burma

Telephones - main lines in use:

503,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

214,200 (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of less than 1 per 100 persons international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)

Radios:

4.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

4 (2008)

Televisions:

320,000 (2000)

Internet country code:

.mm

Internet hosts:

108 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)

Internet users:

40,000 (2007)

Transportation Burma

Airports:

86 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 25 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 61 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 32 (2007)

Heliports:

4 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 2,790 km; oil 558 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 3,955 km narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 27,000 km paved: 3,200 km unpaved: 23,800 km (2006)

Waterways:

12,800 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 24 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 17, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1) registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe

Military Burma

Military branches:

Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes; forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited, reportedly continues (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 13,402,788 females age 16-49: 13,437,042 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 9,031,046 females age 16-49: 9,396,547 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 423,809 female: 415,843 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Burma

Disputes - international:

over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic refugees, asylum seekers, and rebels, as well as illegal cross-border activities from Burma; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River near the border with Burma; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China is reconsidering construction of 13 dams on the Salween River but energy-starved Burma with backing from Thailand remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream, despite identical regional and international protests; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists, such as the United Liberation Front of Assam, from hiding in remote Burmese Uplands; after 21 years, Bangladesh resumes talks with Burma on delimiting a maritime boundary in January 2008

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: 503,000 (government offensives against ethnic insurgent groups near the eastern borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Burma is a source country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; Burmese women and children are trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor; Burmese children are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Thailand as hawkers, beggars, and for work in shops, agriculture, fish processing, and small-scale industries; women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Malaysia and China; some trafficking victims transit Burma from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from China to Thailand; internal trafficking occurs primarily from villages to urban centers and economic hubs for labor in industrial zones, agricultural estates, and commercial sexual exploitation; military and civilian officials continue to use a significant amount of forced labor; ethnic insurgent groups also used compulsory labor of adults and unlawful recruitment of children; the military junta's gross economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and its policy of using forced labor are the top causal factors for Burma's significant trafficking problem tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; military and civilian officials remain directly involved in significant acts of forced labor and unlawful conscription of child soldiers (2008)

Illicit drugs:

remains world's second-largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2008 of 340 metric tons, an increase of 26%, and cultivation in 2008 was 22,500 hectares, a 4% increase from 2007; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control remains low; Shan state is the source of 94% of poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate money-laundering controls (2008)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Burundi

Introduction Burundi

Background:

Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges.

Geography Burundi

Location:

Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates:

3 30 S, 30 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 27,830 sq km land: 25,650 sq km water: 2,180 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 974 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)

Terrain:

hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m highest point: Heha 2,670 m

Natural resources:

nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone

Land use:

arable land: 35.57% permanent crops: 13.12% other: 51.31% (2005)

Irrigated land:

210 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

3.6 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.29 cu km/yr (17%/6%/77%) per capita: 38 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

flooding, landslides, drought

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile

People Burundi

Population:

8,691,005 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,021,320/female 1,998,502) 15-64 years: 51.2% (male 2,210,157/female 2,240,921) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 87,600/female 132,505) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 16.7 years male: 16.4 years female: 17 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.443% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

41.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

12.91 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 60.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 67.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 53.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 51.71 years male: 50.86 years female: 52.6 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

6.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

250,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

25,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Burundian(s) adjective: Burundian

Ethnic groups:

Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000

Religions:

Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Languages:

Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 59.3% male: 67.3% female: 52.2% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 7 years male: 8 years female: 7 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

5.1% of GDP (2005)

Government Burundi

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi local short form: Burundi former: Urundi

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Bujumbura geographic coordinates: 3 22 S, 29 21 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi

Independence:

1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution:

28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum

Legal system:

based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

NA years of age; universal (adult)

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi (since 9 November 2007); Second Vice President Gabriel NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9 February 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi (since 9 November 2007); Second Vice President Gabriel NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9 February 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the legislature

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats, 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of state) elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59, FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30, FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; High Court of Justice (composed of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court)

Political parties and leaders:

governing parties: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Jeremie NGENDAKUMANA]; Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA] note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD [Leonard NYANGOMA]; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressure group) other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574 FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] 223454 FAX: [257] 222926

Flag description:

divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below)

Economy Burundi

Economy - overview:

Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the population. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally. Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 15 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. Burundi's GDP grew around 5% annually in 2006-07. Political stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms. Burundi will continue to remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors; the delay of funds after a corruption scandal cut off bilateral aid in 2007 reduced government's revenues and its ability to pay salaries.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.907 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.001 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.6% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$300 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 33.7% industry: 20.9% services: 45.4% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.99 million (2002)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 93.6% industry: 2.3% services: 4.1% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

68% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 32.8% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

42.4 (1998)

Investment (gross fixed):

24.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $264.2 million expenditures: $335.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.3% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

10.12% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

16.84% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$208.7 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$141 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$342 million (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides

Industries:

light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing

Industrial production growth rate:

6.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

87 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

120.9 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

40 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0.6% hydro: 99.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

2,956 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

2,635 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$101 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$44 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides

Exports - partners:

Germany 31.3%, Pakistan 6.8%, Belgium 5.8%, Sweden 4.3%, Rwanda 4.3%, France 4.2%, Sudan 4% (2007)

Imports:

$272 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Saudi Arabia 17%, Kenya 11.4%, Belgium 8.7%, France 6.1%, Uganda 5.4%, Germany 5.4%, India 4.8%, Pakistan 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$365 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$177.1 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$1.2 billion (2003)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Burundi franc (BIF)

Currency code:

BIF

Exchange rates:

Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar - 1,065 (2007), 1,030 (2006), 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004), 1,082.62 (2003)

Communications Burundi

Telephones - main lines in use:

35,000 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

250,000 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: primitive system; telephone density one of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but remains at a meager 3 per 100 persons domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:

440,000 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2001)

Televisions:

25,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bi

Internet hosts:

162 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

60,000 (2006)

Transportation Burundi

Airports:

8 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 12,322 km paved: 1,286 km unpaved: 11,036 km (2004)

Waterways:

mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2005)

Ports and terminals:

Bujumbura

Military Burundi

Military branches:

National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN): Army (includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), Gendarmerie (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; children as young as 10 years of age have been conscripted into the armed forces; the enrollment of children is still not prohibited (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,878,544 females age 16-49: 1,851,676 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,083,899 females age 16-49: 1,062,488 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 98,105 female: 98,533 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

5.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues Burundi

Disputes - international:

Burundi and Rwanda dispute sections of border on the Akanyaru/Kanyaru and the Kagera/Nyabarongo rivers, which have changed course since the 1960s, when the boundary was delimited; cross-border conflicts among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces persist in the Great Lakes region

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 9,849 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) IDPs: 100,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Burundi is a source country for children trafficked for the purposes of child soldiering, domestic servitude, and commercial sexual exploitation; a small number of Burundian children may be trafficked internally for domestic servitude or commercial sexual exploitation; in early 2008, Burundian children were allegedly trafficked to Uganda, via Rwanda, for agricultural labor and commercial sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Burundi is on the Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year for its failure to provide sufficient evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2007; the government's inability to provide adequate protective services to children accused of association with armed groups and to conduct anti-trafficking law enforcement activities continue to be causes for concern; Burundi has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Cambodia

Introduction Cambodia

Background:

Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863 and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal for crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King SIHANOUK abdicated the throne due to illness and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, and there was little in the way of pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections are scheduled for July 2008.

Geography Cambodia

Location:

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Geographic coordinates:

13 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 181,040 sq km land: 176,520 sq km water: 4,520 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Land boundaries:

total: 2,572 km border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

Coastline:

443 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

Natural resources:

oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

Land use:

arable land: 20.44% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 78.97% (2005)

Irrigated land:

2,700 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

476.1 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 4.08 cu km/yr (1%/0%/98%) per capita: 290 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

Environment - current issues:

illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap

People Cambodia

Population:

14,241,640 note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 33.2% (male 2,389,668/female 2,338,838) 15-64 years: 63.2% (male 4,372,480/female 4,627,895) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 193,338/female 319,421) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.7 years male: 21 years female: 22.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.752% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

25.68 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 56.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 63.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 61.69 years male: 59.65 years female: 63.83 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.08 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

2.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

170,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

15,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Cambodian(s) adjective: Cambodian

Ethnic groups:

Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Religions:

Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%

Languages:

Khmer (official) 95%, French, English

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 73.6% male: 84.7% female: 64.1% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years male: 10 years female: 9 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

1.7% of GDP (2004)

Government Cambodia

Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation) local short form: Kampuchea former: Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

Government type:

multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Capital:

name: Phnom Penh geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

20 provinces (khaitt, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural) provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev municipalities: Keb, Pailin, Phnum Penh (Phnom Penh), Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville)

Independence:

9 November 1953 (from France)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Constitution:

promulgated 21 September 1993

Legal system:

primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004) head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985) [co-prime minister from 1993 to 1997]; Permanent Deputy Prime Minister MEN SAM AN (since 25 September 2008); Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK AN, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004); BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007); KEAT CHHON, YIM CHHAI LY (since 25 September 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in practice named by the prime minister elections: the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king

Legislative branch:

bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and commune councils; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2008 (next to be held in July 2013); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 58%, SRP 22%, others 20%; seats by party - CPP 90, SRP 26, others 7; Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%, FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority

Political parties and leaders:

Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP [Norodom RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Cambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); Students Movement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel other: human rights organizations; vendors

International organization participation:

ACCT, ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MENG EANG NAY chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Carol A. RODLEY embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 728-000 FAX: [855] (23) 728-600

Flag description:

three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band note: only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design

Economy Cambodia

Economy - overview:

From 2001 to 2004, the economy grew at an average rate of 6.4%, driven largely by an expansion in the garment sector and tourism. The US and Cambodia signed a Bilateral Textile Agreement, which gave Cambodia a guaranteed quota of US textile imports and established a bonus for improving working conditions and enforcing Cambodian labor laws and international labor standards in the industry. With the January 2005 expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodia-based textile producers were forced to compete directly with lower-priced producing countries such as China and India. Better-than-expected garment sector performance led to more than 9% growth in 2007. Its vibrant garment industry employs more than 350,000 people and contributes more than 70% of Cambodia's exports. The Cambodian government has committed itself to a policy supporting high labor standards in an attempt to maintain buyer interest. In 2005, exploitable oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a new revenue stream for the government if commercial extraction begins. Mining also is attracting significant investor interest, particularly in the northeastern parts of the country, and the government has said opportunities exist for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. In 2006, a US-Cambodia bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed and the first round of discussions took place in early 2007. The tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, with foreign arrivals reaching 2 million in 2007. In 2007 the government signed a joint venture agreement with two companies to form a new national airline. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs. The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the population is less than 21 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$26.19 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$8.604 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

10.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 31% industry: 26% services: 43% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

7 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 75% industry: NA% services: NA%

Unemployment rate:

2.5% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:

35% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 34.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

41.7 (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

19.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $1.015 billion expenditures: $1.168 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

5.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

5.25% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$513.6 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$2.309 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.131 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, tapioca

Industries:

tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Industrial production growth rate:

15% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

1.163 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

1.178 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

110 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 65% hydro: 35% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

3,736 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

3,618 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

NA

Current account balance:

-$506.3 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$4.089 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear

Exports - partners:

US 58.1%, Germany 7.3%, UK 5.2%, Canada 4.6%, Vietnam 4.5% (2007)

Imports:

$5.424 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products

Imports - partners:

Thailand 23.1%, Vietnam 16.9%, China 15%, Hong Kong 10.4%, Singapore 7.5%, Taiwan 7.2%, South Korea 4.8% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$698.2 million pledged in grants and concession loans for 2007 by international donors (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.143 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.89 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

riel (KHR)

Currency code:

KHR

Exchange rates:

riels (KHR) per US dollar - 4,006 (2007), 4,103 (2006), 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004), 3,973.33 (2003)

Communications Cambodia

Telephones - main lines in use:

37,500 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.583 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: mobile-phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by increasing competition among service providers, is increasing and stands at nearly 20 per 100 persons domestic: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 17, shortwave NA (2003)

Radios:

1.34 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

9 (including 2 TV relay stations with French and Vietnamese broadcasts); excludes 18 regional relay stations (2006)

Televisions:

94,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.kh

Internet hosts:

1,230 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

2 (2000)

Internet users:

70,000 (2007)

Transportation Cambodia

Airports:

17 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Railways:

total: 602 km narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 38,257 km paved: 2,406 km unpaved: 35,851 km (2004)

Waterways:

2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2005)

Merchant marine:

total: 626 by type: bulk carrier 41, cargo 530, carrier 3, chemical tanker 10, container 8, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 467 (Canada 2, China 193, Cyprus 7, Egypt 13, Gabon 1, Greece 3, Hong Kong 8, Indonesia 2, Japan 1, South Korea 22, Latvia 1, Lebanon 8, Netherlands 1, Romania 1, Russia 83, Singapore 4, Syria 48, Taiwan 1, Turkey 26, Ukraine 34, UAE 2, US 6) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Phnom Penh, Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville)

Military Cambodia

Military branches:

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

conscription law of October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,759,034 females age 16-49: 3,784,333 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,581,045 females age 16-49: 2,676,075 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 185,959 female: 182,558 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Cambodia

Disputes - international:

Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and claims of Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; Thailand accuses Cambodia of obstructing inclusion of Thai areas near Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962, as part of a planned UN World Heritage site

Illicit drugs:

narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Cameroon

Introduction Cameroon

Background:

The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

Geography Cameroon

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates:

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 475,440 sq km land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:

total: 4,591 km border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Coastline:

402 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate:

varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Terrain:

diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)

Natural resources:

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 12.54% permanent crops: 2.52% other: 84.94% (2005)

Irrigated land:

260 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

285.5 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.99 cu km/yr (18%/8%/74%) per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

Environment - current issues:

waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano

People Cameroon

Population:

18,467,692 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 41.1% (male 3,826,232/female 3,757,859) 15-64 years: 55.7% (male 5,164,338/female 5,122,817) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 274,821/female 321,625) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 19 years male: 18.9 years female: 19.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.218% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

34.59 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

12.41 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 64.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 69.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 53.3 years male: 52.54 years female: 54.08 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

4.41 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

6.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

560,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

49,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian

Ethnic groups:

Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Religions:

indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages:

24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.9% male: 77% female: 59.8% (2001 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 9 years male: 10 years female: 8 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.3% of GDP (2006)

Government Cameroon

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon conventional short form: Cameroon local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

Government type:

republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital:

name: Yaounde geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Independence:

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:

Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

Constitution:

20 May 1972 approved by referendum, adopted 2 June 1972; revised January 1996

Legal system:

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature elections: last held 22 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 140, SDF 14, UDC 4, UNDP 4, MP 1, vacant 17; note - vacant seats will be determined in a yet to be scheduled by-election after the Supreme Court nullified results in five districts note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or RDPC [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Progressive Movement or MP; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph FOE-ATANGANA chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Janet E. GARVEY embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 2220 15 00; Consular: [237] 2220 16 03 FAX: [237] 2220 16 00 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX: [237] 2220 17 52 branch office(s): Douala

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band note: uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Cameroon

Economy - overview:

Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. In January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$40.24 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$20.65 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 43.9% industry: 15.8% services: 40.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

6.674 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 70% industry: 13% services: 17% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:

30% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:

48% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 35.4% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

44.6 (2001)

Investment (gross fixed):

17.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $4.179 billion expenditures: $3.297 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Public debt:

15.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.1% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

15% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$2.616 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$1.698 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber

Industries:

petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair

Industrial production growth rate:

3.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

3.903 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

3.323 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 2.7% hydro: 97.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

87,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - consumption:

24,500 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

108,800 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

50,750 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

200 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

20 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

20 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

135.1 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$325 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$3.827 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton

Exports - partners:

Spain 19.8%, Italy 15.7%, France 11.7%, South Korea 9.4%, Netherlands 6.1%, US 5.7% (2007)

Imports:

$3.714 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners:

France 23.4%, Nigeria 12.8%, China 9%, Belgium 5.8%, US 4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$413.8 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.932 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$2.554 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code:

XAF

Exchange rates:

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)

Communications Cameroon

Telephones - main lines in use:

130,700 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

4.536 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable; mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, increased more than 6-fold between 2002 and 2007 reaching a subscribership base of 25 per 100 persons domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2001)

Radios:

2.27 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2001)

Televisions:

450,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.cm

Internet hosts:

69 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2002)

Internet users:

370,000 (2006)

Transportation Cameroon

Airports:

45 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 8 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 27 km; liquid petroleum gas 5 km; oil 1,110 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 987 km narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 50,000 km paved: 5,000 km unpaved: 45,000 km (2004)

Waterways:

navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy season (2005)

Ports and terminals:

Douala, Limboh Terminal

Military Cameroon

Military branches:

Cameroon Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 4,321,175 females age 16-49: 4,228,625 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,567,428 females age 16-49: 2,498,990 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 212,205 female: 207,545 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.3% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Cameroon

Disputes - international:

Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a full phase-out of Nigerian control and patriation of residents in 2008; Cameroon and Nigeria agree on maritime delimitation in March 2008; sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 20,000-30,000 (Chad); 3,000 (Nigeria); 24,000 (Central African Republic) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Cameroon is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; most victims are children trafficked within country, with girls primarily trafficked for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation; both boys and girls are also trafficked within Cameroon for forced labor in sweatshops, bars, restaurants, and on tea and cocoa plantations; children are trafficked into Cameroon from neighboring states for forced labor in agriculture, fishing, street vending, and spare-parts shops; Cameroon is a transit country for children trafficked between Gabon and Nigeria, and from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia; it is a source country for women transported by sex-trafficking rings to Europe tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cameroon is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007, particularly in terms of efforts to prosecute and convict trafficking offenders; while Cameroon reported some arrests of traffickers, none of them were prosecuted or punished; the government does not identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations nor does it monitor the number of victims it intercepts (2008)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Canada

Introduction Canada

Background:

A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services, as well as responding to separatist concerns in predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.

Geography Canada

Location:

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US

Geographic coordinates:

60 00 N, 95 00 W

Map references:

North America

Area:

total: 9,984,670 sq km land: 9,093,507 sq km water: 891,163 sq km

Area - comparative:

somewhat larger than the US

Land boundaries:

total: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

Coastline:

202,080 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Terrain:

mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m

Natural resources:

iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 4.57% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 94.78% (2005)

Irrigated land:

7,850 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

3,300 cu km (1985)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 44.72 cu km/yr (20%/69%/12%) per capita: 1,386 cu m/yr (1996)

Natural hazards:

continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains

Environment - current issues:

air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border

People Canada

Population:

33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 16.3% (male 2,780,491/female 2,644,276) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 11,547,354/female 11,300,639) 65 years and over: 14.9% (male 2,150,991/female 2,788,945) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 40.1 years male: 39 years female: 41.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.83% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

10.29 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 81.16 years male: 78.65 years female: 83.81 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.57 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

56,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

1,500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian

Ethnic groups:

British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)

Languages:

English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 17 years male: 17 years female: 17 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

5.2% of GDP (2002)

Government Canada

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Canada

Government type:

constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation

Capital:

name: Ottawa geographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 42 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November note: Canada is divided into six time zones

Administrative divisions:

10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*

Independence:

1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK)

National holiday:

Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

Constitution:

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