The 2009 CIA World Factbook (part 3 of 25)
AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2006)
Internet country code:
.bs
Internet hosts:
8,325 (2009) country comparison to the world: 122
Internet users:
106,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 151
Transportation ::Bahamas, The
Airports:
62 (2009) country comparison to the world: 79
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 23
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 39
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 22 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 2,717 km country comparison to the world: 168 paved: 1,560 km
unpaved: 1,157 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,223 country comparison to the world: 6 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 (2009)
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: 50,764
females age 16-49: 51,690 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,992
female: 3,003 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 160
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bahrain (Middle East)
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, Shia 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: 741 sq km country comparison to the world: 190 land: 741 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:
727,785 country comparison to the world: 162 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 95,224/female 93,241)
15-64 years: 70.2% (male 292,941/female 217,729)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 15,106/female 13,544) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.1 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 26.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.285% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Birth rate:
17.02 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Death rate:
4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Net migration rate:
0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Urbanization:
urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.24 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 125 male: 17.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.16 years country comparison to the world: 83 male: 72.64 years
female: 77.76 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
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) country comparison to the world: 107
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 the 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 society - NA; seats by society - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by society 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 Ibrahim Ezra 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. The global financial crisis is likely to result in slower economic growth for Bahrain during 2009 as tight international credit and a slowing global economy cause funding for many non-oil projects to dry up. Lower oil prices may also cause Bahrain's budget to slip back into deficit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$26.89 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 $25.29 billion (2007 est.)
$23.34 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$21.24 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 8.4% (2007 est.)
6.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $35,700 (2007 est.)
$33,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 66.2%
services: 33.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
557,000 country comparison to the world: 152 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 79%
services: 20% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
26.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Budget:
revenues: $6.934 billion
expenditures: $5.612 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
28.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 63.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 3.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 101 8.35% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$4.169 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$10.63 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$10.32 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$21.18 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $28.13 billion (31 December 2007)
$21.12 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Electricity - production:
10.25 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Electricity - consumption:
10.1 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
48,520 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Oil - consumption:
38,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Oil - exports:
238,300 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Oil - imports:
228,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Oil - proved reserves:
124.6 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - production:
12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - consumption:
12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 45
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - proved reserves:
92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Current account balance:
$2.257 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $2.907 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$17.49 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 $13.79 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Exports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 3.4%, India 2.7%, UAE 2.2% (2008)
Imports:
$14.25 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 $10.93 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 26.7%, Japan 8.9%, US 7.8%, China 6.2%, Germany 4.8%, South Korea 4.7%, UK 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.803 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $4.101 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$10.33 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $7.858 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$15.01 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $13.31 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$9.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $7.72 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2008 est.), 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004)
Communications ::Bahrain
Telephones - main lines in use:
220,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 123
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.4 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 135
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)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (1997)
Internet country code:
.bh
Internet hosts:
51,489 (2009) country comparison to the world: 82
Internet users:
402,900 (2008) country comparison to the world: 112
Transportation ::Bahrain
Airports:
3 (2009) country comparison to the world: 191
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 32 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 3,498 km country comparison to the world: 161 paved: 2,768 km
unpaved: 730 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 9 country comparison to the world: 114 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: 171,004
females age 16-49: 144,555 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,612
female: 6,499 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 22
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)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bangladesh (South Asia)
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, emergency caretaker regime suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. In contrast to the strikes and violent street rallies that had marked Bangladeshi politics in previous years, the parliamentary elections finally held in late December 2008 were mostly peaceful. Sheikh HASINA Wajed was reappointed prime minister. 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: 143,998 sq km country comparison to the world: 94 land: 130,168 sq km
water: 13,830 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:
156,050,883 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 27,065,625/female 26,913,961)
15-64 years: 61.4% (male 45,222,182/female 50,537,052)
65 years and over: 4% (male 3,057,255/female 3,254,808) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.3 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 23.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.292% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Birth rate:
24.68 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Death rate:
9.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Net migration rate:
-2.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Urbanization:
urban population: 27% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 59.02 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 39 male: 66.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.25 years country comparison to the world: 183 male: 57.57 years
female: 63.03 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.74 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
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 (2009)
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: 47.9%
male: 54%
female: 41.4% (2001 Census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 8 years
female: 8 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 151
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 Zillur RAHMAN (since 12 February 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 6 January 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 11 February 2009 (next scheduled election to be held in 2014)
election results: Zillur RAHMAN declared president-elect by the Election Commission on 11 February 2009 (sworn in on 12 February); 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
elections: last held 29 December 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP 7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27, JIB 2, other 11
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 (vacant)
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% per year since 1996 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. In 2008 Bangladesh pursued a monetary policy aimed at maintaining high employment, but created higher inflation in the process.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$226.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $214 billion (2007 est.)
$201.5 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$84.2 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 6.2% (2007 est.)
6.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 197 $1,400 (2007 est.)
$1,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 19.1%
industry: 28.6%
services: 52.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
70.86 million country comparison to the world: 8 note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $4.8 billion in 2005-06. (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 63%
industry: 11%
services: 26% (FY95/96)
Unemployment rate:
2.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 2.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
45% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.3%
highest 10%: 26.6% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.2 (2005) country comparison to the world: 94 33.6 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
24.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Budget:
revenues: $8.825 billion
expenditures: $12.54 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
39.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 43% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 9.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 99 5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.38% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 37 16% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$9.294 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 46 $8.444 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$37.98 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 30 $32.35 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$47.03 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 50 $40.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$6.671 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 78 $6.793 billion (31 December 2007)
$3.61 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
6.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Electricity - production:
22.99 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Electricity - consumption:
21.38 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
6,426 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Oil - consumption:
95,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Oil - exports:
2,612 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Oil - imports:
87,660 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Oil - proved reserves:
28 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Natural gas - production:
17.9 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - consumption:
17.9 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 52
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - proved reserves:
141.6 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Current account balance:
$1.032 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $856.8 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$15.44 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $12.47 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood
Exports - partners:
US 21%, Germany 13.2%, UK 8.6%, France 6.3%, Netherlands 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$21.51 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $16.67 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement
Imports - partners:
China 14.7%, India 14.7%, Kuwait 7.5%, Singapore 7.1%, Japan 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.789 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $5.278 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$22.83 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $21.23 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$5.971 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $5.261 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$97 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Exchange rates:
taka (BDT) per US dollar - 68.554 (2008 est.), 69.893 (2007), 69.031 (2006), 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004)
Communications ::Bangladesh
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.39 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 67
Telephones - mobile cellular:
45.75 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 22
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 has reached 30 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 15, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
15 (1999)
Internet country code:
.bd
Internet hosts:
4,209 (2009) country comparison to the world: 135
Internet users:
556,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 104
Transportation ::Bangladesh
Airports:
17 (2009) country comparison to the world: 139
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 2,597 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,768 km country comparison to the world: 60 broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 239,226 km country comparison to the world: 21 paved: 22,726 km
unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)
Waterways:
8,370 km country comparison to the world: 17 note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 40 country comparison to the world: 77 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 (Sena Bahini), Bangladesh Navy (Noh Bahini, BN), Bangladesh Air Force (Biman Bahini, BAF) (2009)
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: 24,946,041
females age 16-49: 31,409,069 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,538,865
female: 1,666,670 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 105
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Barbados (Central America and Caribbean)
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: 430 sq km country comparison to the world: 200 land: 430 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:
284,589 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.2% (male 27,383/female 27,352)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 99,829/female 103,049)
65 years and over: 9.5% (male 10,464/female 16,512) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 35.8 years
male: 34.7 years
female: 36.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.383% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Birth rate:
12.55 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Death rate:
8.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Net migration rate:
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Urbanization:
urban population: 40% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 143 male: 13.89 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.94 years country comparison to the world: 95 male: 71.65 years
female: 76.26 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.68 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
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) country comparison to the world: 24
Government ::Barbados
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
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 the 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 consists of a High Court and a Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice or CCJ is the highest court of appeal; based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
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 John BEALE
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 band colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the beaches; 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, in recent years the economy 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, but the sector will likely face declining revenues with the global economic downturn. The country enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. 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. The public debt-to-GDP ratio of about 80% will likely widen as the THOMPSON administration engages in a more expansionary fiscal policy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.367 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 $5.329 billion (2007 est.)
$5.159 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$3.67 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187 3.3% (2007 est.)
3.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$18,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66 $18,900 (2007 est.)
$18,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16%
services: 78% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
175,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 15%
services: 75% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate:
10.7% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Central bank discount rate:
10% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 24 12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.03% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 77 10.8% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.637 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 $1.478 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$3.701 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 77 $2.717 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$4.554 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 82 $3.533 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 85 $5.599 billion (31 December 2007)
$4.954 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Industries:
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Industrial production growth rate:
-3.2% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Electricity - production:
1.003 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Electricity - consumption:
939.9 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
1,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Oil - consumption:
9,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Oil - exports:
1,750 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Oil - imports:
10,390 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Oil - proved reserves:
2.17 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Natural gas - production:
29.17 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Natural gas - consumption:
29.17 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 201
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - proved reserves:
141.6 million cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Current account balance:
-$254 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Exports:
$385 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 168
Exports - commodities:
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
Exports - partners:
Trinidad and Tobago 15.6%, Jamaica 13.9%, Brazil 9.9%, US 8.7%, UK 7.8%, Saint Lucia 7.3%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.5% (2008)
Imports:
$1.586 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 158
Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Imports - partners:
US 27.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 25.6%, Russia 7.1%, Colombia 6.4%, Germany 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$620 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 135 $620 million (2007)
Debt - external:
$668 million (2003) country comparison to the world: 159
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:
150,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 132
Telephones - mobile cellular:
406,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 160
Telephone system:
general assessment: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density approaching 150 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)
Internet country code:
.bb
Internet hosts:
235 (2009) country comparison to the world: 185
Internet users:
188,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 139
Transportation ::Barbados
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 212
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 1,600 km country comparison to the world: 176 paved: 1,600 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 85 country comparison to the world: 53 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 (2009)
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: 58,596
females age 16-49: 58,866 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,015
female: 2,007 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Belarus (Europe)
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, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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 country comparison to the world: 85 land: 202,900 sq km
water: 4,700 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:
9,648,533 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.3% (male 707,550/female 667,560)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 3,337,253/female 3,540,916)
65 years and over: 14.5% (male 446,746/female 948,508) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 38.6 years
male: 35.6 years
female: 41.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.378% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 224
Birth rate:
9.71 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Death rate:
13.86 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Net migration rate:
0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Urbanization:
urban population: 73% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.47 male(s)/female
total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 177 male: 7.45 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.63 years country comparison to the world: 141 male: 64.95 years
female: 76.67 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.24 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 213
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
13,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
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) country comparison to the world: 39
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 the 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 and 3 October 2008 (next to be held fall of 2012); international observers determined that despite minor improvements the election ultimately fell short of democratic standards; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won every seat
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]; Communist Party of Belarus or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolay ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Sergey GAYDUKEVICH]; Republican 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 [Levon BARSHCHEVSKIY]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Gramada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada (People's Assembly) or BSDPH [Anatoliy LEVKOVICH]; European Coalition [Nikolay STATKEVICH]; Green Party [Oleg GROMYKO]; Party of Freedom and Progress (unregistered) [Vladimir NOVOSYAD]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatoliy LEBEDKO]; Women's Party Hope (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]; BPF-Youth [Franak VYACHORKA]; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV]; For Freedom [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]; Young Belarus (Malady Belarus) [Artur FINKEVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dmitriy DASHKEVICH]; 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 (vacant); Charge D'Affaires Oleg KRAVCHENKO
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 through 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; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country
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, government statistics indicate GDP growth has been strong in recent years, reaching 10% in 2008, despite the roadblocks of a tough, centrally directed economy with a high rate of inflation. Belarus receives 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 2007-08, 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% was slated to go to Russia in 2008, and 85% in 2009. Russia also increased Belarusian natural gas prices from $47 per thousand cubic meters (tcm)in 2006 to $100 per tcm in 2007, and to $128 per tcm in 2008, 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 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. Belarus felt the effects of the global financial crisis in late 2008 and reached agreement with Russia in November for a $2 billion stabilization loan and with the IMF for a $2.5 billion stand-by agreement in January 2009. In line with IMF conditionality, Belarus devalued the ruble approximately 20% in January 2009 and has tightened some fiscal and monetary policies. Belarus's economic growth is likely to slow in 2009 as it faces decreasing demand for its exports, and will find it difficult to increase external borrowing if the credit markets continue to tighten.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$114.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 $103.9 billion (2007 est.)
$96.06 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$60.3 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
10% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 8.2% (2007 est.)
9.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $10,700 (2007 est.)
$9,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.5%
industry: 41.2%
services: 50.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.869 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 77
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 34.7%
services: 51.3% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1.6% (2005) country comparison to the world: 12 note: officially registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers
Population below poverty line:
27.1% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 22% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
27.9 (2005) country comparison to the world: 122 21.7 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
31.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Budget:
revenues: $25.15 billion
expenditures: $25.97 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 8.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 37 10% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.55% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 99 8.58% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.872 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 55 $4.065 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$8.784 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 55 $6.823 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$18.42 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 60 $12.16 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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:
12% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Electricity - production:
29.92 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Electricity - consumption:
30.54 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - exports:
5.062 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
9.406 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
32,950 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Oil - consumption:
184,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Oil - exports:
303,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Oil - imports:
444,800 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Oil - proved reserves:
198 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - production:
152 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Natural gas - consumption:
21.75 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - imports:
21.6 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Current account balance:
-$5.063 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 158 -$3.042 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$33.04 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $24.33 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Russia 32.2%, Netherlands 16.9%, Ukraine 8.5%, Latvia 6.6%, Poland 5.5%, UK 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$39.16 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $28.4 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals
Imports - partners:
Russia 59.8%, Germany 7.1%, Ukraine 5.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.687 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $3.952 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$15.15 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 77 $12.49 billion (31 December 2007)
Exchange rates:
Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 2,130 (2008 est.), 2,145 (2007), 2,144.6 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004)
Communications ::Belarus
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.718 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 41
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.693 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 66
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 90 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.by
Internet hosts:
113,115 (2009) country comparison to the world: 70
Internet users:
3.107 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 57
Transportation ::Belarus
Airports:
65 (2009) country comparison to the world: 75
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 35
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 30
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 25 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 5,250 km; oil 1,528 km; refined products 1,730 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 5,538 km country comparison to the world: 32 broad gauge: 5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 94,797 km country comparison to the world: 48 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) country comparison to the world: 36
Ports and terminals:
Mazyr
Military ::Belarus
Military branches:
Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force (2009)
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: 1,720,049
females age 16-49: 2,069,898 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 60,009
female: 56,834 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
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; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Belgium (Europe)
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 country comparison to the world: 140 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:
10,414,336 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 857,373/female 822,303)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,480,072/female 3,419,721)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 760,390/female 1,074,477) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.7 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 43 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.094% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
Birth rate:
10.15 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Death rate:
10.44 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Net migration rate:
1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Urbanization:
urban population: 97% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.44 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 201 male: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.22 years country comparison to the world: 33 male: 76.06 years
female: 82.53 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.65 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
15,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
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) country comparison to the world: 40
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:
3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Region Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)
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 Herman VAN ROMPUY (30 December 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 12, MR 11, Open VLD 9, VB 8, PS 7, SP.A 6, CDH 5, Ecolo 5, Groen! 2, LDD 1, FN 1, independents 4; 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 23, N-VA 7, MR 23, VB 17, Open VLD 18, PS 20, SP.A 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 Liberal Party or SLP [Geert LAMBERT]; note - prior to 19 April 2008, known as Spirit; Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [Caroline GENNEZ]; Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Bruno VALKENIERS]
Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Isabelle DURANT]; 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, 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 Jan MATTHYSEN
chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Wayne BUSH
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; the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)
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 80% of GDP. On the positive side, the government succeeded in balancing its budget during the 2000-2008 period, and income distribution is relatively equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth and foreign direct investment dropped in 2008. In 2009 Belgium is likely to have negative growth, growing unemployment, and a 3% budget deficit, stemming from the worldwide banking crisis.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$390.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 $386.3 billion (2007 est.)
$376.5 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$506.2 billion (2008)
GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 174 2.6% (2007 est.)
3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 $37,200 (2007 est.)
$36,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.8%
industry: 23.2%
services: 76.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.99 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 72
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 25%
services: 73% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 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% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28 (2005) country comparison to the world: 120 28.7 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Budget:
revenues: $239.4 billion
expenditures: $245.7 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
89.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 96.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 1.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 100 5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.03% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
NA (31 December 2008)
NA (31 December 2007)
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 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 (31 December 2008)
NA (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$767.1 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 14 $552 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 25 $386.4 billion (31 December 2007)
$396.2 billion (31 December 2006)
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% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Electricity - production:
82.17 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Electricity - consumption:
84.88 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Electricity - exports:
6.561 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
17.16 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
11,220 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Oil - consumption:
716,800 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Oil - exports:
507,500 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Oil - imports:
1.076 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - consumption:
17.33 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 54
Natural gas - imports:
17.42 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Current account balance:
-$12.88 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 $7.751 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$371.5 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $323.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Germany 19.8%, France 17.4%, Netherlands 12.2%, UK 7.2%, US 4.8%, Italy 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$387.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $320.9 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products
Imports - partners:
Netherlands 19.4%, Germany 17.2%, France 11%, UK 5.7%, US 5.6%, China 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$15.65 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58 $16.51 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.354 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.539 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$821 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 $747.5 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$661.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $593 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Belgium
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.457 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 34
Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.822 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 51
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)
Television broadcast stations:
25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.be
Internet hosts:
4.367 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 17
Internet users:
7.292 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 34
Transportation ::Belgium
Airports:
43 (2009) country comparison to the world: 99
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 27
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 9 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 15 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 1,330 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 3,233 km country comparison to the world: 54 standard gauge: 3,233 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 152,256 km country comparison to the world: 34 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) (2008) country comparison to the world: 44
Merchant marine:
total: 79 country comparison to the world: 56 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 8, 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 (2009)
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: 1,962,409
females age 16-49: 1,905,178 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 62,722
female: 59,969 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Belize (Central America and Caribbean)
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 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Guatemala and Belize are gearing up for a simultaneous referendum to determine if this dispute will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. 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 country comparison to the world: 151 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:
307,899 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.9% (male 59,462/female 57,117)
15-64 years: 58.6% (male 91,298/female 89,170)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 5,185/female 5,667) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.4 years
male: 20.3 years
female: 20.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.154% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Birth rate:
27.33 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Death rate:
5.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 52% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.07 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 94 male: 26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.2 years country comparison to the world: 151 male: 66.44 years
female: 70.05 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.36 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 55
Government ::Belize
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
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 the 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 Oliver 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 - UDP 56.3%, PUP 40.9%; seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6
Judicial branch:
Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) and District Courts (civil jurisdiction); Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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 [John BRICENO]; 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, SICA, 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires J.A. DIFFILY
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, though growth slipped to 3.8% in 2008 as a result of the global slowdown, natural disasters, and the drop in the price of oil. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered the economic growth. Exploration efforts continue and a small increase in production is expected in 2009. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and unsustainable foreign debt equivalent to nearly 70% of GDP. In February 2007, the government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial debt, which helped reduce interest payments and relieve some of the country's liquidity concerns. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.542 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 178 $2.468 billion (2007 est.)
$2.43 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.359 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 1.6% (2007 est.)
5.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $8,400 (2007 est.)
$8,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29%
industry: 16.9%
services: 54.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
122,300 country comparison to the world: 173 note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 18.1%
services: 71.7% (2007)
Unemployment rate:
8.1% (2008) country comparison to the world: 113 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):
27.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Budget:
revenues: $347 million
expenditures: $386.5 million (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 2.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 26 12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.14% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 49 14.33% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$345.7 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 99 $323.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$653.8 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 105 $549 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$955 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 108 $877.6 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
Industries:
garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil
Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Electricity - production:
213.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Electricity - consumption:
198.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
248.4 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
3,511 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Oil - consumption:
7,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Oil - exports:
2,260 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Oil - imports:
7,204 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Oil - proved reserves:
6.7 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 51
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Current account balance:
-$153.7 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 -$51.1 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$464.7 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165 $425.6 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil
Exports - partners:
US 35.6%, UK 21.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.3%, Italy 4.5%, Nigeria 4% (2008)
Imports:
$788.1 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 179 $642 million (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Imports - partners:
US 37.4%, Mexico 12.9%, Cuba 7.7%, Guatemala 6.1%, Russia 5%, China 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$166.2 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 $108.5 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$954.1 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154 $1.2 billion (June 2005 est.)
Exchange rates:
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004)
Communications ::Belize
Telephones - main lines in use:
31,100 (2008) country comparison to the world: 177
Telephones - mobile cellular:
160,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 175
Telephone system:
general assessment: above-average system; fixed-line teledensity of 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density roughly 55 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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
7 (2008)
Internet country code:
.bz
Internet hosts:
3,017 (2009) country comparison to the world: 142
Internet users:
34,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 178
Transportation ::Belize
Airports:
44 (2009) country comparison to the world: 96
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 40
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 27 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 3,007 km country comparison to the world: 166 paved: 575 km
unpaved: 2,432 km (2006)
Waterways:
825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2008) country comparison to the world: 71
Merchant marine:
total: 216 country comparison to the world: 33 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 (2009)
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: 56,135
females age 16-49: 54,732 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 3,632
female: 3,500 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 112
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; offshore sector money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Benin (Africa)
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: 112,622 sq km country comparison to the world: 101 land: 110,622 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:
8,791,832 country comparison to the world: 90 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.2% (male 2,028,493/female 1,948,353)
15-64 years: 52.1% (male 2,275,662/female 2,308,945)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 94,569/female 135,810) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.2 years
male: 16.8 years
female: 17.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.977% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Birth rate:
39.22 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Death rate:
9.45 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Urbanization:
urban population: 41% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 64.64 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 34 male: 68.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 61.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59 years country comparison to the world: 185 male: 57.83 years
female: 60.23 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.49 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
64,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,300 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
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
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 91
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 SEHOUETO]; 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):
$12.86 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 $12.28 billion (2007 est.)
$11.75 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.712 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 4.5% (2007 est.)
3.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 $1,500 (2007 est.)
$1,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 33.2%
industry: 14.5%
services: 52.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
3.662 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
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) country comparison to the world: 82
Investment (gross fixed):
19.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Budget:
revenues: $1.407 billion
expenditures: $1.291 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 1.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.75% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 114 4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.324 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$627.2 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$520.6 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock
Industries:
textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Electricity - production:
124 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Electricity - consumption:
597 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
588 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Oil - consumption:
21,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Oil - exports:
8,770 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Oil - imports:
28,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - proved reserves:
8 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 49
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Current account balance:
-$735 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 -$407 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.127 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 $819 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood
Exports - partners:
China 15.6%, India 12%, Japan 8.5%, Niger 4.9%, US 4.6%, Nigeria 4.3% (2008)
Imports:
$1.843 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154 $1.194 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
China 35.9%, US 13.2%, Thailand 6.5%, France 6.5%, Malaysia 6.2%, India 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.261 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 $1.209 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2007) country comparison to the world: 150
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications ::Benin
Telephones - main lines in use:
159,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 131
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.435 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 100
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment with fixed-line teledensity only about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly
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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
6 (2007)
Internet country code:
.bj
Internet hosts:
1,155 (2009) country comparison to the world: 157
Internet users:
160,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 141
Transportation ::Benin
Airports:
5 (2009) country comparison to the world: 177
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
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 (2009)
Railways:
total: 578 km country comparison to the world: 113 narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 16,000 km country comparison to the world: 121 paved: 1,400 km
unpaved: 14,600 km (2006)
Waterways:
150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2007) country comparison to the world: 102
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: 1,279,053
females age 16-49: 1,292,438 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 101,549
female: 97,856 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 96
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 traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bermuda (North America)
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: 54 sq km country comparison to the world: 231 land: 54 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:
67,837 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.3% (male 6,271/female 6,163)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 22,555/female 23,215)
65 years and over: 14.2% (male 3,979/female 5,654) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.3 years
male: 39.9 years
female: 42.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.647% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Birth rate:
11.57 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Death rate:
7.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Net migration rate:
2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Urbanization:
urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.46 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 223 male: 2.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.43 years country comparison to the world: 17 male: 77.2 years
female: 83.72 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.99 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.297% (2005) country comparison to the world: 91
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
163 (2005) country comparison to the world: 161
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
392 (2005) country comparison to the world: 100
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) country comparison to the world: 177
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, 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.) country comparison to the world: 162
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
4.6% (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$69,900 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
38,360 (2004) country comparison to the world: 193
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.) country comparison to the world: 20
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)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (November 2005) country comparison to the world: 32
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 92 $2.731 billion (31 December 2007)
$2.704 billion (31 December 2006)
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.) country comparison to the world: 154
Electricity - consumption:
628.3 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Oil - imports:
4,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 55
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Exports:
$763 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 157
Exports - commodities:
reexports of pharmaceuticals
Exports - partners:
Brazil 24.7%, US 16.2%, Germany 12.2%, South Africa 8.9% (2008)
Imports:
$1.162 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 169
Imports - commodities:
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
Imports - partners:
Italy 26.3%, US 18%, South Korea 17.3%, UK 8.3%, Singapore 5.3%, France 5.1%, Norway 4.4% (2008)
Debt - external:
$160 million (FY99/00) country comparison to the world: 184
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$15.01 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
Communications ::Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use:
57,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 159
Telephones - mobile cellular:
79,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 188
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)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (2005)
Internet country code:
.bm
Internet hosts:
15,548 (2009) country comparison to the world: 107
Internet users:
51,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 169
Transportation ::Bermuda
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 235
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 447 km country comparison to the world: 194 paved: 447 km
note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 137 country comparison to the world: 44 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:
18-30 years of age for voluntary or compulsory enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18; term of service is 38 months (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 15,623 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 12,496
females age 16-49: 12,486 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 426
female: 413 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.11% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Bermuda
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bhutan (South Asia)
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: 38,394 sq km country comparison to the world: 136 land: 38,394 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, Ozone Layer Protection
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:
691,141 country comparison to the world: 163 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 106,410/female 102,164)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 235,988/female 208,484)
65 years and over: 5.5% (male 20,169/female 17,926) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.9 years
male: 24.5 years
female: 23.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.267% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Birth rate:
20.07 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Death rate:
7.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 35% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 49.36 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 52 male: 50.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.13 years country comparison to the world: 161 male: 65.33 years
female: 66.97 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.38 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
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: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 22
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:
constitutional monarchy
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 18 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; the nearly two-year delay between the former King's abdication and his son's coronation on 6 November 2008 was to ensure an astrologically auspicious coronation date and to give the new King-who had limited experience-deeper administrative expertise under the guidance of this father
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:
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 that 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 [Tshering TOBGAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
United Front for Democracy (exiled); Druk National Congress (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 have boosted Bhutan's overall growth, even though GDP fell in 2008 as a result of a slowdown in India, its predominant export market. New hydropower projects will be the driving force behind Bhutan's ability to create employment and sustain growth in the coming years.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.533 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 169 $2.91 billion (2007 est.)
$2.738 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.389 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
21.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 6.3% (2007 est.)
6.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $4,300 (2007 est.)
$4,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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) country comparison to the world: 28
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)
Public debt:
81.4% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 11 81.4% of GDP (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 54 14% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$381.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$220.3 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$169.9 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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:
NA
Electricity - production:
4.475 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Electricity - consumption:
528.8 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - exports:
3.644 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
11 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Oil - imports:
1,168 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Current account balance:
$116 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Exports:
$350 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 169
Exports - commodities:
electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices
Exports - partners:
India 89%, Bangladesh 6.5%, Italy 1.2% (2008)
Imports:
$320 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 192
Imports - commodities:
fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice
Imports - partners:
India 59.5%, Japan 13.4%, China 5.6% (2008)
Debt - external:
$713.3 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 158
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:
27,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 181
Telephones - mobile cellular:
251,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 170
Telephone system:
general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services
domestic: 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2007)
Internet country code:
.bt
Internet hosts:
9,096 (2009) country comparison to the world: 119
Internet users:
40,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 174
Transportation ::Bhutan
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 197
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 8,050 km country comparison to the world: 140 paved: 4,991 km
unpaved: 3,059 km (2003)
Military ::Bhutan
Military branches:
Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2009)
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: 150,210
females age 16-49: 135,991 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 7,668
female: 7,379 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bolivia (South America)
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, indigenous 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: 1,098,581 sq km country comparison to the world: 28 land: 1,083,301 sq km
water: 15,280 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:
9,775,246 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.5% (male 1,767,310/female 1,701,744)
15-64 years: 60% (male 2,877,605/female 2,992,043)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 193,196/female 243,348) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.9 years
male: 21.3 years
female: 22.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.772% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Birth rate:
25.82 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Death rate:
7.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Net migration rate:
-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Urbanization:
urban population: 66% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 44.66 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 58 male: 48.56 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.89 years country comparison to the world: 156 male: 64.2 years
female: 69.72 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.17 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
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 (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 32
Government ::Bolivia
Country name:
conventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia
Government type:
republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a "Social Unitarian State"
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; voters approved a new constitution on 25 January 2009
Legal system:
based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; the 2009 Constitution incorporates indigenous community justice into Bolivia's judicial system
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 December 2009)
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); note - under representational rules established by the 2009 Constitution, the National Congress will become the Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional; the number of Deputies will remain at 130, but the number of Senators will rise to 36
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in December 2009)
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 four-year terms); note - under the 2009 Constitution, all Constitutional and Supreme Court judges will be elected by popular vote
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 Angela DUENAS Loayza
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
note: as of September 2008, the US has expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US
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
note: as of September 2008, the Bolivian Government has expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia
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; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag
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. In early 2008, higher earnings for mining and hydrocarbons exports pushed the current account surplus to 9.4% of GDP and the government's higher tax take produced a fiscal surplus after years of large deficits. Private investment as a share of GDP, however, remains among the lowest in Latin America, and inflation remained at double-digit levels in 2008. The decline in commodity prices in late 2008, the lack of foreign investment in the mining and hydrocarbon sectors, and the suspension of trade benefits with the United States will pose challenges for the Bolivian economy in 2009.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$43.38 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 $40.88 billion (2007 est.)
$39.08 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$16.6 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 4.6% (2007 est.)
4.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 $4,300 (2007 est.)
$4,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.3%
industry: 36.9%
services: 51.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.454 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 17%
services: 43% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 7.5% (2007 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Population below poverty line:
60% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 44.1% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
59.2 (2006) country comparison to the world: 7 44.7 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Budget:
revenues: $8.039 billion
expenditures: $7.5 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
45.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 46.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 184 8.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
13% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 59 6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13.87% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 62 12.86% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$3.998 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 59 $3.032 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$6.339 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 59 $4.729 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$5.433 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 81 $4.759 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 97 $2.263 billion (31 December 2007)
$2.223 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
10.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Electricity - production:
5.495 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - consumption:
4.665 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
51,360 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Oil - consumption:
60,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Oil - exports:
10,950 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Oil - imports:
6,172 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Oil - proved reserves:
465 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Natural gas - production:
14.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - consumption:
2.41 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - exports:
11.79 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 17
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Natural gas - proved reserves:
750.4 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Current account balance:
$2.015 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $1.984 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$6.448 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $4.49 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
Exports - partners:
Brazil 60.1%, US 8.3%, Japan 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$4.641 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 $3.24 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans
Imports - partners:
Brazil 26.7%, Argentina 16.3%, US 10.5%, Chile 9.5%, Peru 7.1%, China 4.8% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$7.722 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 74 $5.318 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$5.931 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 102 $5.385 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$5.998 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 87
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.253 (2008 est.), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004)
Communications ::Bolivia
Telephones - main lines in use:
690,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 90
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.83 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 89
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 slighly exceeds 50 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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
48 (1997)
Internet country code:
.bo
Internet hosts:
105,031 (2009) country comparison to the world: 71
Internet users:
1 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 87
Transportation ::Bolivia
Airports:
952 (2009) country comparison to the world: 8
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 936
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 58
914 to 1,523 m: 186
under 914 m: 687 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 4,883 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refined products 1,589 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 3,504 km country comparison to the world: 50 narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 62,479 km country comparison to the world: 71 paved: 3,749 km
unpaved: 58,730 km (2004)
Waterways:
10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2007) country comparison to the world: 13
Merchant marine:
total: 23 country comparison to the world: 93 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, EB), Bolivian Navy (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-49 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 (2009)
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: 1,666,697
females age 16-49: 1,906,396 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 108,304
female: 104,882 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 88
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 Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore, 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, increased slightly when compared to 2006; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 120 metric tons 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; major cocaine consumption (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Bosnia and Herzegovina (Europe)
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 less than 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: 51,197 sq km country comparison to the world: 128 land: 51,187 sq km
water: 10 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:
4,613,414 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.5% (male 344,760/female 323,303)
15-64 years: 70.7% (male 1,645,274/female 1,617,136)
65 years and over: 14.8% (male 279,781/female 403,160) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.8 years
male: 38.7 years
female: 41 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.339% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Birth rate:
8.85 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 214
Death rate:
8.63 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Net migration rate:
3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.1 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 155 male: 10.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.5 years country comparison to the world: 43 male: 74.92 years
female: 82.34 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.25 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 212
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
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 Peace Accords, 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, 16 if employed; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Zeljko KOMSIC (chairman since 6 July 2009; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Croat); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Haris SILAJDZIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak); and Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb)
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 with 39.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Haris SILAJDZIC with 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 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); and 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); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures
elections: House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007); national House of Representatives - elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ1990 2, other 5
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; and 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, SBiH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ1990 7, other 14; 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, SBiH 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]; Bosnian Patriotic Party of BPS [Sefer HALILOVIC]; 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 Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ [Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Party of DP [Dragan CAVIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; Nasa Stranka or NS [Bojan BAJIC]; New Croat Initiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman TIHIC]; Party for Work and Progress or RzB [Mladen IVANKOVIC-LIJANOVIC]; 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 Mitar KUJUNDZIC
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:
The interethnic warfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 2003-08 when GDP growth exceeded 5% per year. 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. 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. Bosnia's private sector is growing and foreign investment is slowly increasing, but government spending, at nearly 40% of adjusted GDP, remains high because of redundant government offices at the state, entity and municipal level. Implementing privatization, however, has been slow, particularly in the Federation where political division between ethnically-based political parties makes agreement on economic policy more difficult. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment rate remain the two most serious macroeconomic problems. Successful implementation of a value-added tax in 2006 provided a predictable source of revenue for the government and helped rein in gray market activity. National-level statistics have also improved over time but a large share of economic activity remains unofficial and unrecorded. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. Bosnia's economy has been largely sheltered from the global financial downtown although key economic indicators have worsened. Key exporters in the metal, automobile and wood processing industries have reported a worsening performance and have announced layoffs and output reductions.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.77 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $28.22 billion (2007 est.)
$26.62 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
Bosnia has a large informal sector that may be as much as 50% of official GDP
GDP (official exchange rate):
$18.47 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 6% (2007 est.)
6.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 $6,200 (2007 est.)
$5,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 23.9%
services: 66% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
1.863 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 122
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 19.8%
industry: 32.6%
services: 47.6% (2007)
Unemployment rate:
29% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 174 45.5% (31 December 2004 est.)
note: official rate; gray economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30%
Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 27.4% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
56.2 (2007) country comparison to the world: 11
Budget:
revenues: $8.516 billion
expenditures: $8.867 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
40% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 34% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 1.6% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.98% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 120 7.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.49 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 $5.13 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.614 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 62 $5.597 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$10.26 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 70 $8.895 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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:
11.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Electricity - production:
11.32 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - consumption:
8.488 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - exports:
4.344 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.743 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Oil - consumption:
29,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Oil - exports:
191.8 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Oil - imports:
25,990 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Natural gas - consumption:
310 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Natural gas - imports:
310 million cu m country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Current account balance:
-$2.764 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 -$1.931 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$5.194 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $4.243 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products
Exports - partners:
Croatia 20.7%, Slovenia 16.7%, Italy 16.7%, Germany 13%, Austria 10.3%, Hungary 4.8% (2008)
Imports:
$12.29 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $9.947 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.6%, Slovenia 12.7%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 10.5%, Hungary 6.6%, Turkey 6.5%, Austria 6.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.516 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 $4.525 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.388 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 $6.734 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.3083 (2008 est.), 1.4419 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004)
note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro
Communications ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.031 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 80
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.179 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 106
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 22 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density has reached 70 per 100 persons
international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)
Internet country code:
.ba
Internet hosts:
69,370 (2009) country comparison to the world: 79
Internet users:
1.308 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 81
Transportation ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Airports:
25 (2009) country comparison to the world: 132
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Heliports:
5 (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,000 km country comparison to the world: 88 standard gauge: 1,000 km 1.435-m gauge (590 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 21,846 km country comparison to the world: 107 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 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava River), 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) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2009)
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: 991,953
females age 16-49: 959,226 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,368
female: 25,644 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
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 Bosniaks 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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Botswana (Africa)
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: 581,730 sq km country comparison to the world: 47 land: 566,730 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:
1,990,876 country comparison to the world: 146 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.8% (male 352,399/female 340,058)
15-64 years: 61.4% (male 613,714/female 608,003)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 31,155/female 45,547) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.7 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 21.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.937% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Birth rate:
22.89 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Death rate:
8.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Net migration rate:
5 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 21 note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 60% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 141 male: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.85 years country comparison to the world: 178 male: 61.72 years
female: 61.99 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.6 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
23.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
300,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 10
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 the 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 on 9 October 2009); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%: note - MOGAE stepped down on 1 April 2008 and designated KHAMA to serve out the remainder of his term
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 ex-officio 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 16 October 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 53.3%, BNF 21.9%, BCP 19.2%, 2.3%, other 4.3%; seats by party - BDP 45, BNF 6, BCP 4, BAM 1, other 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 [Gilson SALESHANDO]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Daniel KWELAGOBE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Bernard BALIKANI]; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS [Themba JOINA]; New Democratic Front or NDF [Dick BAYFORD]
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 fell below 5% in 2007-08. 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 $13,300 in 2008. 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):
$27.11 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 $26.35 billion (2007 est.)
$25.23 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.46 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 4.4% (2007 est.)
5.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 $13,800 (2007 est.)
$13,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 52.6% (including 36% mining)
services: 45.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
685,300 formal sector employees (2007) country comparison to the world: 146
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
7.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
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) country comparison to the world: 4
Investment (gross fixed):
23.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Budget:
revenues: $4.326 billion
expenditures: $4.808 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
5.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 8.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175 7.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
15% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 17 14.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.54% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 34 16.22% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.008 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 87 $1.026 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.183 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 $4.336 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$3.556 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 82 $5.887 billion (31 December 2007)
$3.947 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts
Industries:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Electricity - production:
1.052 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - consumption:
2.648 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.181 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Oil - consumption:
15,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - imports:
15,180 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Current account balance:
$750.3 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 $2.434 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$4.707 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 $5.158 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
Imports:
$4.486 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 $3.447 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.119 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $9.79 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$409 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 $408 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.7907 (2008 est.), 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004)
Communications ::Botswana
Telephones - main lines in use:
142,300 (2008) country comparison to the world: 135
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.486 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 133
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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1 state-owned, 1 private)
Internet country code:
.bw
Internet hosts:
7,341 (2009) country comparison to the world: 128
Internet users:
120,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 146
Transportation ::Botswana
Airports:
77 (2009) country comparison to the world: 71
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 68
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 54
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Railways:
total: 888 km country comparison to the world: 97 narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 25,798 km country comparison to the world: 103 paved: 8,410 km
unpaved: 17,388 km (2005)
Military ::Botswana
Military branches:
Botswana Defense Force: Ground Forces (includes Air Arm) (2009)
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: 341,190
females age 16-49: 315,588 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 23,420
female: 22,904 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 42
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bouvet Island (Antarctica)
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 country comparison to the world: 232 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 by 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 Oslo Police
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:
0 (2009) country comparison to the world: 230
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
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Brazil (South America)
Introduction ::Brazil
Background:
Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil peacefully gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than half a century of populist and military government until 1985, when 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: 8,514,877 sq km country comparison to the world: 5 land: 8,459,417 sq km
water: 55,460 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:
198,739,269 country comparison to the world: 5 note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,872,855; that figure was about 3.8% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 27,092,880/female 26,062,244)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 65,804,108/female 67,047,725)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,374,230/female 7,358,082) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.6 years
male: 27.8 years
female: 29.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.199% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Birth rate:
18.43 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Death rate:
6.35 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Net migration rate:
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Urbanization:
urban population: 86% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.58 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 97 male: 26.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.99 years country comparison to the world: 121 male: 68.43 years
female: 75.73 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.21 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
730,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
15,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
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) country comparison to the world: 105
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 2009, the composition of the entire legislature is as follows: Federal Senate - seats by party - PMDB 21, DEM (formerly PFL) 12, PSDB 13, PT 12, PTB 7, PDT 5, PR 4, PSB 2, PCdoB 1, PRB 1, PP 1, PSC 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PMDB 95, PT 79, PSDB 59, DEM (formerly PFL) 53, PR 44, PP 40, PSB 29, PDT 25, PTB 19, PPS 14, PV 14, PCdoB 13, PSC 11, PMN 5, PRB 4, PHS 3, PSOL 3, PTC 1, PTdoB 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 member), BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, FAO, G-15, G-20, 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, SICA (observer), 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) 238-2805
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 Brazil is expanding its presence in world markets. 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 in October of that year, LULA da Silva announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase investment in infrastructure. Brazil's debt achieved investment grade status early in 2008, but the government's attempt to achieve strong growth while reducing the debt burden created inflationary pressures. For most of 2008, the Central Bank embarked on a restrictive monetary policy to stem these pressures. Since the onset of the global financial crisis in September, Brazil's currency and its stock market - Bovespa - have significantly lost value, -41% for Bovespa for the year ending 30 December 2008. Brazil incurred another current account deficit in 2008, as world demand and prices for commodities dropped in the second-half of the year.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.998 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $1.901 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.798 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.573 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 5.7% (2007 est.)
4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 $9,800 (2007 est.)
$9,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.7%
industry: 28%
services: 65.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
93.65 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 14%
services: 66% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 9.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
31% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 43% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
56.7 (2005) country comparison to the world: 10 60.7 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
19% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA
Public debt:
38.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58 52% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 3.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
20.48% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 9 17.85% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
47.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 4 43.72% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$95.03 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 12 $131.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$724.5 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 6 $792.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.249 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.377 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$589.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 12 $1.37 trillion (31 December 2007)
$711.1 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
4.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Electricity - production:
438.8 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Electricity - consumption:
404.3 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Electricity - exports:
2.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
42.06 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
2.422 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Oil - consumption:
2.52 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Oil - exports:
570,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Oil - imports:
632,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Oil - proved reserves:
12.62 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - production:
12.62 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - consumption:
23.65 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - imports:
11.03 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Natural gas - proved reserves:
365 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Current account balance:
-$28.19 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 $1.551 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$197.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $160.6 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners:
US 14.4%, China 12.4%, Argentina 8.4%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 4.5% (2008)
Imports:
$173.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $120.6 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
Imports - partners:
US 14.9%, China 11.6%, Argentina 7.9%, Germany 7% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$193.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $180.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$262.9 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 27 $240.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$294 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $248.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$127.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $107.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
reals (BRL) per US dollar - 1.8644 (2008 est.), 1.85 (2007 est.), 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004)
Communications ::Brazil
Telephones - main lines in use:
41.141 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 6
Telephones - mobile cellular:
150.641 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 5
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 80 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, including Atlantis 2, 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
138 (1997)
Internet country code:
.br
Internet hosts:
15.929 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 5
Internet users:
64.948 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 5
Transportation ::Brazil
Airports:
4,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 2
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 721
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 171
914 to 1,523 m: 460
under 914 m: 56 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3,279
1,524 to 2,437 m: 87
914 to 1,523 m: 1,547
under 914 m: 1,645 (2009)
Heliports:
13 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 62 km; gas 9,892 km; liquid petroleum gas 353 km; oil 4,517 km; refined products 4,465 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 28,857 km country comparison to the world: 10 broad gauge: 5,709 km 1.600-m gauge (459 km electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 22,954 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 1,751,868 km country comparison to the world: 4 paved: 96,353 km
unpaved: 1,655,515 km (2004)
Waterways:
50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2008) country comparison to the world: 3
Merchant marine:
total: 136 country comparison to the world: 45 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 (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2009)
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: 38,043,555
females age 16-49: 44,267,520 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,690,031
female: 1,630,851 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
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 Itaipu 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 Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore, 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 are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@British Indian Ocean Territory (South Asia)
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 Government 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 country comparison to the world: 127 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 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. 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
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
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)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
.io
Internet hosts:
160 (2009) country comparison to the world: 194
Transportation ::British Indian Ocean Territory
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 225
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
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 branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Overseas Police Officers (ROPOs) (2008)
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
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@British Virgin Islands (Central America and Caribbean)
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: 151 sq km country comparison to the world: 219 land: 151 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:
24,491 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 215
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.8% (male 2,454/female 2,387)
15-64 years: 74.4% (male 9,346/female 8,881)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 734/female 689) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 32.3 years
male: 32.4 years
female: 32.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.837% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Birth rate:
14.62 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Death rate:
4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Net migration rate:
8.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Urbanization:
urban population: 40% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.65 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 129 male: 16.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.26 years country comparison to the world: 58 male: 76.03 years
female: 78.55 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.71 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
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%, other 9.6% (includes Indian and mixed) (2004 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) country comparison to the world: 123
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.) country comparison to the world: 206
GDP (official exchange rate):
$839.7 million (2003)
GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$38,500 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2%
services: 92% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
12,770 (2004) country comparison to the world: 206
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 0.6%
industry: 40%
services: 59.4% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
3.6% (1997) country comparison to the world: 43
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)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2005) country comparison to the world: 17
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 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Electricity - consumption:
41.85 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Oil - imports:
691.4 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 92
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Current account balance:
$134.3 million (1999) country comparison to the world: 55
Exports:
$25.3 million (2002) country comparison to the world: 202 $25.3 million (2002)
Exports - commodities:
rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Imports:
$187 million f.o.b.
Imports - commodities:
building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Debt - external:
$36.1 million (1997) country comparison to the world: 194
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::British Virgin Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
18,900 (2008) country comparison to the world: 196
Telephones - mobile cellular:
23,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 204
Telephone system:
general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: fixed line connections exceed 75 per 100 persons and mobile cellular subscribership is approaching 100 per 100 persons
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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)
Internet country code:
.vg
Internet hosts:
581 (2009) country comparison to the world: 169
Internet users:
4,000 (2002) country comparison to the world: 206
Transportation ::British Virgin Islands
Airports:
4 (2009) country comparison to the world: 185
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 200 km country comparison to the world: 206 paved: 200 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008) country comparison to the world: 153
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: 5,979
females age 16-49: 5,738 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 178
female: 173 (2009 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
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Brunei (East & Southeast Asia)
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: 5,765 sq km country comparison to the world: 172 land: 5,265 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, 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:
388,190 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.6% (male 53,282/female 50,141)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 135,640/female 136,292)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 6,199/female 6,636) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.8 years
male: 27.7 years
female: 27.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.759% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Birth rate:
18.2 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Death rate:
3.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 216
Net migration rate:
2.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Urbanization:
urban population: 75% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.27 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 144 male: 14.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.74 years country comparison to the world: 74 male: 73.52 years
female: 78.07 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.91 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
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) country comparison to the world: 59
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-Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Independence:
1 January 1984 (from the 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:
The Sultan appointed a council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; the council has met in March of each year since then
elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)
note: The Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; it passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members
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 into 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, increasing agricultural production, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$19.58 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 $19.96 billion (2007 est.)
$19.92 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.55 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 211 0.2% (2007 est.)
4.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$51,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $53,300 (2007 est.)
$54,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 75%
services: 25% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
188,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.5%
industry: 63.1%
services: 32.4% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.7% (2008) country comparison to the world: 44 4% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $6.889 billion
expenditures: $4 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 139 5.5% (February 2009)
Stock of money:
$3.046 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 63 $2.674 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.551 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 72 $4.258 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.274 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 104 $2.38 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Electricity - production:
3.091 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Electricity - consumption:
2.926 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
157,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Oil - consumption:
15,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Oil - exports:
207,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Oil - imports:
237.6 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Oil - proved reserves:
1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - production:
13.4 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Natural gas - consumption:
4.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Natural gas - exports:
9.2 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 22
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - proved reserves:
390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Current account balance:
$7.101 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Exports:
$8.25 billion (2007) country comparison to the world: 93 $6.767 billion (2006)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, natural gas, garments
Exports - partners:
Japan 40.8%, Indonesia 21.6%, South Korea 15.4%, Australia 10% (2008)
Imports:
$2.055 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 $2 billion (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Singapore 36.5%, Malaysia 19%, Japan 7.7%, China 5.5%, Thailand 5%, US 4.7%, UK 4.7% (2008)
Debt - external:
$0 (2005) country comparison to the world: 202
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:
76,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 151
Telephones - mobile cellular:
376,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 162
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)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006)
Internet country code:
.bn
Internet hosts:
14,978 (2009) country comparison to the world: 108
Internet users:
217,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 133
Transportation ::Brunei
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 210
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 37 km; oil 18 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 3,650 km country comparison to the world: 159 paved: 2,819 km
unpaved: 831 km (2005)
Waterways:
209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2008) country comparison to the world: 97
Merchant marine:
total: 8 country comparison to the world: 119 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) (2009)
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: 92,543
females age 16-49: 95,301 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 3,460
female: 3,399 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 24
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bulgaria (Europe)
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: 110,879 sq km country comparison to the world: 104 land: 108,489 sq km
water: 2,390 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:
7,204,687 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 509,544/female 484,816)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,426,060/female 2,508,772)
65 years and over: 17.7% (male 518,711/female 756,784) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.4 years
male: 39.2 years
female: 43.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.79% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 231
Birth rate:
9.51 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Death rate:
14.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Net migration rate:
-3.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Urbanization:
urban population: 71% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 17.87 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 115 male: 21.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.09 years country comparison to the world: 111 male: 69.48 years
female: 76.91 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.41 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
346 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
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) country comparison to the world: 90
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 Boyko BORISSOV (since 27 July 2009); Deputy Prime Ministers Simeon DJANKOV and Tsvetan TSVETANOV (since 27 July 2009);
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) 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 Sabranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 July 2009 (next to be held mid-2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - GERB 39.7%, BSP 17.7%, MRF 14.4%, ATAKA 9.4%, Blue Coalition 6.8%, RZS 4.1%, other 7.9%; seats by party - GERB 116, BSP 40, MRF 38, ATAKA 21, Blue Coalition 15, RZS 10
Judicial branch:
independent judiciary comprised of judges, prosecutors and investigating magistrates who are appointed, promoted, demoted, and dismissed by a 25-member Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 members, half of whom are elected by the National Assembly and the other half by the bodies of the judiciary for a 5-year term in office); three levels of case review; 182 courts of which two Supreme Courts act as the last instance on civil and criminal cases (the Supreme Court of Cassation) and appeals of government decisions (the Supreme Administrative Court)
Political parties and leaders:
ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Attack National Union [Volen SIDEROV]; Agrarian National Union or ANU [Stefan LICHEV]; Blue Coalition (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF and DSB); Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; 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]; Gergyovden [Petar STOYANOVICH]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Liberal Initiative for Democratic European Development or LIDER [Khristo KOVACHKI]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; Movement Forward (LIDER, IMRO, ANU, Gergyovden); National Movement for Stability and Progress or NDSV [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA] (formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Order, Law, Justice or RZS [Yane YANEV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Martin DIMITROV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Agrarians [Anastasia MOZER]
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, 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 Latchezar 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 a 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):
$93.98 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 $88.66 billion (2007 est.)
$83.48 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$49.9 billion (2008)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 6.2% (2007 est.)
6.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $12,100 (2007 est.)
$11,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.3%
industry: 30.5%
services: 62.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.67 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7.5%
industry: 35.5%
services: 57% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 7.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.1% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 25.5% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.7 (2007) country comparison to the world: 109 26.4 (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):
33.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Budget:
revenues: $22.24 billion
expenditures: $20.74 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
14.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 41.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 9.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5.77% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 111 4.58% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.86% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 85 10% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$14.29 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 40 $15.58 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$19.67 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 42 $17.03 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$32.04 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 52 $25.18 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$8.858 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 68 $21.79 billion (31 December 2007)
$10.32 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
1.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Electricity - production:
40.25 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Electricity - consumption:
31.08 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Electricity - exports:
8.441 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.097 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
3,357 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Oil - consumption:
124,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Oil - exports:
76,570 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Oil - imports:
189,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Oil - proved reserves:
15 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Natural gas - production:
300 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Natural gas - consumption:
3.4 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - imports:
3.1 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Current account balance:
-$12.65 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 -$8.716 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$22.71 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $18.58 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners:
Greece 9.9%, Germany 9.2%, Turkey 8.9%, Italy 8.5%, Romania 7.2%, Belgium 5.9%, France 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$35.64 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $28.65 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials
Imports - partners:
Russia 14.6%, Germany 11.8%, Italy 7.9%, Ukraine 7.3%, Romania 5.6%, Turkey 5.5%, Greece 5.4%, Austria 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$17.93 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $17.54 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$51.46 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $42.62 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$42.91 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $33.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.292 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $559 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.3171 (2008 est.), 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004)
Communications ::Bulgaria
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.258 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 55
Telephones - mobile cellular:
10.633 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 59
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 greatly 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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code:
.bg
Internet hosts:
706,648 (2009) country comparison to the world: 45
Internet users:
2.647 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 63
Transportation ::Bulgaria
Airports:
212 (2009) country comparison to the world: 29
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 132
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
under 914 m: 97 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 73 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 2,926 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 4,294 km country comparison to the world: 38 standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 40,231 km country comparison to the world: 89 paved: 39,587 km (includes 331 km of expressways)
unpaved: 644 km (2005)
Waterways:
470 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 83
Merchant marine:
total: 74 country comparison to the world: 59 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) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended January 2008; Air 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: 1,351,312
females age 16-49: 1,381,017 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 38,263
female: 36,374 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
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; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Burkina Faso (Africa)
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. In January 2008, Burkina Faso assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term.
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 country comparison to the world: 74 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:
15,746,232 country comparison to the world: 61 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.2% (male 3,646,661/female 3,621,648)
15-64 years: 51.3% (male 4,025,917/female 4,054,865)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 156,895/female 240,246) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.8 years
male: 16.6 years
female: 17 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.103% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Birth rate:
44.33 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Death rate:
13.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 20% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 5% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 84.49 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 15 male: 92.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 76.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.95 years country comparison to the world: 199 male: 51.04 years
female: 54.91 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.28 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
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 (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 98
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:
approved by referendum 2 June 1991; formally adopted 11 June 1991; last amended January 2002
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; 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]; Democratic and Popular Rally or RDP [Nana THIBAUT]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Soumane TOURE]; 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 [Jeanne TRAORE]; 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; 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, 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Samuel C. LAEUCHLI
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. Burkina Faso received a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) threshold grant to improve girls' education at the primary school level, and signed an MCC compact that focuses on the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, and land reform in July 2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$17.96 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 $17.11 billion (2007 est.)
$16.5 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.116 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 3.7% (2007 est.)
5.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 207 $1,200 (2007 est.)
$1,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29.1%
industry: 19.9%
services: 51% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
6.668 million country comparison to the world: 64 note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2007)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
77% (2004) country comparison to the world: 197
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) country comparison to the world: 64 48.2 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Budget:
revenues: $1.409 billion
expenditures: $1.786 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 158 -0.2% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.75% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 117 4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.051 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$663 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$905.1 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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:
4.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - production:
611.6 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Electricity - consumption:
568.8 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Oil - consumption:
9,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Oil - imports:
8,283 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 96
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Current account balance:
-$931 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 -$564 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$544 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 161 $618 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, livestock, gold
Exports - partners:
Singapore 17%, Belgium 12.9%, China 11.3%, Thailand 9.1%, Ghana 7%, Niger 5.2%, Denmark 4.9% (2008)
Imports:
$1.343 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164 $1.221 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum
Imports - partners:
Cote d'Ivoire 26.7%, France 18.4%, Togo 7.4%, Libya 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$926.3 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 $1.029 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.665 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 $1.33 billion (2007)
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications ::Burkina Faso
Telephones - main lines in use:
144,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 133
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.553 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 114
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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 26, shortwave 3 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (1 national, 2 private)
Internet country code:
.bf
Internet hosts:
1,951 (2009) country comparison to the world: 150
Internet users:
140,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 143
Transportation ::Burkina Faso
Airports:
26 (2009) country comparison to the world: 127
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 24
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Railways:
total: 622 km country comparison to the world: 109 narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire (2008)
Roadways:
total: 92,495 km country comparison to the world: 51 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 (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in supporting roles (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,364,288 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,197,557
females age 16-49: 2,191,978 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 182,540
female: 180,051 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 129
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 a 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 more than 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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Burma (East & Southeast Asia)
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. In September 1988, the military deposed NE WIN and established a new ruling junta. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the 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 the 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. Burma in early May 2008 was struck by Cyclone Nargis which official estimates claimed left over 80,000 dead and 50,000 injured. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990, setting the stage for the 2010 parliamentary elections.
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: 676,578 sq km country comparison to the world: 40 land: 653,508 sq km
water: 23,070 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:
48,137,741 country comparison to the world: 26 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.3% (male 6,193,263/female 5,990,658)
15-64 years: 69.3% (male 16,510,648/female 16,828,462)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,121,412/female 1,493,298) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 27.7 years
female: 28.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.783% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Birth rate:
16.97 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Death rate:
9.14 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 33% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 47.61 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 53 male: 53.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 41.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.39 years country comparison to the world: 172 male: 61.17 years
female: 65.74 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
240,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
25,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
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 (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 178
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 the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)
Constitution:
3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; a new constitution was approved on 10 May 2008; note - new constitution will take effect when a new parliament is convened following elections scheduled for 2010
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:
a unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw consisting of 485 seats with members elected by popular vote was elected in 1990 but was never seated; according to the terms of the constitution approved on 10 May 2008, a bicameral Pyidaungsu Hluttaw consisting of an upper house with a maximum of 224 seats and a lower house with a maximum of 440 seats will be selected in elections in 2010
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 numerous 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) [TOE KYAW HLAING]
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: Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER - note: The United States does not maintain an ambassador in Burma
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. Despite Burma's increasing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated because of the regime's mismanagement of the economy. 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 the inflow of foreign investment. Foreign investors have shied away from nearly every sector except for natural gas and power generation. The business climate is widely perceived as opaque, corrupt, and highly inefficient. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries - especially oil and gas, mining, and timber - with the latter causing significant 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 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2008, the largest private banks operated under tight restrictions, limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. The September 2007 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, 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. In July 2008 the President signed into law the Tom LANTOS JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2008, imposing new targeted sanctions on the regime. 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):
$55.27 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 $54.66 billion (2007 est.)
$52.87 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$26.21 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 3.4% (2007 est.)
3.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206 $1,200 (2007 est.)
$1,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 40.9%
industry: 19.8%
services: 39.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
30.04 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry: 7%
services: 23% (2001)
Unemployment rate:
5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 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):
14.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Budget:
revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $1.805 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
26.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 217 35% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 25 12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 30 17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$598 billion (31 December 2007)
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
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$216.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$887.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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; oil and natural gas; garments, jade and gems
Industrial production growth rate:
7.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Electricity - production:
6.286 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Electricity - consumption:
4.403 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
22,120 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Oil - consumption:
41,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Oil - exports:
2,200 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Oil - imports:
18,250 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Oil - proved reserves:
50 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Natural gas - production:
12.4 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Natural gas - consumption:
3.85 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Natural gas - exports:
8.55 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 23
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Natural gas - proved reserves:
283.2 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Current account balance:
$1.281 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 $1.285 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$6.677 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 100 $6.17 billion (2007 est.)
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
Exports - commodities:
natural gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems
Exports - partners:
Thailand 52.3%, India 12.7%, China 8.9%, Japan 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$3.388 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 134 $2.964 billion (2007 est.)
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
Imports - commodities:
fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil
Imports - partners:
China 31.9%, Thailand 21.2%, Singapore 20.7%, Malaysia 5.1%, Indonesia 4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.412 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 $2.312 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.946 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 $7.022 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
kyats (MMK) per US dollar - 1,205 (2008 est.), 1,296 (2007), 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004)
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:
829,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 85
Telephones - mobile cellular:
375,800 (2008) country comparison to the world: 163
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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (2008)
Internet country code:
.mm
Internet hosts:
128 (2009) country comparison to the world: 196
Internet users:
108,900 (2008) country comparison to the world: 150
Transportation ::Burma
Airports:
77 (2009) country comparison to the world: 72
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 40
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 23 (2009)
Heliports:
5 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 2,228 km; oil 558 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 3,955 km country comparison to the world: 44 narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 27,000 km country comparison to the world: 101 paved: 3,200 km
unpaved: 23,800 km (2006)
Waterways:
12,800 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 10
Merchant marine:
total: 24 country comparison to the world: 92 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: 9,146,312
females age 16-49: 9,520,852 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 426,110
female: 417,674 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
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 poppy cultivation in 2008 totaled 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 Burma's 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 (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Burundi (Africa)
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 country comparison to the world: 146 land: 25,680 sq km
water: 2,150 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:
8,988,091 country comparison to the world: 89 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.2% (male 2,087,315/female 2,063,518)
15-64 years: 51.3% (male 2,291,123/female 2,320,839)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 89,444/female 135,852) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.7 years
male: 16.5 years
female: 17 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.279% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Birth rate:
41.42 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Death rate:
12.67 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Net migration rate:
4.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Urbanization:
urban population: 10% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 6.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 59.64 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 38 male: 66.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.09 years country comparison to the world: 202 male: 51.2 years
female: 53.01 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.33 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
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
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 69
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:
ratified by popular referendum 28 February 2005
Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 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; next elections to be held in August 2010; 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 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) and 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)
elections: Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in July 2010); National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held in July 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30, FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1; 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
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 rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the coffee trade. 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 4% annually in 2006-08. 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):
$3.109 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173 $2.976 billion (2007 est.)
$2.872 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.097 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 3.6% (2007 est.)
5.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 227 $300 (2007 est.)
$300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 33.4%
industry: 21%
services: 45.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.245 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 84
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%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 28% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42.4 (1998) country comparison to the world: 54
Investment (gross fixed):
12.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Budget:
revenues: $295.2 million
expenditures: $355 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
24.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 210 8.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.08% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 36 10.12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.52% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 32 16.84% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$261.6 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 102 $208.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$189.9 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 116 $141 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$370 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 118 $342 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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:
5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Electricity - production:
92 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Electricity - consumption:
125.6 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
40 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Oil - consumption:
3,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Oil - imports:
2,495 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 197
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Current account balance:
-$182 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 -$116.8 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$79 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 198 $52.9 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides
Exports - partners:
Switzerland 27.9%, UK 11%, Pakistan 9.5%, Belgium 5.1%, Rwanda 5%, Egypt 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$350 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 $257.6 million (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 20.7%, Belgium 12.6%, Uganda 8.4%, Kenya 7.4%, China 5.9%, France 5.4%, Germany 4.9%, India 4.1%, Tanzania 4.1%, Japan 4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$266.7 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 141 $177.1 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2003) country comparison to the world: 151
Exchange rates:
Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar - 1,198 (2008 est.), 1,065 (2007), 1,030 (2006), 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004)
Communications ::Burundi
Telephones - main lines in use:
30,400 (2008) country comparison to the world: 178
Telephones - mobile cellular:
480,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 156
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 5 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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)
Internet country code:
.bi
Internet hosts:
191 (2009) country comparison to the world: 189
Internet users:
65,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 167
Transportation ::Burundi
Airports:
8 (2009) country comparison to the world: 161
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 12,322 km country comparison to the world: 131 paved: 1,286 km
unpaved: 11,036 km (2004)
Waterways:
mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bujumbura
Military ::Burundi
Military branches:
National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationale, FDN): Army (includes naval detachment and Air Wing), Gendarmerie (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
military service is voluntary; the armed forces law of 31 December 2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but the government had previously specified that each recruit would need to have a primary school leaving certificate (2009)
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: 1,124,072
females age 16-49: 1,102,729 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 101,402
female: 101,897 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.9% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
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)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Cambodia (East & Southeast Asia)
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 surviving 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 Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne 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 in July 2008 were relatively peaceful.
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: 181,035 sq km country comparison to the world: 89 land: 176,515 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:
14,494,293 country comparison to the world: 65 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 2,388,922/female 2,336,439)