Independence: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 28 May

Constitution: adopted NA April 1978; writing a new constitution

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993); election last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - Heydar ALIYEV won 97% of vote head of government: Acting Prime Minister Fuad QULIYEV (since 9 October 1994); First Deputy Prime Ministers Abbas ABBASOV, Samed SADYKOV, Vahid AKHMEDOV (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and confirmed by the Mejlis

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Milli Mejlis): elections last held 30 September and 14 October 1990 for the Supreme Soviet (next expected to be held September 1995 for the National Assembly); seats for Supreme Soviet - (360 total) Communists 280, Democratic Bloc 45 (grouping of opposition parties), other 15, vacant 20; note - on 19 May 1992 the Supreme Soviet was prorogued in favor of a Popular Front-dominated National Council; seats - (50 total) Popular Front 25, opposition elements 25 note: since June 1993 ALIYEV has rotated in several supporters to replace Popular Front adherents

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Azerbaijan Popular Front (APF), Ebulfez ELCIBEY, chairman; Musavat Party, Isa GAMBAR, chairman; National Independence Party, Etibar MAMEDOV, chairman; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Araz ALIZADE, chairman; Communist Party, Ramiz AKHMEDOV, chairman; People's Freedom Party, Yunus OGUZ, chairman; Independent Social Democratic Party, Arif YUNUSOV and Leila YUNOSOVA, cochairmen; New Azerbaijan Party, Heydar ALIYEV, chairman; Boz Gurd Party, Iskander HAMIDOV, chairman; Azerbaijan Democratic Independence Party, Qabil HUSEYNLI, chairman; Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, Ali Akram, chairman; Ana Veten Party, Fazail AGAMALIYEV; Azerbaijan Democratic Party, Sardar Jalaloglu MAMEDOV; Azerbaijan Democratic Party of Proprietors (DPOP), Makhmud MAMEDOV; Azerbaijan Patriotic Solidarity Party, Sabir RUSTAMHANLI; Azerbaijan Republic Reform Party, Fuad ASADOV; Communist Party of Azerbaijan (unregistered), Sayad SAYADOV; Equality of the Peoples Party, Faukhraddin AYDAYEV; Independent Azerbaijan Party, Nizami SULEYMANOV; Labor Party of Azerbaijan, Sabutai HAJIYEV; Liberal-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Lyudmila NIKOLAYEVNA; National Enlightenment Party, Hajy Osman EFENDIYEV; National Liberation Party, Panak SHAKHSEVEV; Peasant Party, Firuz MUSTAFAYEV; Radical Party of Azerbaijan, Malik SHARIFOV; United Azerbaijan Party, Kerrar ABILOV; Vetan Adzhagy Party, Zakir TAGIYEV

Other political or pressure groups: self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement

Member of: BSEC, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal PASHAYEV chancery: (temporary) Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 842-0001 FAX: [1] (202) 842-0004

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard D. KAUZLARICH embassy: Azadliq Prospect 83, Baku mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [9] (9412) 96-00-19, 98-03-37 FAX: [9] (9412) 98-37-55

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band

@Azerbaijan:Economy

Overview: Azerbaijan is less developed industrially than either Armenia or Georgia, the other Transcaucasian states. It resembles the Central Asian states in its majority nominally Muslim population, high structural unemployment, and low standard of living. The economy's most prominent products are oil, cotton, and gas. Production from the Caspian oil and gas field has been in decline for several years, but the November 1994 ratification of the $7.5 billion oil deal with a consortium of Western companies should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Azerbaijan accounted for 1.5% to 2% of the capital stock and output of the former Soviet Union. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the ex-Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures have yet to be replaced.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $13.8 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)

National product real growth rate: -22% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $1,790 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 28% monthly average (1994)

Unemployment rate: 0.9% includes officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of other unemployed and underemployed workers (December 1994)

Budget: revenues: $167.5 million expenditures: $234.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

Exports: $366 million to non-FSU countries (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles, cotton (1991) partners: mostly CIS and European countries

Imports: $296 million from non-FSU countries (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs, textiles (1991) partners: European countries

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate -25% (1994)

Electricity: capacity: 4,900,000 kW production: 17.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,270 kWh (1994)

Industries: petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles

Agriculture: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep and goats

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Economic aid: recipient: wheat from Turkey

Currency: 1 manat = 100 gopik

Exchange rates: manats per US$1 - 4500 (April 1995), 4168 (end of December 1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Azerbaijan:Transportation

Railroads: total: 2,090 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 2,090 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Highways: total: 36,700 km paved or graveled: 31,800 km unpaved: earth 4,900 km (1990)

Pipelines: crude oil 1,130 km; petroleum products 630 km; natural gas 1,240 km

Ports: Baku (Baki)

Airports: total: 69 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 33

@Azerbaijan:Communications

Telephone system: 710,000 telephones; 90 telephones/1,000 persons (1991); 202,000 persons waiting for telephone installations (January 1991); domestic telephone service is of poor quality and inadequate local: a joint venture to establish a cellular telephone system (Bakcel) in the Baku area is supposed to become operational in 1994 intercity: NA international: connections to other former USSR republics by cable and microwave and to other countries via the Moscow international gateway switch; INTELSAT link installed in late 1992 in Baku with Turkish financial assistance with access to 200 countries through Turkey; since August 1993 an earth station near Baku has provided direct communications with New York through Russia's Stationar-11 satellite

Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA

Television: broadcast stations: NA; domestic and Russian TV programs are received locally and Turkish and Iranian TV is received from an INTELSAT satellite through a receive-only earth station televisions: NA

@Azerbaijan:Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Maritime Border Guard, National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,927,955; males fit for military service 1,553,736; males reach military age (18) annually 68,407 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: 70.5 billion rubles, 10% of GDP (1993 budget allocation); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results



THE BAHAMAS

@The Bahamas:Geography

Location: Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total area: 13,940 sq km land area: 10,070 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3,542 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 32% other: 67%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: coral reef decay natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

Note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

@The Bahamas:People

Population: 256,616 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (female 35,924; male 36,504) 15-64 years: 66% (female 87,868; male 82,780) 65 years and over: 6% (female 8,247; male 5,293) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.09% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 19.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.12 years male: 67.37 years female: 76.97 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Ethnic divisions: black 85%, white 15%

Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%

Languages: English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available (1963 est.) total population: 90% male: 90% female: 89%

Labor force: 136,900 (1993) by occupation: government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1989)

@The Bahamas:Government

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

Digraph: BF

Type: commonwealth

Capital: Nassau

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

Independence: 10 July 1973 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 10 July (1973)

Constitution: 10 July 1973

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor on the prime minister's recommendation

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: a 16-member body appointed by the governor general House of Assembly: elections last held 19 August 1992 (next to be held by August 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) FNM 32, PLP 17

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM;

Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS embassy: Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau telephone: [1] (809) 322-1181, 328-2206 FAX: [1] (809) 328-7838

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

@The Bahamas:Economy

Overview: The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or 40% of the local work force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, per capita GDP is one of the highest in the region.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.4 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 3.5% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $15,900 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 13.1% (1993)

Budget: revenues: $696 million expenditures: $756 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

Exports: $257 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products partners: US 51%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5%

Imports: $1.15 billion (f.o.b,,1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics partners: US 55%, Japan 17%, Nigeria 12%, Denmark 7%, Norway 6%

External debt: $455 million (December 1993)

Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP

Electricity: capacity: 424,000 kW production: 929 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,200 kWh (1993)

Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe

Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products - citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; also a money-laundering center

Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345 million

Currency: 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@The Bahamas:Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways: total: 2,400 km paved: 1,350 km unpaved: gravel 1,050 km

Ports: Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Merchant marine: total: 936 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,815,474 GRT/35,253,416 DWT ships by type: bulk 162, cargo 181, chemical tanker 39, combination bulk 9, combination ore/oil 19, container 52, liquefied gas tanker 20, oil tanker 182, passenger 55, refrigerated cargo 146, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 16, vehicle carrier 12 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 46 countries among which are UK 158 ships, Norway 125, Greece 100, US 94, Denmark 80, Netherlands 53, France 36, Finland 35, Japan 35, Sweden 25

Airports: total: 60 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11 with paved runways under 914 m: 22 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 8

@The Bahamas:Communications

Telephone system: 99,000 telephones; totally automatic system; highly developed local: NA intercity: NA international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio: broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Television: broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

@The Bahamas:Defense Forces

Branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)



BAHRAIN

@Bahrain:Geography

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

Map references: Middle East

Area: total area: 620 sq km land area: 620 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 161 km

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

International disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar

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

Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 0% other: 90%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

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; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

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

@Bahrain:People

Population: 575,925 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (female 87,398; male 89,976) 15-64 years: 67% (female 152,363; male 231,586) 65 years and over: 2% (female 7,051; male 7,551) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.58% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 24.12 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 3.31 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.94 years male: 71.46 years female: 76.49 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.12 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%

Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 84% male: 89% female: 77%

Labor force: 140,000 by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982) note: 42% of labor force is Bahraini

@Bahrain:Government

Names: conventional long form: State of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn

Digraph: BA

Type: traditional monarchy

Capital: Manama

Administrative divisions: 12 districts (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa'wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Mintaqat Juzur Hawar, Sitrah

Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1961)

Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law

Suffrage: none

Executive branch: chief of state: Amir ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent HAMAD bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (son of the Amir, born 28 January 1950) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970) cabinet: Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet; appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992

Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active

Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR al-Abdallah chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-0741, 342-0742 consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador David M. RANSOM embassy: Building No. 979, Road 3119 (next to Ahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama mailing address: FPO AE 09834-5100; P.O. Box 26431, Manama (International Mail) telephone: [973] 273300; afterhours [973] 275-126 FAX: [973] 272594

Flag: red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side

@Bahrain:Economy

Overview: Tiny in area, Bahrain is well-to-do in economic resources and per capita income. Petroleum production and processing account for about 80% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, during and following the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from imported crude. Prospects for 1995 are good, with private enterprise the main driving force, e.g., in banking and construction. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.1 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 2.2% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $12,100 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1991 est.)

Budget: revenues: $1.2 billion (1989) expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Exports: $3.69 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7% partners: Japan 11%, UAE 5%, South Korea 4%, India 4%, Saudi Arabia 3% (1992)

Imports: $3.83 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% partners: Saudi Arabia 47%, UK 7%, Japan 7%, US 6%, Germany 5% (1992)

External debt: $2.6 billion (1993)

Industrial production: growth rate 13% (1992); accounts for 38% of GDP, including petroleum

Electricity: capacity: 1,050,000 kW production: 3.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,453 kWh (1993)

Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing

Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for less than 2% of GDP; not self-sufficient in food production; heavily subsidized sector produces fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, fish

Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $45 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion

Currency: 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Bahrain:Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways: total: 2,670 km paved: 2,010 km unpaved: 660 km (1991 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km

Ports: Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 79,949 GRT/120,900 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 4, chemical tanker 1

Airports: total: 4 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1

@Bahrain:Communications

Telephone system: 98,000 telephones; 170 telephones/1,000 persons; modern system; good domestic services; excellent international connections local: NA intercity: NA international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 radios: 60 million

Television: broadcast stations: 2 televisions: 21 million

@Bahrain:Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Coast Guard, Police Force

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 210,725; males fit for military service 117,414; males reach military age (15) annually 4,346 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $247 million, 5.5% of GDP (1994)



BAKER ISLAND

(territory of the US)

@Baker Island:Geography

Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Map references: Oceania

Area: total area: 1.4 sq km land area: 1.4 sq km comparative area: about 2.3 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 4.8 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Terrain: low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until 1891)

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment: current issues: no natural fresh water resources natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard international agreements: NA

Note: treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

@Baker Island:People

Population: uninhabited; note - American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and cemetery ruins are located near the middle of the west coast

@Baker Island:Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Baker Island

Digraph: FQ

Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Capital: none; administered from Washington, DC

@Baker Island:Economy

Overview: no economic activity

@Baker Island:Transportation

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast

Airports: 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m

Note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast

@Baker Island:Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard



BANGLADESH

@Bangladesh:Geography

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

Map references: Asia

Area: total area: 144,000 sq km land area: 133,910 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries: total 4,246 km, Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline: 580 km

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

International disputes: a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water-sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges

Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber

Land use: arable land: 67% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 16% other: 11%

Irrigated land: 27,380 sq km (1989)

Environment: current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

@Bangladesh:People

Population: 128,094,948 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (female 25,195,262; male 26,352,299) 15-64 years: 57% (female 34,862,105; male 37,867,705) 65 years and over: 3% (female 1,761,336; male 2,056,241) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.32% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 34.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 104.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.46 years male: 55.69 years female: 55.22 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.39 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladesh

Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million

Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other

Languages: Bangla (official), English

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 35% male: 47% female: 22%

Labor force: 50.1 million by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 21%, industry and mining 14% (1989) note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)

@Bangladesh:Government

Names: conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh former: East Pakistan

Digraph: BG

Type: republic

Capital: Dhaka

Administrative divisions: 4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991); election last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results - Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN (since 20 March 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad): elections last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held by February 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, BCP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, JSD 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN; Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed

Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Humayun KABIR chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-8372 through 8376 consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador David N. MERRILL embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212 telephone: [880] (2) 884700 through 884722 FAX: [880] (2) 883-744

Flag: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam

@Bangladesh:Economy

Overview: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with the cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the economy. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, the inefficiency of state-owned enterprises, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), and inadequate power supplies. Excellent rice crops and expansion of the export garment industry led to real growth of 4% in 1992 and again in 1993. Policy measures intended to reduce government regulation of private industry, to curb population growth, and to expand employment opportunities have had only partial success given the serious nature of Bangladesh's basic problems.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $130.1 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 4.5% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $1,040 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $2.8 billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (FY92/93)

Exports: $2.38 billion (1993) commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp partners: US 33%, Western Europe 39% (Germany 8.4%, Italy 6%) (FY91/92 est.)

Imports: $3.99 billion (1993) commodities: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles partners: Hong Kong 7.5%, Singapore 7.4%, China 7.4%, Japan 7.1% (FY91/92 est.)

External debt: $13.5 billion (June 1993)

Industrial production: growth rate 6.9% (FY92/93 est.); accounts for 9.4% of GDP

Electricity: capacity: 2,740,000 kW production: 9.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 70 kWh (1993)

Industries: jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer

Agriculture: accounts for 33% of GDP, 65% of employment, and one-fifth of exports; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products - jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils, cotton

Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $11.65 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6.52 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion

Currency: 1 taka (Tk) = 100 poiska

Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1 - 40.250 (January 1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@Bangladesh:Transportation

Railroads: total: 2,892 km broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992)

Highways: total: 7,240 km paved: 3,840 km unpaved: 3,400 km (1985)

Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)

Pipelines: natural gas 1,220 km

Ports: Barisal, Chandpur, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Dacca, Khulna, Mongla (includes Chalna), Narayanganj

Merchant marine: total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 293,304 GRT/428,013 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 31, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3

Airports: total: 16 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 7

@Bangladesh:Communications

Telephone system: 241,250 telephones; 1 telephone/522 persons; poor domestic telephone service local: NA intercity: NA international: 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations; adequate international radio communications and landline service

Radio: broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Television: broadcast stations: 11 televisions: NA

@Bangladesh:Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force paramilitary forces: Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 33,039,035; males fit for military service 19,607,817 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $448 million, 1.7% of GDP (FY93/94)



BARBADOS

@Barbados:Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total area: 430 sq km land area: 430 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 97 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Natural resources: petroleum, fishing, natural gas

Land use: arable land: 77% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 0% other: 14%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers natural hazards: hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic landslides international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

Note: easternmost Caribbean island

@Barbados:People

Population: 256,395 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (female 30,175; male 31,507) 15-64 years: 66% (female 86,103; male 82,727) 65 years and over: 10% (female 15,849; male 10,034) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.24% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 15.45 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 19.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.16 years male: 71.47 years female: 77.06 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Barbadian(s) adjective: Barbadian

Ethnic divisions: African 80%, European 4%, other 16%

Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)

Languages: English

Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970) total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99%

Labor force: 124,800 (1992) by occupation: services and government 41%, commerce 15%, manufacturing and construction 18%, transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 8%, agriculture 6%, utilities 2% (1992 est.)

@Barbados:Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados

Digraph: BB

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Bridgetown

Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas note: the new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status

Independence: 30 November 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

Constitution: 30 November 1966

Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Billie MILLER (since 6 September 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general

House of Assembly: election last held 6 September 1994 (next to be held by January 1999); results - percentage vote by party NA; seats - (28 total) DLP 8, BLP 19, NDP 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Labor Party (DLP),David THOMPSON; Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Owen ARTHUR; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richard HAYNES

Other political or pressure groups: Barbados Workers Union, Leroy TROTMAN; People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE; Clement Payne Labor Union, David COMMISSIONG

Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Courtney BLACKMAN chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9218, 9219 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York consulate(s): Los Angeles

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanette W. HYDE embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (809) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (809) 429-5246

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

@Barbados:Economy

Overview: A per capita income of $9,200 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. A moderate recovery that began in late 1993 after 3 years of contraction is mainly due to increased tourism and expansion in the construction sector. Economic prospects for 1995 depend mostly on continued growth in the industrialized countries, especially in Europe, which would spur further expansion in tourism.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $9,200 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20.5% (1994 est.)

Budget: revenues: $509 million expenditures: $636 million, including capital expenditures of $86 million (FY94/95 est.)

Exports: $161 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing partners: US 13%, UK 10%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Windward Islands 8%

Imports: $703 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components partners: US 36%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 3%

External debt: $652 million (1991 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 2% (FY93/94 est.); accounts for about 10% of GDP

Electricity: capacity: 152,100 kW production: 510 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,841 kWh (1993)

Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops - vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food

Illicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe

Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million

Currency: 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Barbados:Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways: total: 1,570 km paved: 1,475 km unpaved: gravel, earth 95 km

Ports: Bridgetown

Merchant marine: total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,563 GRT/103,632 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 6, oil tanker 2

Airports: total: 1 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1

@Barbados:Communications

Telephone system: 89,000 telephones local: island wide automatic telephone system; intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Radio: broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Television: broadcast stations: 2 (1 pay) televisions: NA

@Barbados:Defense Forces

Branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes the Ground Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 71,153; males fit for military service 49,488 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP



BASSAS DA INDIA

(possession of France)

@Bassas Da India:Geography

Location: Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique

Map references: Africa

Area: total area: 0.2 km2 land area: 0.2 km2 comparative area: NA

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 35.2 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: claimed by Madagascar

Climate: tropical

Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 meters high

Natural resources: none

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all rock)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones

international agreements: NA

@Bassas Da India:People

Population: uninhabited

@Bassas Da India:Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bassas da India

Digraph: BS

Type: French possession administered by a Commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Capital: none; administered by France from Reunion

Independence: none (possession of France)

@Bassas Da India:Economy

Overview: no economic activity

@Bassas Da India:Transportation

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

@Bassas Da India:Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of France



BELARUS

@Belarus:Geography

Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States - European States

Area: total area: 207,600 sq km land area: 207,600 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries: total 3,098 km, Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

International disputes: none

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

Terrain: generally flat and contains much marshland

Natural resources: forest land, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas

Land use: arable land: 29% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 15% forest and woodland: 0% other: 55%

Irrigated land: 1,490 sq km (1990)

Environment: current issues: soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note: landlocked

@Belarus:People

Population: 10,437,418 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 22% (female 1,126,062; male 1,166,439) 15-64 years: 65% (female 3,494,891; male 3,293,196) 65 years and over: 13% (female 913,508; male 443,322) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.3% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 12.98 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 11.23 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 18.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.03 years male: 66.36 years female: 75.93 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian

Ethnic divisions: Byelorussian 77.9%, Russian 13.2%, Polish 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.9%, other 1.9%

Religions: Eastern Orthodox, other

Languages: Byelorussian, Russian, other

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 97% male: 99% female: 96%

Labor force: 4.887 million by occupation: industry and construction 40%, agriculture and forestry 21%, other 39% (1992)

@Belarus:Government

Names: conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Byelarus' local short form: none former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Digraph: BO

Type: republic

Capital: Minsk

Administrative divisions: 6 voblastsi (singular - voblasts') and one municipality* (harady, singular - horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna), Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk) note: the administrative centers of the voblastsi are included in parentheses

Independence: 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 July (1990)

Constitution: adopted 15 March 1994; replaces constitution of April 1978

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994); election held June 24 and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 80%, Vyacheslav KEBICH 14% head of government: Prime Minister Mikhail CHIGIR (since July 1994); Deputy Prime Ministers Vladimir GARKUN, Viktor GONCHAR, Sergey LING, Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH, Valeriy KOKAREV (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers note: first presidential elections took place in June-July 1994

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Soviet: elections last held 4 April 1990 (next to be held 14 May 1995); results - Communists 87%; seats - (360 total) number of seats by party NA; note - 50 seats are for public bodies; the Communist Party obtained an overwhelming majority

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), Zenon POZNYAK, chairman; Party of Popular Accord, Gennadiy KARPENKO; Union of Belarusian Entreprenuers, V. N. KARYAGIN; Belarusian Party of Communists, Vasiliy NOVIKOV, Viktor CHIKIN, chairmen; Belarus Peasant Party, Yevgeniy LUGIN, chairman; Belarusian Socialist Party, Vyacheslav KUZNETSOV, chairman; Belarusian Social Democrat Party (SDBP), Oleg TRUSOV, Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairmen; Agrarian Party of Belarus, Aleksandr DUBKO; United Democratic Party of Belarus (UDPB), Aleksandr DOBROVOLSKIY, chairman; Independent Trade Unions, Sergey ANTONCHIK, chairman

Member of: CCC, CE (guest), CEI (associate members), CIS, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFC, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sergey Nikolayevich MARTYNOV chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604 FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805 consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth Spencer YALOWITZ embassy: Starovilenskaya #46, Minsk mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (0172) 34-65-37

Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top), red, and white

@Belarus:Economy

Overview: Belarus ranks among the most developed of the former Soviet states, with a relatively modern - by Soviet standards - and diverse machine building sector and a robust agriculture sector. It also serves as a transport link for Russian oil exports to the Baltic states and Eastern and Western Europe. The breakup of the Soviet Union and its command economy has resulted in a sharp economic contraction as traditional trade ties have collapsed. The Belarusian government has lagged behind the governments of most other former Soviet states in economic reform, with privatization almost nonexistent. The system of state orders and distribution persists. In mid-1994, the Belarusian government embarked on an austerity program with IMF support to slash state credits and consumer subsidies in order to bring down the budget deficit and reduce inflation. However, despite its promising start, the regime's drive to reinvigorate the economy has fallen short, and the IMF has criticized its failure to implement the reforms that the Fund had negotiated. As a result, the IMF has suspended talks on introducing a stand-by arrangement. Economic relations with Russia, which will have an important bearing on the future course of the economy, will be strengthened if Minsk adopts the necessary legislation to implement a customs union agreed to in January 1995.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $53.4 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)

National product real growth rate: -20% (1994)

National product per capita: $5,130 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 29% per month (1994)

Unemployment rate: 1.4% officially registered unemployed (December 1993); large numbers of underemployed workers

Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports: $968 million to outside of the FSU countries (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria

Imports: $534 million from outside the FSU countries (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: fuel, natural gas, industrial raw materials, textiles, sugar partners: Russia, Ukraine, Poland

External debt: $1.5 billion (July 1994 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate -19% (1994); accounts for about 40% of GDP (1992)

Electricity: capacity: 7,010,000 kW production: 31.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,010 kWh (1994)

Industries: employ about 40% of labor force and produced a wide variety of products including (in percent share of total output of former Soviet Union): tractors (12%); metal-cutting machine tools (11%); off-highway dump trucks up to 110-metric-ton load capacity (100%); wheel-type earthmovers for construction and mining (100%); eight-wheel-drive, high-flotation trucks with cargo capacity of 25 metric tons for use in tundra and roadless areas (100%); equipment for animal husbandry and livestock feeding (25%); motorcycles (21.3%); television sets (11%); chemical fibers (28%); fertilizer (18%); linen fabric (11%); wool fabric (7%); radios; refrigerators; and other consumer goods

Agriculture: accounts for almost 25% of GDP and 5.7% of total agricultural output of former Soviet Union; employs 21% of the labor force; in 1988 produced the following (in percent of total Soviet production): grain (3.6%), potatoes (12.2%), vegetables (3.0%), meat (6.0%), milk (7.0%); net exporter of meat, milk, eggs, flour, potatoes

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis; mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Economic aid: $NA

Currency: Belarusian rubel (BR)

Exchange rates: Belarusian rubels per US$1 - 10,600 (end December 1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Belarus:Transportation

Railroads: total: 5,570 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 5,570 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Highways: total: 98,200 km paved: 66,100 km unpaved: earth 32,100 km (1990)

Inland waterways: NA km

Pipelines: crude oil 1,470 km; refined products 1,100 km; natural gas 1,980 km (1992)

Ports: Mazyr

Merchant marine: note: claims 5% of former Soviet fleet

Airports: total: 118 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 with paved runways under 914 m: 11 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 62

@Belarus:Communications

Telephone system: 1,849,000 telephones (December 1991); 18 telephones/100 persons; telephone service inadequate for the purposes of either business or the population; about 70% of the telephones are in homes; over 750,000 applications from households for telephones remain unsatisfied (1992); new investment centers on international connections and business needs; the new BelCel NMT 450 cellular system (a joint venture) is now operating in Minsk local: NA intercity: NA international: international traffic is carried by the Moscow international gateway switch and also by 2 satellite earth stations near Minsk - INTELSAT (through Canada) and EUTELSAT (through the UK)

Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0 radios: 3.14 million (5,615,000 with multiple speaker systems for program diffusion)

Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: 3.538 million

@Belarus:Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,550,500; males fit for military service 1,999,138; males reach military age (18) annually 71,808 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: 56.5 billion rubles, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results



BELGIUM

@Belgium:Geography

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

Map references: Europe

Area: total area: 30,510 sq km land area: 30,230 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries: total 1,385 km, France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

Coastline: 64 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: median line with neighbors exclusive fishing zone: median line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast) territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

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

Natural resources: coal, natural gas

Land use: arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 21% other: 34%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: Meuse River, a major source of drinking water, polluted from steel production wastes; other rivers polluted by animal wastes and fertilizers; industrial air pollution contributes to acid rain in neighboring countries natural hazards: flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of the EU

@Belgium:People

Population: 10,081,880 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (female 875,079; male 919,939) 15-64 years: 66% (female 3,303,219; male 3,363,250) 65 years and over: 16% (female 969,966; male 650,427) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.17% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 11.46 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 10.22 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.21 years male: 73.94 years female: 80.67 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.62 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian

Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%

Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Languages: Dutch 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11% divided along ethnic lines

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 99%

Labor force: 4.126 million by occupation: services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)

@Belgium:Government

Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique local short form: Belgique

Digraph: BE

Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Brussels

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen

Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)

Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state

Legal system: 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) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992) cabinet: Cabinet; the king appoints the ministers who are approved by the legislature

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: (Flemish - Senaat, French - Senat); elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by the end of 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (184 total; of which 106 are directly elected; in the 1995 elections, seats will decrease to 71) CVP 20, SP 14, VLD 13, VU 5, AGALEV 5, VB 5, ROSSEN 1, PS 18, PRL 9, PSC 9, ECOLO 6, FDF 1 Chamber of Deputies: (Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des Representants); elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by 21 May 1995); results - CVP 16.7%, PS 13.6%, SP 12.0%, VLD 11.9%, PRL 8.2%, PSC 7.8%, VB 6.6%, VU 5.9%, ECOLO 5.1%, AGALEV 4.9%, FDF 2.6%, ROSSEM 3.2%, FN 1.5%; seats - (212 total; in 1995 elections, seats will decrease to 150) CVP 39, PS 35, SP 28, VLD 26, PRL 20, PSC 18, VB 12, VU 10, ECOLO 10, AGALEV 7, FDF 3, ROSSEM 3, FN 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders: Flemish Christian Democrats (CVP - Christian People's Party), Johan van HECKE, president; Francophone Christian Democrats (PSC - Social Christian Party), Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist Party (SP), Louis TOBBACK, president; Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN, president; Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president; Francophone Liberal Reform Party (PRL), Jean GOL, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president; Volksunie (VU), Bert ANCIAUX, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM; National Front (FN), Daniel FERET, president; AGALEV (Flemish Greens), no president; ECOLO (Francophone Ecologists), no president; other minor parties

Other political or pressure groups: Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; 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 the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi

Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andre ADAM (appointed 3 October 1994) chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: APO AE 09724; PSC 82, Box 002, Brussels telephone: [32] (2) 513 38 30 FAX: [32] (2) 511 27 25

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

@Belgium:Economy

Overview: This small 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, although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. 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. Three-fourths of its trade is with other EU countries. The economy grew at a strong 4% pace during the period 1988-90, slowed to 1% in 1991-92, dropped by 1.5% in 1993, and recovered with 2.3% growth in 1994. Belgium's public debt has risen to 140% of GDP, and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $181.5 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 2.3% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $18,040 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 14.1% (December 1994)

Budget: revenues: $97.8 billion expenditures: $109.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Exports: $117 billion (f.o.b., 1992) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union

commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products partners: EC 75.5%, US 3.7%, former Communist countries 1.4% (1991)

Imports: $120 billion (c.i.f., 1992) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union

commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: EC 73%, US 4.8%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist countries 1.8% (1991)

External debt: $31.3 billion (1992 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate -0.1% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP

Electricity: capacity: 14,040,000 kW production: 66 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,334 kWh (1993)

Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal

Agriculture: accounts for 2.0% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production - beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; net importer of farm products

Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine entering the European market

Economic aid: donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion

Currency: 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 31.549 (January 1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Belgium:Transportation

Railroads: total: 3,410 km (2,362 km electrified; 2,563 km double track) standard gauge: 3,410 km 1.435-m gauge (1994)

Highways: total: 137,912 km paved: 129,639 km (including 1,667 km of limited access divided highway) unpaved: 8,273 km (1992)

Inland waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)

Pipelines: crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural gas 3,300 km

Ports: Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Merchant marine: total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,055 GRT/56,842 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 9, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 2, oil tanker 5

Airports: total: 43 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 6 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 22 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3

@Belgium:Communications

Telephone system: 4,720,000 telephones; highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities local: NA intercity: extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network; nationwide mobile phone system international: 5 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations and 1 EUTELSAT earth station

Radio: broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 39, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Television: broadcast stations: 32 televisions: NA

@Belgium:Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,559,077; males fit for military service 2,126,875; males reach military age (19) annually 61,488 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.9 billion, 1.8% of GDP (1994)



BELIZE

@Belize:Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total area: 22,960 sq km land area: 22,800 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Land boundaries: total 516 km, Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm 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 miles; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala

International disputes: border with Guatemala in dispute; talks to resolve the dispute are stalled

Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)

Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 44% other: 52%

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff natural hazards: frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of hurricanes; only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

@Belize:People

Population: 214,061 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (female 45,812; male 47,618) 15-64 years: 53% (female 55,630; male 57,230) 65 years and over: 3% (female 3,970; male 3,801) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.42% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 33.71 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 34.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.32 years male: 66.37 years female: 70.36 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.25 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean

Ethnic divisions: mestizo 44%, Creole 30%, Maya 11%, Garifuna 7%, other 8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980)

Languages: English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib)

Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970) total population: 91% male: 91% female: 91%

Labor force: 51,500 by occupation: agriculture 30%, services 16%, government 15.4%, commerce 11.2%, manufacturing 10.3% note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1985)

@Belize:Government

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

Digraph: BH

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Belmopan

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

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

Constitution: 21 September 1981

Legal system: English law

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 (since 17 November 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Manuel ESQUIVEL (since July 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Dean BARROW (since NA 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice from the prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly Senate: consists of an 8-member appointed body; 5 members are appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 2 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 after consultation with the Belize Advisory Council (this council serves as an independent body to advise the governor-general with respect to difficult decisions such as granting pardons, commutations, stays of execution, the removal of justices of appeal who appear to be incompetent, etc.) National Assembly: elections last held 30 June 1993 (next to be held June 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (28 total) PUP 13 UDP 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: People's United Party (PUP), George PRICE, Florencio MARIN, Said MUSA; United Democratic Party (UDP), Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean LINDO, Dean BARROW; National Alliance for Belizean Rights, Philip GOLDSON

Other political or pressure groups: Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR), Assad SHOMAN; United Workers Front, leader NA

Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dean R. LINDO chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador George Charles BRUNO embassy: Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City; APO: Unit 7401, APO AA 34025 telephone: [501] (2) 77161 through 77163 FAX: [501] (2) 30802

Flag: 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

@Belize:Economy

Overview: The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming increasing importance. Agriculture accounts for about 30% of GDP and provides 75% of export earnings, while sugar, the chief crop, accounts for almost 40% of hard currency earnings. The US, Belize's main trading partner, is assisting in efforts to reduce dependency on sugar with an agricultural diversification program.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $575 million (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $2,750 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1991)

Unemployment rate: 10% (1993 est.)

Budget: revenues: $126.8 million expenditures: $123.1 million, including capital expenditures of $44.8 million (FY90/91 est.)

Exports: $115 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: sugar, citrus fruits, bananas, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood partners: US 51%, UK, other EC (1992)

Imports: $281 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals partners: US 57%, UK 8%, other EC 7%, Mexico (1992)

External debt: $158 million (1992)

Industrial production: growth rate 3.7% (1990); accounts for 12% of GDP

Electricity: capacity: 34,532 kW production: 110 million kWh consumption per capita: 490 kWh (1993)

Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction

Agriculture: commercial crops: bananas, coca, citrus fruits, fish, cultured shrimp, lumber

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center

Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $104 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $215 million

Currency: 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1 - 2.00 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Belize:Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways: total: 2,710 km paved: 500 km unpaved: gravel 1,600 km; improved earth 300 km; unimproved earth 310 km

Inland waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable

Ports: Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda

Merchant marine: total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 170,002 GRT/270,893 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 25, container 4, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 1

Airports: total: 46 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 35 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9

@Belize:Communications

Telephone system: 8,650 telephones; above-average system based on microwave radio relay local: NA intercity: microwave radio relay international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio: broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 radios: NA

Television: broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

@Belize:Defense Forces

Branches: Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 50,499; males fit for military service 30,040; males reach military age (18) annually 2,285 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $11 million, 2.2% of GDP (FY93/94)



BENIN

@Benin:Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo

Map references: Africa

Area: total area: 112,620 sq km land area: 110,620 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries: total 1,989 km, Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 35% other: 45%

Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

Note: no natural harbors

@Benin:People

Population: 5,522,677 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (female 1,324,553; male 1,333,673) 15-64 years: 49% (female 1,431,630; male 1,299,180) 65 years and over: 3% (female 74,119; male 59,522) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.33% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 47.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 13.93 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 107.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 52.24 years male: 50.34 years female: 54.2 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.72 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality: noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese

Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 23% male: 32% female: 16%

Labor force: 1.9 million (1987) by occupation: agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%

@Benin:Government

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

Digraph: BN

Type: republic under multiparty democratic rule dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991

Capital: Porto-Novo

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)

Constitution: 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 and head of government: President Nicephore SOGLO (since 4 April 1991); election last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next election 1996); results - Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32% cabinet: Executive Council; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 28 March 1995; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (83 total) Renaissance Party and allies 20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2, Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, ADP 1, other 16

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: as of August 1994, 72 political parties were officially recognized; the following are among the most important: Alliance of the Democratic Union for the Forces of Progress (UDFP), Timothee ADANLIN; Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS), Jean-Roger AHOYO; Union for Liberty and Development (ULD), Marcellin DEGBE; Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVOEDJRE; National Rally for Democracy (RND), Joseph KEKE; Alliance of the National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD), leader NA; Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress (MSUP), Adebo ADENIYI; Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (UDRN), Azaria FAKOREDE; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDS), Mama Amadou N'DIAYE; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD), Robert DOSSOU; Bloc for Social Democracy (BSD), Michel MAGNIDE; Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Akindes ADEKPEDJOU, and the Democratic Union for Social Renewal (UDRS), Bio Gado Seko N'GOYE; National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Robert TAGNON; Party for Progress and Democracy, Thiophile NATA; FARD-ALAFIA, Mathieu KEREKOU; The Renaissance Party, Nicephore SOGLO; The Patriotic Union for the Republic (UPR), Jean-Marie ZAHOUN; Union for the Conservation of Democracy, Bernard HOUEGNON

Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656, 6657, 6658 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Ruth A. DAVIS embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92 FAX: [229] 41-15-22

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

@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 a sound 4% in 1991-94 but this rate barely exceeds the rapid population growth of 3.3%. Inflation jumped to 35% in 1994 (compared to 3% in 1993) following the 50% currency devaluation in January. Commercial and transport activities, which make up almost 36% of GDP, are extremely vulnerable to developments in Nigeria as evidenced by decreased reexport trade in 1994 due to a severe contraction in Nigerian demand. The industrial sector accounts for less than 10% of GDP and mainly produces foods, beverages, cement, and textiles. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government, still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service, is gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.7 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $1,260 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $272 million (1993 est.) expenditures: $375 million, including capital expenditures of $84 million (1993 est.)

Exports: $332 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa partners: FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 4%

Imports: $571 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods partners: France 20%, Thailand 8%, Netherlands 7%, US 5%

External debt: $1 billion (December 1990 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate -0.7% (1988); accounts for 10% of GDP

Electricity: capacity: 30,000 kW production: 10 million kWh consumption per capita: 25 kWh (1993)

Industries: textiles, cigarettes, construction materials, beverages, food, petroleum

Agriculture: accounts for 35% of GDP; small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops - corn, sorghum, cassava, yams, beans, rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US

Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $46 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million

Currency: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Benin:Transportation

Railroads: total: 578 km (single track) narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge

Highways: total: 8,435 km paved: 1,038 km unpaved: crushed stone 2,600 km; improved earth 1,530 km; unimproved earth 3,267 km

Inland waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally

Ports: Cotonou, Porto-Novo

Merchant marine: none

Airports: total: 7 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4

@Benin:Communications

Telephone system: NA telephones; fair system of open wire and microwave radio relay local: NA intercity: microwave radio relay and open wire international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station, submarine cable

Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Television: broadcast stations: 2 televisions: NA

@Benin:Defense Forces

Branches: Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,165,463; females age 15-49 1,249,234; males fit for military service 596,956; females fit for military service 631,780; males reach military age (18) annually 60,282 (1995 est.); females reach military age (18) annually 58,770 (1995 est.) note: both sexes are liable for miltary service