Total fertility rate: 5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 68,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 5,800 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007)

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

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

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 33.6% male: 46.4% female: 22.6% (2002 est.)

Government Benin

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

Government type: republic

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

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

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1960)

Constitution: adopted by referendum 2 December 1990

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held 25 March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD, AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gayleatha B. BROWN embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50 FAX: [229] 30-06-70

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

Economy Benin

Economy - overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Many of these proposals were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $8.931 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $4.622 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32.8% industry: 13.7% services: 53.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 3.211 million (1996)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 33% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 19.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $836.8 million expenditures: $1.064 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock

Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

Industrial production growth rate: 8.3% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production: 82 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 576.3 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 500 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption: 14,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 4.105 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-342.7 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $563.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa

Exports - partners: China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%, Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005)

Imports: $927.3 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

Imports - partners: France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $607.3 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $1.6 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient: $342.6 million (2000)

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

Currency code: XOF

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 513.168 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Benin

Telephones - main lines in use: 76,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 386,700 (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)

Radios: 660,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)

Televisions: 66,000 (2000)

Internet country code: .bj

Internet hosts: 867 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (2002)

Internet users: 425,000 (2005)

Transportation Benin

Airports: 5 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Railways: total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 16,000 km paved: 1,400 km unpaved: 14,600 km (2005)

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

Ports and terminals: Cotonou

Military Benin

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military service age and obligation: 21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service: males age 21-49: 1,295,230 females age 21-49: 1,301,936 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 21-49: 749,774 females age 21-49: 751,329 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 76,661 females: 75,068 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $100.9 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.3% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Benin

Disputes - international: Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 26,632 (Togo) (2006)

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@Bermuda

Introduction Bermuda

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

Geography Bermuda

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

Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N, 64 45 W

Map references: North America

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

Area - comparative: about one-third the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 103 km

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

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

Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions

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

Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

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

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: hurricanes (June to November)

Environment - current issues: sustainable development

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

People Bermuda

Population: 65,773 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,146/female 6,098) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,562/female 22,954) 65 years and over: 12.2% (male 3,479/female 4,534) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 40.2 years male: 39.3 years female: 41 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.61% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 11.4 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 7.74 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.96 years male: 75.85 years female: 80.1 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.297% (2005)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 163 (2005)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 392 (2005)

Nationality: noun: Bermudian(s) adjective: Bermudian

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

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

Languages: English (official), Portuguese

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

Government Bermuda

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

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK

Government type: parliamentary; self-governing territory

Capital: name: Hamilton geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 46 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October

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

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Bermuda Day, 24 May

Constitution: 8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002) head of government: Premier Ewart BROWN (since 30 October 2006); Deputy Premier Paula COX cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms) elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders: Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Wayne FURBERT]

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

International organization participation: Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)

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

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

Economy Bermuda

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

GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.5 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): NA

GDP - real growth rate: 4.6% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $69,900 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 38,360 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 3%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 19%, services 19% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.1% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 19% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (November 2005)

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

Agriculture - products: bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey

Industries: international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 682.5 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 616.7 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption: 4,658 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports: $1.469 billion (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: reexports of pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners: France 65.9%, Spain 11.8%, US 4.5% (2005)

Imports: $982 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals

Imports - partners: France 38.9%, South Korea 20.9%, US 15.5% (2005)

Debt - external: $160 million (FY99/00)

Economic aid - recipient: $NA

Currency (code): Bermudian dollar (BMD)

Currency code: BMD

Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Bermuda

Telephones - main lines in use: 56,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 49,000 (2004)

Telephone system: general assessment: good domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines international: country code - 1-441; submarine cables - 3 (fiber optic); satellite earth stations - 3 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios: 82,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (2005)

Televisions: 66,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .bm

Internet hosts: 8,114 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 20 (2000)

Internet users: 39,000 (2005)

Transportation Bermuda

Airports: 1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways: total: 447 km paved: 447 km note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2002)

Merchant marine: total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,873,728 GRT/8,688,692 DWT by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 1, container 24, liquefied gas 23, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 116 (Australia 3, Belgium 4, France 1, Germany 21, Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, Switzerland 2, UK 9, US 27) registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 4, Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Hamilton, Saint George

Military Bermuda

Military branches: no regular military forces

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 15,151 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 12,165 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 408 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $4.03 million (2001)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.11% (FY00/01)

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Bermuda

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@Bhutan

Introduction Bhutan

Background: In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which would introduce major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. A referendum date has yet to be named.

Geography Bhutan

Location: Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates: 27 30 N, 90 30 E

Map references: Asia

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

Area - comparative: about half the size of Indiana

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

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna

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

Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate

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

Irrigated land: 400 sq km (2003)

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

Environment - current issues: soil erosion; limited access to potable water

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

Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

People Bhutan

Population: 2,279,723 note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947) 15-64 years: 57.1% (male 671,057/female 631,078) 65 years and over: 4% (male 46,217/female 45,623) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 20.4 years male: 20.2 years female: 20.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.1% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 33.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 12.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 98.41 deaths/1,000 live births male: 96.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 100.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.78 years male: 55.02 years female: 54.53 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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

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

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

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

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

Government Bhutan

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

Government type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India

Capital: name: Thimphu geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 39 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse

Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India)

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

Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001, the king commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005 publicly unveiled it; is awaiting national referendum

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

Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law

Executive branch: chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him head of government: Prime Minister Khandu WANGCHUK (since 7 September 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms) elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders: no legal parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled)

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US consulate(s) general: New York

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

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

Economy Bhutan

Economy - overview: The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 80% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources. Model education, social, and environment programs are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale, environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.9 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $840.5 million (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25.8% industry: 37.9% services: 36.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force: NA note: major shortage of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 93% industry: 2% services: 5%

Unemployment rate:

Population below poverty line: 31.7% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2005 est.)

Budget: revenues: $346.6 million expenditures: including capital expenditures of $NA note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2004)

Public debt: 81.4% of GDP (2004)

Agriculture - products: rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs

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

Industrial production growth rate: 9.3% (1996 est.)

Electricity - production: 2.05 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 526.5 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 1.4 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 20 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption: 1,160 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports: $154 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices

Exports - partners: Japan 32.3%, Germany 13.2%, France 13.1%, South Korea 7.6%, US 7.5%, Thailand 5.6%, Italy 5% (2005)

Imports: $196 million c.i.f. (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice

Imports - partners: Hong Kong 66.6%, Mexico 20.2%, France 3.8% (2005)

Debt - external: $593 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient: $78 million substantial aid from India and other nations (2004)

Currency (code): ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code: BTN; INR

Exchange rates: ngultrum per US dollar - 44.101 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002) note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Communications Bhutan

Telephones - main lines in use: 32,700 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 37,800 (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2006)

Radios: 37,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (2006)

Televisions: 11,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .bt

Internet hosts: 7,567 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA

Internet users: 25,000 (2005)

Transportation Bhutan

Airports: 2 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

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

Military Bhutan

Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army: Royal Bodyguard, Royal Bhutan Police (2005)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 483,860 females age 18-49: 453,683 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 314,975 females age 18-49: 296,833 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 23,939 females age 18-49: 21,979 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $8.29 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Bhutan

Disputes - international: approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as refugees in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps; Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian separatists

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@Bolivia

Introduction Bolivia

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

Geography Bolivia

Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W

Map references: South America

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

Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana

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

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

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

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

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

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

Irrigated land: 1,320 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: flooding in the northeast (March-April)

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

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

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

People Bolivia

Population: 8,989,046 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (male 1,603,982/female 1,542,319) 15-64 years: 60.4% (male 2,660,806/female 2,771,807) 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 182,412/female 227,720) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 21.8 years male: 21.2 years female: 22.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.45% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 23.3 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 51.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 55.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.84 years male: 63.21 years female: 68.61 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4,900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian

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

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

Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87.2% male: 93.1% female: 81.6% (2003 est.)

Government Bolivia

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

Government type: republic

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

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

Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

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

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

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

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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)

Political parties and leaders: Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy ZABALA]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti Indigenous Movement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE Huanca]; Poder Democratico Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Socialist Party or PS [Jeres JUSTINIANO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Roman LOAYZA]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gustavo GUZMAN Saldana chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410 FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712 consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000 FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111

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

Economy Bolivia

Economy - overview: Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American countries, reformed its economy after suffering a disastrous economic crisis in the early 1980s. The reforms spurred real GDP growth, which averaged 4% in the 1990s, and poverty rates fell. Economic growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999 because of a global slowdown and homegrown factors such as political turmoil, civil unrest, and soaring fiscal deficits, all of which hurt investor confidence. In 2003, violent protests against the pro-foreign investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of plans to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial natural gas law that imposes on the oil and gas firms significantly higher taxes as well as new contracts that give the state control of their operations. Bolivian officials are in the process of implementing the law; meanwhile, foreign investors have stopped investing and have taken the first legal steps to secure their investments. Real GDP growth in 2003-06 - helped by increased demand for natural gas in neighboring Brazil - was positive, but still below the levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia's fiscal position has improved in recent years, but the country remains dependent on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and foreign governments to meet budget shortfalls. In 2005, the G8 announced a $2 billion debt-forgiveness plan over the next few decades that should help reduce some fiscal pressures on the government in the near term.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $27.21 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $10.22 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.8% industry: 36.1% services: 51.2% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 4.3 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 7.8% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: 64% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 32% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 60.6 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 12.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $4.153 billion expenditures: $3.619 billion; including capital expenditures of $741 million (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 4.472 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44.4% hydro: 54% nuclear: 0% other: 1.5% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 4.168 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 9 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 42,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption: 47,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves: 458.8 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production: 10.05 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 2.14 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 7.91 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 679.6 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance: $688 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $3.668 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin

Exports - partners: Brazil 44.2%, US 12.5%, Argentina 10.9%, Colombia 7.8%, Peru 4.8% (2005)

Imports: $2.934 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans

Imports - partners: Brazil 21.9%, Argentina 16.7%, US 13.8%, Chile 6.9%, Peru 6.5%, Japan 6.1%, China 5.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.303 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $5.916 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $221 million (2005 est.)

Currency (code): boliviano (BOB)

Currency code: BOB

Exchange rates: bolivianos per US dollar - 8.01039 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004), 7.6592 (2003), 7.17 (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Bolivia

Telephones - main lines in use: 646,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.421 million (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile cellular telephone use expanding rapidly domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Radios: 5.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 48 (1997)

Televisions: 900,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .bo

Internet hosts: 20,085 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2000)

Internet users: 480,000 (2005)

Transportation Bolivia

Airports: 1,084 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,068 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 60 914 to 1,523 m: 207 under 914 m: 797 (2006)

Pipelines: gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refined products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2006)

Railways: total: 3,519 km narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 62,479 km paved: 3,749 km unpaved: 56,730 km (2004)

Waterways: 10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2005)

Merchant marine: total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 127,297 GRT/198,525 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 10 foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 1, China 1, Egypt 2, Iran 1, Singapore 3, Taiwan 1, Yemen 1) (2006)

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

Military Bolivia

Military branches: Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18, with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12 months (2002)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,923,234 females age 18-49: 2,007,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,311,414 females age 18-49: 1,502,177 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 101,101 females age 18-49: 98,671 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $130 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Bolivia

Disputes - international: Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas and other commodities

Trafficking in persons: current situation: Bolivia is a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation to Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, as well as to Spain; children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, forced mining, and agricultural labor; illegal migrants from Asia transiting Bolivia are vulnerable as trafficking victims tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bolivia has failed to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in the areas of prosecutions and victim protection

Illicit drugs: world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 26,500 hectares under cultivation in August 2005, an 8% increase from 2004; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported mostly to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to European drug markets; cultivation steadily increasing despite eradication and alternative crop programs; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil and Paraguay

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@Bosnia and Herzegovina

Introduction Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N, 18 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 51,129 sq km land: 51,129 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries: total: 1,459 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 225 km, Serbia 302 km

Coastline: 20 km

Maritime claims: no data available

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

Terrain: mountains and valleys

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

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

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

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

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

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

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

People Bosnia and Herzegovina

Population: 4,498,976 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.5% (male 359,739/female 336,978) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,590,923/female 1,564,665) 65 years and over: 14.4% (male 265,637/female 381,034) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 38.4 years male: 37.2 years female: 39.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.35% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 8.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 13.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78 years male: 74.39 years female: 81.88 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100 (2001 est.)

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

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

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

Languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.6% male: 98.4% female: 91.1% (2000 est.)

Government Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Government type: emerging federal democratic republic

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

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

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

National holiday: National Day, 25 November (1943)

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

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman since 6 November 2006; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Zeljko KOMSIC (since 1 October 2006 - Croat) and Haris SILAJDZIC (since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 4 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the National House of Representatives elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years); the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the National House of Representatives election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of the votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Haris SILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the votes for the Bosniak seat note: current government is caretaker in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC (since in 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since in 2003); new government will be appointed in coming months; President of the Republika Srpska: Milan JELIC (since 9 November 2006)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007) election results: national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ 1990 2, other 5; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 1i7 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4, SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four members of the smaller communities

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

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

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

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

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

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

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

Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina

Economy - overview: Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry remains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia was saddled with a host of industrial firms with little commercial potential. The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag in output was made up in 2003-06. National-level statistics are limited and do not capture the large share of black market activity. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the currency and the banking sector has increased. Implementation of privatization, however, has been slow, and local entities only reluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were shut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control most of the banking sector. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment rate remain the two most serious economic problems. The country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $24.8 billion note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much as 50% of official GDP (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $9.158 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.2% industry: 30.8% services: 55% (2002)

Labor force: 1.026 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

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

Population below poverty line: 25% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 26.2 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $5.643 billion expenditures: $5.677 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Public debt: 24.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production: 12.98 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 53.5% hydro: 46.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 11.03 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 3.05 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 2 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption: 23,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 300 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 300 million cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $-1.73 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $3.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners: Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.7%, Germany 12.8%, Austria 6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

Imports: $8.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners: Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.6%, Slovenia 13%, Italy 11%, Austria 6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.7 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $3.927 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $650 million (2001 est.)

Currency (code): marka (BAM)

Currency code: BAM

Exchange rates: marka per US dollar - 1.55818 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003), 2.0782 (2002) note: the marka is pegged to the euro

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

Telephones - main lines in use: 968,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.594 million (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: telephone and telegraph network needs modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average as contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republics domestic: NA international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 940,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions: NA

Internet country code: .ba

Internet hosts: 31,490 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)

Internet users: 806,400 (2005)

Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Airports: 28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Heliports: 5 (2006)

Railways: total: 608 km (777 km electrified) standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 21,846 km paved: 11,425 km (4,686 km of interurban roads) unpaved: 10,421 km (2005)

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

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

Military Bosnia and Herzegovina

Military branches: VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service obligation is four months (July 2004)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,119,508 females age 18-49: 1,079,435 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 910,539 females age 18-49: 881,446 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 32,942 females age 18-49: 31,466 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $234.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.5% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina

Disputes - international: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimited most of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 7,458 (Croatia) IDPs: 180,251 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in 1992-95 war) (2006)

Illicit drugs: minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to Western Europe; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@Botswana

Introduction Botswana

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

Geography Botswana

Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references: Africa

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

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

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

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

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

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (2003)

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

Environment - current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

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

Geography - note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

People Botswana

Population: 1,639,833 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.3% (male 319,531/female 309,074) 15-64 years: 57.9% (male 460,692/female 488,577) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 23,374/female 38,585) (2006 est.)

Median age: total: 19.4 years male: 18.8 years female: 20 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.04% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 23.08 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 29.5 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 53.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 54.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 52.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 33.74 years male: 33.9 years female: 33.56 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 37.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 350,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 33,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2007)

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

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

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

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.8% male: 76.9% female: 82.4% (2003 est.)

Government Botswana

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

Government type: parliamentary republic

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

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

Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%

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

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

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

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782

Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center

Economy Botswana

Economy - overview: Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $11,200 in 2006. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $18.72 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $9.697 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $11,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.4% industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining) services: 50.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 288,400 formal sector employees (2004)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 23.8% (2004)

Population below poverty line: 30.3% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 63 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.4% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 21.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $4.256 billion expenditures: $3.968 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Public debt: 7.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production: 823 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 2.464 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports: 1.699 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption: 11,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports: 16,000 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $1.698 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $4.836 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles

Exports - partners: European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004)

Imports: $3.034 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products

Imports - partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.445 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $520 million (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $73 million (1995)

Currency (code): pula (BWP)

Currency code: BWP

Exchange rates: pulas per US dollar - 5.90646 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Botswana

Telephones - main lines in use: 132,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 823,100 (2005)

Telephone system: general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile cellular service is growing fast international: country code - 267; two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)

Radios: 252,720 (2000)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)

Televisions: 31,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .bw

Internet hosts: 5,499 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (2001)

Internet users: 60,000 (2002)

Transportation Botswana

Airports: 85 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 75 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 55 under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Railways: total: 888 km narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 24,455 km paved: 8,914 km unpaved: 15,441 km (2004)

Military Botswana

Military branches: Botswana Defense Force (includes an air wing) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 350,649 females age 18-49: 361,642 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 136,322 females age 18-49: 136,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 21,103 females age 18-49: 21,379 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $325.5 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Botswana

Disputes - international: commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana has built electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has long supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@Bouvet Island

Introduction Bouvet Island

Background: This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since 1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the island.

Geography Bouvet Island

Location: island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)

Geographic coordinates: 54 26 S, 3 24 E

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area: total: 49 sq km land: 49 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 29.6 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 4 nm

Climate: antarctic

Terrain: volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Olav Peak 935 m

Natural resources: none

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (93% ice) (2005)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve

People Bouvet Island

Population: uninhabited (July 2006 est.)

Government Bouvet Island

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bouvet Island

Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo

Legal system: the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Flag description: the flag of Norway is used

Economy Bouvet Island

Economy - overview: no economic activity; declared a nature reserve

Communications Bouvet Island

Internet country code: .bv

Internet hosts: 6 (2006)

Communications - note: automatic meteorological station

Transportation Bouvet Island

Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only

Military Bouvet Island

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues Bouvet Island

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@Brazil

Introduction Brazil

Background: Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.

Geography Brazil

Location: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 55 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 8,511,965 sq km land: 8,456,510 sq km water: 55,455 sq km note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries: total: 16,885 km border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km

Coastline: 7,491 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m

Natural resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Land use: arable land: 6.93% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.18% (2005)

Irrigated land: 29,200 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

Environment - current issues: deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

People Brazil

Population: 188,078,227 note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)