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Geography Brunei
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
Geographic coordinates:
4 30 N, 114 40 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 5,770 sq km land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 381 km border countries: Malaysia 381 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain:
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land: 2.08% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
8.5 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.09 per capita: 243 cu m/yr (1994)
Natural hazards:
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Environment - current issues:
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia
People Brunei
Population:
381,371 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 53,400/female 50,333) 15-64 years: 69.6% (male 132,895/female 132,391) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 5,927/female 6,425) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.5 years male: 27.5 years female: 27.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.785% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
18.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
3.28 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.52 years male: 73.32 years female: 77.83 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.94 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian
Ethnic groups:
Malay 66.3%, Chinese 11.2%, indigenous 3.4%, other 19.1% (2004 est.)
Religions:
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10%
Languages:
Malay (official), English, Chinese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.7% male: 95.2% female: 90.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (2000)
Government Brunei
Country name:
conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei
Government type:
constitutional sultanate
Capital:
name: Bandar Seri Begawan geographic coordinates: 4 53 N, 114 56 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Independence:
1 January 1984 (from UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection
Constitution:
29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
Legal system:
based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Sharia law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age for village elections; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967) cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Legislative branch:
Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; council met in March 2006 and in March 2007 elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)
Political parties and leaders:
National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi] note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu] and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] were deregistered; parties are small and have limited activity
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Angela SHIM chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William E. TODD embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 222-0384 FAX: [673] 222-5293
Flag description:
yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
Economy Brunei
Economy - overview:
Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for just over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$19.64 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.39 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$51,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.9% industry: 71.6% services: 27.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
180,400 (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.9% industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $3.765 billion expenditures: $4.815 billion (2004 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.4% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.5% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$2.674 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.258 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.38 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs
Industries:
petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
3.1 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
2.924 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
180,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
13,200 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
200,000 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
304 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
13.8 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
3.99 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
9.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$7.101 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$6.767 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, natural gas, refined products, clothing
Exports - partners:
Japan 32.8%, Indonesia 24.4%, Australia 13.4%, South Korea 12.2%, US 5.5% (2007)
Imports:
$2 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
UK 46.4%, Singapore 19.5%, Malaysia 11.3% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$770,000 (2004)
Debt - external:
$0 (2005)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
Bruneian dollar (BND)
Currency code:
BND
Exchange rates:
Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.5886 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003)
Communications Brunei
Telephones - main lines in use:
79,200 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
339,800 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service) (2006)
Radios:
329,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006)
Televisions:
201,900 (1998)
Internet country code:
.bn
Internet hosts:
14,950 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
199,532 (2007)
Transportation Brunei
Airports:
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Heliports:
3 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 3,650 km paved: 2,819 km unpaved: 831 km (2005)
Waterways:
209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 1 (UK 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Lumut, Muara, Seria
Military Brunei
Military branches:
Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF): Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 108,356 females age 16-49: 110,153 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 91,297 females age 16-49: 93,228 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 3,223 female: 3,182 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues Brunei
Disputes - international:
Brunei and Malaysia agreed in September 2008 to resolve their offshore and deepwater seabed dispute, resume hydrocarbon exploration, and renounce any territorial claims on land; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands in 1984, but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants
Illicit drugs:
drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Bulgaria
Introduction Bulgaria
Background:
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Geography Bulgaria
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km
Coastline:
354 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 29.94% permanent crops: 1.9% other: 68.16% (2005)
Irrigated land:
5,880 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
19.4 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.92 cu km/yr (3%/78%/19%) per capita: 895 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes, landslides
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
People Bulgaria
Population:
7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 514,238/female 489,608) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 2,449,812/female 2,532,845) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 520,962/female 755,210) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.1 years male: 38.9 years female: 43.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.813% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
9.58 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.83 years male: 69.22 years female: 76.66 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
346 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups:
Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)
Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)
Languages:
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.7% female: 97.7% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005)
Government Bulgaria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria local long form: Republika Balgariya local short form: Balgariya
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Sofia geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol
Independence:
3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution:
adopted 12 July 1991
Legal system:
civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Georgi PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005) and Meglena PLUGCHIEVA (since 25 April 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Georgi PARVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PARVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held in June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%, MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%, other 8.7%; seats by party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13, independents 4; note - seats by party as of January 2008 - CfB 82, NMS2 36, MRF 34, Bulgarian New Democracy 16, DSB 16, UDF 16, BPU 13, ATAKA 11, independents 16
Judicial branch:
Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)
Political parties and leaders:
ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Attack National Union [Volen SIDEROV]; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Tsvetan TSVETANOV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Stability and Progress or NMSS [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA] (formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Petar STOYANOV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
International organization participation:
ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Latechezar PETKOV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy McELDOWNEY embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed
Economy Bulgaria
Economy - overview:
Bulgaria, a former communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, has experienced strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996. Successive governments have demonstrated commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but have failed so far to rein in rising inflation and large current account deficits. Bulgaria has averaged more than 6% growth since 2004, attracting significant amounts of foreign direct investment, but corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain significant challenges.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$86.71 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$39.61 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.2% industry: 32.3% services: 61.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.593 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 8.5% industry: 33.6% services: 57.9% (2nd qtr. 2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.1% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25.4% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.6 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
29.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $16.84 billion expenditures: $15.35 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
10.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.58% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$15.58 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$17.03 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$25.18 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock
Industries:
electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
Industrial production growth rate:
14% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
43.15 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
30.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
7.534 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.054 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
3,661 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
109,600 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
50,530 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports:
158,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
15 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
5.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
5.179 billion cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$8.53 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$18.44 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners:
Turkey 11.5%, Germany 10.3%, Italy 10.2%, Greece 9.1%, Belgium 6.2%, Romania 4.9% (2007)
Imports:
$28.67 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials
Imports - partners:
Russia 12.3%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 8.7%, Ukraine 7.2%, Turkey 6.9%, Greece 6.2%, Romania 4.5%, Austria 4.3% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$742 million (2005-06 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$17.38 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$34.88 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$33.91 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$559 million (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$10.32 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
lev (BGN)
Currency code:
BGN
Exchange rates:
leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003)
Communications Bulgaria
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.3 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.897 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now exceeds the population domestic: a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions; the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay international: country code - 359; submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios:
4.51 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.bg
Internet hosts:
513,470 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
200 (2001)
Internet users:
1.899 million (2007)
Transportation Bulgaria
Airports:
214 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 131 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 95 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 83 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 72 (2007)
Heliports:
4 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 2,500 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 4,294 km standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified) narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 40,231 km paved: 39,587 km (includes 331 km of expressways) unpaved: 644 km (2005)
Waterways:
470 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 74 by type: bulk carrier 37, cargo 14, chemical tanker 5, container 6, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 65 (Germany 63, Ireland 1, Russia 1) registered in other countries: 31 (Comoros 2, Malta 5, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15, Slovakia 6) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Burgas, Varna
Military Bulgaria
Military branches:
Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,701,979 females age 16-49: 1,691,092 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,364,029 females age 16-49: 1,401,348 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 39,477 female: 37,339 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Bulgaria
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Burkina Faso
Introduction Burkina Faso
Background:
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
Geography Burkina Faso
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 3,193 km border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources:
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt
Land use:
arable land: 17.66% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 82.12% (2005)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
17.5 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.8 cu km/yr (13%/1%/86%) per capita: 60 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues:
recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
People Burkina Faso
Population:
15,264,735 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 3,549,034/female 3,521,684) 15-64 years: 51.1% (male 3,885,124/female 3,922,198) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 154,476/female 232,219) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.7 years male: 16.5 years female: 16.9 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.109% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
44.68 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
13.59 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 86.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 93.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 78.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.55 years male: 50.67 years female: 54.49 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
4.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
300,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
29,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe
Ethnic groups:
Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)
Religions:
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Languages:
French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 21.8% male: 29.4% female: 15.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 5 years male: 5 years female: 4 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.2% of GDP (2006)
Government Burkina Faso
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Burkina Faso local long form: none local short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Ouagadougou geographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo
Independence:
5 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 11 December (1958)
Constitution:
2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted; last amended January 2002
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Tertius ZONGO (since 4 June 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005 (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 4.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly election last held 6 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 73, ADF-RDA 14, UPR 5, UNIR-MS 4, CFD-B 3, UPS 2, PDP-PS 2, RDB 2, PDS 2, PAREN 1, PAI 1, RPC 1, UDPS 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders:
African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA [Gilbert OUEDRAOGO]; Citizen's Popular Rally or RPC [Antoine QUARE]; Coalition of Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist Party or PDP/PS [Ali LANKOANDE]; Party for Democracy and Socialism or PDS [Felix SOUBEIGA]; Party for National Rebirth or PAREN [Oumar DJIGUIMDE]; Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Antoine KARGOUGOU]; Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO]; Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS [Cyril GOUNGOUNGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Fidele HIEN]; Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS [Benewende STANISLAS]; Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY]; Union of Sankarist Parties or UPS [Ernest Nongma OUEDRAOGO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole SAGNON]; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE]; Group of 14 February [Benewende STANISLAS]; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO]; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE] other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Paramanga Ernest YONLI chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4 mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440 telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23 FAX: [226] 50-30-38-90
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center note: uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy Burkina Faso
Economy - overview:
One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is vulnerable to periodic drought. Cotton is the main cash crop and the government has joined with three other cotton producing countries in the region - Mali, Niger, and Chad - to lobby in the World Trade Organization for fewer subsidies to producers in other competing countries. Since 1998, Burkina Faso has embarked upon a gradual but successful privatization of state-owned enterprises. Having revised its investment code in 2004, Burkina Faso hopes to attract foreign investors. Thanks to this new code and other legislation favoring the mining sector, the country has seen an upswing in gold exploration and production. While the bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire is beginning to be resolved, it is still having a negative effect on Burkina Faso's trade and employment. In 2007 higher costs for energy and imported foodstuffs, as well as low cotton prices, dampened a GDP growth rate that had averaged 6% in the last 10 years. Burkina Faso received a Millennium Challenge Account threshold grant to improve girls' education at the primary school level, and appears likely to receive a grant in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, and land reform.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$17.41 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.977 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29.7% industry: 19.4% services: 50.9% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
5 million note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
77% (2004)
Population below poverty line:
46.4% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.2% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
39.5 (2007)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.415 billion expenditures: $1.847 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.2% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA
Stock of money:
$1.051 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$663 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$905.1 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock
Industries:
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
Industrial production growth rate:
5.2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
611.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
509.3 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 69.9% hydro: 30.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
8,470 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
8,446 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$706 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$617 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, livestock, gold
Exports - partners:
China 29.6%, Singapore 15.7%, Thailand 7.2%, Ghana 6.4%, Niger 4.8% (2007)
Imports:
$1.296 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum
Imports - partners:
Cote d'Ivoire 25.8%, France 20.6%, Togo 7.1% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$659.6 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.029 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.33 billion (2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code:
XOF
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Communications Burkina Faso
Telephones - main lines in use:
94,800 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.611 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: services only fair; in 2006 the government sold a 51 percent stake in the national telephone company and ultimately plans to retain only a 23 percent stake in the company; fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, fostered by multiple providers, is increasing rapidly from a low base domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 26, shortwave 3
Radios:
394,020 (2000)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (1 national, 2 private)
Televisions:
131,340 (2002)
Internet country code:
.bf
Internet hosts:
116 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)
Internet users:
80,000 (2006)
Transportation Burkina Faso
Airports:
33 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (2007)
Railways:
total: 622 km narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2006)
Roadways:
total: 92,495 km paved: 3,857 km unpaved: 88,638 km (2004)
Military Burkina Faso
Military branches:
Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,364,288 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,115,948 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 176,358 female: 173,856 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues Burkina Faso
Disputes - international:
in September 2007, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened to attempt to resolve the dispute over two villages along the Benin-Burkina Faso border that remain from 2005 ICJ decision; in recent years citizens and rogue security forces rob and harass local populations on both sides of the poorly-defined Burkina Faso-Niger border; despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to work in Ivorian cocoa plantations
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Burma
Introduction Burma
Background:
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest. After Burma's ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly increased fuel prices, tens of thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government brutally suppressed the protests, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. Since then, the regime has continued to raid homes and monasteries and arrest persons suspected of participating in the pro-democracy protests. The junta appointed Labor Minister AUNG KYI in October 2007 as liaison to AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who remains under house arrest and virtually incommunicado with her party and supporters.
Geography Burma
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Geographic coordinates:
22 00 N, 98 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 678,500 sq km land: 657,740 sq km water: 20,760 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,876 km border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
Coastline:
1,930 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)
Terrain:
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 14.92% permanent crops: 1.31% other: 83.77% (2005)
Irrigated land:
18,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
1,045.6 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 33.23 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%) per capita: 658 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
People Burma
Population:
47,758,180 note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.7% (male 6,236,484/female 6,038,576) 15-64 years: 68.9% (male 16,300,380/female 16,627,045) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,098,344/female 1,457,352) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.8 years male: 27.2 years female: 28.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.8% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.23 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
9.23 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 49.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 55.53 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.94 years male: 60.73 years female: 65.28 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
330,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
20,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese
Ethnic groups:
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%
Religions:
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%
Languages:
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.9% male: 93.9% female: 86.4% (2006 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 8 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2001)
Government Burma
Country name:
conventional long form: Union of Burma conventional short form: Burma local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar) local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw
Government type:
military junta
Capital:
name: Rangoon (Yangon) geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital
Administrative divisions:
7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne) divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon states: Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan
Independence:
4 January 1948 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)
Constitution:
30 May 2008
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992) head of government: Prime Minister, Lt. Gen THEIN SEIN (since 24 October 2007) cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by SPDC; military junta assumed power 18 September 1988 under name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) elections: none
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene (junta has announced plans to hold elections in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60
Judicial branch:
remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive
Political parties and leaders:
National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, AUNG SAN SUU KYI]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy movement) [MIN KO NAING] other: several Shan factions
International organization participation:
ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: [95] (1) 536-509, 535-756, 538-038 FAX: [95] (1) 650-306
Flag description:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 14, white, five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven administrative divisions and seven states
Economy Burma
Economy - overview:
Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Despite Burma's increasing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated due to the regime's mismanagement of the economy. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions in August 2003 including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers attracting outside investment slowing the inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially causing environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2007, the largest private banks operated under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. Moreover, the September 2007 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, further strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about 500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In November 2007, the European Union announced new sanctions banning investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber and precious stones, while the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese government and military officials and their family members, as well as prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated companies. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$91.13 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.53 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,900 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 42.4% industry: 18.9% services: 38.7% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
29.26 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70% industry: 7% services: 23% (2001)
Unemployment rate:
5.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
32.7% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
13.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: NA expenditures: NA (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
35% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$598 billion note: This number reflects the vastly overvalued official exchange rate of 5.38 kyat per dollar. At the unofficial black market rate of 1305 kyat per dollar, the stock of kyats would equal only US$2.465 billion and Burma's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be six, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region. (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$216.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$887.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products
Industries:
agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; natural gas; garments, jade and gems
Industrial production growth rate:
9% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
5.961 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
4.289 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 44.5% hydro: 43.4% nuclear: 0% other: 12.1% (2002)
Oil - production:
21,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
43,140 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
5,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - imports:
22,180 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
50 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
12.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
3.62 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
9.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
283.2 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$1.427 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$6.122 billion f.o.b. note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
natural gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems
Exports - partners:
Thailand 44.3%, India 14.5%, China 7.1%, Japan 5.7% (2007)
Imports:
$2.942 billion f.o.b. note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil
Imports - partners:
China 33.7%, Thailand 19.1%, Singapore 15.5%, South Korea 5.8%, Indonesia 5.2%, Malaysia 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$144.7 million (2005 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.262 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.022 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
kyat (MMK)
Currency code:
MMK
Exchange rates:
kyats (MMK) per US dollar - 1,296 (2007), 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003) note: unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by yearend 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar; data shown for 2003-05 are official exchange rates
Communications Burma
Telephones - main lines in use:
503,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
214,200 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of less than 1 per 100 persons international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)
Radios:
4.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (2008)
Televisions:
320,000 (2000)
Internet country code:
.mm
Internet hosts:
108 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)
Internet users:
40,000 (2007)
Transportation Burma
Airports:
86 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 25 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 61 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 32 (2007)
Heliports:
4 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 2,790 km; oil 558 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 3,955 km narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 27,000 km paved: 3,200 km unpaved: 23,800 km (2006)
Waterways:
12,800 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 24 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 17, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1) registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe
Military Burma
Military branches:
Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes; forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited, reportedly continues (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,402,788 females age 16-49: 13,437,042 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 9,031,046 females age 16-49: 9,396,547 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 423,809 female: 415,843 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Burma
Disputes - international:
over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic refugees, asylum seekers, and rebels, as well as illegal cross-border activities from Burma; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River near the border with Burma; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China is reconsidering construction of 13 dams on the Salween River but energy-starved Burma with backing from Thailand remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream, despite identical regional and international protests; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists, such as the United Liberation Front of Assam, from hiding in remote Burmese Uplands; after 21 years, Bangladesh resumes talks with Burma on delimiting a maritime boundary in January 2008
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 503,000 (government offensives against ethnic insurgent groups near the eastern borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Burma is a source country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; Burmese women and children are trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor; Burmese children are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Thailand as hawkers, beggars, and for work in shops, agriculture, fish processing, and small-scale industries; women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Malaysia and China; some trafficking victims transit Burma from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from China to Thailand; internal trafficking occurs primarily from villages to urban centers and economic hubs for labor in industrial zones, agricultural estates, and commercial sexual exploitation; military and civilian officials continue to use a significant amount of forced labor; ethnic insurgent groups also used compulsory labor of adults and unlawful recruitment of children; the military junta's gross economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and its policy of using forced labor are the top causal factors for Burma's significant trafficking problem tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; military and civilian officials remain directly involved in significant acts of forced labor and unlawful conscription of child soldiers (2008)
Illicit drugs:
remains world's second-largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2008 of 340 metric tons, an increase of 26%, and cultivation in 2008 was 22,500 hectares, a 4% increase from 2007; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control remains low; Shan state is the source of 94% of poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate money-laundering controls (2008)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Burundi
Introduction Burundi
Background:
Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges.
Geography Burundi
Location:
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates:
3 30 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 27,830 sq km land: 25,650 sq km water: 2,180 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 974 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)
Terrain:
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m highest point: Heha 2,670 m
Natural resources:
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 35.57% permanent crops: 13.12% other: 51.31% (2005)
Irrigated land:
210 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3.6 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.29 cu km/yr (17%/6%/77%) per capita: 38 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
flooding, landslides, drought
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile
People Burundi
Population:
8,691,005 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,021,320/female 1,998,502) 15-64 years: 51.2% (male 2,210,157/female 2,240,921) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 87,600/female 132,505) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.7 years male: 16.4 years female: 17 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.443% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
41.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
12.91 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 60.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 67.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 53.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.71 years male: 50.86 years female: 52.6 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
250,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
25,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Burundian(s) adjective: Burundian
Ethnic groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
Religions:
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
Languages:
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 59.3% male: 67.3% female: 52.2% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years male: 8 years female: 7 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.1% of GDP (2005)
Government Burundi
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi local short form: Burundi former: Urundi
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Bujumbura geographic coordinates: 3 22 S, 29 21 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi
Independence:
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:
28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum
Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal (adult)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi (since 9 November 2007); Second Vice President Gabriel NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9 February 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi (since 9 November 2007); Second Vice President Gabriel NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9 February 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the legislature
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats, 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of state) elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59, FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30, FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; High Court of Justice (composed of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court)
Political parties and leaders:
governing parties: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Jeremie NGENDAKUMANA]; Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA] note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD [Leonard NYANGOMA]; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressure group) other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574 FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] 223454 FAX: [257] 222926
Flag description:
divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below)
Economy Burundi
Economy - overview:
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the population. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally. Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 15 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. Burundi's GDP grew around 5% annually in 2006-07. Political stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms. Burundi will continue to remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors; the delay of funds after a corruption scandal cut off bilateral aid in 2007 reduced government's revenues and its ability to pay salaries.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.907 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.001 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 33.7% industry: 20.9% services: 45.4% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.99 million (2002)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 93.6% industry: 2.3% services: 4.1% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
68% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 32.8% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
24.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $264.2 million expenditures: $335.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.84% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$208.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$141 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$342 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides
Industries:
light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
6.4% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
87 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
120.9 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
40 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.6% hydro: 99.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2,956 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
2,635 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$101 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$44 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides
Exports - partners:
Germany 31.3%, Pakistan 6.8%, Belgium 5.8%, Sweden 4.3%, Rwanda 4.3%, France 4.2%, Sudan 4% (2007)
Imports:
$272 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 17%, Kenya 11.4%, Belgium 8.7%, France 6.1%, Uganda 5.4%, Germany 5.4%, India 4.8%, Pakistan 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$365 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$177.1 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2003)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
Burundi franc (BIF)
Currency code:
BIF
Exchange rates:
Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar - 1,065 (2007), 1,030 (2006), 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004), 1,082.62 (2003)
Communications Burundi
Telephones - main lines in use:
35,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
250,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: primitive system; telephone density one of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but remains at a meager 3 per 100 persons domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:
440,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)
Televisions:
25,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.bi
Internet hosts:
162 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
60,000 (2006)
Transportation Burundi
Airports:
8 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 12,322 km paved: 1,286 km unpaved: 11,036 km (2004)
Waterways:
mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2005)
Ports and terminals:
Bujumbura
Military Burundi
Military branches:
National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN): Army (includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), Gendarmerie (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; children as young as 10 years of age have been conscripted into the armed forces; the enrollment of children is still not prohibited (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,878,544 females age 16-49: 1,851,676 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,083,899 females age 16-49: 1,062,488 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 98,105 female: 98,533 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational Issues Burundi
Disputes - international:
Burundi and Rwanda dispute sections of border on the Akanyaru/Kanyaru and the Kagera/Nyabarongo rivers, which have changed course since the 1960s, when the boundary was delimited; cross-border conflicts among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces persist in the Great Lakes region
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 9,849 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) IDPs: 100,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Burundi is a source country for children trafficked for the purposes of child soldiering, domestic servitude, and commercial sexual exploitation; a small number of Burundian children may be trafficked internally for domestic servitude or commercial sexual exploitation; in early 2008, Burundian children were allegedly trafficked to Uganda, via Rwanda, for agricultural labor and commercial sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Burundi is on the Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year for its failure to provide sufficient evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2007; the government's inability to provide adequate protective services to children accused of association with armed groups and to conduct anti-trafficking law enforcement activities continue to be causes for concern; Burundi has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Cambodia
Introduction Cambodia
Background:
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863 and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal for crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King SIHANOUK abdicated the throne due to illness and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, and there was little in the way of pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections are scheduled for July 2008. |
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