Chapter V (6)

Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*;
Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*,Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng,
Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Phikwe*,
South-East, Southern,

Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)

Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law;
judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Sir Ketumile MASIRE
(since 13 July 1980) was elected for a five-year term by the
National Assembly; election last held 15 October 1994 (next to be
held October 1999); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992)
was appointed by the president
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
House of Chiefs: is a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of
the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs,
and three members selected by the other 12
National Assembly: elections last held 15 October 1994 (next to be
held October 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(44 total, 40 elected and 4 appointed by the majority party) BDP 27,
BNF 13

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP),
Sir Ketumile MASIRE; Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth KOMA;
Botswana People's Party (BPP), Knight MARIPE; Botswana Independence
Party (BIP), Motsamai MPHO

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UN Security
Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald MOGWE
chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Howard F. JETER
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
FAX: [267] 356947

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

Economy -------

Economic overview: The economy has historically been based on
cattle raising and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood
for more than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of
food needs and accounts for only 5% of GDP. Subsistence farming and
cattle raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic
rainfall and poor soils. The driving force behind the rapid economic
growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This
sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating
25% of GDP in 1980 to 39% in 1994. The unemployment rate remains a
problem at 21%. Hampered by a still sluggish diamond market in 1994
and 1995, GDP grew by only 1% in both years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 1% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $3,200 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 428,000 (1992)
by occupation: 220,000 formal sector employees; 14,300 are employed
in various mines in South Africa; most others are engaged in cattle
raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.7 billion
expenditures: $1.99 billion, including capital expenditures of $652
million (FY93/94)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)

Electricity:
capacity: 220,000 kW
production: 900 million kWh
consumption per capita: 694 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts),
beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock

Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b. 1994)
commodities: diamonds 78%, copper and nickel 6%, meat 5%
partners: Switzerland, UK, Southern African Customs Union (SACU),

Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles,
petroleum products
partners: Switzerland, Southern African Customs Union (SACU), UK, US

External debt: $691 million (1994)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $189 million (1993)

Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1 - 2.8305 (January 1996), 2.7716
(1995), 2.6831 (1994), 2.4190 (1993), 2.1327 (1992), 2.0173 (1991)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications --------------

Telephones: 19,109 (1985 est.)

Telephone system: sparse system
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations
international: microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe and
South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 0 (1988 est.)

Televisions: 13,800 (1993 est.)

Defense -------

Branches: Botswana Defense Force (includes Army and Air Wing),
Botswana National Police

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 334,177
males fit for military service: 175,471
males reach military age (18) annually: 17,088 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $199 million,
5.2% of GDP (FY93/94)

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

@Bouvet Island -------------

(territory of Norway)

Map ---

Location: 54 26 S, 3 24 E -- Southern Africa, island in the South
Atlantic Ocean, south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South
Africa)

Flag ----

Description: the flag of Norway is used

Geography ---------

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

Geographic coordinates: 54 26 S, 3 24 E

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area:
total area: 58 sq km
land area: 58 sq km
comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 29.6 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: antarctic

Terrain: volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 meters; coast is
mostly inaccessible
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 780 m

Natural resources: none

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

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA

Geographic note: covered by glacial ice

People ------

Population: uninhabited

Government ----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island

Data code: BV

Type of government: territory of Norway

Capital: none; administered from Oslo, Norway

Independence: none (territory of Norway)

Flag: the flag of Norway is used

Economy -------

Economic overview: no economic activity

Transportation --------------

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

Communications --------------

Communications note: automatic meteorological station

Defense -------

Defense note: defense is the responsibility of Norway

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

@Brazil ------

Map ---

Location: 10 00 S, 55 00 W -- Eastern South America, bordering the
Atlantic Ocean

Flag ----

Description: green with a large yellow diamond in the center
bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one
for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same
pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white
equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

Geography ---------

Location: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 55 00 W

Map references: South America

Area:
total area: 8,511,965 sq km
land area: 8,456,510 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than the US
note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas,
Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao
Paulo

Land boundaries:
total: 14,691 km
border countries: Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia
1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km,
Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km

Coastline: 7,491 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: short section of the boundary with
Paraguay, just west of Salto das Sete Quedas (Guaira Falls) on the
Rio Parana, is in dispute; two short sections of boundary with
Uruguay are in dispute - Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada)
area of the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the islands at the
confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay River

Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains,
hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 19%
forest and woodland: 67%
other: 6%

Irrigated land: 27,000 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat
and endangers the existence of a multitude of plant and animal
species indigenous to the area; air and water pollution in Rio de
Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation
and water pollution caused by improper mining activities
natural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and
occasional frost in south
international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not
ratified - Desertification

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

People ------

Population: 162,661,214 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 25,286,278; female 24,422,897)
15-64 years: 65% (male 52,232,435; female 53,094,724)
65 years and over: 4% (male 3,072,720; female 4,552,160) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 1.16% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 20.8 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 9.19 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 55.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.62 years
male: 56.67 years
female: 66.81 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian

Ethnic divisions: white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian,
Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and African 38%, African 6%, other
(includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%

Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 83.3%
male: 83.3%
female: 83.2%

Government ----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form: Brasil

Data code: BR

Type of government: federal republic

Capital: Brasilia

Administrative divisions: 26 states (estados, singular - estado)
and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa,
Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias,
Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para,
Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do
Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao
Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Constitution: 5 October 1988

Legal system: based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70;
compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Fernando Henrique
CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995) was elected for a four-year term by
popular vote; election last held 3 October 1994; (next to be held
October 1998); results - Fernando Henrique CARDOSO 53%, Luis Inacio
LULA da Silva 26%, Eneas CARNEIRO 7%, Orestes QUERCIA 4%, Leonel
BRIZOLA 3%, Espiridiao AMIN 3%; note - second direct presidential
election since 1960; Vice President Marco MARCIEL (since NA)
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congresso
Nacional)
Federal Senate (Senado Federal): election last held 3 October 1994
for two-thirds of Senate (next to be held October 1996 for one-third
of the Senate); results - PMBD 28%, PFL 22%, PSDB 12%, PPR 7%, PDT
7%, PT 6%, PTB 6%, other 12%; seats - (81 total) seats by party NA
Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados): election last held 3
October 1994 (next to be held October 1998); results - PMDB 21%, PFL
18%, PDT 7%, PSDB 12%, PPR 10%, PTB 6%, PT 10%, other 16%; seats -
(517 total) seats by party NA
note: party totals since Fall 1994 have changed considerably due to
extensive party-switching

Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal, judges are appointed
for life by the Senate

Political parties and leaders: National Reconstruction Party
(PRN), Daniel TOURINHO, president; Brazilian Democratic Movement
Party (PMDB), Paes DE ANDRADE, president; Liberal Front Party (PFL),
Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president; Workers' Party (PT), Jose DIRCEU,
president; Brazilian Workers' Party (PTB), Rodrigues PALMA,
president; Democratic Labor Party (PDT), Leonel BRIZOLA, president;
Brazilian Progressive Party (PPB), Espiridiao AMIN, president;
Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Artur DA TAVOLA, president;
Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Roberto FREIRE, president; Communist
Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Joao AMAZONAS, chairman; Liberal Party
(PL), Alvaro VALLE, president

Other political or pressure groups: left wing of the Catholic
Church and labor unions allied to leftist Workers' Party are
critical of government's social and economic policies

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer),
CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES,
LAIA, Mercosur, MTCR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN,
UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Paulo Tarso FLECHA de LIMA
chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-2700
FAX: [1] (202) 745-2827
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco
consulate(s): Houston

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Melvyn LEVITSKY
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone: [55] (61) 321-7272
FAX: [55] (61) 225-9136
consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
consulate(s): Porto Alegre, Recife

Flag: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a
blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each
state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the
night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with
the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

Economy -------

Economic overview: With its large and well-developed agricultural,
mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil has South
America's largest GDP by far and has the potential to become a major
player in the world economy. Prior to the institution of a
stabilization plan in mid-1994, stratospheric inflation rates had
devastated the economy and discouraged foreign investment. Since
then, tight monetary policy has apparently brought inflation under
control - consumer prices increased by 23% in 1995 compared to more
than 1,000% in 1994. At the same time, GDP growth slowed from 5.7%
to 4.2% as credit was tightened and the steadily appreciating real
encouraged imports while depressing export growth. The increased
stability of the Brazilian economy allowed it to weather the fallout
from the Mexican peso crisis relatively well, with foreign funds
flowing in during the second half of 1995 to swell official foreign
exchange reserves past the $50 billion mark. Stock market indices in
Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, however, ended 26% lower in 1995.
President CARDOSO remains committed to further reducing inflation in
1996 while boosting growth, but he faces key challenges. Servicing
domestic debt has become dramatically more burdensome for both
public and private sector entities because of very high real
interest rates which are contributing to growing budget deficits and
a surge in bankruptcies. Fiscal reforms, many of which require
constitutional amendments, are proceeding at a slow pace through the
Brazilian legislature; in their absence, the government is
maintaining its strict monetary policy. Brazil's natural resources
remain a major, long-run economic strength.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $976.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 4.2% (1995)

GDP per capita: $6,100 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 25%
services: 59% (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 23% (1995)

Labor force: 57 million (1989 est.)
by occupation: services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%

Unemployment rate: 5% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $58.7 billion
expenditures: $54.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1994)

Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore,
tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and
equipment

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (1995 est.)

Electricity:
capacity: 55,130,000 kW
production: 241.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,589 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane,
cocoa, citrus; beef

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, coca cultivation in
the Amazon region has diminished in recent years because of its low
alkaloid content, mostly for domestic consumption; government has a
large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important
transshipment country for Bolivian and Colombian cocaine headed for
the US and Europe

Exports: $46.5 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee,
motor vehicle parts
partners: EU 27.6%, Latin America 21.8%, US 17.4%, Japan 6.3% (1993)

Imports: $49.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: crude oil, capital goods, chemical products,
foodstuffs, coal
partners: US 23.3%, EU 22.5%, Middle East 13.0%, Latin America
11.8%, Japan 6.5% (1993)

External debt: $94 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $107 million (1993)

Currency: 1 real (R$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: R$ per US$1 - 0.975 (January 1996), 0.918 (1995),
0.639 (1994); CR$ per US$1 - 390.845 (January 1994), 88.449 (1993),
4.513 (1992), 0.407 (1991)
note: on 1 August 1993 the cruzeiro real (CR$), equal to 1,000
cruzeiros, was introduced; another new currency, the real (R$) was
introduced on 1 July 1994, equal to 2,750 cruzeiro reals

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation --------------

Railways:
total: 27,418 km (1,750 km electrified)
broad gauge: 5,730 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 20,958 km 1.000-m gauge; 13 km 0.760-m gauge
dual gauge: 523 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges

Highways:
total: 1,661,850 km
paved: 142,919 km
unpaved: 1,518,931 km (1992 est.)

Waterways: 50,000 km navigable

Pipelines: crude oil 2,000 km; petroleum products 3,804 km;
natural gas 1,095 km

Ports: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua,
Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos,
Vitoria

Merchant marine:
total: 207 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,108,543
GRT/8,477,760 DWT
ships by type: bulk 48, cargo 29, chemical tanker 11, combination
ore/oil 12, container 14, liquefied gas tanker 11, multifunction
large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 64, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11 (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 2,950
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 5
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 19
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 122
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 295
with paved runways under 914 m: 1,298
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 66
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1,145 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 14,426,673 (1992 est.)

Telephone system: good working system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 64 earth stations
international: 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations
- 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean Region
East)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1,223, FM 0, shortwave 151

Radios: 60 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 112
note: Brazil has the world's fourth largest television broadcasting
system

Televisions: 30 million (1993 est.)

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

@British Indian Ocean Territory ------------------------------

(dependent territory of the UK)

Map ---

Location: 6 00 S, 71 30 E -- Southern Asia, archipelago in the
Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

Flag ----

Description: white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant and six blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree
and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag

Geography ---------

Location: Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about
one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 71 30 E

Map references: World

Area:
total area: 60 sq km
land area: 60 sq km
comparative area: about 0.5 times the size of Washington, DC
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 698 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: the island of Diego Garcia is claimed by
Mauritius

Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain: flat and low (up to four meters in elevation)
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

Natural resources: coconuts, fish

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

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA

Geographic note: archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia,
largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in
central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility

People ------

Population: no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are UK-US military personnel and civilian contractors;
civilian inhabitants, known as the Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius
before construction of UK-US military facilities

Government ----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT

Data code: IO

Type of government: dependent territory of the UK

Capital: none

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (of the United Kingdom since 6
February 1952) is a hereditary monarch
head of government: Commissioner David Ross MACLENNAN (since NA
1994); Administrator Don CAIRNS (since NA); note - both reside in
the UK

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

US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Flag: white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant and six blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree
and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag

Economy -------

Economic overview: All economic activity is concentrated on the
largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities
are located. Construction projects and various services needed to
support the military installations are done by military and contract
employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There
are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.

Electricity: provided by the US military

Transportation --------------

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: NA km
paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and
airfield on Diego Garcia
unpaved: NA km

Ports: Diego Garcia

Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: NA

Telephone system: facilities for military needs only
domestic: NA
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 1

Televisions: NA

Defense -------

Defense note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

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

@British Virgin Islands ----------------------

(dependent territory of the UK)

Map ---

Location: 18 30 N, 64 30 W -- Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea
and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Flag ----

Description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer
half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either
side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing
the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)

Geography ---------

Location: Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates: 18 30 N, 64 30 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total area: 150 sq km
land area: 150 sq km
comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
note: includes the island of Anegada

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep,
hilly
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 7%
meadows and pastures: 33%
forest and woodland: 7%
other: 33%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: limited natural fresh water resources (except for a
few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the island's
water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchment)
natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
international agreements: NA

Geographic note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico

People ------

Population: 13,195 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 1.29% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 20.19 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 6.05 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
all ages: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.78 years
male: 70.93 years
female: 74.75 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.26 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander

Ethnic divisions: black 90%, white, Asian

Religions: Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of
God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses
2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981)

Languages: English (official)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.)
total population: 97.8%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government ----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
abbreviation: BVI

Data code: VI

Type of government: dependent territory of the UK

Capital: Road Town

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July

Constitution: 1 June 1977

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (of the United Kingdom since 6
February 1952), hereditary monarch, is represented by Governor David
MACKILLIGIN (since NA June 1995) who was appointed by the queen
head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May
1995; appointed after the death of former Chief Minister H. Lavity
STOUTT) was appointed by the governor from among the members of the
Legislative Council
cabinet: Executive Council is appointed by the governor

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Council: election last held 20 February 1995 (next to be
held NA February 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats
- (13 total) VIP 6, CCM 2, UP 2, independents 3

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: United Party (UP), Conrad MADURO;
Virgin Islands Party (VIP); Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), E.
Walwyln BREWLEY

International organization participation: Caricom (associate),
CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate),
UNESCO (associate)

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

US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer
half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either
side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing
the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)

Economy -------

Economic overview: The economy, one of the most prosperous in the
Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an
estimated 45% of the national income. In 1985, the government began
offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate
in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial
revenues. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late
1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated
statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is
expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to
international business. Livestock raising is the most important
agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet
domestic food requirements. Because of traditional close links with
the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands have used the
dollar as their currency since 1959.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $133 million (1991 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 2% (1991 est.)

GDP per capita: $10,600 (1991 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1990 est.)

Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1992)

Budget:
revenues: $77.1 million
expenditures: $76.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY93/94)

Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete
block, offshore financial center

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1985)

Electricity:
capacity: 10,500 kW
production: 50 million kWh
consumption per capita: 3,148 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Exports: $2.7 million (f.o.b., 1988)
commodities: rum, fresh fish, gravel, sand, fruits, animals
partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Imports: $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1988)
commodities: building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

External debt: $4.5 million (1985)

Economic aid: $NA

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation --------------

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 106 km (1983 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Ports: Road Town

Merchant marine: none (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 6,291 (1990 est.)

Telephone system: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA
international: submarine cable to Bermuda

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 9,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1

Televisions: 4,000 (1992 est.)

Defense -------

Defense note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

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

@Brunei ------

Map ---

Location: 4 30 N, 114 40 E -- Southeastern Asia, bordering the
South China Sea and Malaysia

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

Geography ---------

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and
Malaysia

Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N, 114 40 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area:
total area: 5,770 sq km
land area: 5,270 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware

Land boundaries:
total: 381 km
border country: Malaysia 381 km

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient
that divides the country; all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by
China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia
and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive
fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly
claimed the island

Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly
lowland in west
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 79%
other: 18%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very
rare
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law
of the Sea

Geographic note: close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea
linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by
Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia

People ------

Population: 299,939 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 51,266; female 49,194)
15-64 years: 62% (male 98,806; female 88,323)
65 years and over: 5% (male 6,843; female 5,507) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.56% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 25.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.24 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.39 years
male: 69.82 years
female: 73.04 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.39 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic divisions: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%

Religions: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%,
indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)

Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 88.2%
male: 92.6%
female: 83.4%

Government ----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei

Data code: BX

Type of government: constitutional sultanate

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

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)

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 Islamic law

Suffrage: none

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister His
Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin
Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967) is a traditional Islamic monarch
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers is composed chiefly of members
of the royal family, appointed and presided over by the sultan;
deals with executive matters
Religious Council: is appointed by the sultan; advises on religious
matters
Privy Council: is appointed by the sultan; deals with constitutional
matters
the Council of Succession: is appointed by the sultan; determines
the succession to the throne if the need arises

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri): elections last held
in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body
by decree of the sultan; an elected Legislative Council is being
considered as part of constitutional reform, but elections are
unlikely for several years

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice and judges are sworn
in by the sultan for a three-year term

Political parties and leaders: Brunei United National Party
(inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Solidarity
Party (the first legal political party and now banned), leader NA;
Brunei Peoples Party (banned), leader NA

International organization participation: APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador JAYA bin Abdul Latif
chancery: Watergate, Suite 300, 3rd floor, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 342-0159
FAX: [1] (202) 342-0158

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Theresa A. TULL
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri
Begawan
mailing address: American Embassy Box B, Bandar Seri Begawan, APO AP
96440
telephone: [673] (2) 229670
FAX: [673] (2) 225293

Flag: 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 -------

Economic overview: The economy is a mixture of foreign and
domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare
measures, and village tradition. It is almost totally supported by
exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the
petroleum sector accounting for more than 40% of GDP. Per capita GDP
is among the highest in the Third World, and substantial income from
overseas investment supplements domestic production. The government
provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $15,800 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 42%
services: 55%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 119,000 (1993 est.); note - includes members of the
Army
by occupation: government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas,
services, and construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing
3.8% (1986)
note: 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)

Unemployment rate: 4.8% (1994 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $427
million (1993)

Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas,
construction

Industrial production growth rate: 12.9% (1987)

Electricity:
capacity: 380,000 kW
production: 1.2 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 3,971 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: rice, cassava (tapioca), bananas; water buffalo, pigs

Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
partners: Japan 50%, UK 19%, Thailand 10%, Singapore 9% (1994 est.)

Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods,
food, chemicals
partners: Singapore 29%, UK 19%, US 13%, Malaysia 9%, Japan 5% (1994
est.)

External debt: 0

Economic aid: $NA

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

Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.4214 (January
1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994), 1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992),
1.7276 (1991); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the
Singapore dollar

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation --------------

Railways:
total: 13 km private line
narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge

Highways:
total: 2,443 km
paved: 1,296 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1993)

Waterways: 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m

Pipelines: crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural
gas 920 km

Ports: Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong

Merchant marine:
total: 7 liquefied gas tankers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476
GRT/340,635 DWT (1994 est.)

Airports:
total: 2
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 76,900 (1993)

Telephone system: service throughout country is adequate for
present needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios: 115,000 (1993)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1984 est.)

Televisions: 78,000 (1993 est.)

Defense -------

Branches: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 83,641
males fit for military service: 48,559
males reach military age (18) annually: 2,918 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $312 million,
6.2% of GDP (1994)

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

@Bulgaria --------

Map ---

Location: 43 00 N, 25 00 E -- Southeastern Europe, bordering the
Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Flag ----

Description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green,
and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white
stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a
wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a
ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and
1944 (liberation from Nazi control)

Geography ---------

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between
Romania and Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total area: 110,910 sq km
land area: 110,550 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:
total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all
with Serbia), Turkey 240 km

Coastline: 354 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
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: 34%
permanent crops: 3%
meadows and pastures: 18%
forest and woodland: 35%
other: 10%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

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
natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic
Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geographic note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls
key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

People ------

Population: 8,612,757 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 769,025; female 732,119)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,891,197; female 2,923,440)
65 years and over: 15% (male 561,944; female 735,032) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.46% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 8.33 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 13.55 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 9.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71 years
male: 67.07 years
female: 75.12 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian

Ethnic divisions: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%,
Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%

Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman
Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian,
and other 0.5%

Languages: Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to
ethnic breakdown

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992 est.)
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97%

Government ----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria

Data code: BU

Type of government: emerging democracy

Capital: Sofia

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, singular -
oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv,
Ruse, Sofiya, Varna

Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991

Legal system: based on civil law system with Soviet law influence;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zhelyu Mitev ZHELEV (since 1 August 1990,
when he was elected by the National Assembly); president and vice
president elected for five-year terms by popular vote; election last
held NA January 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - Zhelyu
ZHELEV elected by popular vote; Vice President (vacant)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime
Minister) Zhan VIDENOV (since 25 January 1995) appointed by the
president; Deputy Prime Ministers Doncho KONAKCHIEV (since 25
January 1995), Atanas PAPAKIZOV (since NA), Rumen GECHEV (since 25
January 1995), Svetoslav SHIVAROV (since 25 January 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie): last held 18 December 1994
(next to be held NA 1997); results - BSP 43.5%, UDF 24.2%, PU 6.5%,
MRF 5.4%, BBB 4.7%; seats - (240 total) BSP 125, UDF 69, PU 18, MRF
15, BBB 13

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a
seven-year term by the president; Constitutional Court, 12 justices
appointed or elected for a nine-year term

Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP),
Zhan VIDENOV, chairman; Union of Democratic Forces (UDF - an
alliance of pro-Democratic parties), Ivan KOSTOV; People's Union
(PU), Stefan SAVOV; Movement for Rights and Freedoms (mainly ethnic
Turkish party) (MRF), Ahmed DOGAN; Bulgarian Business Bloc (BBB),
George GANCHEV

Other political or pressure groups: Democratic Alliance for the
Republic (DAR); New Union for Democracy (NUD); Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa
Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union; Bulgarian Communist Party
(BCP); Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB);
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union - United (BZNS); Bulgarian
Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov" Bulgarian Agrarian National
Union; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Union of
Macedonian Societies (IMRO-UMS); numerous regional, ethnic, and
national interest groups with various agendas

International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC,
CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarset, Intelsat (nonsignatory
user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OSCE,
PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOT, UPU, WEU
(associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant), ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Snezhana Damianova BOTUSHAROVA
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-7969
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: 1 Saborna Street, Sofia
mailing address: Unit 1335, APO AE 09213-1335
telephone: [359] (2) 88-48-01 through 05
FAX: [359] (2) 80-19-77

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red;
the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe
has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of
wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing
the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944
(liberation from Nazi control)

Economy -------

Economic overview: One of the poorest countries of central Europe,
Bulgaria has continued the difficult process of moving from its old
command economy to a modern, market-oriented economy. GDP rose a
moderate 2.4% in 1995; inflation was down sharply; and unemployment
fell from an estimated 16% to 12%. Despite this progress, structural
reforms necessary to underpin macroeconomic stabilization were not
pursued vigorously. Mass privatization of state-owned industry
continued to move slowly, although privatization of small-scale
industry, particularly in the retail and service sectors,
accelerated. The Bulgarian economy will continue to grow in 1996,
but economic reforms will remain politically difficult as the
population has become weary of the process.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $43.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 2.4% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $4,920 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 36%
services: 52% (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1995)

Labor force: 3.1 million
by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture 18%, other 41% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 11.9% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.8 billion
expenditures: $4.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1994)

Industries: machine building and metal working, food processing,
chemicals, textiles, construction materials, ferrous and nonferrous
metals

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1995)

Electricity:
capacity: 11,500,000 kW
production: 38.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 4,342 kWh (1994)

Agriculture: grain, oilseed, vegetables, fruits, tobacco; livestock

Illicit drugs: important transshipment point for Southwest Asian
heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine transiting
the Balkan route; limited producer of precursor chemicals

Exports: $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: machinery and equipment 12.8%; agriculture and food
21.9%; textiles and apparel 14%; metals and ores 19.7%; chemicals
16.9%; minerals and fuels 9.3%
partners: former CEMA countries 35.7%; OECD 46.6% (EU 33.5%); Arab
countries 5.1%; other 12.6%

Imports: $4 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials 30.1%; machinery and
equipment 23.6%; textiles and apparel 11.6%; agricultural products
10.8%; metals and ores 6.8%; chemicals 12.3%; other 4.8%
partners: former CEMA countries 40.3%; OECD 48.3% (EU 34.1%); Arab
countries 1.7%; other 9.7%

External debt: $10.4 billion (1995)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $39 million (1993)
note: $700 million in balance of payments support from Western
nations (1994)

Currency: 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki

Exchange rates: leva (Lv) per US$1 - 70.5 (December 1995), 54.2
(1994), 27.1 (1993), 23.3 (1992), 18.4 (1991); note - floating
exchange rate since February 1991

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation --------------

Railways:
total: 4,292 km
standard gauge: 4,047 km 1.435-m gauge (2,650 km electrified; 917
double track)
other: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1995)

Highways:
total: 36,932 km
paved: 33,904 km (including 276 km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,028 km (1992 est.)

Waterways: 470 km (1987)

Pipelines: crude oil 193 km; petroleum products 525 km; natural
gas 1,400 km (1992)

Ports: Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin

Merchant marine:
total: 103 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,084,090
GRT/1,596,735 DWT
ships by type: bulk 45, cargo 27, chemical tanker 4, container 2,
oil tanker 13, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 1
note: Bulgaria owns an additional 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 135,016 DWT operating under the registries of Liberia and
Malta (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 355
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 17
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 10
with paved runways under 914 m: 88
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10
with unpaved runways under 914 m: 226 (1994 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 2,773,293 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: almost two-thirds of the lines are residential;
67% of Sofia households have telephones (November 1988 est.)
domestic: extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay; telephone service is available in
most villages
international: direct dialing to 36 countries; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region); Intelsat
available through a Greek earth station

Radio broadcast stations: AM 20, FM 15, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 29 (Russian repeater in Sofia 1)

Televisions: 2.1 million (May 1990 est.)

Defense -------

Branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Troops,
Internal Troops

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 2,155,332
males fit for military service: 1,797,318
males reach military age (19) annually: 64,568 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $352 million,
2.5% of GDP (1995)

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

@Burkina Faso ------------

Map ---

Location: 13 00 N, 2 00 W -- Western Africa, north of Ghana

Flag ----

Description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green
with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Geography ---------

Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 274,200 sq km
land area: 273,800 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries:
total: 3,192 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km,
Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: following mutual acceptance of an
International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in December 1986 on
their international boundary dispute, Burkina Faso and Mali are
proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with
Niger

Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in
west and southeast
lowest point: Black Volta River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of
gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc,
silver

Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 37%
forest and woodland: 26%
other: 27%

Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely
affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the
economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
natural hazards: recurring droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic note: landlocked

People ------

Population: 10,623,323 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,569,806; female 2,537,106)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,444,601; female 2,738,726)
65 years and over: 3% (male 145,479; female 187,605) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.53% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 47.02 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 19.99 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 117.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.21 years
male: 43.46 years
female: 42.95 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Ethnic divisions: Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo,
Mande, Fulani

Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly
Roman Catholic) 10%

Languages: French (official), tribal languages belonging to
Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 19.2%
male: 29.5%
female: 9.2%

Government ----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso
former: Upper Volta

Data code: UV

Type of government: parliamentary

Capital: Ouagadougou

Administrative divisions: 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba,
Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri,
Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno,
Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo

Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)

Constitution: 2 June 1991

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law

Suffrage: none

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October
1987) elected for a seven-year term by popular vote; election last
held NA December 1991 (next to be held NA 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Roch KABORE (since NA March 1994)
appointed by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
Assembly of People's Deputies: elections last held 24 May 1992 (next
to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(107 total), ODP-MT 78, CNPP-PSD 12, RDA 6, ADF 4, other 7
note: the current law also provides for a second consultative
chamber, which has not been formally constituted

Judicial branch: Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders: Organization for People's Democracy
- Labor Movement (ODP-MT), ruling party, Secretary General Simon
COMPAORE; National Convention of Progressive Patriots-Social
Democratic Party (CNPP-PSD), Moussa BOLY; African Democratic Rally
(RDA), Gerard Kango OUEDRAOGO; Alliance for Democracy and Federation
(ADF), Amadou Michel NANA