Chapter V (7)

Highways:
total: 3,285 km
paved: 1,994 km
unpaved: 1,291 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia,
Royal Police Force

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 477,944 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 254,992 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 19,424 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: with Nepal over 91,000 Bhutanese refugees
in Nepal

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

@Bolivia -------

Introduction

Background: Bolivia broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Its
subsequent history has been marked by a seemingly endless series of
coups, counter-coups, and abrupt changes in leaders and policies.
Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s,
but the leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated
poverty, social unrest, strikes, and drug dealing. Current issues
include encouraging and negotiating the terms for foreign
investment; strengthening the educational system; continuing the
privatization program; pursuing judicial reform and an
anti-corruption campaign.

Geography

Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W

Map references: South America

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

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

Land boundaries:
total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km,
Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 53%
other: 21% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,750 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to
efficient fuel combustion, as well as to physical activity by those
unaccustomed to it from birth; flooding in the northeast
(March-April)

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

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

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

People

Population: 7,982,850 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 1,573,391; female 1,540,123)
15-64 years: 56% (male 2,199,077; female 2,307,490)
65 years and over: 5% (male 164,213; female 198,556) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.96% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 30.72 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.61 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 62.02 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.43 years
male: 58.51 years
female: 64.51 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian

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

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

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 90.5%
female: 76% (1995 est.)

Government

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

Data code: BL

Government type: republic

Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and
seat of judiciary)

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

Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

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

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August 1997);
Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August 1997);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August
1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August
1997); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from a panel of
candidates proposed by the Senate
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 June 1997
(next to be held June 2002)
election results: Hugo BANZER Suarez elected president; percent of
vote--Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 17%, Juan
Carlos DURAN (MNR) 18%, Ivo KULJIS (UCS) 16%, Remedios LOZA
(CONDEPA) 17%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote;
Hugo BANZER Suarez won a congressional runoff election on 5 August
1997 after forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA, NFR and
PDC

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso
Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies--last held 1
June 1997 (next to be held June 2002)
election results: Chamber of Senators--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR 4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2; Chamber of
Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--ADN 32, MNR 26,
MIR 23, UCS 21, CONDEPA 19, MBL 5, IU 4

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges appointed
for a 10-year term by National Congress

Political parties and leaders:
Center-Left Parties: Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR
SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]
FERNANDEZ, Hugo VILLEGAS]
Indigenous Parties: Tupac Katari Revolutionary Liberation Movement

International organization participation: CAN, ECLAC, FAO, G-11,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES,
LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marcelo PEREZ Monasterios
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donna Jean HRINAK
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032

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

Economy

Economy--overview: With its long history of semifeudal social
controls, dependence on mineral exports, and bouts of
hyperinflation, Bolivia has remained one of the poorest and least
developed Latin American countries. However, Bolivia has experienced
generally improving economic conditions since the PAZ Estenssoro
administration (1985-89) introduced market-oriented policies which
reduced inflation from 11,700% in 1985 to about 20% in 1988. PAZ
Estenssoro was followed as president by Jaime PAZ Zamora (1989-93)
who continued the free-market policies of his predecessor, despite
opposition from his own party and from Bolivia's once powerful labor
movement. President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-1997) vowed to advance
the market-oriented economic reforms he helped launch as PAZ
Estenssoro's planning minister. His successes included the signing
of a free trade agreement with Mexico and the Southern Cone Common
Market (Mercosur) as well as the privatization of the state airline,
telephone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil
company. Hugo BANZER Suarez has tried to further improve the
country's investment climate with an anticorruption campaign. With
the scheduled completion of a $2 billion natural gas pipeline to
Brazil in 1999, Bolivia hopes to become an energy hub in the region.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$23.4 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 4.7% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,000 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 26%
services: 57% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line: 66%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1990)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 2.5 million

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture NA%, services and
utilities NA%, manufacturing, mining and construction NA%

Unemployment rate: 11.4% (1997) with widespread underemployment

Budget:
revenues: $2.7 billion
expenditures: $2.7 billion (1998)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1995 est.)

Electricity--production: 2.95 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 40.68%
hydro: 59.32%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 2.948 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 2 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

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

Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities: metals 34%, natural gas 9.4%, soybeans 8.4%,
jewelry 11%, wood 6.9%

Exports--partners: US 22%, UK 9.3%, Colombia 8.7%, Peru 7.4%,
Argentina 7.2%

Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f. 1998)

Imports--commodities: capital goods 48%, chemicals 11%, petroleum
5%, food 5% (1993 est.)

Imports--partners: US 20%, Japan 13%, Brazil 12, Chile 7.5% (1996)

Debt--external: $4.1 billion (1998)

Economic aid--recipient: $588 million (1997)

Currency: 1 boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1--5.6491 (January 1999),
5.5101 (1998), 5.2543 (1997), 5.0746 (1996), 4.8003 (1995), 4.6205
(1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 144,300 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties;
most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities
domestic: microwave radio relay system being expanded
international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 177, FM 68, shortwave 112 (1998)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 48 (1997)

Televisions: 500,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 3,691 km (single track)
narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km
electrified) (1995)

Highways:
total: 52,216 km
paved: 2,872 km (including 27 km of expressways)
unpaved: 49,344 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways

Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural
gas 1,495 km

Ports and harbors: none; however, Bolivia has free port
privileges in the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and
Paraguay

Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,948 GRT/58,472 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 5 (1998 est.)

Airports: 1,130 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1,118
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 70
914 to 1,523 m: 224
under 914 m: 821 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval
Boliviana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana),
National Police Force (Policia Nacional de Bolivia)

Military manpower--military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,908,454 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,241,311 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 84,481 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $154 million (1998)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.8% (1998)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: has wanted a sovereign corridor to the
South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in
1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights

Illicit drugs: world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after
Peru and Colombia) with an estimated 46,900 hectares under
cultivation in 1997, a 2.5% decrease in overall cultivation of coca
from 1996 levels; Bolivia, however, is the second-largest producer
of coca leaf; even so, farmer abandonment and voluntary and forced
eradication programs resulted in leaf production dropping from
75,100 metric tons in 1996 to 73,000 tons in 1997, a 3% decrease
from 1996; government considers all but 12,000 hectares illicit;
intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through
Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to the US and other
international drug markets; alternative crop program aims to reduce
illicit coca cultivation

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

@Bosnia and Herzegovina ----------------------

Introduction

Background: On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the former
Yugoslavia's three warring parties signed a peace agreement that
brought to a halt over three years of interethnic civil strife in
Bosnia and Herzegovina (the final agreement was signed in Paris on
14 December 1995). The Dayton Agreement, signed then by Bosnian
President IZETBEGOVIC, Croatian President TUDJMAN, and Serbian
President MILOSEVIC, divides Bosnia and Herzegovina roughly equally
between the Muslim/Croat Federation and the Republika Srpska while
maintaining Bosnia's currently recognized borders. In 1995-96, a
NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops
served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of
the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led
Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission is to deter renewed
hostilities. SFOR remains in place. A High Representative appointed
by the UN Security Council is responsible for civilian
implementation of the accord, including monitoring implementation,
facilitating any difficulties arising in connection with civilian
implementation, and coordinating activities of the civilian
organizations and agencies in Bosnia. The Bosnian conflict began in
the spring of 1992 when the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina
held a referendum on independence and the Bosnian Serbs--supported by
neighboring Serbia--responded with armed resistance aimed at
partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held
areas to form a "greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosnia's Muslims
and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two
by signing an agreement in Washington creating their joint
Muslim/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Federation,
formed by the Muslims and Croats in March 1994, is one of two
entities (the other being the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska)
that comprise Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Geography

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and
Croatia

Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N, 18 00 E

Map references: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe

Area:
total: 51,233 sq km
land: 51,233 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km (312
km with Serbia, 215 km with Montenegro)

Coastline: 20 km

Maritime claims: NA

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

Terrain: mountains and valleys

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

Natural resources: coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests,
copper, chromium, lead, zinc

Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent and destructive earthquakes

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

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized
borders, the country is divided into a joint Muslim/Croat Federation
(about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika
Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and traditionally has been
settled by an ethnic Croat majority

People

Population: 3,482,495 (July 1999 est.)
note: all data dealing with population is subject to considerable
error because of the dislocations caused by military action and
ethnic cleansing

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 310,430; female 294,298)
15-64 years: 71% (male 1,221,791; female 1,240,097)
65 years and over: 12% (male 166,876; female 249,003) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.2% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 9.36 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 10.81 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 33.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.52 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.98 years
male: 62.55 years
female: 71.71 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.21 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Serb 40%, Muslim 38%, Croat 22% (est.); note--the
Croats claim they now make up only 17% of the total population

Religions: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%,
other 10%

Languages: Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian

Literacy: NA

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina

Data code: BK

Government type: emerging democracy

Capital: Sarajevo

Administrative divisions: there are two first-order
administrative divisions--the Muslim/Croat Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian
Serb-led Republika Srpska; note--the status of Brcko in north eastern
Bosnia is to be determined by arbitration

Independence: NA April 1992 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Republika Srpska--"Republic Day," 9 January;
Independence Day, 1 March; Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina--"Republic Day," 25 November

Constitution: the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995,
included a new constitution now in force

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Zivko RADISIC (since 13
October 1998--Serb); other members of the three-member rotating
(every 8 months) presidency: Ante JELAVIC (since NA September
1998--Croat) and Alija IZETBEGOVIC (since 14 March 1996--Muslim)
head of government: Cochairman of the Council of Ministers Haris
SILAJDZIC (since NA January 1997); Cochairman of the Council of
Ministers Suetozar MIHAJLOVIC (since 3 February 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairmen
note: President of the Muslim/Croat Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina: Ivo ANDRIC-LUZANIC (since 1 January 1999); Vice
President is Ejup GANIC; note--president and vice president rotate
every 3 months; President of the Republika Srpska: Nikola POPLASEN
(since 29 October 1998)
elections: the three-person presidency members (one Muslim, one
Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
the president with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he was
the incumbent chairman at the time of the election; election last
held 12-13 September 1998 (next to be held September 2002); the
cochairmen of the Council of Ministers are appointed by the
presidency
election results: percent of vote--Zivko RADISIC with 52% of the Serb
vote was elected chairman of the collective presidency for the first
8 months; Ante JELAVIC with 52% of the Croat vote will follow
RADISIC in the rotation; Alija IZEBEGOVIC with 87% of the Muslim
vote won the highest number of votes in the election but was
ineligible to serve consecutive terms as chairman

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina
consists of the National House of Representatives or Vijece Opcina
(42 seats--14 Serb, 14 Croat, and 14 Muslim; members elected by
popular vote to serve two-year terms) and the House of Peoples or
Vijece Gradanstvo (15 seats--5 Muslim, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members
elected by the Muslim/Croat Federation's House of Representatives
and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve two-year terms)
elections: National House of Representatives--elections last held
12-13 September 1998 (next to be held in the fall 2000); House of
Peoples--last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: National House of Representatives--percent of vote
by party/coalition--NA; seats by party/coalition--KCD 17, HDZ-BiH 6,
SDP 4, Sloga 4, SDS 4, SDBIH 2, SRS-RS 2, DNZ 1, NHI 1, RSRS 1;
House of Peoples--percent of vote by party/coalition--NA; seats by
party/coalition--NA
note: the Muslim/Croat Federation has a House of Representatives
(140 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve NA year terms);
elections last held NA (next to be held NA); percent of vote by
party--NA; seats by party/coalition--KCD 68, HDZ-BiH 28, SDP 19, SDBIH
6, NHI 4, DNZ 3, DSP 2, BPS 2, HSP 2, SPRS 2, BSP 1, KC 1, BOSS 1,
HSS 1; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve NA year terms); elections
last held NA (next to be held NA); percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party/coalition--SDS 19, KCD 15, SNS 12, SRS-RS 11, SPRS 10,
SNSD 6, RSRS 3, SKRS 2, SDP 2, KKO 1, HDZ-BiH 1, NHI 1

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, consists of nine members:
four members are selected by the Muslim/Croat Federation's House of
Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska National
Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of the
European Court of Human Rights

Political parties and leaders: Bosnian Party of Rights or BSP
IZETBEGOVIC; includes SDA, SBH, GDS, LS]; Croatian Democratic Union
BIH or SDP (formerly the Democratic Party of Socialists or DSS)
note: note--SDP and SDBIH announced a merger in 1999

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: CE (guest), CEI, EBRD,
ECE, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), OAS
(observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dragan BOZANIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard D. KAUZLARICH
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
mailing address: use street address

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

Government--note: Until declaring independence in spring 1992,
Bosnia and Herzegovina existed as a republic in the former
Yugoslavia. Bosnia was partitioned by fighting during 1992-95 and
governed by competing ethnic factions. Bosnia's current governing
structures were created by the Dayton Agreement, the 1995 peace
agreement which was officially signed in Paris on 14 December 1995
by then Bosnian President IZETBEGOVIC, Croatian President TUDJMAN,
and then Serbian President MILOSEVIC. This agreement retained
Bosnia's exterior border and created a joint multi-ethnic and
democratic government. This national government--based on
proportional representation similar to that which existed in the
former socialist regime--is charged with conducting foreign,
economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton Agreement also recognized a
second tier of government, comprised of two entities--a joint
Muslim/Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska
(RS)--each presiding over roughly one-half the territory. The
Federation and RS governments are charged with overseeing internal
functions.

Economy

Economy--overview: Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to The
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the poorest republic in the
old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture has been almost all in
private hands, farms have been small and inefficient, and the
republic traditionally has been a net importer of food. Industry has
been greatly overstaffed, one reflection of the rigidities of
communist central planning and management. TITO had pushed the
development of military industries in the republic with the result
that Bosnia hosted a large share of Yugoslavia's defense plants. The
bitter interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by
80% from 1990 to 1995, unemployment to soar, and human misery to
multiply. With an uneasy peace in place, output has recovered in
1996-98 at high percentage rates on a low base, but remains far
below the 1990 level. Key achievements in 1998 included approval of
privatization legislation, the introduction of a national
currency--the convertible mark, agreement with the Paris Club to
reschedule official debt, and the conclusion of a Standby Agreement
with the IMF. Economic data are of limited use because, although
both entities issue figures, national-level statistics are not
available. Moreover, official data do not capture the large share of
activity that occurs on the black market. The country receives
substantial amounts of reconstruction assistance and humanitarian
aid from the international community. Wide regional differences in
war damage and access to the outside world have resulted in
substantial variations in living conditions among local areas and
individual families. In 1999, Bosnia's major goals are to implement
privatization and make progress in fiscal reform and management. In
addition, Bosnia will have to prepare for an era of declining
assistance from the international community.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$5.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 30% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,720 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 19%
industry: 23%
services: 58% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Labor force: 1,026,254

Labor force--by occupation: NA%

Unemployment rate: 40%-50% (1996 est.)

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

Industries: steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese,
bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden
furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil
refining (much of capacity damaged or shut down) (1995)

Industrial production growth rate: 35% (1998 est.)

Electricity--production: 2.3 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 34.78%
hydro: 65.22%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 2.504 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 182 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 386 million kWh (1996)

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

Exports: $152 million (1995 est.)

Exports--commodities: NA

Exports--partners: NA

Imports: $1.1 billion (1995 est.)

Imports--commodities: NA

Imports--partners: NA

Debt--external: $3.5 billion (yearend 1995 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $1.2 billion (1997 pledged)

Currency: 1 convertible marka (KM) = 100 convertible pfenniga

Exchange rates: NA

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 727,000

Telephone system: telephone and telegraph network is in need of
modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average when
compared with services in other former Yugoslav republics
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations

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

Radios: 840,000

Television broadcast stations: 21 (1997)

Televisions: 1,012,094

Transportation

Railways:
total: 1,021 km (electrified 795 km; operating as diesel or steam
until grids are repaired)
standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge (1995); note--some segments
still need repair and/or reconstruction

Highways:
total: 21,846 km
paved: 11,425 km
unpaved: 10,421 km (1996 est.)
note: roads need maintenance and repair

Waterways: NA km; large sections of Sava blocked by downed
bridges, silt, and debris

Pipelines: crude oil 174 km; natural gas 90 km (1992);
note--pipelines now disrupted

Ports and harbors: Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski
Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava none of
which are fully operational), Orasje

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 25 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 8 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Federation Army or VF (composed of both
Croatian and Bosnian Muslim elements), Army of the Serb Republic
(composed of Bosnian Serb elements); note--within both of these
forces air and air defense are subordinate commands

Military manpower--military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 951,541 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 764,992 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 28,438 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: disputes with Serbia over Serbian
populated areas

Illicit drugs: minor transit point for marijuana and opiate
trafficking routes to Western Europe

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

@Botswana --------

Geography

Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references: Africa

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

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 47%
other: 6% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)

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

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

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

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

People

Population: 1,464,167 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 310,578; female 303,495)
15-64 years: 54% (male 379,836; female 416,073)
65 years and over: 4% (male 20,224; female 33,961) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.05% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 31.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 59.08 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 39.89 years
male: 39.42 years
female: 40.37 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.91 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Batswana 95%, Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi 4%,
white 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Languages: English (official), Setswana

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.8%
male: 80.5%
female: 59.9% (1995 est.)

Government

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

Data code: BC

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital: Gaborone

Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*;
Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi,
Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Pikwe*,
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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice
President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note--the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and
Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note--the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held
NA October 1999); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Sir Ketumile MASIRE elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote--NA
note: President MASIRE resigned on 31 March 1998; Vice President
MOGAE assumed the presidency pending elections to be held in 1999;
on 2 April 1998, Festus MOGAE, then president, designated Seretse
Ian KHAMA to be vice president

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of
Chiefs (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) and the National Assembly (44
seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4
appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly--elections last held 15 October 1994
(next to be held NA October 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--BDP
27, BNF 13

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP

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, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone

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

Economy

Economy--overview: Agriculture still provides a livelihood for
more than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food
needs and accounts for only 4% of GDP. Subsistence farming and
cattle raising predominate. Diamond mining and tourism also are
important to the economy. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall
and poor soils. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s
and the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 35% in 1997.
Unemployment officially is 21% but unofficial estimates place it
closer to 40%.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$5.25 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,600 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 45% (including 35% mining)
services: 51% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)

Labor force--by occupation: 100,000 public sector; 135,000 private
sector, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South
Africa; most others engaged in cattle raising and subsistence
agriculture (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20-40% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560
million (FY96/97)

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

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

Electricity--production: 990 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 1.675 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 685 million kWh (1996)

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

Exports: $2.25 billion (f.o.b. 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities: diamonds 76%, copper, nickel 4%, meat (1997)

Exports--partners: EU 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
21%, Zimbabwe 3% (1996)

Imports: $2.43 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports--commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport
equipment, textiles, petroleum products

Imports--partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%,
Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6% (1996)

Debt--external: $610 million (1997)

Economic aid--recipient: $73 million (1995)

Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Exchange rates: pulas (P) per US$1--4.5725 (January 1999), 4.2258
(1998), 3.6508 (1997), 3.3242 (1996), 2.7722 (1995), 2.6846 (1994)

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 15, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)

Televisions: 13,800 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 971 km
narrow gauge: 971 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)

Highways:
total: 18,482 km
paved: 4,343 km
unpaved: 14,139 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: 92 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 57
under 914 m: 21 (1998 est.)

Military

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

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 344,587 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 182,279 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 18,654 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $61 million (FY99/00)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.2% (FY99/00)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and
Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with Namibia over uninhabited
Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River is presently at
the ICJ; at least one other island in Linyanti River is contested

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

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

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: 58 sq km
land: 58 sq km
water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 29.6 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm

Climate: antarctic

Terrain: volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 m; coast is mostly
inaccessible

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 780 m

Natural resources: none

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

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment--current issues: NA

Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography--note: covered by glacial ice

People

Population: uninhabited

Government

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

Data code: BV

Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered from Oslo

Legal system: NA

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Norway)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Norway)

Flag description: the flag of Norway is used

Economy

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

Communications

Communications--note: automatic meteorological station

Transportation

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Military

Military--note: defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

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

@Brazil ------

Geography

Location: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 55 00 W

Map references: South America

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

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries:
total: 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

Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 58%
other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 28,000 sq km (1993 est.)

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

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

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

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

People

Population: 171,853,126 (July 1999 est.)
note: Brazil took a census in August 1996 which reported a
population of 157,079,573; that figure was about 5% lower than
projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied
underenumeration of 4.6% for 1991; the Factbook's demographic
statistics for Brazil do not take into consideration the results of
the1996 census since the full results have not been released for
analysis

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 26,059,687; female 25,095,236)
15-64 years: 65% (male 55,037,161; female 56,727,196)
65 years and over: 5% (male 3,626,893; female 5,306,953) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.16% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 20.42 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.79 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 35.37 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.06 years
male: 59.35 years
female: 69.01 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian

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

Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%

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

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

Government

Country name:
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

Government type: 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: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January
1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995); note--the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1
January 1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 4 October
1998 (next to be held NA October 2002)
election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO reelected president;
percent of vote--53%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congresso
Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats;
three members from each state or federal district elected according
to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third
elected after a four year period, two-thirds elected after the next
four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos
Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Federal Senate--last held 4 October 1998 for one-third of
Senate (next to be held NA October 2002 for two-thirds of the
Senate); Chamber of Deputies--last held 4 October 1998 (next to be
held NA October 2002)
election results: Federal Senate--percent of vote by party--NA%; seats
by party--PMDB 27, PFL 20, PSDB 16, PT 7, PPB 5; Chamber of
Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA%; seats by party--PFL 106, PSDB
99, PMDB 82, PPB 60, PT 58

Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal, 11 judges are
appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Political parties and leaders: Brazilian Democratic Movement

Political pressure groups and leaders: left wing of the Catholic
Church, Landless Worker's Movement, and labor unions allied to
leftist Workers' Party are critical of government's social and
economic policies

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA
chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate J. Brian ATWOOD
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito
Federal Cep 70403-900 Brazil
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
consulate(s): Recife

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

Economy

Economy--overview: Possessing large and well-developed
agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's
economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is
expanding its presence in world markets. Prior to the institution of
a stabilization plan--the Plano Real (Real Plan) in mid-1994,
stratospheric inflation rates had disrupted economic activity and
discouraged foreign investment. Since then, tight monetary policy
has brought inflation under control--consumer prices increased by 2%
in 1998 compared to more than 1,000% in 1994. At the same time, GDP
growth slowed from 5.7% in 1994 to about 3.0% in 1997 due to tighter
credit. The Real Plan faced its strongest challenge in 1998, as the
world financial crisis caused investors to more closely examine the
country's structural weaknesses. The most severe spillover for
Brazil--after Russia's debt default in August 1998--created
unrelenting pressure on the currency which forced the country to
hike annual interest rates to 50%. Approximately $30 billion in
capital left the country in August and September. After crafting a
fiscal adjustment program and pledging progress on structural
reform, Brazil received a $41.5 billion IMF-led international
support program in November 1998. Capital continued to leach out of
the country, and investors, concerned about the rising mountain of
debt and currency widely-viewed as overvalued, stayed on the
sidelines. In January 1999, Brazil made an abrupt shift of course in
exchange rate policy, abandoning the strong currency anti-inflation
anchor of the Real Plan. On 13 January 1999, Central Bank officials
announced a one-time 8% devaluation of the real, and on 15 January
1999, the currency was declared to be freely floating. President
CARDOSO remains committed to limiting inflation and weathering the
financial crisis through austerity and sacrifice as the country
rides out a deep recession. He hopes the country will resume
economic growth in the second half of 1999, so that he can once
again focus on his longer-term goal of reducing poverty and income
inequality. CARDOSO still hopes to address mandated revenue sharing
with the states and cumbersome procedures to amend the constitution
before the end of his second term.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.0352 trillion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 0.5% (1998)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,100 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 36%
services: 50% (1997)

Population below poverty line: 17.4% (1990 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 47.9% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1998)

Labor force: 57 million (1989 est.)

Labor force--by occupation: services 42%, agriculture 31%,
industry 27%

Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $151 billion
expenditures: $149 billion, including capital expenditures of $36
billion (1998)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (1997 est.)

Electricity--production: 291.63 billion kWh (1997)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 4.38%
hydro: 92.09%
nuclear: 0.8%
other: 2.73% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 323.215 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 8 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 37.5 billion kWh (1996)
note: imported electricity from Paraguay

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

Exports: $51 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities: iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice,
footwear, coffee, motor vehicle parts

Exports--partners: EU 28%, Latin America (excluding Argentina)
23%, US 20%, Argentina 12% (1996)

Imports: $57.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports--commodities: crude oil, capital goods, chemical products,
foodstuffs, coal

Imports--partners: EU 26%, US 22%, Argentina 13%, Japan 5% (1996)

Debt--external: $258.1 billion (December 1998)

Economic aid--recipient: $1.012 billion (1995)

Currency: 1 real (R$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: reals (R$) per US$1--1.501 (January 1999), 1.161
(1998), 1.078 (1997), 1.005 (1996), 0.918 (1995), 0.639 (1994); CR$
per US$1--390.845 (January 1994)
note: the real (R$) was introduced on 1 July 1994, equal to 2,750
cruzeiro reais; from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the
official rate was determined by a managed float; since 15 January
1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US$

Fiscal year: calendar year

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 1,627, FM 251, shortwave 114 (of
which 91 are associated with AM stations) (1998)

Radios: 60 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 138 (1997)

Televisions: 30 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 28,862 km (1,187 km electrified)
broad gauge: 4,123 km 1.600-m gauge
narrow gauge: 24,390 km 1.000-m gauge; 13 km 0.760-m gauge
dual gauge: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails)

Highways:
total: 1.98 million km
paved: 184,140 km
unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 50,000 km navigable

Pipelines: crude oil 2,980 km; petroleum products 4,762 km;
natural gas 4,246 km (1998)

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

Merchant marine:
total: 179 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,132,037
GRT/6,642,442 DWT
ships by type: bulk 35, cargo 28, chemical tanker 6, combination
ore/oil 10, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 10, multifunction
large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 61, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)

Airports: 3,265 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 514
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 134
914 to 1,523 m: 325
under 914 m: 31 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 2,751
1,524 to 2,437 m: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 1,312
under 914 m: 1,366 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes naval
air and marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary)

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 47,230,426 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 31,723,597 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 1,841,858 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $14.7 billion (1998)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.9% (1998)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: 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

Illicit drugs: limited illicit producer of cannabis, minor coca
cultivation in the Amazon region, mostly used for domestic
consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to
control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian,
Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and Europe;
increasingly used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air
transshipments between Peru and Colombia

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

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

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: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 698 km

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

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

Terrain: flat and low (up to four meters in elevation)

Elevation extremes:
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%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment--current issues: NA

Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography--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: approximately 3,000 native inhabitants, known as the
Chagosians or Ilois, were evacuated to Mauritius before construction
of UK-US military facilities; now there are UK and US military
personnel and civilian contractors living on the island

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT

Data code: IO

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK; administered by
a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in
London

Legal system: NA

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner David Ross MACLENNAN (since NA
1994); Administrator Don CAIRNS (since NA); note--both reside in the
UK
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and
administrator appointed by the monarch

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

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

Flag description: white with 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