Chapter X: Front Matter (10)

Land use:
arable land: 6.3%
permanent crops: 1.42%
other: 92.28% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
26,560 sq km (1998 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 a
multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there
is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land
degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining
activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

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

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

People Brazil

Population:
182,032,604
note: Brazil took a count in August 2000, which reported a
population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than
projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied
underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this
country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality
due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.1% (male 25,151,855; female 24,196,506)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 60,667,014; female 61,683,580)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 4,232,784; female 6,100,865) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 27 years
male: 26.2 years
female: 27.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.15% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
17.67 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.13 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 31.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 35.61 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.13 years
male: 67.16 years
female: 75.3 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.01 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
610,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
8,400 (2001 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) 80%

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 86.1%
female: 86.6% (2003 est.)

Government Brazil

Country name:
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local short form: Brasil
local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil

Government type:
federative 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 Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
election results: in runoff election 27 October 2002, Luiz Inacio
LULA DA SILVA (PT) was elected with 61.3% of the vote; Jose SERRA
(PSDB) 38.7%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 6 October
2002 (next to be held NA October 2006); runoff election held 27
October 2002
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government

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)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party PMBD 19, PFL 19, PT 14, PSDB 11, PDT 5, PSB 4, PL 3,
PTB 3, PPS 1, PSD 1, PPB 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - PT 91, PFL 84, PMDB 74, PSDB 71, PPB
49, PL 26, PTB 26, PSB 22, PDT 21, PPS 15, PCdoB 12, PRONA 6, PV 5,
other 11
elections: Federal Senate - last held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds
of the Senate (next to be held NA October 2006 for one-third of the
Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 6 October 2002 (next to be
held NA October 2006)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed by the
president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice;
Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life)

Political parties and leaders:
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER];
Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Jose Carlos MARTINEZ]; Brazilian
Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Jose ANIBAL]; Brazilian
Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel ARRAES]; Brazilian Progressive Party
or PPB [Paulo Salim MALUF]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB
[Renato RABELLO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA];
Green Party or PV [leader NA]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jorge
BORNHAUSEN]; Liberal Party or PL [Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto];
National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Dr. Eneas CARNEIRO];
Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Senator Roberto FREIRE]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [leader NA]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose
GENOINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
left wing of the Catholic Church; Landless Worker's Movement; labor
unions allied to leftist Worker's Party

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA; note -
Ambassador-Designate Roberto ABDENUR expected to arrive March 2004
FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, and San Francisco
chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donna J. HRINAK
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal
Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone: [55] (61) 312-7000
FAX: [55] (61) 225-9136
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 Brazil

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. The maintenance of large current account deficits
via capital account surpluses became problematic as investors became
more risk averse to emerging markets as a consequence of the Asian
financial crisis in 1997 and the Russian bond default in August
1998. 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. In January
1999, the Brazilian Central Bank announced that the real would no
longer be pegged to the US dollar. The consequent devaluation helped
moderate the downturn in economic growth in 1999, and the country
posted moderate GDP growth in 2000. Economic growth slowed
considerably in 2001-03 - to less than 2% - because of a slowdown in
major markets and the hiking of interest rates by the Central Bank
to combat inflationary pressures. New president DA SILVA, who took
office 1 January 2003, has given priority to reforming the complex
tax code, trimming the overblown civil service pension system, and
continuing the fight against inflation.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.376 trillion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 36%
services: 56% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
22% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 48% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
60.7 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.3% (2002)

Labor force:
79 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 53%, agriculture 23%, industry 24%

Unemployment rate:
6.4% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $100.6 billion
expenditures: $91.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
2.3% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
321.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 8.3%
hydro: 82.7%
other: 4.6% (2001)
nuclear: 4.4%

Electricity - consumption:
335.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
37.19 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2001)

Oil - production:
1.561 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
2.199 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
8.507 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
5.95 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
9.59 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
3.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
221.7 billion cu m (37257)

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

Exports:
$59.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos

Exports - partners:
US 23.8%, Argentina 8.5%, Germany 5%, China 4.3%, Netherlands 4.2%
(2002)

Imports:
$46.2 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical, and transport equipment, chemical products,
oil

Imports - partners:
US 23.3%, Argentina 12.6%, Germany 8.7%, France 5.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$222.4 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$30 billion IMF disbursement (2002)

Currency:
real (BRL)

Currency code:
BRL

Exchange rates:
reals per US dollar - 2.92 (2002), 2.36 (2001), 1.83 (2000), 1.81
(1999), 1.16 (1998)
note: 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 dollar

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Brazil

Telephones - main lines in use:
17.039 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.4 million (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: 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), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3
satellite earth station

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM
stations) (1999)

Radios:
71 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
138 (1997)

Televisions:
36.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.br

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
13.98 million (2002)

Transportation Brazil

Railways:
total: 31,543 km (1,981 km electrified)
broad gauge: 4,961 km 1.600-m gauge (692 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 25,992 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)
dual gauge: 396 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km
electrified) (2002)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge (630 km electrified)

Highways:
total: 1,724,929 km
paved: 94,871 km
unpaved: 1,630,058 km (2000)

Waterways:
50,000 km

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 243 km; gas 10,984 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km;
oil 5,113 km; refined products 4,800 km (2003)

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

Merchant marine:
total: 159 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,257,186 GRT/5,101,578 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Chile 2, Germany 6, Greece 1, Monaco 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 29, cargo 23, chemical tanker 7, combination
ore/oil 7, container 12, liquefied gas 11, multi-functional
large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 53, roll
on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1

Airports:
3,590 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 665
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 155
914 to 1,523 m: 435
under 914 m: 45 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2,925
1,524 to 2,437 m: 70
914 to 1,523 m: 1,384
under 914 m: 1,471 (2002)

Military Brazil

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 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 51,381,048 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 34,347,078 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 1,744,148 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$13.408 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.9% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Brazil

Disputes - international:
unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders
is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug trafficking,
and harbors Islamist militants; uncontested dispute with Uruguay
over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary
streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis; minor coca cultivation in the Amazon
region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale
eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment
country for Colombian and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and
Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air
transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related
violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian,
Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in
Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant
illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@British Indian Ocean Territory

Introduction British Indian Ocean Territory

Background:
Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the
British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to
the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently,
BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the
Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands,
Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of
the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers,
earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to
Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In
2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration
order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the
special military status of Diego Garcia.

Geography British Indian Ocean Territory

Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the
way from Africa to Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 71 30 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

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

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 (most areas do not exceed 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, sugarcane

Land use:
arable land: NEGL
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
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 British Indian Ocean Territory

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in
the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois,
were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960's and
1970's, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a
British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in
2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel
and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
(July 2003 est.)

Government British Indian Ocean Territory

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

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

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001);
Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and
administrator appointed by the monarch
cabinet: NA

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 six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is
in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm
tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag

Economy British Indian Ocean Territory

Economy - 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. When the Ilois
return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.

Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Communications British Indian Ocean Territory

Telephones - main lines in use:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: separate facilities for military and public
needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including
connection to the Internet
international: international telephone service is carried by
satellite (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.io

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Transportation British Indian Ocean Territory

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

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Diego Garcia

Airports:
1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Military British Indian Ocean Territory

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego
Garcia expires in 2016

Transnational Issues British Indian Ocean Territory

Disputes - international:
Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its
former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001
were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since
eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military
lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@British Virgin Islands

Introduction British Virgin Islands

Background:
First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in
1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and
more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the
legal currency.

Geography British Virgin Islands

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: 153 sq km
note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited
islands; includes the island of Anegada
water: 0 sq km
land: 153 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
80 km

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

Climate:
subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 73.33% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal
streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply
comes from wells and rainwater catchments)

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

People British Virgin Islands

Population:
21,730 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.9% (male 2,401; female 2,358)
15-64 years: 73.1% (male 8,181; female 7,709)
65 years and over: 5% (male 578; female 503) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 30.7 years
male: 31 years
female: 30.4 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.1% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
4.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
10.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.06 years
male: 75.07 years
female: 77.1 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

Ethnic groups:
black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed

Religions:
Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other
15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)

Languages:
English (official)

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

Government British Virgin Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
abbreviation: BVI

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Road Town

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:
none (overseas 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 (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed chief minister by the governor
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando SMITH (since 17 June 2003)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of
the Legislative Council

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by
direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts,
four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NDP 8, VIP 5

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of
Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a
resident of the islands and presides over the High Court);
Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders:
Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory
MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

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

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)

Economy British Virgin Islands

Economy - overview:
The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the
Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated
45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly
from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002
because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the
government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing
to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate
substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore
registry by yearend 2000. 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 traditionally close links
with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the
dollar as its currency since 1959.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2%
services: 92% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2002)

Labor force:
4,911 (1980)

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

Unemployment rate:
3% (1995)

Budget:
revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
38.1 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
35.43 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
420 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Exports:
$25.3 million (2002)

Exports - commodities:
rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand

Exports - partners:
Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Imports:
$187 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Imports - partners:
Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Debt - external:
$36.1 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA%

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications British Virgin Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
10,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

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

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
9,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus one cable company) (1997)

Televisions:
4,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.vg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation British Virgin Islands

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 177 km
paved: 177 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Road Town

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/28,864 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
3 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Military British Virgin Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues British Virgin Islands

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe; large offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Brunei

Introduction Brunei

Background:
The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and
17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of
northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently
entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal
succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In
1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was
achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six
centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas
fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the
developing world.

Geography Brunei

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

Geographic coordinates:
4 30 N, 114 40 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 5,770 sq km
water: 500 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

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

Coastline:
161 km

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

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Terrain:
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use:
arable land: 0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76%
other: 98.67% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Environment - current issues:
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

People Brunei

Population:
358,098 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.6% (male 54,118; female 51,902)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 128,421; female 113,480)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 4,804; female 5,373) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.4 years
male: 27 years
female: 25.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
19.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
3.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
3.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 17.09 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.3 years
male: 71.9 years
female: 76.82 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic groups:
Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12%

Religions:
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous
beliefs and other 10%

Languages:
Malay (official), English, Chinese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8%
male: 94.8%
female: 88.5% (2003 est.)

Government Brunei

Country name:
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei

Government type:
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); note - 1 January 1984 was the
date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of
independence from British protection

Constitution:
29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of
Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1
January 1984)

Legal system:
based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law
supersedes civil law in a number of areas

Suffrage:
none

Executive branch:
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
(since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
(since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of
state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by
the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a
Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on
religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the
monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of
Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the
succession to the throne if the need arises
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat Megeri (a privy
council that serves only in a consultative capacity; NA seats;
members appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held in March 1962
note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by
decree of the monarch; 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 monarch
for three-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
Brunei Solidarity National Party or PPKB in Malay [Haji Mohd HATTA
bin Haji Zainal Abidin, president]; note - the PPKB is the only
legal political party in Brunei; it was registered in 1985 but
became largely inactive after 1988; it was revived in 1995 and again
in 1998; it has less than 200 registered party members; other
parties include Brunei People's Party or PRB (banned in 1962) and
Brunei National Democratic Party (registered in May 1965,
deregistered by the Brunei Government in 1988)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anak Dato Haji PUTEH
FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560
telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838
chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gene B. CHRISTY
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri
Begawan
mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507
telephone: [673] (2) 229670
FAX: [673] (2) 225293

Flag description:
yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width)
and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in
red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a
swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned
crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands

Economy Brunei

Economy - overview:
This small, wealthy economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and
domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures,
and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account
for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third
World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment
supplements income from domestic production. The government provides
for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's
leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the
world economy will undermine internal social cohesion, although it
became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000
APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the
future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment,
strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general,
further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $18,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 45%
services: 50% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-2% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
143,400
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary
residents make up about 40% of labor force (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
government 48%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and
construction 42%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35
billion (1997 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
2.497 billion kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
2.322 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
217,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
1.255 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
10.35 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.35 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
9 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
315 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo

Exports:
$3 billion f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, natural gas, refined products

Exports - partners:
Japan 40.3%, South Korea 12.3%, Thailand 12.1%, Australia 9.2%, US
8.1%, China 6.4%, Singapore 5.7% (2002)

Imports:
$1.4 billion c.i.f. (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
Singapore 30.6%, Japan 21.5%, Malaysia 17.4%, UK 6.1%, Hong Kong 4%
(2002)

Debt - external:
$0

Economic aid - recipient:
$4.3 million (1995)

Currency:
Bruneian dollar (BND)

Currency code:
BND

Exchange rates:
Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.72
(2000), 1.69 (1999), 1.67 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Brunei

Telephones - main lines in use:
79,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
43,524 (1996)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent;
international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the
Philippines, and Singapore (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
329,000 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
201,900 (1998)

Internet country code:
.bn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
35,000 (2002)

Transportation Brunei

Railways:
total: 13 km (private line)
narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge (2001 est.)

Highways:
total: 2,525 km
paved: 2,525 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000)

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

Pipelines:
gas 665 km; oil 439 km (2003)

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

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
ships by type: liquefied gas 8
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: UK 7 (2002 est.)

Airports:
2 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports:
3 (2002)

Military Brunei

Military branches:
Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 110,888 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 63,966 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 3,277 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$329.7 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Brunei

Disputes - international:
Involved in dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; Brunei established an exclusive
economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly
Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the
offshore reefs; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to
ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of
conduct"

Illicit drugs:
drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are
serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Bulgaria

Introduction Bulgaria

Background:
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local
Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first
Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with
the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the
end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman
Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878, but having fought
on the losing side in both World Wars, it fell within the Soviet
sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946.
Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first
multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious
process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy
while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime.
Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward
eventual integration into NATO and the EU - with which it began
accession negotiations in 2000.

Geography Bulgaria

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

Geographic coordinates:
43 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 110,910 sq km
water: 360 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km

Area - comparative:
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,
Turkey 240 km

Coastline:
354 km

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

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

Terrain:
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 39%
permanent crops: 1.8%
other: 59.2% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
8,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes, landslides

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw
sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from
air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy
metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

People Bulgaria

Population:
7,537,929 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.2% (male 549,142; female 520,057)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 2,551,548; female 2,632,978)
65 years and over: 17% (male 535,165; female 749,039) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.5 years
male: 38.4 years
female: 42.4 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
-1.09% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
8.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
14.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 15.43 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.8 years
male: 68.26 years
female: 75.56 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001
est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
346 (2001 est.)

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

Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian

Ethnic groups:
Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including
Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (1998)

Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish
0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998)

Languages:
Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic
breakdown

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Government Bulgaria

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Sofia

Administrative divisions:
28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas,
Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana,
Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen,
Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora,
Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Independence:
3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution:
adopted 12 July 1991

Legal system:
civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002);
Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime
Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy
Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), and Lidiya
SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 November
and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the
Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president;
deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister
election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote
- Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UtdDF
18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51,
CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF
50, CfB 48, MRF 20, independents 12

Judicial branch:
Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation;
Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year
terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the
two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members;
responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and
investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the
Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by
the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)

Political parties and leaders:
Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for
Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei
STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO
[Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF
[Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon
SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda
MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI];
United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and
other center-right parties)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
agrarian movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of
Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional,
ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

International organization participation:
ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN
Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA
consulate(s): New York
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW
embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740
Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77

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)

Economy Bulgaria

Economy - overview:
Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European
Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth
since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then
socialist government. As a result, the government became committed
to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. A $300 million
stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has
supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and
unemployment.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $49.23 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.7%
industry: 28.5%
services: 57.9% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
12.6% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.5%
highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.4 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
3.83 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
18% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $5.57 billion
expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)

Industries:
electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery
and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined
petroleum, nuclear fuel

Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
41.38 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 47.8%
hydro: 8.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 44.1%

Electricity - consumption:
32.52 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
6.79 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
830 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
603 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
94,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
8.1 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
4 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
5.804 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
5.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.724 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley,
sunflowers, sugar beets

Exports:
$5.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels

Exports - partners:
Italy 15.5%, Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%,
US 4.8% (2002)

Imports:
$6.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals
and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles

Imports - partners:
Russia 14.6%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%,
Turkey 5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$10.3 billion (yearend 2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$300 million (2000 est.)

Currency:
lev (BGL)

Currency code:
BGN

Exchange rates:
leva per US dollar - 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84
(1999), 1.76 (1998)
note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July
1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bulgaria

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,186,731 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.054 million (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: extensive but antiquated
domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential;
telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern
digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of
the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio
relay
international: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios:
4.51 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.bg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
200 (2001)

Internet users:
585,000 (2001)

Transportation Bulgaria

Railways:
total: 4,294 km
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 37,286 km
paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)

Waterways:
470 km (1987)

Pipelines:
gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003)

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