Chapter XI: Front Matter (11)

Merchant marine:
total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 829,421 GRT/1,252,496 DWT
ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 10, chemical tanker 4, container 2,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll
on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002
est.)

Airports:
216 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 128
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 92 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 88
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 74 (2002)

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Bulgaria

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (subordinate to Ministry of
Defense), Internal Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Interior),
Civil Defense Forces (subordinate to the president)

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,854,049 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,551,485 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 54,107 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$356 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.7% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Bulgaria

Disputes - international:
joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Romania based
on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920

Illicit drugs:
major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and,
to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market;
limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of
drug-related proceeds through financial institutions

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Burkina Faso

Introduction Burkina Faso

Background:
Independence from France came to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper
Volta) in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s
were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Burkina
Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result
in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Every
year, several hundred thousand seasonal farm workers seek employment
in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana and are adversely affected by instability
in those regions.

Geography Burkina Faso

Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 274,200 sq km
water: 400 sq km
land: 273,800 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries:
total: 3,193 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km,
Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

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

Terrain:
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and
southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 12.43%
permanent crops: 0.18%
other: 87.39% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
recurring droughts

Environment - current issues:
recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural
activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing;
soil degradation; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black,
Red, and White Voltas

People Burkina Faso

Population:
13,228,460
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.1% (male 3,057,855; female 3,036,705)
15-64 years: 51% (male 3,296,726; female 3,455,817)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 161,914; female 219,443) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.8 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 17.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.6% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 99.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 91.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 107.87 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.46 years
male: 43.02 years
female: 45.94 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
6.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
440,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
44,000 (2001 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani

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

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 26.6%
male: 36.9%
female: 16.6% (2003 est.)

Government Burkina Faso

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso
former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

Government type:
parliamentary republic

Capital:
Ouagadougou

Administrative divisions:
45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou,
Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga,
Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Nahouri, Nayala,
Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga,
Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro,
Zondoma, Zoundweogo

Independence:
5 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 11 December (1958)

Constitution:
2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991 formally adopted

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

Suffrage:
universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6
November 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 15 November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); in
April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential
term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005, and allowing
the president to be reelected only once; it is unclear whether this
amendment will be applied retroactively or not; prime minister
appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
note: President COMPAORE faces an increasingly well-coordinated
opposition; recent charges against a former member of his
Presidential Guard in the 1998 assassination of a newspaper editor
signify an attempt to defuse chronic areas of dissatisfaction
election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5%
percent of the vote

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, others 17
elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to
be held NA May 2007)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders:
African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or
RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Confederation for Federation and Democracy
or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress
or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and
Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African
Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and
Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Union of Greens for the
Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe
Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February; National
Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National Organization of
Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political action groups throughout the
country in both organizations and communities

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882
telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony HOLMES
embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - U. S.
Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC
20521-2440
telephone: [226] 306723
FAX: [226] 303890

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

Economy Burkina Faso

Economy - overview:
One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso
has few natural resources, a fragile soil, and a highly unequal
distribution of income. About 90% of the population is engaged in
(mainly subsistence) agriculture, which is vulnerable to variations
in rainfall. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable
government-controlled corporations. Following the African franc
currency devaluation in January 1994 the government updated its
development program in conjunction with international agencies, and
exports and economic growth have increased. Maintenance of
macroeconomic progress depends on continued low inflation, reduction
in the trade deficit, and reforms designed to encourage private
investment. The internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire
continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the
need for international assistance.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $14.51 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.6% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35%
industry: 17%
services: 48% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
45% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 46.8% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48.2 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
5 million
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to
neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2002)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 90% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $316 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Industries:
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes,
textiles, gold

Industrial production growth rate:
14% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
279.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 69.9%
hydro: 30.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
259.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
8,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice;
livestock

Exports:
$250 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cotton, livestock, gold

Exports - partners:
Singapore 14.7%, Italy 11.3%, Colombia 8.6%, France 7.7%, India
6.9%, Ghana 6%, Japan 4.4%, Thailand 4.3% (2002)

Imports:
$525 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

Imports - partners:
France 27.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 23%, Togo 4.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$1.3 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$484.1 million (1995)

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

Currency code:
XOF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99
(2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Burkina Faso

Telephones - main lines in use:
53,200 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,200 (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: all services only fair
domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002)

Radios:
394,020 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2002)

Televisions:
131,340 (2002)

Internet country code:
.bf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
25,000 (2002)

Transportation Burkina Faso

Railways:
total: 622 km
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire
(2002)

Highways:
total: 12,506 km
paved: 2,001 km
unpaved: 10,505 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
33 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 17 (2002)

Military Burkina Faso

Military branches:
Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's
Militia

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,957,710 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,506,944 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$45.83 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Burkina Faso

Disputes - international:
two villages are in dispute along the border with Benin; Burkina
Faso border regions have become a staging area for Liberia and Cote
d'Ivoire rebels and an asylum for refugees caught in regional
fighting; the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso of supporting
Ivorian rebels

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Burma

Introduction Burma

Background:
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and
incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a
province of India until 1937 when it became a separate,
self-governing colony; independence outside of the Commonwealth was
attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
1988, first as military ruler, then as president, and later as
political kingmaker. Despite multiparty elections in 1990 that
resulted in the main opposition party winning a decisive victory,
the ruling military junta refused to hand over power. Key opposition
leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, under house
arrest from 1989 to 1995, was again placed under house detention
from September 2000 to May 2002 and again in May 2003; her
supporters are routinely harassed or jailed.

Geography Burma

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
between Bangladesh and Thailand

Geographic coordinates:
22 00 N, 98 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 678,500 sq km
land: 657,740 sq km
water: 20,760 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 5,876 km
border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km,
Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

Coastline:
1,930 km

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

Climate:
tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest
monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild
temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon,
December to April)

Terrain:
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead,
coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas,
hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 14.53%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 84.57% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
15,920 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides
common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water;
inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

People Burma

Population:
42,510,537
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality 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: 28.1% (male 6,091,220; female 5,840,968)
15-64 years: 67% (male 14,162,190; female 14,347,751)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 916,702; female 1,151,706) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.3 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 25.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.52% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.81 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: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 70.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 76.48 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.79 years
male: 54.12 years
female: 57.56 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.99% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
530,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
65,000 (2001 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%,
Mon 2%, other 5%

Religions:
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim
4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Languages:
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 88.7%
female: 77.7% (1995 est.)
note: these are official statistics; estimates of functional
literacy are likely closer to 30% (1999 est.)

Government Burma

Country name:
conventional long form: Union of Burma
conventional short form: Burma
local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the
US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of
Myanmar)
former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the
name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision
was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US
Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the
Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

Government type:
military regime

Capital:
Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon)

Administrative divisions:
7 divisions* (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi
ne-myar, singular - pyi ne); Chin State, Ayeyarwady*, Bago*, Kachin
State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*, Mandalay*, Mon State,
Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon*

Independence:
4 January 1948 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

Constitution:
3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national
convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution;
progress has since been stalled

Legal system:
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
head of government: Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the
appointed Prime Minister, Gen. KNIN NYUNT (since 25 August 2003), is
not the head of government
cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta,
so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18
September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration
Council; the SPDC oversees the cabinet
elections: none

Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60

Judicial branch:
remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is
no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not
independent of the executive

Political parties and leaders:
National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN
SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (proregime)
[THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [KHUN
TUN OO]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA
(proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general
secretary]; and other smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
All Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF; Kachin Independence
Army or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU; National Coalition
Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB [Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of
individuals legitimately elected to the People's Assembly but not
recognized by the military regime (the group fled to a border area
and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel
government); several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA

International organization participation:
ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW
(signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador LINN MYAING
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Permanent Charge d'Affaires Carmen M. MARTINEZ
embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 379 880, 379 881
FAX: [95] (1) 256 018

Flag description:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing,
all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing
a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative
divisions

Economy Burma

Economy - overview:
Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from abject rural
poverty. The military regime took steps in the early 1990s to
liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese
Way to Socialism", but those efforts have since stalled. Burma has
been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal stability, resulting in an
economy that suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances -
including a steep inflation rate and an official exchange rate that
overvalues the Burmese kyat by more than 100 times the market rate.
In addition, most overseas development assistance ceased after the
junta suppressed the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently
ignored the results of the 1990 election. Burma is data poor, and
official statistics are often dated and inaccurate. Published
estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because
of the size of the black market and border trade - often estimated
to be one to two times the official economy.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $73.69 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 60%
industry: 9%
services: 31% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
25% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
53.7% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
23.7 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 70%, industry 7%, services 23% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
5.1% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $7.9 billion
expenditures: $12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7
billion (FY96/97)

Industries:
agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood
products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials;
pharmaceuticals; fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
6.139 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 44.4%
hydro: 55.6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
5.709 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
14,170 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
38,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
142.5 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish
and fish products

Exports:
$2.7 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice

Exports - partners:
Thailand 31.4%, US 13%, India 7.4%, China 4.7% (2002)

Imports:
$2.5 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil;
food products

Imports - partners:
China 27%, Singapore 19.5%, Thailand 12%, Malaysia 9.1%, Taiwan
6.3%, South Korea 5.3%, Japan 4.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$6.1 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$99 million (FY98/99)

Currency:
kyat (MMK)

Currency code:
MMK

Exchange rates:
kyats per US dollar - 6.64 (2002), 6.75 (2001), 6.52 (2000), 6.29
(1999), 6.34 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Burma

Telephones - main lines in use:
250,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
8,492 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and
intercity service for business and government; international service
is good
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:
4.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1998)

Televisions:
320,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
.mm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1
note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for
the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)

Internet users:
10,000 (2002)

Transportation Burma

Railways:
total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 28,200 km
paved: 3,440 km
unpaved: 24,760 km (1996 est.)

Waterways:
12,800 km
note: 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels

Pipelines:
gas 2,056 km; oil 558 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon,
Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy

Merchant marine:
total: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 352,765 GRT/536,396 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 5, Japan 4 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 21, container 1, passenger/cargo 3,
petroleum tanker 1

Airports:
80 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 72
under 914 m: 34 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 20
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Burma

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 12,349,921
note: both sexes liable for military service (2003 est.)
females age 15-49: 12,358,507

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 6,566,122
females age 15-49: 6,553,458 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 453,420
females: 455,422 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$39 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (FY97)

Transnational Issues Burma

Disputes - international:
despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences
remain with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of
ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities

Illicit drugs:
world's second largest producer of illicit opium (potential
production in 2002 - 630 metric tons, down 27% due to drought and,
to a lesser extent, eradication; cultivation in 2002 - 77,000
hectares, a 27% decline from 2001); surrender of drug warlord KHUN
SA's Mong Tai Army in January 1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a major
counternarcotics success, but lack of government will and ability to
take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment
against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug
effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional
consumption

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Burundi

Introduction Burundi

Background:
Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated
in October 1993 after only four months in office. Since then, some
200,000 Burundians have perished in widespread, often intense ethnic
violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Hundreds of thousands have
been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring
countries. Burundi troops, seeking to secure their borders,
intervened in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
in 1998. More recently, many of these troops have been redeployed
back to Burundi to deal with periodic upsurges in rebel activity. A
new transitional government, inaugurated on 1 November 2001, was to
be the first step toward holding national elections in three years.
While the Government of Burundi signed a cease-fire agreement in
December 2002 with three of Burundi's four Hutu rebel groups,
implementation of the agreement has been problematic and one rebel
group refuses to sign on, clouding prospects for a sustainable peace.

Geography Burundi

Location:
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates:
3 30 S, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 27,830 sq km
water: 2,180 sq km
land: 25,650 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 974 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda
290 km, Tanzania 451 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772
m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies
with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally
moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual
rainfall is about 150 cm; wet seasons from February to May and
September to November, and dry seasons from June to August and
December to January

Terrain:
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
highest point: Mount Heha 2,670 m

Natural resources:
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum
(not yet exploited), vanadium, arable land, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 29.98%
permanent crops: 12.85%
other: 57.17% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
740 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding, landslides, drought

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of
agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land
remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat
loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the
Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote
headstream of the White Nile

People Burundi

Population:
6,096,156
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.7% (male 1,438,759; female 1,409,567)
15-64 years: 50.6% (male 1,516,833; female 1,564,513)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 66,355; female 100,129) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.3 years
male: 15.9 years
female: 16.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.18% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 71.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 78.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.2 years
male: 42.54 years
female: 43.88 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
8.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
390,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
40,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Burundian(s)
adjective: Burundian

Ethnic groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans
3,000, South Asians 2,000

Religions:
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous
beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Languages:
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake
Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.6%
male: 58.5%
female: 45.2% (2003 est.)

Government Burundi

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
conventional short form: Burundi
local short form: Burundi
local long form: Republika y'u Burundi
former: Urundi

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Bujumbura

Administrative divisions:
16 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke,
Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro,
Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi

Independence:
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution:
13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a plural political
system; supplanted on 6 June 1998 by a Transitional Constitution
which enlarged the National Assembly and created two vice presidents

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

Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since 30 April 2003);
note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as president for the second
half of the three-year transitional government inaugurated on 1
November 2001; Vice President Alphonse KADEGE (since 30 April 2003);
note - from the Tutsi minority
head of government: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since 30 April
2003); note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as president for the
second half of the three-year transitional government inaugurated on
1 November 2001; Vice President Alphonse KADEGE (since 30 April
2003); note - from the Tutsi minority
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
elections: NA; current president assumed power on 30 April 2003 as
part of the transitional government established by the 2000 Arusha
Accord

Legislative branch:
bicameral, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
(expanded from 121 to approximately 140 seats under the transitional
government inaugurated 1 November 2001; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; term
length is undefined, the current senators will likely serve out the
three-year transition period)
elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled to be held in
1998, but was suspended by presidential decree in 1996; elections
are planned to follow the completion of the three-year transitional
government)
election results: percent of vote by party - FRODEBU 71.04%, UPRONA
21.4%, other 7.56%; seats by party - FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16,
civilians 27, other parties 13

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courts of
Appeal (there are three in separate locations); Tribunals of First
Instance (17 at the province level and 123 small local tribunals)

Political parties and leaders:
the two national, mainstream, governing parties are: Unity for
National Progress or UPRONA [Alphonse KADEGE, president]; Burundi
Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Jean MINANI, president]
note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are:
Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation or ABASA [Terrence
NSANZE]; Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development or
RADDES [Joseph NZEYIMANA]; Party for National Redress or PARENA
[Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]; People's Reconciliation Party or PRP
[Mathias HITIMANA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
loosely organized Hutu and Tutsi militias, often affiliated with
Hutu and Tutsi extremist parties or subordinate to government
security forces

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine NTAMOBWA
chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James Howard YELLIN
embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
telephone: [257] 223454
FAX: [257] 222926

Flag description:
divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom)
and green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk
superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars
outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above,
two stars below)

Economy Burundi

Economy - overview:
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an
underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on
subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea
exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The
ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather
conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi
minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the
coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the
population. Since October 1993 an ethnic-based war has resulted in
the death of over 200,000 persons, sent 800,000 refugees into
Tanzania, and displaced 525,000 others internally. Doubts about the
prospects for sustainable peace continue to impede development. Only
one in two children go to school, and approximately one in ten
adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short
supply.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.146 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2002 est.)

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

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 50%
industry: 19%
services: 31% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
70% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 32.9% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42.5 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
3.7 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $125 million
expenditures: $176 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of
imported components; public works construction; food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
18% (2001)

Electricity - production:
155.4 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.6%
hydro: 99.4%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
177.5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
33 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
2,750 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc
(tapioca); beef, milk, hides

Exports:
$26 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides

Exports - partners:
Switzerland 28.8%, Germany 20.2%, Belgium 9.4%, Kenya 7.8%, Rwanda
6.5%, Netherlands 4.6% (2002)

Imports:
$135 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Belgium 12.4%, Saudi Arabia 12.3%, Tanzania 9.3%, Kenya 7.7%,
France 7.4%, India 4.5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$1.14 billion (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
$92.7 million (2000)

Currency:
Burundi franc (BIF)

Currency code:
BIF

Exchange rates:
Burundi francs per US dollar - NA (2002), 830.35 (2001), 720.67
(2000), 563.56 (1999), 447.77 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Burundi

Telephones - main lines in use:
18,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
30,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: primitive system
domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications,
and low-capacity microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:
440,000 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)

Televisions:
25,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bi

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
6,000 (2002)

Transportation Burundi

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 14,480 km
paved: 1,028 km
unpaved: 13,452 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
Lake Tanganyika

Ports and harbors:
Bujumbura

Airports:
7 (2002)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2002)

Military Burundi

Military branches:
Army (including naval and air units), Gendarmerie

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,375,900 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 723,516 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 79,462 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$42.13 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.3% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Burundi

Disputes - international:
Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated
political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces
continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the
boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and
Uganda to gain control over populated and natural resource areas;
government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence
continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Cambodia

Introduction Cambodia

Background:
Following a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces
captured Phnom Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities
and towns; over 1 million displaced people died from execution or
enforced hardships. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge
into the countryside and touched off almost 20 years of fighting.
UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of
normalcy as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the
mid-1990s. A coalition government, formed after national elections
in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of
remaining Khmer Rouge forces in 1998.

Geography Cambodia

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between
Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 181,040 sq km
land: 176,520 sq km
water: 4,520 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Land boundaries:
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

Coastline:
443 km

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

Climate:
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season
(December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

Natural resources:
timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower
potential

Land use:
arable land: 20.96%
permanent crops: 0.61%
other: 78.43% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
2,700 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

Environment - current issues:
illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining
for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have
resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular,
destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil
erosion; in rural areas, a majority of the population does not have
access to potable water; toxic waste delivery from Taiwan sparked
unrest in Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville) in December 1998

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

Geography - note:
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and
Tonle Sap

People Cambodia

Population:
13,124,764
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality 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: 39.3% (male 2,606,568; female 2,557,736)
15-64 years: 57.6% (male 3,599,216; female 3,962,520)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 148,287; female 250,437) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.2 years
male: 18.4 years
female: 20 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.8% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
0 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: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 75.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 66.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 84.96 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 57.92 years
male: 55.49 years
female: 60.47 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
170,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
12,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian

Ethnic groups:
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Religions:
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%

Languages:
Khmer (official) 95%, French, English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.9%
male: 80.5%
female: 60.3% (2003 est.)

Government Cambodia

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local short form: Kampuchea
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea
former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic

Government type:
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in
September 1993

Capital:
Phnom Penh

Administrative divisions:
20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities*
(krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang,
Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot,
Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb*, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay,
Pailin*, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu*, Preah Vihear, Prey
Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev

Independence:
9 November 1953 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Constitution:
promulgated 21 September 1993

Legal system:
primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period,
royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of
customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing
influence of common law in recent years

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998)
and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 1993) and TOL LAH (since
1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council;
following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or
majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the
National Assembly and appointed by the king

Legislative branch:
bicameral consists of the National Assembly (122 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61
seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the
National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies";
members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be
held in July 2007); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held
in 2004)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP
47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73,
FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7, other 2 (2003)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution
and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts)
exercises judicial authority

Political parties and leaders:
Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG MOULY]; Cambodian Pracheachon
Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Khmer Citizen
Party or KCP [NGUON SOEUR]; National United Front for an
Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or
FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP
(formerly Khmer Nation Party or KNP) [SAM RANGSI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador ROLAND ENG
FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles Aaron RAY
embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh
mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546
telephone: [855] (23) 216-436/438
FAX: [855] (23) 216-437/811

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue
with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined
in black in the center of the red band

Economy Cambodia

Economy - overview:
Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-1998 due to the
regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting.
Foreign investment and tourism fell off. In 1999, the first full
year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and
growth resumed at 5.0%. Despite severe flooding, GDP grew at 5.0% in
2000, 6.3% in 2001, and 5.2% in 2002. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest
growing industry, with arrivals up 34% in 2000 and up another 40% in
2001 before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. Even
given these stout growth estimates, the long-term development of the
economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. The
population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in
the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total
lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability
and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment
and delay foreign aid. The government is addressing these issues
with assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $20.42 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 20%
services: 40% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
36% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.4 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
6 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.8% (1999 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $396 million
expenditures: $607 million, including capital expenditures of $254
million (2001 est.)

Industries:
tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products,
rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
16% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
119 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 65%
hydro: 35%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
110.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
3,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables

Exports:
$1.38 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
timber, garments, rubber, rice, fish

Exports - partners:
US 60.2%, Germany 9.1%, UK 7.1%, Singapore 4.4% (2002)

Imports:
$1.73 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials,
machinery, motor vehicles

Imports - partners:
Thailand 24.8%, Singapore 16.9%, China 12.1%, Hong Kong 10.9%,
South Korea 5.5%, Vietnam 5.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$829 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by
international donors

Currency:
riel (KHR)

Currency code:
KHR

Exchange rates:
riels per US dollar - 3,912.08 (2002), 3,916.33 (2001), 3,840.75
(2000), 3,807.83 (1999), 3,744.42 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Cambodia

Telephones - main lines in use:
21,800 (mid-1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
80,000 (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in
Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; rural areas have little
telephone service
domestic: NA
international: adequate but expensive landline and cellular service
available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial
cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean
region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1999)

Radios:
1.34 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (2003)

Televisions:
94,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.kh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
10,000 (2002)

Transportation Cambodia

Railways:
total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 12,323 km
paved: 1,996 km
unpaved: 10,327 km (2000 est)

Waterways:
3,700 km
note: navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km
navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m

Ports and harbors:
Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh

Merchant marine:
total: 527 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,328,371 GRT/3,294,028 DWT
ships by type: bulk 49, cargo 412, chemical tanker 2, combination
bulk 4, container 17, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 2,
multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea
passenger 2
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Aruba 1, Belize 11, Bulgaria 3, Cambodia 194, Canada 4,
China 25, Cyprus 14, Egypt 10, Estonia 2, France 1, Georgia 1,
Germany 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 13, Honduras 8, Hong Kong 12, Iceland
1, Indonesia 2, Iran 1, Ireland 1, Italy 2, Japan 2, Jordan 1, North
Korea, 1, South Korea, 25, Latvia 3, Lebanon 6, Liberia 7, Malaysia
1, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, Panama 10,
Romania 2, Russia 75, Saint Kitts and Nevis 4, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 5, Singapore 17, Syria 20, Turkey 18, Ukraine 16, United
Arab Emirates 3, United Kingdom 1, United States 5, Vietnam 3 (2002
est.)

Airports:
21 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 13

Heliports:
2 (2002)

Military Cambodia

Military branches:
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF): Army, Navy, Air Force

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 3,275,533 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,829,535 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 165,395 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$112 million (FY01 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (FY01 est.)

Transnational Issues Cambodia