Chapter IX: Front Matter (9)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although
informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy
in New Delhi (India)

Flag description:
divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper
triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along
the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from
the hoist side

Economy Bhutan

Economy - overview:
The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is
based on agriculture and forestry, providing the main livelihood for
more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of
subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate
the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure
difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's
through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's
financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically
backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most
development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian
migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for
tourists are key resources. The government has made some progress in
expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare.
Model education, social, and environment programs are underway with
support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic
program takes into account the government's desire to protect the
country's environment and cultural traditions. Detailed controls and
uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor,
and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.7% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 45%
industry: 10%
services: 45% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $146 million
expenditures: $152 million, including capital expenditures of NA
note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of
Bhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.)

Industries:
cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages,
calcium carbide

Industrial production growth rate:
9.3% (1996 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.896 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.1%
hydro: 99.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
379.5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
1.4 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
16 million kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
1,020 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs

Exports:
$154 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts,
cement, fruit, precious stones, spices

Exports - partners:
US 24.1%, UK 23.9%, Pakistan 23.1%, France 13.9% (2002)

Imports:
$196 million c.i.f. (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics,
rice

Imports - partners:
Japan 44.5%, Germany 12.2%, UK 8.5%, Singapore 6%, South Korea 5%,
US 4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$245 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
substantial aid from India and other nations

Currency:
ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code:
BTN; INR

Exchange rates:
ngultrum per US dollar - 48.61 (2002), 47.19 (2001), 44.94 (2000),
43.06 (1999), 41.26 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Bhutan

Telephones - main lines in use:
6,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few
telephones in use
international: international telephone and telegraph service is by
landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)

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

Radios:
37,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Televisions:
11,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bt

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
2,500 (2002)

Transportation Bhutan

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 3,690 km
paved: 2,240 km
unpaved: 1,450 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
2 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

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

Military Bhutan

Military branches:
Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bodyguard, National Militia, Royal Bhutan
Police, Forest Guards

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 530,860 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 283,493 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 22,755 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$9.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.9% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Bhutan

Disputes - international:
approximately 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal, 90% of
whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees
camps, place decades-long strains on Nepal

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Bolivia

Introduction Bolivia

Background:
Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away
from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has
consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups.
Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s,
but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty,
social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting
foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, resolving
disputes with coca growers over Bolivia's counterdrug efforts,
continuing the privatization program, and waging an anticorruption
campaign.

Geography Bolivia

Location:
Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates:
17 00 S, 65 00 W

Map references:
South America

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

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

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

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

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

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 1.73%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 98.06% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,280 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding in the northeast (March-April)

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

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

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

People Bolivia

Population:
8,586,443 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.1% (male 1,624,366; female 1,562,501)
15-64 years: 58.4% (male 2,452,892; female 2,561,873)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 172,292; female 212,519) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.8 years
male: 20.1 years
female: 21.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.63% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.37 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: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 59.75 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.78 years
male: 62.2 years
female: 67.48 years (2003 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,600 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
290 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian

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

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

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.2%
male: 93.1%
female: 81.6% (2003 est.)

Government Bolivia

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

Government type:
republic

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

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

Independence:
6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution:
2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

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

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 17
October 2003); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 17
October 2003); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 30 June 2002
(next to be held NA June 2007)
election results: as a result of no candidate winning a majority in
the 30 June 2002 election, Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamante was
chosen president by Congress; Congressional votes - Gonzalo SANCHEZ
DE LOZADA Bustamante 84, Evo MORALES 43; note - following the
resignation of the elected president on 17 October 2003, Vice
President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert assumed the presidency

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and
Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note -
some members are drawn from party lists, thus not directly elected)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
30 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - MNR 11, MAS 8, MIR 5, NFR 2, other 1; Chamber
of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNR
36, MAS 27, MIR 26, NFR 25, others 16

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms
by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department);
provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)

Political parties and leaders:
Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic Solidarity
Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz
BARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy
ZABALA]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ
Zamora]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Evo MORALES]; Movement
Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; Nationalist Democratic
Action or ADN [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Nationalist
Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New
Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti Indigenous
Movement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jeres
JUSTINIANO]
note: the MNR, MIR, and UCS comprise the ruling coalition

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Cocalero Groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole
Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Felipe
QUISPE]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime APARICIO Otero
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Washington, DC
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David N. GREENLEE
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 2430120, 2430251
FAX: [591] (2) 2433900

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

Economy Bolivia

Economy - overview:
Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American
countries, made considerable progress in the 1990s toward the
development of a market-oriented economy. Successes under President
SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-97) included the signing of a free trade
agreement with Mexico and becoming an associate member of the
Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur), as well as the privatization
of the state airline, telephone company, railroad, electric power
company, and oil company. Growth slowed in 1999, in part due to
tight government budget policies, which limited needed
appropriations for anti-poverty programs, and the fallout from the
Asian financial crisis. In 2000, major civil disturbances held down
growth to 2.5%. Bolivia's GDP failed to grow in 2001 due to the
global slowdown and laggard domestic activity. Growth picked up
slightly in 2002, but the first quarter of 2003 saw extensive civil
riots and looting and loss of confidence in the government. Bolivia
will remain highly dependent on foreign aid unless and until it can
develop its substantial natural resources.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $21.15 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 20%
services: 60% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
70% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 32% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
58.9 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
2.5 million

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

Unemployment rate:
7.6%
note: widespread underemployment (2000)

Budget:
revenues: $4 billion
expenditures: $4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
3.9% (1998)

Electricity - production:
3.901 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 44.4%
hydro: 54%
other: 1.5% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
3.634 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
9 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
44,340 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
49,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
458.8 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exports:
$1.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
soybeans, natural gas, zinc, gold, wood (2000)

Exports - partners:
Brazil 24.3%, Switzerland 15.7%, US 14.1%, Venezuela 12.8%,
Colombia 10.2%, Peru 5.4% (2002)

Imports:
$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, raw materials and semi-manufactures, chemicals,
petroleum, food

Imports - partners:
Brazil 22%, Argentina 17.4%, US 15.6%, Chile 7%, Japan 5.5%, Peru
5.4%, China 4.8% (2002)

Debt - external:
$5.9 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$588 million (1997)

Currency:
boliviano (BOB)

Currency code:
BOB

Exchange rates:
bolivianos per US dollar - 7.17 (2002), 6.61 (2001), 6.18 (2000),
5.81 (1999), 5.51 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bolivia

Telephones - main lines in use:
327,600 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
116,000 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties;
most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile
cellular telephone use expanding rapidly
domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs
digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic
cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Radios:
5.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
48 (1997)

Televisions:
900,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bo

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)

Internet users:
78,000 (2000)

Transportation Bolivia

Railways:
total: 3,519 km
narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 53,790 km
paved: 3,496 km (including 13 km of expressways)
unpaved: 50,294 km (2000 est.)

Waterways:
10,000 km (commercially navigable)

Pipelines:
gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,460 km; refined
products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the
Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges in
maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Merchant marine:
total: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 347,535 GRT/591,113 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 25, chemical tanker 4, container 4,
livestock carrier 1, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 1,
short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
Belize 2, China 2, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Honduras 1, Latvia 2,
Liberia 2, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi
Arabia 1, Singapore 1, South Korea 3, Switzerland 1, Ukraine 1, UAE
5, US 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
1,081 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,069
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 64
914 to 1,523 m: 225
under 914 m: 776 (2002)

Military Bolivia

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

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,118,908 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,380,883 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 96,003 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$147 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Bolivia

Disputes - international:
continues to press Chile and Peru to restore the Atacama corridor
ceded to Chile in 1884; Chile demands water rights to Bolivia's Rio
Lauca and Silala Spring

Illicit drugs:
world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru)
with an estimated 24,400 hectares under cultivation in June 2002, a
23% increase from June 2001; intermediate coca products and cocaine
exported to or through Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to the
US and other international drug markets; eradication and alternative
crop programs under the SANCHEZ DE LOZADA administration have been
unable to keep pace with farmers' attempts to increase cultivation
after significant reductions in 1998 and 1999; money-laundering
activity related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders
with Brazil and Paraguay

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Bosnia and Herzegovina

Introduction Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background:
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October
1991, was followed by a declaration of independence from the former
Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic
Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and
Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning
the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form
a "greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the
number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement
creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed
a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic
civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December
1995). The Dayton Agreement retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's
international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and
democratic government. This national government was charged with
conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was
a second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal
in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and
the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS
governments were charged with overseeing internal functions. In
1995-96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of
60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military
aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led
Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission is to deter renewed
hostilities. SFOR remains in place although troop levels were
reduced to approximately 12,000 by the close of 2002.

Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Geographic coordinates:
44 00 N, 18 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 51,129 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 51,129 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km

Coastline:
20 km

Maritime claims:
NA

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

Terrain:
mountains and valleys

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 9.8%
permanent crops: 2.94%
other: 87.26% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes

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

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

Geography - note:
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is
divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the
territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about
49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous
to Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally
has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an
ethnic Serb majority in the east

People Bosnia and Herzegovina

Population:
3,989,018 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.4% (male 397,810; female 377,005)
15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,439,383; female 1,372,891)
65 years and over: 10.1% (male 171,643; female 230,286) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 35.5 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 35.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.48% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 25.37 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.29 years
male: 69.56 years
female: 75.22 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

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

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

Nationality:
noun: Bosnian(s)
adjective: Bosnian

Ethnic groups:
Serb 37.1%, Bosniak 48%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)
note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid
confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

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

Languages:
Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Government type:
emerging federal democratic republic

Capital:
Sarajevo

Administrative divisions:
there are two first-order administrative divisions and one
internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko
Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika
Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an
administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
the district remains under international supervision

Independence:
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence was
completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992)

National holiday:
National Day, 25 November (1943)

Constitution:
the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new
constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its
own constitution

Legal system:
based on civil law system

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Dragan COVIC (chairman
since 27 June 2003; presidency member since 5 October 2002 - Croat)
other members of the three-member rotating (every eight months)
presidency: Sulejman TIHIC (since 5 October 2002 - Bosniak) and
Borislav PARAVAC (since 10 April 2003 - Serb); note - Mirko SAROVIC
resigned 2 April 2003
elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one
Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she
was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the
chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 5
October 2002 (next to be held NA 2006); the chairman of the Council
of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the
National House of Representatives
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan
TERZIC (since 20 December 2002),
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman;
approved by the National House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Mirko SAROVIC with 35.5% of the
Serb vote was elected chairman of the collective presidency for the
first eight months; Dragan COVIC received 61.5% of the Croat vote;
Sulejman TIHIC received 37% of the Bosniak vote
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko
LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC
(since NA 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since NA 2003); President
of the Republika Srpska: Dragan COVIC (since 28 November 2002)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the
National House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats -
elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika
Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5
Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's
House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National
Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law
specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order
administrative division entity legislatures
election results: National House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party/coalition - SDA 21.9%, SDS 14.0%, SBiH 10.5%, SDP
10.4%, SNSD 9.8%, HDZ 9.5%, PDP 4.6%, others 19.3%; seats by
party/coalition - SDA 10, SDS 5, SBiH 6, SDP 4, SNSD 3, HDZ 5, PDP
2, others 7; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition -
NA%; seats by party/coalition - NA
elections: National House of Representatives - elections last held 5
October 2002 (next to be held in NA 2006); House of Peoples - last
constituted NA January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that
consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 5
October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006); percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 32, HDZ-BiH 16, SDP 15,
SBiH 15, other 20; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30 Bosniak, 30
Croat); last constituted December 2002; the Republika Srpska has a
National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms); elections last held 5 October 2002 (next to
be held in the fall of 2006); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party/coalition - SDS 26, SNSD 19, PDP 9, SDA 6, SRS 4, SPRS 3,
DNZ 3, SBiH 4, SDP 3, others 6; as a result of the 2002
constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council
of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National
Assembly; each constituent nation and "others" will have eight
delegates

Judicial branch:
BiH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members
are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of
Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's National
Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of the
European Court of Human Rights); BiH State Court (consists of nine
judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal
- having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and
appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities; note -
a War Crimes Chamber may be added at a future date)
note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a
number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the
Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska
has five municipal courts

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK];
Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or
GDS [Ilija SIMIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and
Herzegovina or HDZ [Barisa COLAK (acting)]; Croat Christian
Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Mijo
IVANIC-LONIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP [Zdravko HRISTIC]; Croat
Peasants Party or HSS [Ilija SIMIC]; Democratic National Union or
DNZ [Fikret ABDIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC];
New Croat Initiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and
Herzegovina or SBiH [Safet HALILOVIC]; Party of Democratic Action or
SDA [Sulejman TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen
IVANIC]; Pro-European People's Party or PROENS [Jadranko PRLIC];
Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan KALINIC]; Serb Radical Party of
the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social
Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Socialist Party
of Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Igor DAVIDOVIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford G. BOND
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
mailing address: use street address
telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
FAX: [387] (33) 659-722
branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar

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

Government - note:
The Dayton Agreement, signed in Paris on 14 December 1995, retained
Bosnia and Herzegovina's exterior border and created a joint
multi-ethnic and democratic government. This national government -
based on proportional representation similar to that which existed
in the former socialist regime - is charged with conducting foreign,
economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton Agreement also recognized a
second tier of government, comprised of two entities - a joint
Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian
Serb Republika Srpska (RS) - each presiding over roughly one-half
the territory. The Federation and RS governments are charged with
overseeing internal functions. The Bosniak/Croat Federation is
further divided into 10 cantons. The Dayton Agreement established
the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the
implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement.

Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina

Economy - overview:
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to The Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation.
Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are small
and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of
food. Industry has been greatly overstaffed, one reflection of the
socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the
development of military industries in the republic with the result
that Bosnia hosted a number of Yugoslavia's defense plants. The
bitter interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by
80% from 1990 to 1995, unemployment to soar, and human misery to
multiply. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99
at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed
in 2000-02. GDP remains far below the 1990 level. Economic data are
of limited use because, although both entities issue figures,
national-level statistics are limited. Moreover, official data do
not capture the large share of black market activity. The marka -
the national currency introduced in 1998 - is now pegged to the
euro, and the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has
dramatically increased its reserve holdings. Implementation of
privatization, however, has been slow, and local entities only
reluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reform
accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were
shut down. The country receives substantial amounts of
reconstruction assistance and humanitarian aid from the
international community but will have to prepare for an era of
declining assistance.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 40.9%
services: 46.1% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
1.026 million

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

Unemployment rate:
40% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.9 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1999 est.)

Industries:
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle
assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and
aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining (2001)

Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
9.979 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 53.5%
hydro: 46.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
8.116 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
2.569 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.405 billion kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

Natural gas - consumption:
300 million cu m (2001 est.)

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

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

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

Exports:
$1.15 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners:
Italy 31.6%, Croatia 18%, Germany 12.9%, Austria 10.1%, Slovenia
6.9%, Greece 4.3% (2002)

Imports:
$2.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Croatia 23.7%, Slovenia 14.8%, Germany 14%, Italy 13.1%, Hungary
8%, Austria 7.7% (2002)

Debt - external:
$2.8 billion (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
$650 million (2001 est.)

Currency:
marka (BAM)

Currency code:
BAM

Exchange rates:
marka per US dollar - NA (2002), 2.19 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84
(1999), 1.76 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

Telephones - main lines in use:
303,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
9,000 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone and telegraph network needs
modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average as
contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republics
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations

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

Radios:
940,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.ba

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
45,000 (2002)

Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Railways:
total: 1,021 km (795 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 21,846 km
paved: 11,424 km
unpaved: 10,422 km (1999 est)

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

Pipelines:
gas 170 km; oil 9 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all
inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
32 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (2002)
914 to 1523 m: 1

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2002)

Heliports:
5 (2002)

Military Bosnia and Herzegovina

Military branches:
VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands
within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces are
subordinate commands within the Army)

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,132,476 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 897,856 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 29,861 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$234.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.5% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina

Disputes - international:
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimited
about half of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River
remain in dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on problem
sections of the Una River and villages at the base of Mount
Pljesevica

Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to
Western Europe; organized crime launders money, but the lack of a
well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility
as a money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Botswana

Introduction Botswana

Background:
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted
its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining,
dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due
to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature
preserves. Botswana has the world's highest known rate of HIV/AIDS
infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Geography Botswana

Location:
Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references:
Africa

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 0.61%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.38% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

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

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

People Botswana

Population:
1,573,267
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: 39.5% (male 314,764; female 307,024)
15-64 years: 56% (male 424,726; female 455,967)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 30,599; female 40,187) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.1 years
male: 18.4 years
female: 19.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
-0.55% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
31 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: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 67.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 66.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 68.36 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 32.26 years
male: 32.2 years
female: 32.32 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
38.8% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
330,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
26,000 (2001 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including
Kgalagadi and white 7%

Religions:
indigenous beliefs 85%, Christian 15%

Languages:
English (official), Setswana

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.8%
male: 76.9%
female: 82.4% (2003 est.)

Government Botswana

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

Government type:
parliamentary republic

Capital:
Gaborone

Administrative divisions:
9 districts and four town councils*; Central, Francistown*,
Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*,
Northwest, Northeast, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern

Independence:
30 September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

Constitution:
March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and
Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and
Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held
NA October 2004); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 54.3%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely
advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight
principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected
by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40
members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 are appointed by
the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 16 October 1999
(next to be held NA October 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 54.3%, BNF 24.7%,
other 21%; seats by party - BDP 33, BNF 6, other 1

Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each
district)

Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus MOGAE]; Botswana National
Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP
[Mokgweetsi KGOSIPULA]; Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim
Lepetu SETSHWAELO]
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties
are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO], the
Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO], and the Botswana
Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU,
OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph HUGGINS
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
FAX: [267] 312782

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

Economy Botswana

Economy - overview:
Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates
since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound
management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest
countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita
GDP of $9,500 in 2002. Two major investment services rank Botswana
as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of
the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP
and for nine-tenths of export earnings. Tourism, subsistence
farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside,
the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and
poverty. Unemployment officially is 21%, but unofficial estimates
place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest in
the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains.
Long-term prospects are overshadowed by the prospects of a leveling
off in diamond mining production.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $13.48 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 44% (including 36% mining)
services: 52% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
47%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.1% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
264,000 formal sector employees (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
40% (official rate is 21%) (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.3 billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY 01/02)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
409.8 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
1.564 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.183 billion kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

Exports:
$2.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
diamonds 90%, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles

Exports - partners:
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African
Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000)

Imports:
$1.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment,
textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products,
metal and metal products

Imports - partners:
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4%
(2000)

Debt - external:
$360 million (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$73 million (1995)

Currency:
pula (BWP)

Currency code:
BWP

Exchange rates:
pulas per US dollar - 6.33 (2002), 5.84 (2001), 5.1 (2000), 4.62
(1999), 4.23 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Botswana

Telephones - main lines in use:
131,000 (September 2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
270,000 (September 2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of
mobile cellular service and participation in regional development
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile
cellular service is growing fast
international: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio
relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)

Radios:
252,720 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)

Televisions:
31,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bw

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2001)

Internet users:
33,000 (2001)

Transportation Botswana

Railways:
total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 10,217 km
paved: 5,619 km
unpaved: 4,598 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
86 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 76
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 55
under 914 m: 18 (2002)

Military Botswana

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

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 381,056 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 201,402 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 20,476 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$207.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.5% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Botswana

Disputes - international:
established a commission with Namibia to resolve small residual
disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands
along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest
Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on
Popa Falls; dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia,
and Zimbabwe boundaries converge

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Bouvet Island

Introduction Bouvet Island

Background:
This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by
glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by
a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was
made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK
waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island
the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the adjacent
territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since 1977,
Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the island.

Geography Bouvet Island

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

Geographic coordinates:
54 26 S, 3 24 E

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 58.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 58.5 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
29.6 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 NM

Climate:
antarctic

Terrain:
volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 m

Natural resources:
none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (93% ice) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve

People Bouvet Island

Population:
uninhabited (July 2003 est.)

Government Bouvet Island

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

Dependency status:
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the
Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo

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

Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used

Economy Bouvet Island

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

Communications Bouvet Island

Internet country code:
.bv

Communications - note:
automatic meteorological station

Transportation Bouvet Island

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Bouvet Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues Bouvet Island

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Brazil

Introduction Brazil

Background:
Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became
an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous
country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a
century of military intervention in the governance of the country to
pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of the
interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool,
Brazil is today South America's leading economic power and a
regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a
pressing problem.

Geography Brazil

Location:
Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Geographic coordinates:
10 00 S, 55 00 W

Map references:
South America

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US

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

Coastline:
7,491 km

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

Climate:
mostly tropical, but temperate in south

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

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

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