Chapter X: Front Matter (10)

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 [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and
Herzegovina or HDZ-BH [Barisa COLAK]; 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 [Marko TADIC]; 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]; Serb
Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan CAVIC - acting]; Serb Radical Party
of the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical
Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social
Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social
Democratic Union or SDU [Miro LAZOVIC]; Socialist Party of Republika
Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
MIGA, MONUC, 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
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502
consulate(s) general: New York
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas L. McELHANEY
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

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
interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80%
from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. 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. Part of the lag in
output was made up in 2003-04. National-level statistics are
limited. Moreover, official data do not capture the large share of
black market activity. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or
BAM)- 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 - $24.31 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,100 (2003 est.)

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

Population below poverty line:
NA (2004 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
1.026 million (2001)

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

Unemployment rate:
40% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.271 billion
expenditures: $3.242 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

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

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:
5.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
9.979 billion kWh (2001)

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.)

Current account balance:
$-2.195 billion (2003)

Exports:
$1.28 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners:
Italy 28.7%, Croatia 18.3%, Germany 17.1%, Austria 9.2%, Slovenia
7.1% (2003)

Imports:
$4.7 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.5%, Slovenia 14.7%, Germany 13.7%, Italy 12.2%, Hungary
7.8%, Austria 6.7% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$1.796 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$3.5 billion (2003)

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

Currency:
marka (BAM)

Currency code:
BAM

Exchange rates:
marka per US dollar - 1.7329 (2003), 1.7329 (2002), 2.1857 (2001),
2.1244 (2000), 1.8371 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

Telephones - main lines in use:
938,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.05 million (2003)

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: country code - 387; 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 hosts:
6,994 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
100,000 (2002)

Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Railways:
total: 1,021 km (795 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

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

Waterways:
Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited
because of no agreement with neighboring countries (2004)

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

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
27 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7

Heliports:
5 (2003 est.)

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 and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation
of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years
of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military
service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law,
military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18
and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service
obligation is 4 months (July 2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,133,847 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 898,451 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 30,130 (2004 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
most of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain in
dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on problem sections
around Kostajnica on the Una River and villages at the base of Mount
Pljesevica

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 327,200 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in
1992-1995 war) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to
Western Europe; remains highly vulnerable to money laundering
activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak
law enforcement and instances of corruption

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@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 one of the world's highest known rates 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: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.34% (2001)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, 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:
1,561,973
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
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.2% (male 310,282; female 302,452)
15-64 years: 56.2% (male 424,613; female 452,801)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 30,896; female 40,929) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.2 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 19.9 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.89% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
24.71 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
33.63 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 69.98 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 68.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 70.96 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 30.76 years
male: 30.99 years
female: 30.53 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.17 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
37.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
350,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
33,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria
overall degree of risk: high (2004)

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 30 October 2004
(next to be held NA October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1

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

Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Seretse Ian KHAMA]; 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, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

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 $8,800 in 2003. 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 expected leveling off in
diamond mining production.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $14.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 48.7% (including 36% mining)
services: 52% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
23.9% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
47% (2002 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.2% (2003 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: $3.263 billion
expenditures: $3.283 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003)

Public debt:
7% of GDP (2003)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
7.3% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
409.8 million kWh (2001)

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)

Current account balance:
$539 million (2003)

Exports:
$2.544 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

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

Imports:
$1.753 billion f.o.b. (2003 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)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$5.25 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$392 million (2003)

Economic aid - recipient:
$73 million (1995)

Currency:
pula (BWP)

Currency code:
BWP

Exchange rates:
pulas per US dollar - 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001),
5.1018 (2000), 4.6244 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Botswana

Telephones - main lines in use:
142,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
435,000 (2002)

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: country code - 267; 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 hosts:
1,920 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2001)

Internet users:
60,000 (2002)

Transportation Botswana

Railways:
total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2003)

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

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
85 (2003 est.)

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 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 54
under 914 m: 18 (2004 est.)

Military Botswana

Military branches:
Botswana Defense Force (including an Air Wing)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official
qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 381,801 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 202,176 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 20,651 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$298.9 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.6% (2003)

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 at
Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
boundary convergence is not clearly defined or delimited

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@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) (2001)

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 2004 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

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 10 February, 2005

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

@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 overcame more than half a century
of military intervention in the governance of the country when in
1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers.
Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and
development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a
large labor pool, it 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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
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

Land use:
arable land: 6.96%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 92.15% (2001)

Irrigated land:
26,560 sq km (1998 est.)

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

Environment - current issues:
deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a
multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there
is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land
degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining
activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

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

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

People Brazil

Population:
184,101,109
note: Brazil took a count in August 2000, which reported a
population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than
projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied
underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this
country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality
due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.6% (male 24,915,902; female 23,966,713)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 61,739,012; female 62,770,480)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 4,389,659; female 6,319,343) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 27.4 years
male: 26.7 years
female: 28.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.11% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
17.25 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 26.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 34.47 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.41 years
male: 67.45 years
female: 75.57 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
660,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
15,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian

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

Religions:
Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%

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

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

Government Brazil

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

Government type:
federative republic

Capital:
Brasilia

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

Independence:
7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Constitution:
5 October 1988

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

Suffrage:
voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory
over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not
vote

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
election results: in runoff election 27 October 2002, Luiz Inacio
LULA DA SILVA (PT) was elected with 61.3% of the vote; Jose SERRA
(PSDB) 38.7%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 6 October
2002 (next to be held 1 October 2006, with a runoff on 29 October
2006 if necessary); runoff election held 27 October 2002
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the
Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each
state and federal district elected according to the principle of
majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a
four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year
period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513
seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve
four-year terms)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party PMBD 19, PFL 19, PT 14, PSDB 11, PDT 5, PSB 4, PL 3,
PTB 3, PPS 1, PSD 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - PT 91, PFL 84, PMDB 74, PSDB 71, PP
49, PL 26, PTB 26, PSB 22, PDT 21, PPS 15, PCdoB 12, PRONA 6, PV 5,
other 11; note - many congressmen have changed party affiliation
since the most recent election
elections: Federal Senate - last held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds
of the Senate (next to be held NA October 2006 for one-third of the
Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 6 October 2002 (next to be
held NA October 2006)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life by
the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of
Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life);
note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal
employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70

Political parties and leaders:
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel
TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Federal Deputy Roberto
JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator
Eduardo AZAREDO]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Federal Deputy
Miguel ARRAES]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Renato RABELO];
Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos LUPI]; Green Party or PV [Jose
Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Senator Jorge
BORNHAUSEN]; Liberal Party or PL [Federal Deputy Valdemar COSTA
Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Federal Deputy
Dr. Eneas CARNEIRO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy
Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal Deputy Pedro
CORREA]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose GENOINO]; Social Christian Party
or PSC [Vitor Jorge ABDALA NOSSEIS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Landless Worker's Movement; large farmers' associations; labor
unions and federations; religious groups including evangelical
christian churches and the Catholic Church

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John DANILOVICH
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal
Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone: [55] (61) 312-7000
FAX: [55] (61) 225-9136
consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
consulate(s): Recife

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

Economy Brazil

Economy - overview:
Possessing large and well-developed agricultural, mining,
manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that
of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence
in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy
grew, on average, only 1.1% per year, as the country absorbed a
series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil
absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the
resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in
place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President Lula
DA SILVA. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating
exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal
policy, which have been reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The
currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to
a dramatic current account adjustment: in 2003, Brazil ran a record
trade surplus and recorded the first current account surplus since
1992. While economic management has been good, there remain
important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are
debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased
steadily from 1994 to 2003, straining government finances, while
Brazil's foreign debt (a mix of private and public debt) is large in
relation to Brazil's modest (but growing) export base. Another
challenge is maintaining economic growth over a period of time to
generate employment and make the government debt burden more
manageable.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.375 trillion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-0.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 38.7%
services: 51.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2003)

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

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14.7% (2003)

Labor force:
82.59 million (2003 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
12.3% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $147.2 billion
expenditures: $172.4 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003)

Public debt:
58.5% of GDP (2003)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
0.4% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
321.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
335.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
8.507 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
221.7 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$3.52 billion (2003)

Exports:
$73.28 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
US 23%, Argentina 6.1%, China 6%, Netherlands 5.8%, Germany 4.2%
(2003)

Imports:
$48.25 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
US 20%, Argentina 9.8%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.2%, China 4.4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$49.3 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$214.9 billion (2003)

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

Currency:
real (BRL)

Currency code:
BRL

Exchange rates:
reals per US dollar - 3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002), 2.3577 (2001),
1.8301 (2000), 1.8147 (1999)
note: from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate
was determined by a managed float; since 15 January 1999, the
official rate floats independently with respect to the US dollar

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Brazil

Telephones - main lines in use:
38.81 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
46,373,300 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: good working system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 64 earth stations
international: country code - 55; 3 coaxial submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat
(Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to
Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station

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

Radios:
71 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
138 (1997)

Televisions:
36.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.br

Internet hosts:
3,163,349 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
14.3 million (2002)

Transportation Brazil

Railways:
total: 29,412 km (1,610 km electrified)
broad gauge: 4,907 km 1.600-m gauge (942 km electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
dual gauge: 396 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km
electrified) (2003)
narrow gauge: 23,915 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)

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

Waterways:
50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 244 km; gas 10,739 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km;
oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2004)

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

Merchant marine:
total: 151 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,961,431 GRT/4,725,267 DWT
by type: bulk 29, cargo 22, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil
6, container 12, liquefied gas 12, multi-functional large load
carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 48, roll on/roll off
8, short-sea/passenger 1
foreign-owned: Chile 2, Germany 7, Monaco 9, Panama 1, Spain 7
registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.)

Airports:
3,803 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 698
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 461
under 914 m: 49 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 158

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3,438
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 78
under 914 m: 1,780 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 1,579

Heliports:
417 (2003 est.)

Military Brazil

Military branches:
Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (including Naval Air and Marines),
Brazilian Air Force (FAB)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service
obligation - 12 months; 17 years of age for voluntary service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 52,100,042 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 34,799,098 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 1,788,495 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$10,439.4 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (2003)

Transnational Issues Brazil

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

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

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@British Indian Ocean Territory

Introduction British Indian Ocean Territory

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

Geography British Indian Ocean Territory

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

Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 71 30 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
698 km

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

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

Terrain:
flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

Natural resources:
coconuts, fish, sugarcane

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

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

People British Indian Ocean Territory

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in
the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois,
were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and
1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a
British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in
2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel
and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
(July 2004 est.)

Government British Indian Ocean Territory

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

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

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004);
Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside
in the UK
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and
administrator appointed by the monarch
cabinet: NA

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

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

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

Economy British Indian Ocean Territory

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

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

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Communications British Indian Ocean Territory

Telephones - main lines in use:
NA

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

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

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.io

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Transportation British Indian Ocean Territory

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

Ports and harbors:
Diego Garcia

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military British Indian Ocean Territory

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

Transnational Issues British Indian Ocean Territory

Disputes - international:
Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its
former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001
were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since
eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an
immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the
exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access
to the largest island in the chain

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@British Virgin Islands

Introduction British Virgin Islands

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

Geography British Virgin Islands

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

Geographic coordinates:
18 30 N, 64 30 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
80 km

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

Climate:
subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

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

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

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 73.33% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

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

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

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

People British Virgin Islands

Population:
22,187 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.5% (male 2,402; female 2,361)
15-64 years: 73.5% (male 8,395; female 7,911)
65 years and over: 5% (male 594; female 524) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 30.9 years
male: 31.1 years
female: 30.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.06% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
14.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.27 years
male: 75.24 years
female: 77.36 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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

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

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

Languages:
English (official)

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

Government British Virgin Islands

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

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

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Road Town

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
Territory Day, 1 July

Constitution:
1 June 1977

Legal system:
English law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

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

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

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

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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

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

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

Economy British Virgin Islands