Chapter XI: Front Matter (11)

Economy - overview:
The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the
Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated
45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly
from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002
because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the
government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing
to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate
substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore
registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance
law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with
regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses,
is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive
to international business. Livestock raising is the most important
agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet
domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links
with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the
dollar as its currency since 1959.

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

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

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

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

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

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

Labor force:
4,911 (1980)

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

Unemployment rate:
3% (1995)

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

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
38.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
35.43 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$25.3 million (2002)

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

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

Imports:
$187 million (2002 est.)

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

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

Debt - external:
$36.1 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications British Virgin Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
11,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
8,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda

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

Radios:
9,000 (1997)

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

Televisions:
4,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.vg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation British Virgin Islands

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

Ports and harbors:
Road Town

Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT
registered in other countries: 32 (2004 est.)
by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: Norway 1

Airports:
3 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military British Virgin Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues British Virgin Islands

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable
to money laundering

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Brunei

Introduction Brunei

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

Geography Brunei

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

Geographic coordinates:
4 30 N, 114 40 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

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

Coastline:
161 km

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

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy

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

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

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use:
arable land: 0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76%
other: 98.67% (2001)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

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

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

People Brunei

Population:
365,251 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 54,243; female 52,013)
15-64 years: 68% (male 131,682; female 116,631)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 5,035; female 5,647) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.7 years
male: 27.3 years
female: 26 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.95% (2004 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.54 years
male: 72.13 years
female: 77.09 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian

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

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

Languages:
Malay (official), English, Chinese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9%
male: 96.3%
female: 91.4% (2002)

Government Brunei

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

Government type:
constitutional sultanate

Capital:
Bandar Seri Begawan

Administrative divisions:
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and
Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Independence:
1 January 1984 (from UK)

National holiday:
National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the
date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of
independence from British protection

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

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

Suffrage:
none

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

Legislative branch:
Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20
years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional
amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members
elections: last held in March 1962; date of next election NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch
for three-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
other parties include Brunei People's Party or PRB (banned in 1962)
and Brunei National Democratic Party (registered in May 1965,
deregistered by the Brunei Government in 1988)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

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

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

Economy Brunei

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

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

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

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

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

Population below poverty line:
NA (1992 est.)

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

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

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

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

Unemployment rate:
10% (2001 est.)

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

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

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

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

Electricity - production:
2.497 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
2.322 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exports:
$3.439 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Japan 41%, South Korea 11.2%, Thailand 9.4%, Australia 8.4%, US
7.8%, China 6.7%, Singapore 4.5% (2003)

Imports:
$1.63 billion c.i.f. (2002 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Singapore 19.9%, Malaysia 19.8%, US 11.4%, Japan 9.9%, Hong Kong
6.5%, China 4.8%, Australia 4.3%, Thailand 4% (2003)

Debt - external:
$0

Economic aid - recipient:
$4.3 million (1995)

Currency:
Bruneian dollar (BND)

Currency code:
BND

Exchange rates:
Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002),
1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000), 1.695 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Brunei

Telephones - main lines in use:
90,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
137,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent;
international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available
international: country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine
cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001)

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

Radios:
329,000 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
201,900 (1998)

Internet country code:
.bn

Internet hosts:
6,409 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
35,000 (2002)

Transportation Brunei

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

Waterways:
209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 665 km; oil 439 km (2004)

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

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 8
foreign-owned: United Kingdom 8 (2004 est.)

Airports:
2 (2003 est.)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
3 (2003 est.)

Military Brunei

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

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 112,630 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: approx. 60,000 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 3,425 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$339.5 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.9% (2003)

Transnational Issues Brunei

Disputes - international:
in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their
offshore and deepwater seabeds until negotiations progress to an
agreement over allocation of disputed areas; Malaysia's land
boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; Brunei
established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa
Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public
territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on
the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in
the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of
conduct" desired by several of the disputants

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

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Bulgaria

Introduction Bulgaria

Background:
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local
Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first
Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with
the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the
end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman
Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of
Bulgaria became independent in 1908. Having fought on the losing
side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of
influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist
domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty
election since World War II and began the contentious process of
moving toward political democracy and a market economy while
combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today,
reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual
integration into the EU. The country joined NATO in 2004.

Geography Bulgaria

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

Geographic coordinates:
43 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references:
Europe

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

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:
total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km,
Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km

Coastline:
354 km

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

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

Terrain:
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 40.02%
permanent crops: 1.92%
other: 58.06% (2001)

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

Natural hazards:
earthquakes, landslides

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

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

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

People Bulgaria

Population:
7,517,973 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 553,801; female 526,856)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,533,784; female 2,615,968)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 535,954; female 751,610) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.5 years
male: 38.4 years
female: 42.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.92% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 25.15 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.75 years
male: 68.14 years
female: 75.59 years (2004 est.)

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

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

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

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

Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian

Ethnic groups:
Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including
Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001)

Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish
0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 3.4% (1998)

Languages:
Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic
breakdown

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

Government Bulgaria

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

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Sofia

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

Independence:
3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman
Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman
Empire)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution:
adopted 12 July 1991

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

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

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UDF
18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UDF 51,
CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of January 2005 - NMS2 98, CfB 49,
UtDF 28, MRF 20, UDF 14, New Time 13, BANU 11, independents 7

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

Political parties and leaders:
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia
MOZER]; Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV];
Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by
BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB
[Ivan KOSTOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed
DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon
SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic
Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD
[Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition
of center-right parties dominated by DSB)

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW
embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740
Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
FAX: [359] (2) 937-5230

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the
national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has
been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat
ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the
dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation
from Nazi control)

Economy Bulgaria

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

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $57.13 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2003 est.)

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

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 30%
services: 58.6% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
13.4% (2002 est.)

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
3.333 million (2003 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
14.3% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $8.121 billion
expenditures: $8.121 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
48% of GDP (2003)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
6.3% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
41.38 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
32.52 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
6.79 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
830 million kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
8.1 million bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-1.666 billion (2003)

Exports:
$7.337 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Italy 14.1%, Germany 10.9%, Greece 10.5%, Turkey 9.2%, France 5.1%,
US 4.5% (2003)

Imports:
$9.723 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Germany 14.4%, Russia 12.6%, Italy 10.3%, Greece 6.7%, Turkey 6.2%,
France 5.7% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$6.705 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$12.05 billion (2003)

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

Currency:
lev (BGL)

Currency code:
BGN

Exchange rates:
leva per US dollar - 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001),
2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (1999)
note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July
1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bulgaria

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,868,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,597,500 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: extensive but antiquated
domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential;
telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern
digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of
the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio
relay
international: country code - 359; direct dialing to 58 countries;
satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2
Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

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

Radios:
4.51 million (1997)

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

Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.bg

Internet hosts:
53,421 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
200 (2001)

Internet users:
630,000 (2002)

Transportation Bulgaria

Railways:
total: 4,294 km
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2003)

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

Waterways:
470 km (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2004)

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

Merchant marine:
total: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 757,972 GRT/1,115,238 DWT
by type: bulk 37, cargo 7, chemical tanker 4, container 2, petroleum
tanker 3, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 3,
short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 45 (2004 est.)

Airports:
212 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 128
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 92 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 85
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 72 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
1 (2003 est.)

Military Bulgaria

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 9 months (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,829,203 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,530,657 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 52,811 (2004 est.)

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

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.6% (2003)

Transnational Issues Bulgaria

Disputes - international:
none

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

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Burkina Faso

Introduction Burkina Faso

Background:
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from
France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s
were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Burkina
Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result
in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent
unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability
of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find
employment in neighboring countries.

Geography Burkina Faso

Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references:
Africa

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

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Colorado

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

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

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

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 14.43%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 85.38% (2001)

Irrigated land:
250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
recurring droughts

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

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

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

People Burkina Faso

Population:
13,574,820
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: 46% (male 3,135,098; female 3,114,354)
15-64 years: 51.1% (male 3,391,848; female 3,545,115)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 163,137; female 225,268) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.8 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 17.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.57% (2004 est.)

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

Death rate:
18.79 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 98.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 90.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 106.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.2 years
male: 42.62 years
female: 45.83 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
4.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
300,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
29,000 (2003 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Government Burkina Faso

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

Government type:
parliamentary republic

Capital:
Ouagadougou

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

Independence:
5 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 11 December (1958)

Constitution:
2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991 formally adopted;
ammended April 2000

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

Suffrage:
universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6
November 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 15 November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); in
April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential
term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005, and allowing
the president to be reelected only once; it is unclear whether this
amendment will be applied retroactively or not; prime minister
appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5%
percent of the vote

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

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court

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

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

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

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

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

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

Economy Burkina Faso

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

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $14.55 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 39.8%
industry: 19.6%
services: 40.5% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
29% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
45% (2003 est.)

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
5 million
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to
neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)

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

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $599.8 million
expenditures: $748.8 million NA, including capital expenditures of
NA (2003)

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

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

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

Electricity - production:
279.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
259.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Current account balance:
$-341 million (2003)

Exports:
$293 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cotton, livestock, gold

Exports - partners:
Singapore 12.8%, China 11.6%, Thailand 8%, Italy 6.4%, India 6%,
Colombia 5.2%, Ghana 5.2%, France 4.8%, Niger 4% (2003)

Imports:
$633.6 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

Imports - partners:
France 31.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 14.6%, Togo 9%, Belgium 5% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$379 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$1.3 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$484.1 million (1995)

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

Currency code:
XOF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2
(2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Burkina Faso

Telephones - main lines in use:
65,400 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
227,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: all services only fair
domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations
international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Radios:
394,020 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2002)

Televisions:
131,340 (2002)

Internet country code:
.bf

Internet hosts:
442 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
48,000 (2003)

Transportation Burkina Faso

Railways:
total: 622 km
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire
(2003)

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

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
33 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)

Military Burkina Faso

Military branches:
Army, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age
for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 3,047,306 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,552,212 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$52.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.6% (2003)

Transnational Issues Burkina Faso

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

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Burma

Introduction Burma

Background:
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and
incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a
province of India until 1937 when it became a separate,
self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was
attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and
later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections
in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National
League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling
junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize
recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to
1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and is currently
under house arrest. In December 2004, the junta announced it was
extending her detention for at least an additional year. Her
supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved
human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed.

Geography Burma

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

Geographic coordinates:
22 00 N, 98 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline:
1,930 km

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

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

Terrain:
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 15.19%
permanent crops: 0.97%
other: 83.84% (2001)

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

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

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

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

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

People Burma

Population:
42,720,196
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population 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: 27.6% (male 6,023,874; female 5,774,055)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 14,317,308; female 14,504,500)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 927,570; female 1,172,889) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.7 years
male: 25.2 years
female: 26.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.47% (2004 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 68.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 62.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 74.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.01 years
male: 54.22 years
female: 57.9 years (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
330,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
20,000 (2003 est.)

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

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

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

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

Languages:
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.3%
male: 89.2%
female: 81.4% (2002)

Government Burma

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

Government type:
military junta

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

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

Independence:
4 January 1948 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

Constitution:
3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national
convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but
collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include
participation of democratic opposition

Legal system:
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October
2004)
elections: none
cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta,
so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18
September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC); the SPDC oversees the cabinet

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

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

Political parties and leaders:
National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN
SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP
(progovernment) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy
or SNLD [KHUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB
(self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN
WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the
People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and
joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in
exile); Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or
KNU; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union
Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (progovernment, a
social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]

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

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

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

Flag description:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing,
14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk
of rice; the 14 stars represent the 7 administrative divisions and 7
states

Economy Burma

Economy - overview:
Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from government
controls and abject rural poverty. The military regime took steps in
the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure
under the "Burmese Way to Socialism", but those efforts have since
stalled. Burma has been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal
stability, resulting in an economy that suffers from serious
macroeconomic imbalances - including a steep inflation rate and an
official exchange rate that overvalues the Burmese kyat by more than
100 times the market rate. In addition, most overseas development
assistance ceased after the junta suppressed the democracy movement
in 1988 and subsequently ignored the results of the 1990 election. A
crisis in the private banking sector in early 2003 followed by
economic moves against Burma by the United States, the European
Union, and Japan - including a US ban on imports from Burma and a
Japanese freeze on new bilateral economic aid - further weakened the
Burmese economy. Burma is data poor, and official statistics are
often dated and inaccurate. Published estimates of Burma's foreign
trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black
market and border trade - often estimated to be one to two times the
official economy. Better relations with foreign countries and
relaxed controls at home are needed to promote foreign investment,
exports, and tourism. In February 2003, a major banking crisis hit
the country's 20 private banks, shutting them down and disrupting
the economy. In July and August 2003, the United States imposed a
ban on all Burmese imports and a ban on provision of financial
services, hampering Burma's ability to obtain foreign exchange. As
of January 2004, the largest private banks remained moribund,
leaving the private sector with little formal access to credit
outside of government contracts.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $74.53 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-0.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 57.2%
industry: 9.6%
services: 33.1% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
11.8% of GDP (2003)

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
49.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
22.14 million (2003 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
4.2% (2003)

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

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
6.139 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
5.709 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
18,590 bbl/day (2002 est.)

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
115 million bbl (1 January 2003)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
314.4 billion cu m (1 January 2003)

Current account balance:
$-35 million (2003)

Exports:
$2.434 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Thailand 31.5%, US 10.2%, India 9.3%, China 5.8%, Japan 4.8% (2003)

Imports:
$2.071 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
China 31.1%, Singapore 22.3%, Thailand 15.1%, South Korea 6.3%,
Malaysia 4.8%, Japan 4.3% (2003)