Chapter XI: Front Matter (11)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14.2%
industry: 30.8%
services: 55% (2002)

Labor force:
1.026 million (2001)

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

Unemployment rate:
45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to
25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.2 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.2% (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $5.643 billion
expenditures: $5.677 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
24.5% of GDP (2006 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

Industrial production growth rate:
5.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
12.98 billion kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
11.03 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
3.05 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
2 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
23,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
300 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
300 million cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-1.73 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$3.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners:
Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.7%, Germany 12.8%, Austria
6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

Imports:
$8.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.6%, Slovenia 13%, Italy 11%, Austria
6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.7 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$3.927 billion (2006 est.)

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

Currency (code):
marka (BAM)

Currency code:
BAM

Exchange rates:
marka per US dollar - 1.55818 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004),
1.7329 (2003), 2.0782 (2002)
note: the marka is pegged to the euro

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

Telephones - main lines in use:
968,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.594 million (2005)

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:
31,490 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
806,400 (2005)

Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Airports:
28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Heliports:
5 (2006)

Railways:
total: 608 km (777 km electrified)
standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 21,846 km
paved: 11,425 km (4,686 km of interurban roads)
unpaved: 10,421 km (2005)

Waterways:
Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2006)

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

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 service 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 four months (July 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,119,508
females age 18-49: 1,079,435 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 910,539
females age 18-49: 881,446 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 32,942
females age 18-49: 31,466 (2005 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 several small disputed
sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder
ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 7,458 (Croatia)
IDPs: 180,251 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in
1992-95 war) (2006)

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 8 February, 2007

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

@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
land: 585,370 sq km
water: 15,000 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% (2005)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)

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:
1,639,833
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
2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.3% (male 319,531/female 309,074)
15-64 years: 57.9% (male 460,692/female 488,577)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 23,374/female 38,585) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.4 years
male: 18.8 years
female: 20 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.04% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
23.08 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
29.5 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 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: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 53.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 54.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 33.74 years
male: 33.9 years
female: 33.56 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.79 children born/woman (2006 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:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2007)

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:
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none
20.6% (2001 census)

Languages:
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1%
(official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)

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
local long form: Republic of Botswana
local short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland

Government type:
parliamentary republic

Capital:
name: Gaborone
geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*,
Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast,
Northwest, 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; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Festus G. 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 G. 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 indirectly elected for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004
(next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 52%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely
advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the
chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving
5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members
selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63
seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are
appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and
Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004
(next to be held October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%,
BCP 16.6%, other 5%; 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 Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO];
Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana
Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front
or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS
Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the
United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence
Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; 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, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN
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 economic 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 $11,200 in 2006. 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 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism,
financial services, 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 was
23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%.
HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and
threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling
off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18.72 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$9.697 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining)
services: 50.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
288,400 formal sector employees (2004)

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

Unemployment rate:
23.8% (2004)

Population below poverty line:
30.3% (2003)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
63 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.4% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.256 billion
expenditures: $3.968 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
7.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
6.3% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
823 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
2.464 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
1.699 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
11,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
16,000 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$1.698 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$4.836 billion f.o.b. (2006 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% (2004)

Imports:
$3.034 billion f.o.b. (2006 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%
(2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$7.445 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$520 million (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$73 million (1995)

Currency (code):
pula (BWP)

Currency code:
BWP

Exchange rates:
pulas per US dollar - 5.90646 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004),
4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Botswana

Telephones - main lines in use:
132,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
823,100 (2005)

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:
5,499 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2001)

Internet users:
60,000 (2002)

Transportation Botswana

Airports:
85 (2006)

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 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 55
under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Railways:
total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 24,455 km
paved: 8,914 km
unpaved: 15,441 km (2004)

Military Botswana

Military branches:
Botswana Defense Force (includes an air wing) (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 350,649
females age 18-49: 361,642 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 136,322
females age 18-49: 136,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 21,103
females age 18-49: 21,379 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$325.5 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Botswana

Disputes - international:
commission established with Namibia has yet 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 has built electric fences to
stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape
political persecution; Namibia has long supported and in 2004
Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to
build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing
their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@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: 49 sq km
land: 49 sq km
water: 0 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) (2005)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

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

People Bouvet Island

Population:
uninhabited (July 2006 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

Internet hosts:
6 (2006)

Communications - note:
automatic meteorological station

Transportation Bouvet Island

Ports and terminals:
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 8 February, 2007

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

@Brazil

Introduction Brazil

Background:
Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became
an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. 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
water: 55,455 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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries:
total: 16,885 km
border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia
1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365
km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela
2,200 km

Coastline:
7,491 km

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

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: 6.93%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:
29,200 sq km (2003)

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:
188,078,227
note: Brazil conducted a census 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 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.8% (male 24,687,656/female 23,742,998)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 63,548,331/female 64,617,539)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 4,712,675/female 6,769,028) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 27.5 years
female: 29 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.04% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
16.56 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
6.17 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.97 years
male: 68.02 years
female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.91 children born/woman (2006 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 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%,
other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7%
(2000 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist
1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4%
(2000 census)

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 long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form: Brasil

Government type:
federative republic

Capital:
name: Brasilia
geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends
third Sunday in February
note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the
Fernando de Noronha islands

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
head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1
October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October
2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)
election results: Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) reelected president
- 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the
Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 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)
elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third
of the Senate (next to be held October 2010 for two-thirds of the
Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be
held October 2010)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1,
PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following election -
PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 10, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL 3, PCdoB 2,
PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB
65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13,
PSC 9, other 17

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 [Flavio de CASTRO MARTINEZ];
Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy Fidelix DA CRUZ];
Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS];
Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso JEREISSATI];
Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Federal Deputy Eduardo Henrique
Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato
RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI];
Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES]; Green Party
or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or
PHS [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Federal Deputy Valdemar COSTA
Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Federal Deputy
Dr. Eneas Ferreira CARNEIRO]; Partido Municipalista Renovador or PMR
[Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS
[Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal
Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge
ABDALA NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal
Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000
FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136
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:
Characterized by 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 2.2% 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. Since 2004, Brazil has enjoyed more robust growth that
yielded increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of
the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an
inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, all reinforced
by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in
2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account
adjustment; from 2003 to 2006, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and
recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992.
Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed
to the surge in exports. 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
- before falling as a percentage of GDP in 2005. Brazil has improved
its debt profile over the past year by shifting its debt burden
toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA DA
SILVA restated his commitment to fiscal austerity by maintaining the
country's primary surplus during the 2006 election and plans to pass
a package of further economic reforms upon entering office for his
second term. 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):
$1.616 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$620.7 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 38%
services: 54% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
96.34 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 14%
services: 66% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
9.6% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
31% (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 31.27% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
56.7 (2005)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $140.6 billion
expenditures: $172.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2004)

Public debt:
50.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

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:
3.4% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
380.9 billion kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
391.7 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
7 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
39 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2005)

Oil - production:
2.09 million bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption:
2.194 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
241,700 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:
572,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
12.22 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:
9.66 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
17.28 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
7.62 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
250 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$5.81 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$138 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
US 19.2%, Argentina 8.4%, China 5.8%, Netherlands 4.5%, Germany
4.2% (2005)

Imports:
$95.83 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
US 17.5%, Argentina 8.5%, Germany 8.4%, China 7.3%, Japan 4.6%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$77.27 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$177.7 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$30 billion (2002)

Currency (code):
real (BRL)

Currency code:
BRL

Exchange rates:
reals per US dollar - 2.19132 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004),
3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Brazil

Telephones - main lines in use:
42.382 million (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
86.21 million (2005)

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:
6,508,431 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
25.9 million (2005)

Transportation Brazil

Airports:
4,276 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 714
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 24
1,524 to 2,437 m: 164
914 to 1,523 m: 464
under 914 m: 54 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3,562
1,524 to 2,437 m: 81
914 to 1,523 m: 1,634
under 914 m: 1,847 (2006)

Heliports:
417 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 244 km; gas 11,669 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km;
oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 29,252 km
broad gauge: 4,877 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 23,785 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)
dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km
electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 1,751,868 km
paved: 96,353 km
unpaved: 1,655,515 km (2004)

Waterways:
50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 137 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,038,923 GRT/3,057,820 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 21, cargo 21, chemical tanker 8, container 8,
liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 47, roll
on/roll off 8
foreign-owned: 15 (Chile 1, Germany 7, Norway 2, Spain 4, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 5 (Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall
Islands 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Gebig, Itaqui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, San Sebasttiao, Santos,
Sepetiba Terminal, Tubarao, Vitoria

Military Brazil

Military branches:
Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes
Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian
Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - nine to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for
voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are
"long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve
in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army
became the first army in South America to accept women into career
ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve
Corps (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 45,586,036
females age 19-49: 45,728,704 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 33,119,098
females age 19-49: 38,079,722 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,785,930
females age 19-49: 1,731,648 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$9.94 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Brazil

Disputes - international:
unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders
is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics
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; in 2004 Brazil submitted its claims to the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to extend
its maritime continental margin

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Brazil is a source and destination country for
women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation within Brazil and
to destinations in South America, the Caribbean, Western Europe,
Japan, the US, and the Middle East, and for men trafficked within
the country for forced agricultural labor; child sex tourism is a
problem within the country, particularly in the resort areas and
coastal cities of Brazil's northeast; foreign victims from Bolivia,
Peru, China, and Korea are trafficked to Brazil for labor
exploitation in factories
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Brazil has failed to show evidence
of increasing efforts to fight trafficking, specifically for its
failure to apply effective criminal penalties against traffickers
who exploit forced labor

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of 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; 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 8 February, 2007

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

@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; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 54,400 sq km
land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km
water: 54,340 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands

Area - comparative:
land area is 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 two 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% (2005)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
archipelago of 55 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
November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military
personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego
Garcia (July 2006 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 Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both
reside in the UK
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and
administrator appointed by the monarch

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.
The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage
stamps.

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

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Currency (code):
both the British Pound (GBP) and the US Dollar (USD) are accepted

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 hosts:
65 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Transportation British Indian Ocean Territory

Airports:
1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: NA
paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on
Diego Garcia

Ports and terminals:
Diego Garcia

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 including
Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos
Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius,
were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; 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 restricts access to the largest island in
the chain;

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@British Virgin Islands

Introduction British Virgin Islands

Background:
First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin
Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the
English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the
Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967.
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
land: 153 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited
islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda,
Jost van Dyke

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% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

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:
23,098 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.5% (male 2,403/female 2,331)
15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.4 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 31.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.97% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
14.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
9.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.68 years
male: 75.56 years
female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.72 children born/woman (2006 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:
name: Road Town
geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

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, amended in 2000

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 David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Dr. Orlando D. SMITH (since 17
June 2003)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of
the Legislative Council
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

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by
direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts,
4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 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

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,
made 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
US dollar as its currency since 1959.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$853.4 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$839.7 million (2003)

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

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$38,500 (2004 est.)

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

Labor force:
12,770 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 0.6%
industry: 40%
services: 59.4%

Unemployment rate:
3.6% (1997)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2005)

Budget:
revenues: $204.7 million
expenditures: $180.4 million; including capital expenditures of
$33.8 million (2004)

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:
42 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
39.06 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
480 bbl/day (2004 est.)