Chapter XIII: Front Matter (13)

Economy - overview:
Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government
controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The
junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after
decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those
efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were
rescinded. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers
from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including inflation,
multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat,
and a distorted interest rate regime. Most overseas development
assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy
movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of
the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of
Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the
US imposed new economic sanctions against Burma - including a ban on
imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial
services by US persons. A poor investment climate further slowed the
inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will
continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas,
mining, and timber. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services,
are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable
import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems,
and corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the
country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2006,
the largest private banks operate under tight restrictions limiting
the private sector's access to formal credit. Official statistics
are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly
understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial
border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official
economy. Burma's trade with Thailand, China, and India is rising.
Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its
neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved
political situation are needed to promote foreign investment,
exports, and tourism.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$83.84 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.845 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 54.7%
industry: 10.6%
services: 34.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
28.49 million (2006 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
10.2% (2006 est.)

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
21.4% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
11.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $494.1 million
expenditures: $947.3 million; including capital expenditures of NA
(2006 est.)

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; natural gas

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
6.31 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 44.5%
hydro: 43.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 12.1% (2002)

Electricity - consumption:
5.869 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
18,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
37,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
3,356 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
49,230 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - proved reserves:
less than 1 billion bbl (2005)

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$1.247 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$5.289 billion f.o.b.
note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the
value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled
to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Thailand 43.8%, India 12.1%, China 6.7%, Japan 5% (2005)

Imports:
$2.049 billion f.o.b.
note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of
consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from
Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
China 28.8%, Thailand 21.8%, Singapore 18.4%, Malaysia 7.6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$932 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$7.162 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$127 million (2001 est.)

Currency (code):
kyat (MMK)

Currency code:
MMK

Exchange rates:
kyats per US dollar - 1,310 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004),
6.0764 (2003), 6.5734 (2002), note, these are official exchange
rates; unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US
dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by year-end 2005, the
unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Burma

Telephones - main lines in use:
476,200 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
183,400 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: barely meets minimum requirements for local and
intercity service for business and government; international service
is fair
domestic: NA
international: country code - 95; satellite earth station - 2,
Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1 (2004)

Radios:
4.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2004)

Televisions:
320,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
.mm

Internet hosts:
42 (2006)

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

Internet users:
78,000 (2005)

Transportation Burma

Airports:
85 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 64
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 32 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 2,224 km; oil 558 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 27,000 km
paved: 3,200 km
unpaved: 23,800 km (2005)

Waterways:
12,800 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 34 ships (1000 GRT or over) 402,699 GRT/620,642 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 9 (Germany 5, Japan 4) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe

Military Burma

Military branches:
Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 12,268,850
females age 18-49: 12,469,771 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,946,701
females age 18-49: 8,543,705 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 469,841
females: 455,689 (2005 est.)

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

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

Transnational Issues Burma

Disputes - international:
over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups
with substantial numbers of kin beyond its borders; despite
continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain
with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; ethnic Karens
flee into Thailand to escape fighting between Karen rebels and
Burmese troops; in 2005 Thailand sheltered about 121,000 Burmese
refugees; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese
hydroelectric dam on the Salween River near the border;
environmentalists in Burma and Thailand continue to voice concern
over China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the
Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province; India seeks cooperation
from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists from hiding in remote
Burmese uplands

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 540,000 (government offensives against ethnic insurgent
groups near the eastern borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen,
Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2006)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Burma is a source country for men, women, and
children trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for sexual
exploitation, domestic service, and forced commercial labor; a
significant number of victims are economic migrants who wind up in
forced or bonded labor and forced prostitution; to a lesser extent,
Burma is a country of transit and destination for women trafficked
from China for sexual exploitation; internal trafficking of persons
occurs primarily for labor in industrial zones and agricultural
estates; internal trafficking of women and girls for sexual
exploitation occurs from villages to urban centers and other areas;
the military junta's economic mismanagement, human rights abuses,
and policy of using forced labor are driving factors behind Burma's
large trafficking problem
tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium (estimated
production in 2004 - 292 metric tons, down 40% from 2003 due to
eradication efforts and drought; cultivation in 2004 - 30,900
hectares, a 34% decline from 2003); lack of government will to take
on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment
against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug
effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional
consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force
countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate
money-laundering controls (2005)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Burundi

Introduction Burundi

Background:
Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated
in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread
ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Over 200,000
Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen
years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced
or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally
brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated
government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a
transition process that led to an integrated defense force,
established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu
government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre
NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the
country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many
challenges.

Geography Burundi

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

Geographic coordinates:
3 30 S, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

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

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

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

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

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

Natural resources:
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum,
vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin,
tungsten, kaolin, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 35.57%
permanent crops: 13.12%
other: 51.31% (2005)

Irrigated land:
210 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
flooding, landslides, drought

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

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

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

People Burundi

Population:
8,090,068
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: 46.3% (male 1,884,825/female 1,863,200)
15-64 years: 51.1% (male 2,051,451/female 2,082,017)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 83,432/female 125,143) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.6 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 16.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.7% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 70.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 55.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.81 years
male: 50.07 years
female: 51.58 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
250,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
25,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2007)

Nationality:
noun: Burundian(s)
adjective: Burundian

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

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

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

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

Government Burundi

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Bujumbura
geographic coordinates: 3 23 S, 29 22 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

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

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

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution:
28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum

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

Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005);
First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August
2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8
September 2006)
head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August
2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29
August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8
September 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year
term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted
in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected
by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; vice presidents
nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament
election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the
parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in
February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by
a two-thirds majority of the legislature

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National Assembly
or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats - 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi
with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a
National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic
representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 by indirect vote to
serve five year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic
groups and former chiefs of state)
elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be
held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in
2010)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%,
MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59,
FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30,
FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1

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

Political parties and leaders:
the three national, mainstream, governing parties are: Burundi
Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA, president];
National Council for the Defense of Democracy, Front for the Defense
of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Hussein RADJABU, president]; Unity for
National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA, president]
note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are:
National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD; National
Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or
MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National
Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

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

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

Economy Burundi

Economy - overview:
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an
underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on
subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea
exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The
ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather
conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi
minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the
coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the
population. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade
resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000
refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally.
Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 10
adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short
supply. Political stability and the end of the civil war have
improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but
underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a
weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk
undermining planned economic reforms. Burundi grew about 5 percent
in 2006. Delayed disbursements of funds from the World Bank may add
to budget pressures in 2007. Burundi will continue to remain heavily
dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.744 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$778.9 million (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$700 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 44.9%
industry: 20.9%
services: 34.1% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
2.99 million (2002)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 93.6%
industry: 2.3%
services: 4.1% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
68% (2002 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.3 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
11.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $239.9 million
expenditures: $297 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
18% (2001)

Electricity - production:
137 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
157.4 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
30 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
3,100 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:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-57.84 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$55.68 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Germany 24.6%, Belgium 11.2%, Netherlands 8.1%, Switzerland 5.9%,
US 4.7% (2005)

Imports:
$207.3 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Kenya 12.9%, Tanzania 10.5%, Belgium 10.4%, Italy 8.1%, France
5.4%, Uganda 5.3%, China 5%, India 4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$87.69 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient:
$105.5 million (2003)

Currency (code):
Burundi franc (BIF)

Currency code:
BIF

Exchange rates:
Burundi francs per US dollar - 1,170 (2006), 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91
(2004), 1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Burundi

Telephones - main lines in use:
27,700 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
153,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: primitive system
domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications,
and low-capacity microwave radio relay
international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

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

Radios:
440,000 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)

Televisions:
25,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bi

Internet hosts:
160 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
25,000 (2005)

Transportation Burundi

Airports:
8 (2006)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 12,322 km
paved: 1,286 km
unpaved: 11,036 km (2004)

Waterways:
mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2003)

Ports and terminals:
Bujumbura

Military Burundi

Military branches:
National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN): Army
(includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie
(being disbanded) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,676,855
females age 16-49: 1,656,366 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 955,616
females age 16-49: 932,767 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 91,331
females age 16-49: 90,685 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$43.9 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.6% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Burundi

Disputes - international:
Tutsi, Hutu, other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political
rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting
in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda in an effort to
gain control over populated and natural resource areas; government
heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues
despite the presence of about 6,000 peacekeepers from the UN
Operation in Burundi (ONUB) since 2004; although some 150,000
Burundian refugees have been repatriated, as of February 2005,
Burundian refugees still reside in camps in western Tanzania as well
as the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 20,359 (Democratic Republic of the
Congo)
IDPs: 100,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most
IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2006)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Cambodia

Introduction Cambodia

Background:
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of
the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and
reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by
the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire
ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country
under French protection in 1863. Cambodia became part of French
Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II,
Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April
1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces
captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5
million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or
starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December
1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside,
began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13
years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic
elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the
Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some
semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional
fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second
round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another
coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining
elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the
remaining Khmer Rouge leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored
tribunal for crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were
relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between
contending political parties before a coalition government was
formed.

Geography Cambodia

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

Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

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

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oklahoma

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

Coastline:
443 km

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

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

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

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

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

Land use:
arable land: 20.44%
permanent crops: 0.59%
other: 78.97% (2005)

Irrigated land:
2,700 sq km (2003)

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

Environment - current issues:
illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining
for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have
resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular,
destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil
erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access
to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing
and overfishing

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

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

People Cambodia

Population:
13,881,427
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
2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.6% (male 2,497,595/female 2,447,754)
15-64 years: 61% (male 4,094,946/female 4,370,159)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 180,432/female 290,541) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.6 years
male: 19.9 years
female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.78% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 68.78 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 77.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 59.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.29 years
male: 57.35 years
female: 61.32 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
170,000 (2003 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese
encephalitis are high risks in some locations
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified
among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a
negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens
who have close contact with birds (2007)

Nationality:
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian

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

Religions:
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 73.6%
male: 84.7%
female: 64.1% (2004 est.)

Government Cambodia

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic
pronunciation)
local short form: Kampuchea
former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea,
People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

Government type:
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Capital:
name: Phnom Penh
geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

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

Independence:
9 November 1953 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Constitution:
promulgated 21 September 1993

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985)
and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK
AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16
July 2004); KEV PUT REAKSMEI (since 24 October 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in
practice named by the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council;
following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or
majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the
National Assembly and appointed by the king

Legislative branch:
bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61
seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by the National
Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and commune councils;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be
held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be
held in January 2011)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP
47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73,
FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%,
FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2
(January 2006)

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

Political parties and leaders:
Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front
for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or
FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP
[Norodom RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. MUSSOMELI
embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546
telephone: [855] (23) 728-000
FAX: [855] (23) 728-600

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue
with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined
in black in the center of the red band; only national flag to
incorporate an actual building in its design

Economy Cambodia

Economy - overview:
In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, the government
made progress on economic reforms. The US and Cambodia signed a
Bilateral Textile Agreement, which gave Cambodia a guaranteed quota
of US textile imports and established a bonus for improving working
conditions and enforcing Cambodian labor laws and international
labor standards in the industry. From 2001 to 2004, the economy grew
at an average rate of 6.4%, driven largely by an expansion in the
garment sector and tourism. With the January 2005 expiration of a
WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodia-based textile
producers were forced to compete directly with lower-priced
producing countries such as China and India. Better-than-expected
garment sector performance led to about 6% growth per year in
2005-06. Faced with the possibility that its vibrant garment
industry, with more than 200,000 jobs, could be in serious danger,
the Cambodian government has committed itself to a policy of
continued support for high labor standards in an attempt to maintain
favor with buyers. The tourism industry continues to grow rapidly,
with foreign visitors surpassing 1 million for per year beginning in
2005. In 2005, exploitable oil and natural gas deposits were found
beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a new revenue
stream for the government once commercial extraction begins in the
coming years. Mining also is attracting significant investor
interest, particularly in the northeastern parts of the country. The
long-term development of the economy remains a daunting challenge.
The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral
donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's
many pressing needs. The major economic challenge for Cambodia over
the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which
the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's
demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the population is less than
21 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills,
particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from
an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$36.78 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.122 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35%
industry: 30%
services: 35% (2004)

Labor force:
7 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 75%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.5% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2004 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $731 million
expenditures: $931.8 million; including capital expenditures of $291
million (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, tapioca

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

Industrial production growth rate:
22% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
131 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
121.8 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
3,750 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:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-412 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$3.331 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear

Exports - partners:
US 48.6%, Hong Kong 24.4%, Germany 5.6%, Canada 4.6% (2005)

Imports:
$4.477 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Hong Kong 16.1%, China 13.6%, France 12.1%, Thailand 11.2%, Taiwan
10.2%, South Korea 7.5%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4.9%, Japan 4.1%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.385 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$3.664 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$504 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2005 by
international donors

Currency (code):
riel (KHR)

Currency code:
KHR

Exchange rates:
riels per US dollar - 4,119 (2006), 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25
(2004), 3,973.33 (2003), 3,912.08 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Cambodia

Telephones - main lines in use:
36,400 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.062 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in
Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile phone coverage is
rapidly expanding in rural areas
domestic: NA
international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline
and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and
major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
(Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 17 (2003)

Radios:
1.34 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
11 (including two TV relay stations with French and Vietnamese
broadcasts); 12 regional low power TV stations (2006)

Televisions:
94,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.kh

Internet hosts:
1,378 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
41,000 (2005)

Transportation Cambodia

Airports:
20 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Heliports:
2 (2006)

Railways:
total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 38,257 km
paved: 2,406 km
unpaved: 35,851 km (2004)

Waterways:
2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 544 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,777,907 GRT/2,529,708 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 41, cargo 443, chemical tanker 11, container
10, livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 9,
refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1,
vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 407 (Bulgaria 1, Canada 6, China 128, Cyprus 12,
Egypt 8, Gabon 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia 1, Japan 4,
South Korea 23, Latvia 2, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1,
Philippines 1, Russia 105, Singapore 4, Spain 1, Syria 20, Taiwan 2,
Turkey 26, UAE 1, Ukraine 17, US 8, Yemen 3, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Phnom Penh, Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville)

Military Cambodia

Military branches:
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer
Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
conscription law made effective in October 2006 requires all males
between 18-30 to register for military service; service obligation
is 18 months (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,002,718
females age 18-49: 3,108,254 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,955,141
females age 18-49: 2,048,611 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 175,497
females age 18-49: 172,788 (2005 est.)

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

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

Transnational Issues Cambodia

Disputes - international:
Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check
the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of
boundary with missing boundary markers and Thai encroachments into
Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by
unresolved dispute over offshore islands; Cambodia accuses Thailand
of obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to
Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; in 2004, Cambodian-Laotian and
Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commissions re-erected missing markers
completing most of their demarcations

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit
country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women
and children are trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia for commercial
sexual exploitation and forced labor; men are trafficked primarily
to Thailand for forced labor in the construction and agricultural
sectors, particularly the fishing industry, while women and girls
are trafficked for factory and domestic work; children are
trafficked to Vietnam and Thailand for the purpose of forced
begging; Cambodia is a transit and destination point for women from
Vietnam trafficked for sexual exploitation; trafficking for sexual
exploitation also occurs within Cambodia's borders, from rural areas
to the cities
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with
the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,
it is committed to making significant efforts to sustain progress
over the coming year

Illicit drugs:
narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the
government, military, and police; possible small-scale heroin and
methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to
its cash-based economy and porous borders

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Cameroon

Introduction Cameroon

Background:
The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in
1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed
stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture,
roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite a slow
movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in
the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by President Paul BIYA.

Geography Cameroon

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial
Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates:
6 00 N, 12 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 475,440 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 4,591 km
border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km,
Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298
km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Coastline:
402 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate:
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot
in north

Terrain:
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in
center, mountains in west, plains in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)

Natural resources:
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 2.52%
other: 84.94% (2005)

Irrigated land:
260 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from
Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

Environment - current issues:
waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing;
desertification; poaching; overfishing

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

Geography - note:
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the
country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of
current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest
mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano

People Cameroon

Population:
17,340,702
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: 41.2% (male 3,614,430/female 3,531,047)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 4,835,453/female 4,796,276)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 260,342/female 303,154) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.9 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 19 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.04% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 67.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 59.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.16 years
male: 50.98 years
female: 51.34 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
6.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
560,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
49,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified
among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a
negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens
who have close contact with birds (2007)

Nationality:
noun: Cameroonian(s)
adjective: Cameroonian

Ethnic groups:
Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani
10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%,
non-African less than 1%

Religions:
indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages:
24 major African language groups, English (official), French
(official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79%
male: 84.7%
female: 73.4% (2003 est.)

Government Cameroon

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon
local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon
former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of
Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital:
name: Yaounde
geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord,
Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Independence:
1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:
Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

Constitution:
20 May 1972 approved by referendum, 2 June 1972 formally adopted;
revised January 1996

Legal system:
based on French civil law system, with common law influence;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted
by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004
(next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote -
Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga
Haman ADJI 3.7%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term
of the legislature
elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held in June 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21
note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the
legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court
of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges,
elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Cameroon
People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the
Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the
Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO];
Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; National
Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA];
Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Peoples of
Cameroon or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]; Human Rights
Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC,
OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790
FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Niels MARQUARDT
embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 220 15 00; Consular: [237] 220 16 03
FAX: [237] 220 16 20; Consular FAX: [237] 220 17 52
branch office(s): Douala

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow
with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the
popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Cameroon

Economy - overview:
Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural
conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity
economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious
problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy
civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business
enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF
and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment,
increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize
the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an
IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however,
the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget
transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs.
International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the
economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$42.2 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$16.37 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 45.2%
industry: 16.1%
services: 38.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
6.394 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry: 13%
services: 17%

Unemployment rate:
30% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
48% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.6 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
16.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.339 billion
expenditures: $3.157 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
28.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root
starches; livestock; timber

Industries:
petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food
processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair

Industrial production growth rate:
4.2% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
3.924 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 2.7%
hydro: 97.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
3.649 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
82,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
24,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
90 million bbl (2006 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$419 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$4.318 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum,
coffee, cotton

Exports - partners:
Spain 17.4%, Italy 13.8%, France 9.5%, South Korea 8.1%, UK 8.1%,
Netherlands 7.9%, Belgium 4.9%, US 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$3.083 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners:
France 24%, Nigeria 12%, Belgium 6.3%, China 5.6%, US 5.1%,
Thailand 4.5%, Germany 4.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.336 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$3.657 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
in January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of
$1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion

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

Currency code:
XAF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar -
522.592 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99
(2002)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Cameroon

Telephones - main lines in use:
99,400 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.259 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: available only to business and government
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 237; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
provides connectivity to Europe and Asia