THE WORLD FACTBOOK (continued 2)
Reading edition
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bahamian(s); adjective—Bahamian
_#_Ethnic divisions: black 85%, white 15%
_#_Religion: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% (1980)
_#_Language: English; some Creole among Haitian immigrants
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 89%) age 15 and over but definition of literacy not available (1963 est.)
_#_Labor force: 132,600; government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 25% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
_#_Type: commonwealth
_#_Capital: Nassau
_#_Administrative divisions: 21 districts; Abaco, Acklins Island, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Biminis, Cat Island, Cay Lobos, Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Harbour Island, Inagua, Long Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana, New Providence, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, Spanish Wells
_#_Independence: 10 July 1973 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 10 July 1973
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Henry TAYLOR (since 26 June 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar PINDLING (since 16 January 1967)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held 19 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(49 total) PLP 32, FNM 17
_#_Communists: none known
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNSP), a small leftist party headed by Lionel CAREY; Trade Union Congress (TUC), headed by Arlington MILLER
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret E. McDONALD; Chancery at Suite 865, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 944-3390; there are Bahamian Consulates General in Miami and New York;
US—Ambassador Chic HECHT; Embassy at Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau (mailing address is P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau); telephone (809) 322-1181 or 328-2206
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or 40% of the local work force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, the per capita GDP of $9,800 is one of the highest in the region.
_#_GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $9,800; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment: 11.7% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.03 billion; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $275 million (1990)
_#_Exports: $300 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish;
partners—US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%
_#_Imports: $1.23 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels;
partners—US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%
_#_External debt: $1.2 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 368,000 kW capacity; 857 million kWh produced, 3,480 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral weld, steel pipe
_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products—citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food
_#_Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $1.0 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $345 million
_#_Currency: Bahamian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1—1.00 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 2,400 km total; 1,350 km paved, 1,050 km gravel
_#_Ports: Freeport, Nassau
_#_Merchant marine: 636 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,266,066 GRT/23,585,465 DWT; includes 42 passenger, 16 short-sea passenger, 190 cargo, 41 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 23 container, 5 car carrier, 1 railroad carrier, 141 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 15 combination ore/oil, 33 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 112 bulk, 8 combination bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 59 total, 57 usable; 31 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (a coast guard element only), Royal Bahamas Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 68,020; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990) % @Bahrain *Geography #_Total area: 620 km2; land area: 620 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 161 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands
_#_Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
_#_Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
_#_Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification
_#_Note: close to primary Middle Eastern crude oil sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's crude oil must transit to reach open ocean
_*People #_Population: 536,974 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 3 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bahraini(s); adjective—Bahraini
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
_#_Religion: Muslim (Shia 70%, Sunni 30%)
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
_#_Organized labor: General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only eight major designated companies
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of Bahrain
_#_Type: traditional monarchy
_#_Capital: Manama
_#_Administrative divisions: 12 municipalities (baladiyat, singular—baladiyah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat Isa, Mintaqat Juzur Hawar, Sitrah
_#_Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
_#_National holiday: National Day, 16 December
_#_Executive branch: amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet
_#_Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Amir Isa bin Salman Al KHALIFA (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent Hamad bin Isa Al KHALIFA (son of Amir; born 28 January 1950);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al KHALIFA, (since 19 January 1970)
_#_Political parties and pressure groups: political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ghazi Muhammad AL-QUSAYBI; Chancery at 3502 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742; there is a Bahraini Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER; Embassy at Building No. 979, Road No. 3119, Block/Area 331, Manama ZINJ (mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO New York 09526-6210); telephone [973] 273-300 or 275-126
_#_Flag: red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Petroleum production and processing account for about 85% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 20% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, including the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The liberation of Kuwait in early 1991 has improved short- to medium-term prospects and has raised investors' confidence. Bahrain with its highly developed communication and transport facilities is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf.
_#_GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $7,500; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment: 8-10% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—petroleum 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13%;
partners—UAE, Japan, US, India
_#_Imports: $3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%;
partners—Saudi Arabia, Japan, US, UK
_#_External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,652,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 12,080 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing
_#_Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for less than 2% of GDP; not self-sufficient in food production; heavily subsidized sector produces fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, and fish; fish catch 9,000 metric tons in 1987
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $35 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion
_#_Currency: Bahraini dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1—0.3760 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks
_#_Ports: Mina Salman, Manama, Sitrah
_#_Merchant marine: 4 cargo and 2 container (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 114,733 GRT/155,065 DWT
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km; refined products, 16 km; natural gas, 32 km
_#_Civil air: 24 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent international telecommunications; adequate domestic services; 98,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; tropospheric scatter and microwave to Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar and UAE
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 187,606; 104,285 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $194 million, 6% of GDP (1990) % @Baker Island (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 1.4 km2; land area: 1.4 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 2.3 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 4.8 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
_#_Terrain: low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
_#_Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until 1891)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: treeless, sparse and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
_#_Note: remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_#_Note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and cemetery ruins located near the middle of the west coast
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
_#_Airports: 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m
_#_Note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard % @Bangladesh *Geography #_Total area: 144,000 km2; land area: 133,910 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
_#_Land boundaries: 4,246 km total; Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
_#_Coastline: 580 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges
_#_Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, uranium, arable land, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 67%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 16%; other 11%; includes irrigated 14%
_#_Environment: vulnerable to droughts; much of country routinely flooded during summer monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation
_#_Note: almost completely surrounded by India
_*People #_Population: 116,601,424 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 52 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bangladeshi(s); adjective—Bangladesh
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals less than 1 million
_#_Religion: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and other less than 1%
_#_Language: Bangla (official), English widely used
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 22%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 35,100,000; agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry and commerce 11% (FY86); extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
_#_Organized labor: 3% of labor force belongs to 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: People's Republic of Bangladesh
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Dhaka
_#_Administrative divisions: 64 districts (zillagulo, singular—zilla); Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai Nawabganj, Chattagram, Chuadanga, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Feni, Gaibandha, Gazipur, Gopalganj, Habiganj, Jaipurhat, Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati, Jhenaidah, Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, Laksmipur, Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Magura, Manikganj, Meherpur, Moulavibazar, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Narail, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Nator, Netrakona, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Pabna, Panchagar, Parbattya Chattagram, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Satkhira, Shariyatpur, Sherpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Tangail, Thakurgaon
_#_Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991)
Head of Government—Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman (since 20 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman; Awami League, Sheikh Hasina WAZED; Jatiyo Party, Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD; Jamaat-E-Islami, Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (pro-Soviet), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (National Socialist Party—SIRAJ), M. A. JALIL; Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party, leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by October 1996); results—Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote
National Parliament—last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, CBP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, SIRAJ 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3
_#_Communists: 5,000 members (1987 est.)
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WCL, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador A. H. S. Ataul KARIM; Chancery at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 342-8372 through 8376; there is a Bangladesh Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador William B. MILAM; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212); telephone [880] (2) 884700-22
_#_Flag: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy is based on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute, which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings. Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, population growth of more than 2% a year, large-scale unemployment, and a limited infrastructure; furthermore, it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints, real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually during 1985-89. A strong agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth rate up to 5.5%. Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's development strategy.
_#_GDP: $20.4 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (FY90 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (FY90 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $3.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (FY90)
_#_Exports: $1.5 billion (FY90 est.);
commodities—jute, tea, leather, shrimp, textiles;
partners—US 25%, Western Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan 8%, Eastern Europe 7%
_#_Imports: $3.6 billion (FY90 est.);
commodities—food, petroleum and other energy, nonfood consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, and capital equipment;
partners—Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%, Middle East 9%, US 8%
_#_External debt: $10.9 billion (FY90 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.1% (FY90 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: jute manufacturing, base metals, food processing, cotton textiles, tobacco processing, chemicals
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP, 60% of employment, and one third of exports; imports 10% of food grain requirements; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products—jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton; fish catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $10.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion
_#_Currency: taka (plural—taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise
_#_Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1—35.790 (January 1991), 34.567 (1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407 (1986), 27.995 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter broad gauge
_#_Highways: 7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)
_#_Ports: Chittagong, Chalna
_#_Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 339,081 GRT/500,008 DWT; includes 38 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 3 bulk
_#_Pipelines: 1,220 km natural gas
_#_Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 16 total, 12 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate international radio communications and landline service; fair domestic wire and microwave service; fair broadcast service; 241,250 telephones; stations—9 AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces—Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,896,632; 17,154,593 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $319 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY91) % @Barbados *Geography #_Total area: 430 km2; land area: 430 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 97 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
_#_Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, fishing, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 77%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 0%; other 14%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)
_#_Note: easternmost Caribbean island
_*People #_Population: 254,626 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Barbadian(s); adjective—Barbadian
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 80%, mixed 16%, European 4%
_#_Religion: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%; none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 112,300; services and government 37%; commerce 22%; manufacturing and construction 22%; transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 9%; agriculture 8%; utilities 2% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 32% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Bridgetown
_#_Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note—there may be a new city of Bridgetown
_#_Independence: 30 November 1966 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 30 November 1966
_#_Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Hugh SPRINGER (since 24 February 1984);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD; Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry FORDE; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results—DLP 49.8%; seats—(28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Industrial and General Workers Union, Sir Frank WALCOTT; People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Sir William DOUGLAS; Chancery at 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-9200 through 9202; there is a Barbadian Consulate General in New York and a Consulate in Los Angeles;
US—Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES; Embassy at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown (mailing address is P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown or FPO Miami 34054); telephone (809) 436-4950 through 4957
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
_*Economy #_Overview: A per capita income of $6,500 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. An unemployment rate of 18% remains one of the most serious economic problems facing the country.
_#_GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $6,500; real growth rate 3.6% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.2% (1989)
_#_Unemployment: 18% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $501 million; expenditures $484 million, including capital expenditures of $113 million (FY91)
_#_Exports: $165 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment;
partners: CARICOM 30%, US 20%, UK 20%
_#_Imports: $701 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, construction materials, chemicals;
partners—US 35%, CARICOM 13%, UK 12%, Japan 6%, Canada 8%, Venezuela 4%
_#_External debt: $550 million (June 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989); accounts for 14 % of GDP
_#_Electricity: 132,000 kW capacity; 494 million kWh produced, 1,880 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops—vegetables and cotton; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $169 million
_#_Currency: Barbadian dollars (plural—dollars); 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1—2.0113 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,570 km total; 1,475 km paved, 95 km gravel and earth
_#_Ports: Bridgetown
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,200 GRT/7,338 DWT
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: islandwide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force, Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 69,038; 48,455 fit for military service, no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989) % @Bassas da India (French possession) *Geography #_Total area: undetermined
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 35.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 m high
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other (rock) 100%
_#_Environment: surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
_#_Note: navigational hazard since it is usually under water during high tide; located in southern Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Belgium *Geography #_Total area: 30,510 km2; land area: 30,230 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundaries: 1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
_#_Coastline: 64 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast);
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
_#_Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
_#_Natural resources: coal, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution
_#_Note: majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC
_*People #_Population: 9,921,910 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Belgian(s); adjective—Belgian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other
_#_Language: Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally bilingual 11%; divided along ethnic lines
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,200,000; services 69%, industry 28%, agriculture 3% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 70% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Belgium
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Brussels
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French—provinces, singular—province; Flemish—provincien, singular—provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
_#_Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
_#_Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the process of revising the Constitution, with the aim of federalizing the Belgian state
_#_Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish—Senaat, French—Senat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Flemish—Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French—Chambre des Representants)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish—Hof van Cassatie, French—Cour de Cassation)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King BAUDOUIN I (since 17 July 1951); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege (brother of the King; born 6 June 1934);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS, (since April 1979, with a 10-month interruption in 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman van ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC), Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy SPITAELS, president; Flemish Liberal (PVV), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), Antoine DUQUESNE, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president; Volksunie (VU), Jaak GABRIELS, president; Communist Party (PCB), Louis van GEYT, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN; other minor parties
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held 13 December 1987 (next to be held by January 1992); results—CVP 19.2%, PS 15.7%, SP 14.7%, PVV 11.3%, PRL 9.3%, VU 8.1%, PSC 7.8%, ECOLO-AGALEV 7.7%, VB 2.0%, VDF 1.3%, other 1.96%; seats—(106 total) CVP 22, PS 20, SP 17, PRL 12, PVV 11, PSC 9, VU 8, ECOLO-AGALEV 5, VB 1, FDF 1;
Chamber of Representatives—last held 13 December 1987 (next to be held by January 1992); results—CVP 19.45%, PS 15.66%, SP 14.88%, PVV 11.55%, PRL 9.41%, PSC 8.01%, VU 8.05%, ECOLO-AGALEV 7.05%, VB 1.90%, FDF 1.16%, other 2.88%; seats—(212 total) CVP 43, PS 40, SP 32, PVV 25, PRL 23, PSC 19, VU 16, ECOLO-AGALEV 9, FDF 3, VB 2
_#_Communists: under 5,000 members (December 1985 est.)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi
_#_Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Juan CASSIERS; Chancery at 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-6900; there are Belgian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Maynard W. GLITMAN; Embassy at 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels (mailing address is APO New York 09667-1000); telephone [32] (2) 513-3830; there is a US Consulate General in Antwerp
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
_*Economy #_Overview: This small private-enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. With few natural resources Belgium must import essential raw materials, making its economy closely dependent on the state of world markets. Over 70% of trade is with other EC countries. During the period 1988-90 Belgium's economic performance was marked by buoyant output growth, moderate inflation, and a substantial external surplus. Real GDP grew by an average of 3.9% in 1988-90. However, the economy is likely to slow in 1991-92 to below 3% GDP growth.
_#_GDP: $144.8 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.3% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1991 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 8.2% est. (1991 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $106 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union;
commodities—iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products;
partners—EC 74%, US 5%, Communist countries 2% (1989)
_#_Imports: $108 billion (c.i.f., 1989) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union;
commodities—fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs;
partners—EC 73%, US 4%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, Communist countries 3% (1989)
_#_External debt: $28.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.3% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 17,325,000 kW capacity; 62,780 million kWh produced, 6,350 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production—beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, and tobacco; net importer of farm products
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
_#_Currency: Belgian franc (plural—francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1—31.102 (January 1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 3,667 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 1,978 km electrified; 191 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned and operated
_#_Highways: 103,396 km total; 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; about 38,000 km paved and 51,000 km unpaved rural roads
_#_Inland waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
_#_Ports: Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge
_#_Merchant marine: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,785,066 GRT/2,927,618 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 6 container, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 9 chemical tanker, 11 bulk, 6 combination bulk
_#_Pipelines: refined products 1,167 km; crude 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km
_#_Civil air: 47 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; 4,720,000 telephones; stations—8 AM, 19 FM (42 relays), 25 TV (10 relays); 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,521,178; 2,115,935 fit for military service; 64,634 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $4.8 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1990) % @Belize *Geography #_Total area: 22,960 km2; land area: 22,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts
_#_Land boundaries: 516 km total; Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
_#_Coastline: 386 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve dispute are nearing completion
_#_Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)
_#_Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
_#_Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 44%; other 52%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south); deforestation
_#_Note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of hurricanes; only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 228,069 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 38 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 35 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: male 67 years, female 72 years (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Belizean(s); adjective—Belizean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Creole 39.7%, Mestizo 33.1%, Maya 9.5%, Garifuna 7.6%, East Indian 2.1%, other 8.0%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 3%, other 3% (1980)
_#_Language: English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib)
_#_Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 91%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 51,500; agriculture 30.0%, services 16.0%, government 15.4%, commerce 11.2%, manufacturing 10.3%; shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 12% of labor force; 7 unions currently active
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Belmopan
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
_#_Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK; formerly British Honduras)
_#_Constitution: 21 September 1981
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Elmira Minita GORDON (since 21 September 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister George Cadle PRICE (since 4 September 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: People's United Party (PUP), George PRICE, Florencio MARIN, Said MUSA; United Democratic Party (UDP), Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean LINDO, Dean BARROW; Belize Popular Party (BPP), Louis SYLVESTRE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—last held 4 September 1989 (next to be held September 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(28 total) PUP 15 seats, UDP 13 seats; note—in January 1990 one member expelled from UDP joined PUP, making the seat count 16 PUP, UDP 12
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR) headed by former PUP minister; United Workers Front
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador James V. HYDE; Chancery at Suite 2J, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 363-4505;
US—Ambassador Eugene L. SCASSA; Embassy at Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City (mailing address is P. O. Box 286, Belize City); telephone [501] 77161 through 77163
_#_Flag: blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based primarily on agriculture and merchandising. Agriculture accounts for more than 30% of GDP and provides 75% of export earnings, while sugar, the chief crop, accounts for almost 40% of hard currency earnings. The US, Belize's main trading partner, is assisting in efforts to reduce dependency on sugar with an agricultural diversification program.
_#_GDP: $290 million, per capita $1,320; real growth rate 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 12% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $87.4 million; expenditures $130.5 million, including capital expenditures of $53.5 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $108 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—sugar, clothing, seafood, molasses, citrus, wood and wood products;
partners—US 47%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada (1987)
_#_Imports: $204 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners—US 55%, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico (1987)
_#_External debt: $169 million (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 9.7% (1989); accounts for 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 34,700 kW capacity; 90 million kWh produced, 410 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: garment production, citrus concentrates, sugar refining, rum, beverages, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fish and forestry); commercial crops include sugarcane, bananas, coca, citrus fruits; expanding output of lumber and cultured shrimp; net importer of basic foods
_#_Illicit drugs: an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; eradication program cut marijuana production from 200 metric tons in 1987 to 66 metric tons in 1989; transshipment point for cocaine
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $104 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $199 million
_#_Currency: Belizean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1—2.00 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 2,710 km total; 500 km paved, 1,600 km gravel, 300 km improved earth, and 310 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable
_#_Ports: Belize City; additional ports for shallow draught craft include Corozol, Punta Gorda, Big Creek
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 42 total, 32 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 8,650 telephones; above-average system based on radio relay; stations—6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: British Forces Belize, Belize Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 53,184; 31,790 fit for military service; 2,545 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $4.8 million, 1.8% of GDP (1990 est.) % @Benin *Geography #_Total area: 112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
_#_Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
_#_Coastline: 121 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
_#_Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification
_#_Note: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors
_*People #_Population: 4,831,823 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 52 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective—Beninese
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); Europeans 5,500
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
_#_Language: French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north
_#_Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: about 75% of wage earners
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Benin
_#_Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
_#_Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou
_#_Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)
_#_Constitution: 2 December 1990
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)
_#_Executive branch: president, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Nicephore SOGLO (since 4 April 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB) headed by President Mathieu KEREKOU, chairman of the Central Committee, was dissolved 30 April 1990; Alliance of the Democratic Union for the Forces of Progress (UDFP), Timothee ADANLIN; Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS), Jean-Roger AHOYO; and the Union for Liberty and Development (ULD), Marcellin DEGBE;
Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO;
Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU;
Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVEODJRE; National Rally for Democracy (RND), Joseph KEKE;
Alliance of the National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD); Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress (MSUP); and Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (UDRN), Bertin BORNA;
Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDS), Mama Amadou N'DIAYE; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI;
Alliance of the Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD) and Bloc for Social Democracy (BSD), Robert DOSSOU;
Alliance of the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) and Democratic Union for Social Renewal (UDRS), Bio Gado Seko N'GOYE; National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Robert TAGNON; numerous other small parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%;
National Assembly—last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—NA percent of the vote; seats—(64 total) UDFP-MDPS-ULD 12, PNDD/PRD 9, PSD/UNSP 8, NCC 7, RND 7, MNDD/MSUP/UDRN 6, UDS 5, RDL 4, ASD/BSD 3, ADP/UDRS 2, UNDP 1
_#_Communists: Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) remains active
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Candide AHOUANSOU; Charge d'Affaires Corneille MEHISSOU; Chancery at 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6656;
US—Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone [229] 30-06-50
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for almost 40% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Persistently low prices in recent years have limited hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of agricultural products and crude oil.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate 2.6% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $194 million; expenditures $390 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa;
partners—FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 4%
_#_Imports: $442 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods;
partners—France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $1.0 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 0.7% (1988); accounts for 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles,cigarettes, construction materials, beverages, food production, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops—corn, sorghum, cassava, beans, and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $46 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million
_#_Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 578 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 laterite, 1,530 km improved earth
_#_Inland waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally
_#_Ports: Cotonou
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of open wire, submarine cable, and radio relay; 16,200 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: People's Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie, People's Militia, Presidential Guard
_#_Manpower availability: eligible 15-49, 2,089,646; of the 991,278 males 15-49, 507,482 are fit for military service; of the 1,098,368 females 15-49, 554,454 are fit for military service; about 57,106 males and 55,297 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $38 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988) % @Bermuda (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 50 km2; land area: 50 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 103 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
_#_Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions
_#_Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 20%; other 80%
_#_Environment: ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; consists of about 360 small coral islands
_#_Note: 1,050 km east of North Carolina; some reclaimed land leased by US Government
_*People #_Population: 58,433 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bermudian(s); adjective—Bermudian
_#_Ethnic divisions: black 61%, white and other 39%
_#_Religion: Anglican 37%, Roman Catholic 14%, African Methodist Episcopal (Zion) 10%, Methodist 6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, other 28%
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 32,000; clerical 25%, services 22%, laborers 21%, professional and technical 13%, administrative and managerial 10%, sales 7%, agriculture and fishing 2% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 8,573 members (1985); largest union is Bermuda Industrial Union
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Hamilton
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smiths, Southampton, Warwick
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 8 June 1968
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Bermuda Day, 22 May
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, deputy governor, premier, deputy premier, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir Desmond LANGLEY (since NA October 1988);
Head of Government—Premier John William David SWAN (since NA January 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders: United Bermuda Party (UBP), John W. D. SWAN; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Frederick WADE; National Liberal Party (NLP), Gilbert DARRELL
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(40 total) UBP 23, PLP 15, NLP 1, other 1
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU), headed by Ottiwell SIMMONS
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), ICFTU, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK, Bermuda's interests in the US are represented by the UK;
US—Consul General L. Ebersole GAINES; Consulate General at Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire, Hamilton (mailing address is P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX, or FPO New York 09560-5300); telephone (809) 295-1342
_#_Flag: red with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and blue shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, having successfully exploited its location by providing luxury tourist facilities and financial services. The tourist industry attracts more than 90% of its business from North America. The industrial sector is small, and agriculture is severely limited by a lack of suitable land. About 80% of food needs are imported.
_#_GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $22,400; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (June 1989)
_#_Unemployment: 2.0% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $307 million; expenditures $275 million, including capital expenditures of $31 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $30 million (f.o.b., FY88);
commodities—semitropical produce, light manufactures;
partners—US 25%, Italy 25%, UK 14%, Canada 5%, other 31%
_#_Imports: $420 million (c.i.f., FY88);
commodities—fuel, foodstuffs, machinery;
partners—US 58%, Netherlands Antilles 9%, UK 8%, Canada 6%, Japan 5%, other 14%
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 154,000 kW capacity; 504 million kWh produced, 8,640 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, finance, structural concrete products, paints, pharmaceuticals, ship repairing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 1% of GDP; most basic foods must be imported; produces bananas, vegetables, citrus fruits, flowers, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $34 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $267 million
_#_Currency: Bermudian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Bermudian dollar (Bd$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar (Bd$) per US$1—1.0000 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 210 km public roads, all paved (about 400 km of private roads)
_#_Ports: Freeport, Hamilton, Saint George
_#_Merchant marine: 84 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,826,756 GRT/6,932,981 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 7 refrigerated cargo, 4 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 26 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 17 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern with fully automatic telephone system; 52,670 telephones; stations—5 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 3 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Police Force, Reserve Constabulary
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Bhutan *Geography #_Total area: 47,000 km2; land area: 47,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Indiana
_#_Land boundaries: 1,075 km total; China 470 km, India 605 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
_#_Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
_#_Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide, tourism potential
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 70%; other 23%
_#_Environment: violent storms coming down from the Himalayas were the source of the country name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon
_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
_*People #_Population: 1,598,216 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 135 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 48 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bhutanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Bhutanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bhote 60%, ethnic Nepalese 25%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
_#_Religion: Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
_#_Language: Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects—most widely spoken dialect is Dzongkha (official); Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2%; massive lack of skilled labor
_#_Organized labor: not permitted
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Bhutan
_#_Type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
_#_Capital: Thimphu
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
_#_Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India)
_#_Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights
_#_Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (Ugyen Wangchuck became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Royal Advisory Council, Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Tshogdu)
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
_#_Political parties: no legal parties
_#_Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections
_#_Elections: no national elections
_#_Communists: no overt Communist presence
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Buddhist clergy, Indian merchant community; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign
_#_Member of: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IOC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassies in New Delhi (India); the Bhutanese mission to the UN in New York has consular jurisdiction in the US
_#_Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is orange and the lower triangle is red; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, one of the world's least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for 90% of the population and account for about 50% of GDP. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with that of India through strong trade and monetary links. Low wages in industry lead most Bhutanese to stay in agriculture. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are its most important natural resources.
_#_GDP: $273 million, per capita $199 (1988) real growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment: NA
_#_Budget: revenues $99 million; expenditures $128 million, including capital expenditures of $65 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $70.9 million (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities—cardamon, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit;
partners—India 93%
_#_Imports: $138.3 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.);
commodities—fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics;
partners—India 67%
_#_External debt: $70.1 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 12.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 353,000 kW capacity; 2,000 million kWh produced, 1,280 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; based on subsistence farming and animal husbandry; self-sufficient in food except for foodgrains; other production—rice, corn, root crops, citrus fruit, dairy, and eggs
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $86.0 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $11 million
_#_Currency: ngultrum (plural—ngultrum); 1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note—Indian currency is also legal tender
_#_Exchange rates: ngultrum (Nu) per US$1—18.329 (January 1991), 17.504 (1990), 16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611 (1986), 12.369 (1985); note—the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,304 km total; 418 km surfaced, 515 km improved, 371 km unimproved earth
_#_Civil air: 1 jet, 2 prop
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: inadequate; 1,990 telephones (1988); 22,000 radios (1990 est.); 85 TVs (1985); stations—1 AM, 1 FM, no TV (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 398,263; 213,083 fit for military service; 17,321 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Bolivia *Geography #_Total area: 1,098,580 km2; land area: 1,084,390 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 6,743 km total; Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights
_#_Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
_#_Terrain: high plateau, hills, lowland plains
_#_Natural resources: tin, natural gas, crude oil, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron ore, lead, gold, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 52%; other 20%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Peru
_*People #_Population: 7,156,591 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 83 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 64 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bolivian(s); adjective Bolivian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mixed 25-30%, European 5-15%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%; active Protestant minority, especially Evangelical Methodist
_#_Language: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara (all official)
_#_Literacy: 78% (male 85%, female 71%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,700,000; agriculture 50%, services and utilities 26%, manufacturing 10%, mining 4%, other 10% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 150,000-200,000, concentrated in mining, industry, construction, and transportation; mostly organized under Bolivian Workers' Central (COB) labor federation
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Bolivia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, El Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
_#_Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 2 February 1967
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish law and Code Napoleon; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Jaime PAZ Zamora (since 6 August 1989); Vice President Luis OSSIO Sanjines (since 6 August 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), Jaime PAZ Zamora; Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN), Hugo BANZER Suarez; Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Gonzalo SANCHEZ de Lozada; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jorge AGREDO; Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), led by Antonio ARANIBAR; United Left (IU), a coalition of leftist parties which includes Patriotic National Convergency Axis (EJE-P) led by Walter DELGADILLO, and Bolivian Communist Party (PCB) led by Humberto RAMIREZ; Conscience of the Fatherland (CONDEPA), Carlos PALENQUE Aviles; Revolutionary Vanguard-9th of April (VR-9), Carlos SERRATE Reich; Civic Union Solidarity (UCS), Max FERNANDEZ
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 (married) or 21 (single)
_#_Elections:
President—last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993); results—Gonzalo SANCHEZ de Lozada (MNR) 23%, Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%, Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 19%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) formed a coalition with Hugo BANZER (ADN); with ADN support PAZ Zamora won the congressional runoff election on 4 August and was inaugurated on 6 August 1989;
Senate—last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993); results—percent of vote NA; seats (27 total) MNR 9, ADN 7, MIR 8, CONDEPA 2, PDC 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats (130 total) MNR 40, ADN 35, MIR 33, IU 10, CONDEPA 9, PDC 3
_#_Member of: AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge CRESPO; Chancery at 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4410 through 4412; there are Bolivian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Robert S. GELBARD; Embassy at Banco Popular del Peru Building, corner of Calles Mercado y Colon, La Paz (mailing address is P. O. Box 425, La Paz, or APO Miami 34032); telephone [591] (2) 350251 or 350120
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band
_*Economy #_Overview: The Bolivian economy steadily deteriorated between 1980 and 1985 as La Paz financed growing budget deficits by expanding the money supply and inflation spiraled—peaking at 11,700%. An austere orthodox economic program adopted by newly elected President Paz Estenssoro in 1985, however, succeeded in reducing inflation to between 10% and 20% annually since 1987, eventually restarting economic growth. President Paz Zamora has retained the economic policies of the previous government, keeping inflation down and continuing the moderate growth begun under his predecessor. Nevertheless, Bolivia continues to be one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and it remains vulnerable to price fluctuations for its limited exports—agricultural products, minerals, and natural gas. Moreover, for many farmers, who constitute half of the country's work force, the main cash crop is coca, which is sold for cocaine processing.
_#_GDP: $4.85 billion, per capita $690; real growth rate 2.7% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 21.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $850 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $927 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—metals 45%, natural gas 30%, other 25% (coffee, soybeans, sugar, cotton, timber);
partners—US 15%, Argentina
_#_Imports: $716 million (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—food, petroleum, consumer goods, capital goods;
partners—US 22%
_#_External debt: $3.7 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1990); accounts for almost 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 833,000 kW capacity; 1,763 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverage, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing; illicit drug industry reportedly produces significant revenues
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 20% of GDP (including forestry and fisheries); principal commodities—coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, timber; self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: world's second-largest producer of coca (after Peru) with an estimated 51,900 hectares under cultivation; government considers all but 12,000 hectares illicit; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia and Brazil to the US and other international drug markets
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $990 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $340 million
_#_Currency: boliviano (plural—bolivianos); 1 boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1—3.3732 (December 1990), 3.1727 (1990), 2.6917 (1989), 2.3502 (1988), 2.0549 (1987), 1.9220 (1986), 0.4400 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,675 km total; 3,643 km 1.000-meter gauge and 32 km 0.760-meter gauge, all government owned, single track
_#_Highways: 38,836 km total; 1,300 km paved, 6,700 km gravel, 30,836 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; refined products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km
_#_Ports: none; maritime outlets are Arica and Antofagasta in Chile and Matarani in Peru
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,051 GRT/22,155 DWT
_#_Civil air: 56 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 807 total, 659 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 120 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: radio relay system being expanded; improved international services; 144,300 telephones; stations—129 AM, no FM, 43 TV, 68 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Bolivian Army, Bolivian Navy (including Marines), Bolivian Air Force, National Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,679,352; 1,091,368 fit for military service; 72,979 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $162 million, 4% of GNP (1988 est.) % @Botswana *Geography #_Total area: 600,370 km2; land area: 585,370 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 4,013 km total; Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: short section of the boundary with Namibia is indefinite; quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement
_#_Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
_#_Terrain: predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
_#_Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 75%; forest and woodland 2%; other 21%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: rains in early 1988 broke six years of drought that had severely affected the important cattle industry; overgrazing; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 1,258,392 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 65 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun and adjective—Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
_#_Ethnic divisions: Batswana 95%; Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi about 4%; white about 1%
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%
_#_Language: English (official), Setswana
_#_Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 400,000; 182,200 formal sector employees, most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1988 est.); 19,000 are employed in various mines in South Africa (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 19 trade unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Botswana
_#_Type: parliamentary republic
_#_Capital: Gaborone
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Central, Chobe, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Ngamiland, North-East, South-East, Southern; note—in addition, there may now be 4 town councils named Francistown, Gaborone, Lobaste, Selebi-Pikwe
_#_Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK; formerly Bechuanaland)
_#_Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Botswana Day, 30 September (1966)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or House of Chiefs and a lower house or National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Quett K. J. MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Peter S. MMUSI (since 3 January 1983)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Quett MASIRE; Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth KOMA; Botswana People's Party (BPP), Knight MARIPE; Botswana Independence Party (BIP), Motsamai MPHO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results—President Quett K. J. MASIRE was reelected by the National Assembly;
National Assembly—last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(38 total, 34 elected) BDP 35, BNF 3
_#_Communists: no known Communist organization; Kenneth Koma of BNF has long history of Communist contacts
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE; Chancery at Suite 404, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-4990 or 4991;
US—Ambassador David PASSAGE; Embassy at Botswana Road, Gaborone (mailing address is P. O. Box 90, Gaborone); telephone [267] 353-982 through 353-984
_#_Flag: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has historically been based on cattle raising and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for over 80% of the population, but produces only about 50% of food needs and contributes a small 3% to GDP. The driving force behind the rapid economic growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating 25% of GDP in 1980 to over 50% in 1989. No other sector has experienced such growth, especially not agriculture, which is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 25%.
_#_GDP: $3.1 billion, per capita $2,500; real growth rate 6.3% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1,719 million; expenditures $1,792 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—diamonds 77%, copper and nickel 12%, meat 4%, cattle, animal products;
partners—Switzerland, UK, US, SACU (Southern African Customs Union)
_#_Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products;
partners—Switzerland, SACU (Southern African Customs Union), UK, US
_#_External debt: $780 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 16.8% (FY86); accounts for about 57% of GDP, including mining
_#_Electricity: 217,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced, 510 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: mining of diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for only 3% of GDP; subsistence farming predominates; cattle raising supports 50% of the population; must import large share of food needs
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $257 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $43 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $29 million
_#_Currency: pula (plural—pula); 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
_#_Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1—1.8720 (January 1991), 1.8601 (1990), 2.0125 (1989), 1.8159 (1988), 1.6779 (1987), 1.8678 (1986), 1.8882 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 712 km 1.0 67-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 11,514 km total; 1,600 km paved; 1,700 km crushed stone or gravel, 5,177 km improved earth, 3,037 km unimproved earth
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 100 total, 87 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 26 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the small system is a combination of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and a few radiocommunication stations; 17,900 telephones; stations—2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Botswana Defense Force (including Army and Air Wing), Botswana National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 260,290; 137,038 fit for military service; 14,767 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $99 million, 8.2% of GNP (1989) % @Bouvet Island (territory of Norway) *Geography #_Total area: 58 km2; land area: 58 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 29.6 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Climate: antarctic
_#_Terrain: volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 meters; coast is mostly inacessible
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100% (ice)
_#_Environment: covered by glacial ice
_#_Note: located in the South Atlantic Ocean 2,575 km south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: territory of Norway
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Telecommunications: automatic meteorological station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Norway % @Brazil *Geography #_Total area: 8,511,965 km2; land area: 8,456,510 km2; includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than the US
_#_Land boundaries: 14,691 km total; Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
_#_Coastline: 7,491 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: short section of the boundary with Paraguay (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) is in dispute; two short sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute (Arroyo de la Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay); has noted possible Latin claims in Antarctica
_#_Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, bauxite, nickel, uranium, phosphates, tin, hydropower, gold, platinum, crude oil, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 67%; other 6%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recurrent droughts in northeast; floods and frost in south; deforestation in Amazon basin; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo
_#_Note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
_*People #_Population: 155,356,073 (July 1991), growth rate 1.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 68 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Brazilian(s); adjective—Brazilian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Portuguese, Italian, German, Japanese, black, Amerindian; white 55%, mixed 38%, black 6%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic (nominal) 90%
_#_Language: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
_#_Literacy: 81% (male 82%, female 80%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 57,000,000 (1989 est.); services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%
_#_Organized labor: 13,000,000 dues paying members (1989 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federative Republic of Brazil
_#_Type: federal republic
_#_Capital: Brasilia
_#_Administrative divisions: 26 states (estados, singular—estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins; note—the former territories of Amapa and Roraima became states in January 1991
_#_Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: 5 October 1988
_#_Legal system: based on Latin codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Federal Senate (Senado Federal) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Fernando Affonso COLLOR de Mello (since 15 March 1990); Vice President Itamar FRANCO (since 15 March 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Reconstruction Party (PRN), Daniel TOURINHO, president; Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Orestes QUERCIA, president; Liberal Front Party (PFL), Hugo NAPOLEAO, president; Workers' Party (PT), Luis Ignacio (Lula) da SILVA, president; Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), Luiz GONZAGA de Paiva Muniz, president; Democratic Labor Party (PDT), Leonel BRIZOLA, president; Democratic Social Party (PDS), Amaral NETTO, president; Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Mario COVAS, president; Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), Salomao MALINA, secretary general; Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Joao AMAZONAS, president; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Eduardo CAMPOS, president
_#_Suffrage: voluntary at age 16; compulsory between ages 18 and 70; voluntary at age 70
_#_Elections:
President—last held 15 November 1989, with runoff on 17 December 1989 (next to be held November 1994); results—Fernando COLLOR de Mello 53%, Luis Inacio da SILVA 47%; note—first free, direct presidential election since 1960;
Senate—last held 3 October 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(81 total as of 3 February 1991) PMDB 27, PFL 15, PSDB 10, PTB 8, PDT 5, other 16;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 3 October 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results—PMDB 21%, PFL 17%, PDT 9%, PDS 8%, PRN 7.9%, PTB 7%, PT 7%, other 23.1%; seats—(503 total as of 3 February 1991) PMDB 108, PFL 87, PDT 46, PDS 43, PRN 40, PTB 35, PT 35, other 109;
_#_Communists: about 30,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions allied to leftist Worker's Party are critical of government's social and economic policies
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcilio Marques MOREIRA; Chancery at 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-2700; there are Brazilian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, and New York, and Consulates in Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Richard MELTON; Embassy at Avenida das Nocoes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal (mailing address is APO Miami 34030); telephone [55] (6) 321-7272; there are US Consulates General in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and Consulates in Porto Alegre and Recife
_#_Flag: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 23 white five-pointed stars (one for each state) 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 #_Overview: The economy, with large agrarian, mining, and manufacturing sectors, entered the 1990s with declining real growth, runaway inflation, an unserviceable foreign debt of $122 billion, and a lack of policy direction. In addition, the economy remained highly regulated, inward-looking, and protected by substantial trade and investment barriers. Ownership of major industrial and mining facilities is divided among private interests—including several multinationals—and the government. Most large agricultural holdings are private, with the government channeling financing to this sector. Conflicts between large landholders and landless peasants have produced intermittent violence. The government is seeking an IMF standby loan despite several failed agreements over the past decade. Relations with foreign commercial banks remain strained because of mounting interest arrears on Brazil's long-term debt. The Collor government, which assumed office in March 1990, is embarked on an ambitious reform program that seeks to modernize and reinvigorate the economy by stabilizing prices, deregulating the economy, and opening it to increased foreign competition. A major long-run strength is Brazil's vast natural resources.
_#_GDP: $388 billion, per capita $2,540; real growth rate - 4.6% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1,795% (December 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 4.4% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $36.5 billion; expenditures $48.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.6 billion (1988)
_#_Exports: $31.4 billion (1990);
commodities—iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee
partners—EC 29%, US 23%, Latin America 10%, Japan 7% (1989)
_#_Imports: $20.4 billion (1990);
commodities—crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal;
partners—US 21%, Middle East and Africa 20%, EC 20%, Latin America 18%, Japan 7% (1989)
_#_External debt: $122 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 8.9% (1990); accounts for 35% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 55,773,000 kW capacity; 214,116 million kWh produced, 1,400 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles and other consumer goods, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, steel, motor vehicles and auto parts, metalworking, capital goods, tin
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP; world's largest producer and exporter of coffee and orange juice concentrate and second-largest exporter of soybeans; other products—rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, beef; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and coca, mostly for domestic consumption; government has a modest eradication program to control cannabis and coca cultivation
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $284 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.3 billion
_#_Currency: cruzeiro (plural—cruzeiros); 1 cruzeiro (Cr$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: cruzeiros (Cr$) per US$1—193.189 (January 1991), 68.300 (1990), 2.834 (1989), 0.26238 (1988), 0.03923 (1987), 0.01366 (1986), 0.00620 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 29,694 km total; 25,268 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,339 km 1.600-meter gauge, 74 km mixed 1.600-1.000-meter gauge, 13 km 0.760-meter gauge; 2,308 km electrified
_#_Highways: 1,448,000 km total; 48,000 km paved, 1,400,000 km gravel or earth
_#_Inland waterways: 50,000 km navigable
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 2,000 km; refined products, 3,804 km; natural gas, 1,095 km
_#_Ports: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos
_#_Merchant marine: 263 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,898,838 GRT/9,975,272 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 59 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 13 container, 7 roll-on/roll-off, 60 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 14 combination ore/oil, 79 bulk, 2 combination bulk; additionally, 2 naval tanker and 4 military transport are sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 176 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3,751 total, 3,078 usable; 401 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,240-3,659 m; 533 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good system; extensive radio relay facilities; 9.86 million telephones; stations—1,223 AM, no FM, 112 TV, 151 shortwave; 3 coaxial submarine cables 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations with total of 3 antennas; 64 domestic satellite stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Brazilian Army, Navy of Brazil (including Marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 40,559,052; 27,364,392 fit for military service; 1,637,434 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 2.6% of GDP (1990) % @British Indian Ocean Territory (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 60 km2; land area: 60 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 698 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: the entire Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius
_#_Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: flat and low (up to 4 meters in elevation)
_#_Natural resources: coconuts, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: archipelago of 2,300 islands
_#_Note: Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: no permanent civilian population; formerly about 3,000 islanders
_#_Ethnic divisions: civilian inhabitants, known as the Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK and US defense facilities
_*Government #_Long-form name: British Indian Ocean Territory (no short-form name); abbreviated BIOT
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: none
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Commissioner and Administrator R. EDIS (since NA 1988); note—resides in the UK
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and six blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
_*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 and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.
_#_Electricity: provided by the US military
_*Communications #_Highways: short stretch of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
_#_Ports: Diego Garcia
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways over 3,659 m on Diego Garcia
_#_Telecommunications: minimal facilities; stations (operated by the US Navy)—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @British Virgin Islands (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 150 km2; land area: 150 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Coastline: 80 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 33%; forest and woodland 7%; other 33%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes and tropical storms from July to October
_#_Note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
_*People #_Population: 12,396 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 77 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—British Virgin Islander(s); adjective—British Virgin Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: black over 90%, remainder of white and Asian origin
_#_Religion: Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981)
_#_Language: English (official)
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
_#_Organized labor: NA% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Road Town
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 June 1977
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor John Mark Ambrose HERDMAN (since NA 1986);
Head of Government—Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT (since NA 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: United Party (UP), Conrad MADURO; Virgin Islands Party (VIP), H. Lavity STOUTT; Independent People's Movement (IPM), Cyril B. ROMNEY
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held 12 November 1990 (next to be held by November 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(9 total) VIP 6, IPM 1, independent 2
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), CDB, ECLAC (associate), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: 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 #_Overview: The economy is highly dependent on the tourist industry, which generates about 21% of the national income. In 1985 the government offered offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and, in consequence, incorporation fees generated about $2 million in 1987. Livestock raising is the most significant agricultural activity. The islands' crops, limited by poor soils, are unable to meet food requirements.
_#_GDP: $106.7 million, per capita $8,900; real growth rate 2.5% (1987)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.0% (1987)
_#_Unemployment rate: NEGL%
_#_Budget: revenues $32.8 million; expenditures $32.4 million, including capital expenditures of $6.3 million (FY90)
_#_Exports: $2.7 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—rum, fresh fish, gravel, sand, fruits, animals;
partners—Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
_#_Imports: $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery;
partners—Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
_#_External debt: $4.5 million (1985)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 4.0% (1985)
_#_Electricity: 10,500 kW capacity; 43 million kWh produced, 3,510 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
_#_Agriculture: livestock (including poultry), fish, fruit, vegetables
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 106 km motorable roads (1983)
_#_Ports: Road Town
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; worldwide external telephone service; submarine cable communication links to Bermuda; stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Brunei *Geography #_Total area: 5,770 km2; land area: 5,270 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware
_#_Land boundary: 381 km with Malaysia
_#_Coastline: 161 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
_#_Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 79%; other 18%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
_#_Note: close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia
_*People #_Population: 397,777 (July 1991), growth rate 6.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 45 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 77 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bruneian(s); adjective—Bruneian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%
_#_Religion: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)
_#_Language: Malay (official), English, and Chinese
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 85%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 89,000 (includes members of the Army); 33% of labor force is foreign (1988); government 47.5%; production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 41.9%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 2% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Negara Brunei Darussalam
_#_Type: constitutional sultanate
_#_Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular—daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
_#_Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law
_#_National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984)
_#_Executive branch: sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Sultan and Prime Minister Sir Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Muizzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned), leader NA
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the sultan and no elections are planned
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji Mohamed SUNI bin Haji Idris; Chancery at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-0159;
US—Ambassador Christopher H. PHILLIPS; Embassy at Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing address is P. O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan and Box B, APO San Francisco, 96528); telephone [673] (2) 229-670
_#_Flag: yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village tradition. It is almost totally supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for more than 50% of GDP. Per capita GDP of $9,600 is among the highest in the Third World, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing.