Y (continued 8)
Reading edition
International organization participation:
ADB, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires HAN THU - note: Burma does not have an ambassador to the United States
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351
consulate(s) general: none; Burma has a Mission to the UN in New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER - note: The United States does not have an ambassador to Burma
embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 536-509, 535-756, 538-038
FAX: [95] (1) 650-306
Flag description:
design consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a large white five-pointed star that partially overlaps onto the adjacent colored stripes; the design revives the triband colors used by Burma from 1943-45, during the Japanese occupation
National anthem:
name: "Kaba Ma Kyei" (Till the End of the World, Myanmar)
lyrics/music: SAYA TIN
note: adopted 1948; Burma is among a handful of non-European nations that have anthems rooted in indigenous traditions; the beginning portion of the anthem is a traditional Burmese anthem before transitioning into a Western-style orchestrated work
Economy ::Burma
Economy - overview:
Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, corruption, and rural poverty. Despite Burma's emergence as a natural gas exporter, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated under the regime's mismanagement, leaving most of the public in poverty, while military leaders and their business cronies exploit the country's ample natural resources. The economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. Burma's poor investment climate hampers the inflow of foreign investment; in recent years, foreign investors have shied away from nearly every sector except for natural gas, power generation, timber, and mining. The business climate is widely perceived as opaque, corrupt, and highly inefficient. Over 60% of the FY 2009-10 budget is allocated to state owned enterprises - most operating at a deficit. The government has recently privatized a number of state owned enterprises, but most of the benefits have accrued to regime insiders and cronies. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries - especially oil and gas, mining, and timber - with the latter two causing significant environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing, tourism and services, struggle in the face of inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable trade policies, neglected health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 caused 20 private banks to close; private banks still operate under tight restrictions, limiting the private sector's access to credit. The United States, the European Union, Canada, and Australia have imposed financial and economic sanctions on Burma, prohibiting most financial transactions with Burmese entities, imposing travel bans on Burmese officials and others connected to the ruling regime, and banning imports of certain Burmese products. These sanctions affected the country's fledgling garment industry, isolated the struggling banking sector, and raised the costs of doing business with Burmese companies, particularly firms tied to Burmese regime leaders. The global crisis of 2008-09 caused exports and domestic consumer demand to drop. Remittances from overseas Burmese workers - who had provided significant financial support for their families - slowed or dried up as jobs were lost and migrant workers returned home. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60.07 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $58.27 billion (2009 est.)
$57.24 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$35.65 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 1.8% (2009 est.)
1.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,100 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 209 $1,100 (2009 est.)
$1,100 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 43.2%
industry: 20%
services: 36.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
31.68 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry: 7%
services: 23% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 4.9% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
32.7% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
15.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 197 1.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 34 12% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 17% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$4.907 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 89 $4.038 billion (31 December 2009 est)
note: this number reflects the vastly overvalued official exchange rate of 5.38 kyat per dollar in 2007; at the unofficial black market rate of 1,305 kyat per dollar for 2007, the stock of kyats would equal only US$2.465 billion and Burma's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be six, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region; in 2009, the unofficial black market rate averaged 1,090 kyat per dollar.
Stock of broad money:
$7.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 $6.231 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$8.552 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $6.858 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products
Industries:
agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; oil and natural gas; garments, jade and gems
Industrial production growth rate:
4.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Electricity - production:
6.286 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Electricity - consumption:
4.403 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
18,880 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Oil - consumption:
42,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Oil - exports:
2,200 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Oil - imports:
18,250 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Oil - proved reserves:
50 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - production:
12.4 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - consumption:
3.85 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Natural gas - exports:
8.55 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - proved reserves:
283.2 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Current account balance:
$652 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $705 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$7.841 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 $6.862 billion (2009 est.)
note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh
Exports - commodities:
natural gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems
Exports - partners:
Thailand 46.57%, India 12.99%, China 9.01%, Japan 5.65% (2009)
Imports:
$4.532 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121 $4.02 billion (2009 est.)
note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India
Imports - commodities:
fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil
Imports - partners:
China 33.1%, Thailand 26.28%, Singapore 15.18% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.762 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $3.561 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.145 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $7.079 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
kyats (MMK) per US dollar - 1,000 (2010), 1,055 (2009), 1,205 (2008), 1,296 (2007), 1,280 (2006)
Communications ::Burma
Telephones - main lines in use:
812,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 86
Telephones - mobile cellular:
448,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 160
Telephone system:
general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government
domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; mobile-cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of only 1 per 100 persons
international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2009)
Broadcast media:
government controls all domestic broadcast media; 3 state-controlled television stations with 1 of the stations controlled by the armed forces; a fourth TV channel, a pay-TV station, is a joint state-private venture; access to satellite TV is limited with residents required to register and pay a fee for all satellite television receivers; 2 state-controlled domestic radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in Burma; the opposition-backed station Democratic Voice of Burma broadcasts into Burma via shortwave (2009)
Internet country code:
.mm
Internet hosts:
172 (2010) country comparison to the world: 197
Internet users:
110,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 158
Transportation ::Burma
Airports:
76 (2010) country comparison to the world: 72
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 39
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Heliports:
6 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 2,228 km; oil 558 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 3,955 km country comparison to the world: 44 narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 27,000 km country comparison to the world: 101 paved: 3,200 km
unpaved: 23,800 km (2006)
Waterways:
12,800 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 10
Merchant marine:
total: 26 country comparison to the world: 90 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 19, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 3 (Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1)
registered in other countries: 3 (Panama 3) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe
Military ::Burma
Military branches:
Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army (Tatmadaw Kyi), Navy (Tatmadaw Yay), Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for compulsory military service; service obligation 2 years; male (ages 18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors, engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may be streched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency; forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited, reportedly continues (2011)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 14,558,921
females age 16-49: 14,539,703 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,281,131
females age 16-49: 10,988,695 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 526,557
female: 510,538 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Transnational Issues ::Burma
Disputes - international:
over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic refugees, asylum seekers, and rebels, as well as illegal cross-border activities from Burma; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River near the border with Burma; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China is reconsidering construction of 13 dams on the Salween River but energy-starved Burma with backing from Thailand remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream, despite identical regional and international protests; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists, such as the United Liberation Front of Assam, from hiding in remote Burmese Uplands; after 21 years, Bangladesh in January 2008 resumed talks with Burma on delimiting a maritime boundary
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 503,000 (government offensives against ethnic insurgent groups near the eastern borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Burma is a source country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; Burmese women and children are trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor; Burmese children are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Thailand as hawkers and beggars; women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Malaysia and China; some trafficking victims transit Burma from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from China to Thailand; Burma's internal trafficking remains the most serious concern occurring primarily from villages to urban centers and economic hubs for labor in industrial zones, agricultural estates, and commercial sexual exploitation; the Burmese military continues to engage in the unlawful conscription of child soldiers, and continues to be the main perpetrator of forced labor inside Burma; ethnic insurgent groups also used compulsory labor of adults and unlawful recruitment of children; the regime's widespread use of and lack of accountability in forced labor and recruitment of child soldiers is particularly worrying and represents the top causal factor for Burma's significant trafficking problem
tier rating: Tier 3 - serious problems remain in Burma, and in some areas, most notably in the area of forced labor, the Government of Burma is not making significant efforts to comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, warranting a ranking of Tier 3; in other areas, particularly with regard to international sex trafficking of women and girls, the Government of Burma is making significant efforts (2010)
Illicit drugs:
remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2008 of 340 metric tons, an increase of 26%, and poppy cultivation in 2008 totaled 22,500 hectares, a 4% increase from 2007; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control remains low; Shan state is the source of 94% of Burma's poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption (2008)
page last updated on January 24, 2011
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@Burundi (Africa)
Introduction ::Burundi
Background:
Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges.
Geography ::Burundi
Location:
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates:
3 30 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 27,830 sq km country comparison to the world: 146 land: 25,680 sq km
water: 2,150 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 974 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)
Terrain:
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
highest point: Heha 2,670 m
Natural resources:
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 35.57%
permanent crops: 13.12%
other: 51.31% (2005)
Irrigated land:
210 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3.6 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.29 cu km/yr (17%/6%/77%)
per capita: 38 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
flooding; landslides; drought
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile
People ::Burundi
Population:
9,863,117 country comparison to the world: 85 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,213,667/female 2,189,197)
15-64 years: 51.2% (male 2,399,466/female 2,470,743)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 95,324/female 142,933) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.8 years
male: 16.5 years
female: 17.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.561% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Birth rate:
41.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Death rate:
9.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Net migration rate:
4.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Urbanization:
urban population: 10% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 6.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.38 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 29 male: 68.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 58.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.29 years country comparison to the world: 191 male: 56.65 years
female: 59.98 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.25 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Burundian(s)
adjective: Burundian
Ethnic groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
Religions:
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
Languages:
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 59.3%
male: 67.3%
female: 52.2% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 9 years
female: 7 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
7.2% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 17
Government ::Burundi
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
conventional short form: Burundi
local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi
local short form: Burundi
former: Urundi
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Bujumbura
geographic coordinates: 3 22 S, 29 21 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi
Independence:
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:
ratified by popular referendum 28 February 2005
Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (adult)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA - Hutu (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Therence SINUNGURUZA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2010); Second Vice President Gervais RUFYIKIRI - Hutu (since 29 August 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA - Hutu (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Therence SINUNGURUZA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2010); Second Vice President Gervais RUFYIKIRI - Hutu (since 29 August 2010)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permited the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; elections last held 28 June 2010 (next to be held in 2015); vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament
election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA elected president by popular vote; Pierre NKURUNZIZA 91.6%, other 8.4%; note - opposition parties withdrew from the election due to alleged government interference in the electoral process
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a Senate (54 seats; 34 members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of state) and a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats, 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 23 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015); National Assembly - last held on 23 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - TBD; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD 81.2%, UPRONA 11.6%, FRODEBU 5.9%, others 1.3%; seats by party - CNDD 81, UPRONA 17, FRODEBU 5, other 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; High Court of Justice (composed of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court)
Political parties and leaders:
governing parties: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Jeremie NGENDAKUMANA]; Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Bonaventure NIYOYANKANA]
note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD [Leonard NYANGOMA]; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society or FORSC [Pacifique NININAHAZWE] (civil society umbrella organization); Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressure group)
other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Angele NIYUHIRE
chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574
FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela J. H. SLUTZ
embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
telephone: [257] 223454
FAX: [257] 222926
Flag description:
divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below); green symbolizes hope and optimism, white purity and peace, and red the blood shed in the struggle for independence; the three stars in the disk represent the three major ethnic groups: Hutu, Twa, Tutsi, as well as the three elements in the national motto: unity, work, progress
National anthem:
name: "Burundi Bwacu" (Our Beloved Burundi)
lyrics/music: Jean-Baptiste NTAHOKAJA/Marc BARENGAYABO
note: adopted 1962
Economy ::Burundi
Economy - overview:
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural which accounts for about 35% of GDP and employs more than 90% of the population. Burundi's primary exports are coffee and tea, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings, though exports are a relatively small share of GDP. Burundi's export earning - and its ability to pay for imports - rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the coffee trade. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally. Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 15 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. Burundi's GDP grew around 4% annually in 2006-09. Political stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms. Burundi will continue to remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors; the delay of funds after a corruption scandal cut off bilateral aid in 2007 reduced government's revenues and its ability to pay salaries. Burundi joined the East African Community, which should boost Burundi's regional trade ties, and received $700 million in debt relief in 2009. Instability spilling over from eastern Congo-Kinshasa and the ban on minerals smuggled across Burundi's border will be the main challenges to economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.418 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 $3.29 billion (2009 est.)
$3.178 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.469 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.9% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 3.5% (2009 est.)
4.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$300 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 228 $300 (2009 est.)
$300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 21.4%
services: 47% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
4.245 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 85
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 93.6%
industry: 2.3%
services: 4.1% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
68% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 28% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42.4 (1998) country comparison to the world: 52
Investment (gross fixed):
25.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 181 10.7% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 44 10.08% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.08% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 16.52% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$329.3 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 166 $293.6 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$568.3 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 $506.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$465.7 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164 $415.2 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides
Industries:
light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Electricity - production:
92 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Electricity - consumption:
125.6 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
40 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Oil - consumption:
3,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Oil - imports:
2,495 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 197
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 197
Current account balance:
-$136 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 -$127 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$71 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 $68 million (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides
Exports - partners:
Germany 21.6%, Switzerland 14.86%, Belgium 9.32%, Sweden 8.94%, Pakistan 5.82% (2009)
Imports:
$336 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 192 $275 million (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 16.87%, Belgium 11.17%, Uganda 8.62%, Kenya 7.57%, China 5.66%, France 5.35%, Germany 4.46%, India 4.24%, Tanzania 4.21% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$320 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121 $323 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2003) country comparison to the world: 147
Exchange rates:
Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar - 1,250.75 (2010), 1,230.18 (2009), 1,198 (2008), 1,065 (2007), 1,030 (2006)
Communications ::Burundi
Telephones - main lines in use:
31,500 (2009) country comparison to the world: 177
Telephones - mobile cellular:
838,400 (2009) country comparison to the world: 149
Telephone system:
general assessment: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relays
domestic: telephone density one of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but remains at a meager 10 per 100 persons
international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
state-controlled La Radiodiffusion et Television Nationale de Burundi (RTNB) operates the lone TV broadcast station and the only national radio network; about 10 privately-owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in Bujumbura (2007)
Internet country code:
.bi
Internet hosts:
201 (2010) country comparison to the world: 194
Internet users:
157,800 (2009) country comparison to the world: 147
Transportation ::Burundi
Airports:
8 (2010) country comparison to the world: 161
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 12,322 km country comparison to the world: 129 paved: 1,286 km
unpaved: 11,036 km (2004)
Waterways:
mainly on Lake Tanganyika between Bujumbura, Burundi's principal port, and lake ports in Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Bujumbura
Military ::Burundi
Military branches:
National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationale, FDN): Army (includes naval detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
military service is voluntary; the armed forces law of 31 December 2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but the government had previously said each recruit must have a primary school-leaving certificate; mandatory retirement age 45 (enlisted), 50 (NCOs), and 55 (officers) (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,099,541
females age 16-49: 2,118,918 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,337,935
females age 16-49: 1,414,035 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 111,829
female: 111,802 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.9% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Transnational Issues ::Burundi
Disputes - international:
Burundi and Rwanda dispute sections of border on the Akanyaru/Kanyaru and the Kagera/Nyabarongo rivers, which have changed course since the 1960s, when the boundary was delimited; cross-border conflicts among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces persist in the Great Lakes region
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 9,849 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
IDPs: 100,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2007)
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Cambodia (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Cambodia
Background:
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863 and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, with little of the pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful.
Geography ::Cambodia
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 181,035 sq km country comparison to the world: 89 land: 176,515 sq km
water: 4,520 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Land boundaries:
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
Coastline:
443 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
Natural resources:
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 20.44%
permanent crops: 0.59%
other: 78.97% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
476.1 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 4.08 cu km/yr (1%/0%/98%)
per capita: 290 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Environment - current issues:
illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
People ::Cambodia
Population:
14,453,680 country comparison to the world: 66 note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 2,388,922/female 2,336,439)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 4,498,568/female 4,743,677)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 197,649/female 329,038) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.6 years
male: 21.8 years
female: 23.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.705% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Birth rate:
25.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Death rate:
8.19 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Net migration rate:
-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 136
Urbanization:
urban population: 22% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.045 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.94 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 37 male: 64.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 49.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.28 years country comparison to the world: 177 male: 59.95 years
female: 64.72 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.9 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
75,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
6,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian
Ethnic groups:
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
Religions:
Buddhist 96.4%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (1998 census)
Languages:
Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 73.6%
male: 84.7%
female: 64.1% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 9 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 176
Government ::Cambodia
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation)
local short form: Kampuchea
former: Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
Government type:
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Phnom Penh
geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural)
provinces: Banteay Mean Choay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb, Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Choay, Pailin, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanokiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
municipalities: Phnum Penh (Phnom Penh)
Independence:
9 November 1953 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
Constitution:
promulgated 21 September 1993
Legal system:
primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985) [co-prime minister from 1993 to 1997]; Permanent Deputy Prime Minister MEN SAM AN (since 25 September 2008); Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK AN, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004); BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007); KEAT CHHON, YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008); KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the king chosen by a Royal Throne Council from among all eligible males of royal descent; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king
Legislative branch:
bicameral, consists of the Senate (61 seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and commune councils; members serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (123 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2012); National Assembly - last held on 27 July 2008 (next to be held in July 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%, FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 58%, SRP 22%, HRP 7%; NRP 6%; FUNCINPEC 5%; others 2%; seats by party - CPP 90, SRP 26, HRP 3, FUNCINPEC 2, NRP 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority
Political parties and leaders:
Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Human Rights Party or HRP [KHEM SOKHA, also spelled KEM SOKHA]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Nationalist Party or NP [CHHIM SEAK LENG] (formerly the NRP); Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI, also spelled SAM RAINSY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Cambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); Students Movement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel
other: human rights organizations; vendors
International organization participation:
ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CICA (observer), EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador HENG HEM
chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carol A. RODLEY
embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546
telephone: [855] (23) 728-000
FAX: [855] (23) 728-600
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band; red and blue are traditional Cambodian colors
note: only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design
National anthem:
name: "Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom)
lyrics/music: CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL
note: adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime
Economy ::Cambodia
Economy - overview:
From 2004 to 2007, the economy grew about 10% per year, driven largely by an expansion in the garment sector, construction, agriculture, and tourism. GDP contracted 1.5% in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown, but climbed more than 4% in 1010, driven by renewed exports. With the January 2005 expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodian textile producers were forced to compete directly with lower-priced countries such as China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. The garment industry currently employs more than 280,000 people - about 5% of the work force - and contributes more than 70% of Cambodia's exports. In 2005, exploitable oil deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a new revenue stream for the government if commercial extraction begins. Mining also is attracting significant investor interest, particularly in the northern parts of the country. The government has said opportunities exist for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. In 2006, a US-Cambodia bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed, and several rounds of discussions have been held since 2007. Rubber exports increased about 25% in 2009 due to rising global demand. The tourism industry has continued to grow rapidly, with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year in 2007-08, however, economic troubles abroad dampened growth in 2009. The global financial crisis is weakening demand for Cambodian exports, and construction is declining due to a shortage of credit. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs. The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the population is less than 25 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.46 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 110 $28.3 billion (2009 est.)
$28.73 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$11.36 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 -1.5% (2009 est.)
5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 $2,000 (2009 est.)
$2,100 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29%
industry: 30%
services: 41% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
8 million (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 67.9%
industry: 12.7%
services: 19.5% (2009 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 2.5% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line:
31% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 34.2% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 40 (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.9% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 -0.7% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 83 5.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 40 16.01% (31 December 2008)
Stock of narrow money:
$850.7 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 142 $747.2 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$4.982 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $3.899 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.195 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 $1.991 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, tapioca, silk
Industries:
tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
4.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Electricity - production:
1.273 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Electricity - consumption:
1.272 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
167 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Oil - consumption:
4,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Oil - imports:
30,970 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Current account balance:
-$918 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 -$865.7 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$5.212 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $4.302 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear
Exports - partners:
US 45.32%, Singapore 9.46%, Germany 7.52%, UK 7.07%, Canada 6.31%, Vietnam 4.15% (2009)
Imports:
$6.944 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $5.876 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products
Imports - partners:
Thailand 24.83%, Vietnam 19.73%, China 14.08%, Singapore 11.34%, Hong Kong 7.41%, Taiwan 5.1%, South Korea 4.06% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.84 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $3.289 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$4.338 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 110 $4.284 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
riels (KHR) per US dollar - 4,217.96 (2010), 4,139.33 (2009), 4,070.94 (2008), 4,006 (2007), 4,103 (2006)
Communications ::Cambodia
Telephones - main lines in use:
54,200 (2009) country comparison to the world: 159
Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.593 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 91
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate fixed-line and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-cellular phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas
domestic: fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by increasing competition among service providers, is increasing and stands at 40 per 100 persons
international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2009)
Broadcast media:
mixture of state-owned, joint public-private, and privately-owned broadcast media; 9 TV broadcast stations with most operating on multiple channels, including 1 state-operated station broadcasting from multiple locations, 6 stations either jointly operated or privately-owned with some broadcasting from several locations, and 2 TV relay stations - one relaying a French television station and the other relaying a Vietnamese television station; multi-channel cable and satellite systems are available; roughly 50 radio broadcast stations - 1 state-owned broadcaster with multiple stations and a large mixture of public and private broadcasters; several international broadcasters are available (2009)
Internet country code:
.kh
Internet hosts:
5,452 (2010) country comparison to the world: 138
Internet users:
78,500 (2009) country comparison to the world: 166
Transportation ::Cambodia
Airports:
17 (2010) country comparison to the world: 141
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Railways:
total: 690 km country comparison to the world: 105 narrow gauge: 690 km 1.000-m gauge
note: under restoration (2010)
Roadways:
total: 38,093 km country comparison to the world: 91 paved: 2,977 km
unpaved: 35,116 km (2007)
Waterways:
2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2010) country comparison to the world: 37
Merchant marine:
total: 620 country comparison to the world: 20 by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 526, carrier 5, chemical tanker 5, container 5, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 426 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 203, Cyprus 8, Egypt 12, Estonia 1, French Polynesia 1, Gabon 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Japan 2, Latvia 1, Lebanon 6, Netherlands 1, Romania 1, Russia 60, Singapore 4, South Korea 11, Syria 22, Taiwan 1, Turkey 26, UAE 2, UK 3, Ukraine 37, US 4, Vietnam 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Phnom Penh, Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville)
Military ::Cambodia
Military branches:
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
conscription law of October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,980,995
females age 16-49: 3,970,244 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,751,618
females age 16-49: 2,835,807 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 168,519
female: 166,418 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Transnational Issues ::Cambodia
Disputes - international:
Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and claims of Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; Thailand accuses Cambodia of obstructing inclusion of Thai areas near Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962, as part of a planned UN World Heritage site
Illicit drugs:
narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Cameroon (Africa)
Introduction ::Cameroon
Background:
The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.
Geography ::Cameroon
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 N, 12 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 475,440 sq km country comparison to the world: 53 land: 472,710 sq km
water: 2,730 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,591 km
border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
Coastline:
402 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
Climate:
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Terrain:
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)
Natural resources:
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 2.52%
other: 84.94% (2005)
Irrigated land:
260 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
285.5 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.99 cu km/yr (18%/8%/74%)
per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (elev. 4,095 m, 13,435 ft), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986
Environment - current issues:
waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano
People ::Cameroon
Population:
19,294,149 country comparison to the world: 58 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.9% (male 3,891,762/female 3,822,870)
15-64 years: 55.9% (male 5,298,143/female 5,250,493)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 283,289/female 332,744) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.3 years
male: 19.2 years
female: 19.4 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.157% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Birth rate:
33.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Death rate:
12.01 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 79
Urbanization:
urban population: 57% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 62.15 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 32 male: 66.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 57.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.04 years country comparison to the world: 202 male: 53.21 years
female: 54.9 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.25 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
540,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
39,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Cameroonian(s)
adjective: Cameroonian
Ethnic groups:
Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Languages:
24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.9%
male: 77%
female: 59.8% (2001 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 11 years
female: 9 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 150
Government ::Cameroon
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon
local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon
former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon
Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Capital:
name: Yaounde
geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, North-West (Nord-Ouest), Ouest, Sud, South-West (Sud-Ouest)
Independence:
1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)
Constitution:
approved by referendum 20 May 1972; adopted 2 June 1972; revised January 1996
Legal system:
based on French civil law system with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
head of government: Prime Minister Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature
elections: last held on 22 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 140, SDF 14, UDC 4, UNDP 4, MP 1, vacant 17
note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges; elected by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]; Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Progressive Movement or MP; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph FOE-ATANGANA
chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790
FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Janet E. GARVEY
embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde
mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 2220 15 00; Consular: [237] 2220 16 03
FAX: [237] 2220 16 00 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX: [237] 2220 17 52
branch office(s): Douala
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the "star of unity"
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
National anthem:
name: "O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)
lyrics/music: Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO"O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME
note: adopted 1957; Cameroon's anthem, also known as "Chant de Ralliement" (The Rallying Song), has been used unofficially since 1948 although officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ
Economy ::Cameroon
Economy - overview:
Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as stagnate per capita income, a relatively inequitable distribution of income, a top-heavy civil service, and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. The IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. Weak prices for oil and cocoa led to the significant slowdown in growth in 2009. The government is under pressure to reduce its budget deficit, which by the government's own forecast will hit 2.8% of GDP, but the presidential election in 2011 may make fiscal austerity difficult.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$44.65 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $43.44 billion (2009 est.)
$43.05 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$21.88 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 0.9% (2009 est.)
3.9% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,300 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 $2,300 (2009 est.)
$2,300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 30.9%
services: 49.1% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
7.836 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry: 13%
services: 17% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Population below poverty line:
48% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 35.4% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.6 (2001) country comparison to the world: 43 47.7 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Public debt:
16.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 16.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 104 4.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
NA% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$2.888 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 111 $3.074 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$4.831 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 $4.921 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$848.8 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $1.523 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber
Industries:
petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - production:
5.601 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Electricity - consumption:
4.801 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
77,310 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Oil - consumption:
26,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Oil - exports:
107,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Oil - imports:
45,520 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - proved reserves:
200 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Natural gas - production:
20 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Natural gas - consumption:
20 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Natural gas - proved reserves:
135.1 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Current account balance:
-$826 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 -$1.137 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$4.371 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 $4.079 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton
Exports - partners:
Netherlands 13.99%, Spain 12.25%, Italy 11.84%, China 9.14%, US 6.16%, France 5.51%, South Korea 4.66%, Belgium 4.33%, UK 4% (2009)
Imports:
$4.869 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $4.405 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food
Imports - partners:
France 21.03%, Nigeria 10.79%, China 10.25%, Belgium 6.62%, US 4.31% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.023 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 74 $3.676 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.344 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 $3.231 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs 506.04 (2010), 472.19 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006)
Communications ::Cameroon
Telephones - main lines in use:
323,800 (2009) country comparison to the world: 110
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.397 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 80
Telephone system:
general assessment: system includes cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter; Camtel, the monopoly provider of fixed-line service, provides connections for only about 1 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable
domestic: mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, has increased sharply, reaching a subscribership base of 40 per 100 persons
international: country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), broadcasting on both a television and radio network, was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until August 2007 when the government finally issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately-owned unlicensed radio stations operating but are subject to closure at any time; foreign news services required to partner with state-owned national station (2007)
Internet country code:
.cm
Internet hosts:
90 (2010) country comparison to the world: 204
Internet users:
749,600 (2009) country comparison to the world: 106
Transportation ::Cameroon
Airports:
34 (2010) country comparison to the world: 111
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Pipelines:
oil 889 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 987 km country comparison to the world: 90 narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 50,000 km country comparison to the world: 81 paved: 5,000 km
unpaved: 45,000 km (2004)
Waterways:
major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Douala, Garoua, Limboh Terminal
Military ::Cameroon
Military branches:
Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Fire Fighter Corps, Gendarmerie (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,553,576
females age 16-49: 4,443,217 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,721,307
females age 16-49: 2,647,640 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 213,538
female: 209,549 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 113
Transnational Issues ::Cameroon
Disputes - international:
Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a full phase-out of Nigerian control and patriation of residents in 2008; Cameroon and Nigeria agree on maritime delimitation in March 2008; sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 20,000-30,000 (Chad); 3,000 (Nigeria); 24,000 (Central African Republic) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Cameroon is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; most victims are children trafficked within country, with girls primarily trafficked for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation; both boys and girls are also trafficked within Cameroon for forced labor in sweatshops, bars, restaurants, and on tea and cocoa plantations; children are trafficked into Cameroon from neighboring states for forced labor in agriculture, fishing, street vending, and spare-parts shops; Cameroon is a transit country for children trafficked between Gabon and Nigeria, and from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia; it is a source country for women transported by sex-trafficking rings to Europe
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cameroon is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007, particularly in terms of efforts to prosecute and convict trafficking offenders; while Cameroon reported some arrests of traffickers, none of them were prosecuted or punished; the government does not identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations nor does it monitor the number of victims it intercepts (2008)
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Canada (North America)
Introduction ::Canada
Background:
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
Geography ::Canada
Location:
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
Geographic coordinates:
60 00 N, 95 00 W
Map references:
North America
Area:
total: 9,984,670 sq km country comparison to the world: 2 land: 9,093,507 sq km
water: 891,163 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than the US
Land boundaries:
total: 8,893 km
border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Coastline:
202,080 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Terrain:
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 4.57%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 94.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:
7,850 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3,300 cu km (1985)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 44.72 cu km/yr (20%/69%/12%)
per capita: 1,386 cu m/yr (1996)
Natural hazards:
continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains
volcanism: the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant
Environment - current issues:
air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border
People ::Canada
Population:
33,759,742 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 2,761,711/female 2,626,836)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 11,633,950/female 11,381,735)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 2,220,189/female 2,862,787) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.7 years
male: 39.6 years
female: 41.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.804% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Birth rate:
10.28 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Death rate:
7.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Net migration rate:
5.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Urbanization:
urban population: 80% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.056 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 186 male: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.29 years country comparison to the world: 10 male: 78.72 years
female: 84 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.58 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
73,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Nationality:
noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian
Ethnic groups:
British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official) 58.8%, French (official) 21.6%, other 19.6% (2006 Census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 17 years
female: 17 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
4.9% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 75
Government ::Canada
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada
Government type:
a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Ottawa
geographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 42 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
note: Canada is divided into six time zones
Administrative divisions:
10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
Independence:
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK)
National holiday:
Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Constitution:
made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments
Legal system:
based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
head of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General David JOHNSTON (since 1 October 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Stephen Joseph HARPER (since 6 February 2006)
cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons generally designated prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and serve until 75 years of age) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve a maximum of five-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held on 14 October 2008 (next to be held no later than 15 October 2012)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative Party 37.6%, Liberal Party 26.2%, New Democratic Party 18.2%, Bloc Quebecois 10%, Greens 6.8%, other 1%; seats by party - Conservative Party 145, Liberal Party 77, New Democratic Party 37, Bloc Quebecois 48, other 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queen's Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice)
Political parties and leaders:
Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada [Stephen HARPER] (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party); Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]; Liberal Party [Michael IGNATIEFF]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: agricultural sector; automobile industry; business groups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector; energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups; steel industry; trade unions
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gary DOER
chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson
consulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California), Tucson
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. JACOBSON
embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8
mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430; P.O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1
telephone: [1] (613) 688-5335
FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082
consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Flag description:
two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width) with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol; the official colors of Canada are red and white
National anthem:
name: "O Canada"
lyrics/music: Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French], Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE
note: adopted 1980; originally written in 1880, "O Canada" served as an unofficial anthem many years before its official adoption; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ; as a Commonwealth realm, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
Economy ::Canada
Economy - overview:
As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US, its principal trading partner. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with the US, which absorbs about three-fourths of Canadian exports each year. Canada is the US's largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. Given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. Buffeted by the global economic crisis, the economy dropped into a sharp recession in the final months of 2008, and Ottawa posted its first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's major banks, however, emerged from the financial crisis of 2008-09 among the strongest in the world, owing to the country's tradition of conservative lending practices and strong capitalization. During 2010, Canada's economy grew only 3%, because of weak exports.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.335 trillion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $1.297 trillion (2009 est.)
$1.33 trillion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.564 trillion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 -2.5% (2009 est.)
0.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$39,600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $38,700 (2009 est.)
$40,000 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.3%
industry: 26.4%
services: 71.3% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
18.59 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
manufacturing: 13%
construction: 6%
services: 76%
other: 3% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 8.3% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
10.8%; note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.1 (2005) country comparison to the world: 100 31.5 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Public debt:
82.9% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 82.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 0.3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.5% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 132 1.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
2.4% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 4.73% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$560.8 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 10 $470.9 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.469 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 $1.144 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.963 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $2.606 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.681 trillion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 10 $1.002 trillion (31 December 2008)
$2.187 trillion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish
Industries:
transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas
Industrial production growth rate:
5.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Electricity - production:
620.7 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Electricity - consumption:
536.1 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Electricity - exports:
55.73 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
23.5 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
3.289 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Oil - consumption:
2.151 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Oil - exports:
2.001 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Oil - imports:
1.192 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Oil - proved reserves:
175.2 billion bbl country comparison to the world: 2 note: includes oil sands (1 January 2010 est.)
Natural gas - production:
161.3 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Natural gas - consumption:
94.62 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Natural gas - exports:
94.67 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Natural gas - imports:
16.59 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.754 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Current account balance:
-$40.21 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 184 -$38.08 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$406.8 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $323.3 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum
Exports - partners:
US 75.02%, UK 3.37%, China 3.09% (2009)
Imports:
$406.4 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 $327.3 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 51.1%, China 10.88%, Mexico 4.56% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$54.36 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.009 trillion (30 June 2010) country comparison to the world: 15 $781.1 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$528.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $494.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$602.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $576.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar - 1.0346 (2010), 1.1431 (2009), 1.0364 (2008), 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006)
Communications ::Canada
Telephones - main lines in use:
18.251 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 16
Telephones - mobile cellular:
23.081 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 38
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
international: country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2007)
Broadcast media:
2 public television broadcasting networks each with a large number of network affilates; several private-commercial networks also with multiple network affiliates; overall, about 150 TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable systems provide access to a wide range of stations including US stations; mix of public and commercial radio broadcasters with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the public radio broadcaster, operating 4 radio networks, Radio Canada International, and radio services to indigenous populations in the north; roughly 2,000 licensed radio stations in Canada (2008)
Internet country code:
.ca
Internet hosts:
7.77 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 13
Internet users:
26.96 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 16
Transportation ::Canada
Airports:
1,404 (2010) country comparison to the world: 4
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 514
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 148
914 to 1,523 m: 249
under 914 m: 79 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 890
1,524 to 2,437 m: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 377
under 914 m: 440 (2010)
Heliports:
12 (2010)
Pipelines:
crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 46,688 km country comparison to the world: 5 standard gauge: 46,688 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 1,042,300 km country comparison to the world: 6 paved: 415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways)
unpaved: 626,700 km (2008)
Waterways:
636 km country comparison to the world: 78 note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 184 country comparison to the world: 36 by type: bulk carrier 66, cargo 12, carrier 1, chemical tanker 14, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 64, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 6
foreign-owned: 15 (France 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, US 9)
registered in other countries: 223 (Australia 7, Bahamas 102, Barbados 13, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 2, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 70, Liberia 4, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Norway 1, Panama 5, Spain 5, US 1, Vanuatu 5) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Fraser River Port, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Port-Cartier, Quebec City, Saint John (New Brunswick), Sept-Isles, Vancouver
Military ::Canada
Military branches:
Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command (LFC), Maritime Command (MARCOM), Air Command (AIRCOM), Canada Command (homeland security) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for reserve and military college applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2008)