Chapter VII: Front Matter (7)

Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

Land use:
arable land: 4.35%
permanent crops: 4.35%
other: 91.3% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
50 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; dust storms

Environment - current issues:
desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable
land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation
(damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting
from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil
refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources,
groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
location in Persian Gulf, which much of Western world's petroleum
must transit to reach open ocean

People Bahrain

Population:
667,238
note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.8% (male 97,294; female 94,930)
15-64 years: 68% (male 266,351; female 187,473)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 10,807; female 10,383) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.7 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 25.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.61% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
19.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
3.99 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.42 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
total population: 1.28 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.72 years
male: 71.28 years
female: 76.24 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.71 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 1,000

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic groups:
Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%

Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%

Languages:
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.1%
male: 91.9%
female: 85% (2003 est.)

Government Bahrain

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn

Government type:
constitutional hereditary monarchy

Capital:
Manama

Administrative divisions:
12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al
Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah
ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah,
Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah
note: all municipalities administered from Manama

Independence:
15 August 1971 (from UK)

National holiday:
National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date
of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of
independence from British protection

Constitution:
adopted late December 2000; Bahrani voters approved on 13-14
February 2001 a referendum on legislative changes (revised
constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a
constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary)

Legal system:
based on Islamic law and English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch,
born 21 October 1969)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa
(since NA 1971)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister
appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members
appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly
elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next
election to be held NA 2006)
note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National
Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created
bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14
February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25
December 2002
election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - independents 21, Sunni Islamists 9, other 10

Judicial branch:
High Civil Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders:
political parties prohibited but politically oriented societies are
allowed

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97, demanding
the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to
unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic
fundamentalist groups are active

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Khalifa bin Ali bin Rashid AL KHALIFA
chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192
telephone: [1] (202) 342-0741

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald E. NEUMANN
embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club),
Block 321, Zinj District, Manama
mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE
09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama
telephone: [973] 273-300
FAX: [973] 272-594

Flag description:
red with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist
side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam

Economy Bahrain

Economy - overview:
In Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60%
of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With
its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain
is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf.
Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil granted as aid. A large
share of exports consists of petroleum products made from refining
imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial
projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the
depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term
economic problems.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $9.91 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.9% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $15,100 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 35%
services: 64% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
295,000
note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
industry, commerce, and service 79%, government 20%, agriculture 1%
(1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
15% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.8 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $700
million (2002 est.)

Industries:
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore
banking, ship repairing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
6.257 billion kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
5.819 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
43,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
31,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
62.28 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
46 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish

Exports:
$5.8 billion (2002)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles

Exports - partners:
US 4.5%, India 3.2%, Saudi Arabia 2.1% (2002)

Imports:
$4.2 billion (2002)

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 30.1%, US 11.7%, Japan 7.1%, Germany 6.5%, UK 5.6%
(2002)

Debt - external:
$3.7 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from each of
Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait (2002)

Currency:
Bahraini dinar (BHD)

Currency code:
BHD

Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.38 (2002), 0.38 (2001), 0.38
(2000), 0.38 (1999), 0.38 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bahrain

Telephones - main lines in use:
152,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
58,543 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones
international: tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave
radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and
Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
338,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (1997)

Televisions:
275,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
140,200 (2002)

Transportation Bahrain

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 3,261 km
paved: 2,531 km
unpaved: 730 km (2000)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Merchant marine:
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 234,599 GRT/336,528 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1,
includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of
convenience: Kuwait 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
4 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Bahrain

Military branches:
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF) comprising Ground Force (includes Air
Defense), Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police Force, Amiri Guards,
National Guard

Military manpower - military age:
15 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 222,242 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 121,739 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 6,126 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$526.2 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
6.7% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Bahrain

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Baker Island

Introduction Baker Island

Background:
The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano
deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second
half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at
colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland
Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned.
Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US
Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle
of the west coast.

Geography Baker Island

Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between
Hawaii and Australia

Geographic coordinates:
0 13 N, 176 31 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 1.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1.4 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
4.8 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Terrain:
low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m

Natural resources:
guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime
hazard

Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:
treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses,
prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting,
roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine
wildlife

People Baker Island

Population:
uninhabited
note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and
naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during
World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by
special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and
generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and
remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the
middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife
Service (July 2003 est.)

Government Baker Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the
Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Baker Island

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation Baker Island

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat
landing area along the middle of the west coast

Airports:
1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely covered with
vegetation and unusable (2002)

Transportation - note:
there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast

Military Baker Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US
Coast Guard

Transnational Issues Baker Island

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Bangladesh

Introduction Bangladesh

Background:
Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan
seceded from its union with West Pakistan. About a third of this
extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy
season, hampering economic development.

Geography Bangladesh

Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Geographic coordinates:
24 00 N, 90 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Iowa

Land boundaries:
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline:
580 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March
to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain:
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Land use:
arable land: 60.7%
permanent crops: 2.61%
other: 36.69% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
38,440 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during
the summer monsoon season

Environment - current issues:
many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate
flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water;
water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use
of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally
occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling
water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil
degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing
from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel
of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty
into the Bay of Bengal

People Bangladesh

Population:
138,448,210 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.1% (male 24,255,300; female 23,007,632)
15-64 years: 62.5% (male 44,261,739; female 42,281,331)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 2,506,606; female 2,135,602) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 21.2 years
male: 21.2 years
female: 21.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.06% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
29.9 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
8.63 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 66.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 67.21 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.33 years
male: 61.46 years
female: 61.2 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.17 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
13,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
650 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladeshi

Ethnic groups:
Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)

Religions:
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

Languages:
Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.1%
male: 53.9%
female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

Government Bangladesh

Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former: East Pakistan

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Dhaka

Administrative divisions:
5 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi; note -
there may be one additional division named Sylhet

Independence:
16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the
date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known
as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state
of Bangladesh

National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date
of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day
and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

Constitution:
4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following
coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended many times

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002);
note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial, but with the
13th amendment to the constitution ("Caretaker Government
Amendment"), the president's role becomes significant at times when
Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is installed - at
presidential direction - to supervise the elections
head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA (since 10 October
2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year
term; election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since
Iajuddin AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in
on 6 September 2002 (next election to be held by NA 2007); following
legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most
seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president
election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the Election Commission
elected unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote
- NA%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected
by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the
constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above
the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve
five-year terms
elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held before October
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance
partners 46%, AL 42%; seats by party - BNP 191, AL 62, JI 18, JP
(Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Naziur) 4, other 9; note - the
election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned
with three other smaller parties - Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya
Jote, and Jatiya Party (Naziur)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by
the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or
BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP
[Khaleda ZIA, chairperson]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul
Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-E-Islami or JI [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya
Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party
(Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Syed Hasan AHMAD
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann PETERS
embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
telephone: [880] (2) 8824700 through 8824722
FAX: [880] (2) 8823744

Flag description:
green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center;
the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to achieve
independence; the green field symbolizes the lush countryside, and
secondarily, the traditional color of Islam

Economy Bangladesh

Economy - overview:
Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve
economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor,
overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although half of GDP is
generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of
Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as
the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth
include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned
enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor
force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting
energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and
slow implementation of economic reforms. Economic reform is stalled
in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all
levels of government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition
from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested
interest groups. The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda
ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms,
but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key
areas.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $238.2 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35%
industry: 19%
services: 46% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
35.6% (FY 95/96 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.6 (FY 95/96)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.1% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
64.1 million
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman,
Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $1.71 billion
in 1998-99 (1998)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 63%, services 26%, industry 11% (FY 95/96)

Unemployment rate:
40% (includes underemployment) (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.9 billion
expenditures: $6.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY99/00 est.)

Industries:
cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint,
cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar

Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
15.33 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 93.7%
hydro: 6.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
14.25 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
3,581 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
71,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
28.45 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
150.3 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses,
oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Exports:
$6.2 billion (2002)

Exports - commodities:
garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood
(2001)

Exports - partners:
US 27.6%, Germany 10.4%, UK 9.8%, France 5.7%, Italy 4% (2002)

Imports:
$8.5 billion (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles,
foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000)

Imports - partners:
India 14.6%, China 11.6%, Singapore 11.5%, Japan 7.6%, Hong Kong
5.4%, South Korea 4.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$16.5 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.575 billion (2000 est.)

Currency:
taka (BDT)

Currency code:
BDT

Exchange rates:
taka per US dollar - 57.89 (2002), 55.81 (2001), 52.14 (2000),
49.09 (1999), 46.91 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Bangladesh

Telephones - main lines in use:
500,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
283,000 (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country
domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
fiber-optic cable in cities
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
neighboring countries (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios:
6.15 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
15 (1999)

Televisions:
770,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bd

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (2000)

Internet users:
150,000 (2002)

Transportation Bangladesh

Railways:
total: 2,706 km
broad gauge: 884 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 207,486 km
paved: 19,773 km
unpaved: 187,713 km (1999)

Waterways:
up to 8,046 km depending on season
note: includes 3,058 km main cargo routes

Pipelines:
gas 2,016 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla Port, Narayanganj

Merchant marine:
total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 314,437 GRT/436,465 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 23, container 11, passenger 1,
petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
18 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 6 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Military Bangladesh

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, paramilitary forces (includes
Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Village Defense Parties, Armed
Police Battalions, National Cadet Corps)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 38,436,912 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 22,807,339 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$559 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (FY96)

Transnational Issues Bangladesh

Disputes - international:
discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of
river boundary, demarcate and fence the porous land boundary,
exchange 162 miniscule enclaves, allocate divided villages, and stop
illegal cross-border trade and violence; Bangladesh protests India's
attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary;
dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty Island in the Bay
of Bengal prevents maritime boundary delimitation; Burmese Muslim
refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources

Illicit drugs:
transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Barbados

Introduction Barbados

Background:
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in
1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island
until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily
dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the
20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political
reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the
UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the
sugar industry in economic importance.

Geography Barbados

Location:
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of
Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:
13 10 N, 59 32 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 431 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 431 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
97 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33%
other: 60.46% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Environment - current issues:
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil
erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of
aquifers

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

Geography - note:
easternmost Caribbean island

People Barbados

Population:
277,264 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.2% (male 29,621; female 29,207)
15-64 years: 70% (male 94,840; female 99,230)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,355; female 15,011) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.3 years
male: 32.2 years
female: 34.4 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.38% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
13.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
9.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 14.39 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.84 years
male: 69.56 years
female: 74.14 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,800 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
250 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Ethnic groups:
black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%

Religions:
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other
12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

Languages:
English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97.4%
male: 98%
female: 96.8% (1995 est.)

Government Barbados

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados

Government type:
parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the
Commonwealth

Capital:
Bridgetown

Administrative divisions:
11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint
James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint
Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of Bridgetown may
be given parish status

Independence:
30 November 1966 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

Constitution:
30 November 1966

Legal system:
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS
(since 1 June 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6
September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May
2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the
prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body
appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30
seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be
held by May 2008)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service
Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)

Political parties and leaders:
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party
or DLP [Clyde Mascoll]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union
[David COMMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY];
Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
consulate(s): Los Angeles
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
telephone: [1] (202) 339-9201
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Earl N. PHILLIPS, Jr.
embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street,
Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055
telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950
FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue
with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the
trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the
colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

Economy Barbados

Economy - overview:
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane
cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years
has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. Offshore finance and
information services are important foreign exchange earners, and
there is also a light-manufacturing sector. The government continues
its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign
investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The
economy contracted in 2002 mainly due to a 3% decline in tourism.
Growth should be positive in 2003, the precise level largely
dependent on economic conditions in the US and Europe.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $4.153 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-2.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16%
services: 78% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.6% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
128,500 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $847 million (including grants)
expenditures: $886 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Industrial production growth rate:
-3.2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
780 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
725.4 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
1,271 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
10,900 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
1.254 million bbl (37257)

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

Natural gas - consumption:
29.17 million cu m (2001 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
70.79 million cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

Exports:
$227 million (2002)

Exports - commodities:
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals,
electrical components

Exports - partners:
US 14.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 12%, UK 10.6%, Jamaica 6.2%, Saint
Lucia 4.7% (2002)

Imports:
$987 million (2002)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials,
chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Imports - partners:
US 41.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, UK 7.3%, Japan 4.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$692 million (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$9.1 million (1995)

Currency:
Barbadian dollar (BBD)

Currency code:
BBD

Exchange rates:
Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2
(1999), 2 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Barbados

Telephones - main lines in use:
108,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
8,013 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
237,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus two cable channels) (1997)

Televisions:
76,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bb

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
19 (2000)

Internet users:
6,000 (2000)

Transportation Barbados

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 1,793 km
paved: 1,719 km
unpaved: 74 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)

Merchant marine:
total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 284,222 GRT/439,810 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 1, The Bahamas 1, Canada 4, Germany 1, Greece
2, Hong Kong 7, Norway 7, UK 18 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 22, combination bulk 1, container 1,
petroleum tanker 2

Airports:
1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Military Barbados

Military branches:
Royal Barbados Defense Force (including Ground Forces and Coast
Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 77,862 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 53,282 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues Barbados

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for
Europe and the US; offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Bassas da India

Introduction Bassas da India

Background:
This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at
high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was placed under the
administration of a commissioner residing in Reunion in 1968.

Geography Bassas da India

Location:
Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about
one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
21 30 S, 39 50 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 0.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 0.2 sq km

Area - comparative:
about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
35.2 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
volcanic rock

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m

Natural resources:
none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (all rock) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide
and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits atop a
long-extinct, submerged volcano

People Bassas da India

Population:
uninhabited (July 2003 est.)

Government Bassas da India

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bassas da India

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the
Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Bassas da India

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation Bassas da India

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Bassas da India

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Bassas da India

Disputes - international:
claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Belarus

Introduction Belarus

Background:
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus
attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political
and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet
republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union
on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic
integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the
accord, serious implementation has yet to take place.

Geography Belarus

Location:
Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Geographic coordinates:
53 00 N, 28 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 207,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 207,600 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,900 km
border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km,
Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between
continental and maritime

Terrain:
generally flat and contains much marshland

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m
highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Natural resources:
forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas,
granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Land use:
arable land: 29.76%
permanent crops: 0.69%
other: 69.55% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country
contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at
Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of
Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is
geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite,
dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay

People Belarus

Population:
10,322,151 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.8% (male 885,265; female 848,516)
15-64 years: 68.9% (male 3,456,769; female 3,652,766)
65 years and over: 14.3% (male 490,529; female 988,306) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 36.7 years
male: 34.1 years
female: 39.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
-0.12% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
10.18 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
14.05 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 15.13 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.43 years
male: 62.54 years
female: 74.6 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
15,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Belarusian(s)
adjective: Belarusian

Ethnic groups:
Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%

Religions:
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant,
Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Languages:
Belarusian, Russian, other

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

Government Belarus

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
conventional short form: Belarus
local short form: none
former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
local long form: Respublika Byelarus'

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Minsk

Administrative divisions:
6 voblastsi (singular - voblasts') and one municipality* (harady,
singular - horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad
Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna), Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya,
Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk); note - when using a place name with the
adjectival ending 'skaya,' the word voblasts' should be added to the
place name
note: voblasti have the administrative center name following in
parentheses

Independence:
25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date
Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date
of independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:
30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996
giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective
27 November 1996

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (acting; since 10
July 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Andrei KOBYAKOV (since 13 March
2000), Sergei SIDORSKY (since 24 September 2001), Vladimir DRAZHIN
(since 24 September 2001), Roman VNUCHKO (since 10 July 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent
of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 75.6%, Vladimir GONCHARIK 15.4%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the
1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999,
however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996
referendum; new election held 9 September 2001 (next election to be
held by September 2006); prime minister and deputy prime ministers
appointed by the president

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the
Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members
elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the
president, all for 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives
or Palata Pretsaviteley (110 seats; members elected by universal
adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms)
election results: party affiliation data unavailable; under present
political conditions party designations are meaningless
elections: last held October 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);
Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president
and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)

Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Communist
Party or KPB [Viktor CHIKIN, chairman]; Belarusian Ecological Green
Party (merger of Belarusian Ecological Party and Green Party of
Belarus) [leader NA]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian
Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian
Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat
Party or SDBP [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian
Social-Democratic Party or Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH,
chairman]; Belarusian Socialist Party [Vyacheslav KUZNETSOV]; Civic
Accord Bloc (United Civic Party) or CAB [Anatol LIABEDZKA]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDPB [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH, chairman]; Party of
Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Republican
Party of Labor and Justice or RPPS [Anatoliy NETYLKIN, chairman];
Social-Democrat Party of Popular Accord or PPA [Leanid SECHKA];
Women's Party or "Nadezhda" [Valentina POLEVIKOVA, chairperson]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, NAM (observer),
NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV
chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael G. KOZAK
embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002
mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723
telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83
FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853

Flag description:
red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the
width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side
bears a Belarusian national ornament in red

Economy Belarus

Economy - overview:
Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when
President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market
socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed
administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and
expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private
enterprise. In addition to the burdens imposed by high inflation and
persistent trade deficits, businesses have been subject to pressure
on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary
changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive
application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive"
businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive
policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder. Close
relations with Russia, possibly leading to reunion, color the
pattern of economic developments. For the time being, Belarus
remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $90.19 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.7% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 40%
services: 45% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
22% (1995 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 5.1%
highest 10%: 20% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
21.7 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
42.8% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
4.8 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
industry and construction NA%, agriculture and forestry NA%,
services NA%

Unemployment rate:
2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number
of underemployed workers

Budget:
revenues: $4 billion
expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $180
million (1997 est.)

Industries:
metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers,
motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles,
radios, refrigerators

Industrial production growth rate:
2.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
24.4 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.5%
hydro: 0.1%
other: 0.4% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
26.69 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
300 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
4.3 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
37,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
230,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

Exports:
$7.7 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals;
textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:
Russia 50.8%, Latvia 7.3%, Ukraine 6.3%, Lithuania 4.1%, Germany
4.1% (2002)

Imports:
$8.8 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs,
metals

Imports - partners:
Russia 68.2%, Germany 9.4%, Ukraine 3.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$851 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$194.3 million (1995)

Currency:
Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)

Currency code:
BYB/BYR

Exchange rates:
Belarusian rubles per US dollar - NA (2002), 1,390 (2001), 876.75
(2000), 248.8 (1999), 46.13 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Belarus

Telephones - main lines in use:
2.313 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
8,167 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all
telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company)
Beltelcom which is a monopoly
domestic: local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a
cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long;
local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity -
Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently
serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form
synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries'
systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational
international: Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL),
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the
Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide
connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide
service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure;
additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and
Intersputnik earth stations

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)

Radios:
3.02 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
2.52 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.by

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
23 (2002)

Internet users:
422,000 (2002)

Transportation Belarus

Railways:
total: 5,523 km
broad gauge: 5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 74,385 km
paved: 66,203 km
unpaved: 8,182 km (2000)

Waterways:
NA km; note - Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river
systems

Pipelines:
gas 4,519 km; oil 1,811 km; refined products 1,686 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Mazyr

Airports:
124 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 96
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 67 (2002)

Military Belarus

Military branches:
Army, Air Force (including air defense), Interior Ministry Troops,
Border Guards

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,756,572 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,158,875 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 86,654 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$176.1 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Belarus

Disputes - international:
1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over
unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and encouraging
illegal border crossing; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain
undemarcated despite European Union financial support

Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the
domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via
Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; lax money-laundering
and banking regulations

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Belgium

Introduction Belgium

Background:
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was
occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has prospered in
the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European
state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the
Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking
Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional
amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

Geography Belgium

Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the
Netherlands

Geographic coordinates:
50 50 N, 4 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 30,510 sq km
land: 30,230 sq km
water: 280 sq km

Area - comparative:
about the size of Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 1,385 km
border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,
Netherlands 450 km

Coastline:
66 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: median line with neighbors
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: median line with neighbors (extends about
68 km from coast)

Climate:
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Terrain:
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged
mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast