Chapter X: Front Matter (10)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
20 (2000)

Internet users:
39,000 (2005)

Transportation Bermuda

Airports:
1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 447 km
paved: 447 km
note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,873,728 GRT/8,688,692 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 1, container 24, liquefied gas 23,
passenger 19, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated
cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 116 (Australia 3, Belgium 4, France 1, Germany 21,
Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Monaco 2,
Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, Switzerland 2, UK 9, US 27)
registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 4,
Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Hamilton, Saint George

Military Bermuda

Military branches:
no regular military forces

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,151 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 12,165 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 408 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.03 million (2001)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.11% (FY00/01)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Bermuda

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Bhutan

Introduction Bhutan

Background:
In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under
which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding
some border land to British India. Under British influence, a
monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed
whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal
affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs.
This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years
later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan
annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country
received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and
foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in
Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the
government's draft constitution - which would introduce major
democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for
its approval. A referendum date has yet to be named.

Geography Bhutan

Location:
Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates:
27 30 N, 90 30 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about half the size of Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers
in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas

Terrain:
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate

Land use:
arable land: 2.3%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 97.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:
400 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's
name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent
landslides during the rainy season

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; limited access to potable water

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls
several key Himalayan mountain passes

People Bhutan

Population:
2,279,723
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947)
15-64 years: 57.1% (male 671,057/female 631,078)
65 years and over: 4% (male 46,217/female 45,623) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.4 years
male: 20.2 years
female: 20.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.1% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 98.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 96.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 100.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.78 years
male: 55.02 years
female: 54.53 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese

Ethnic groups:
Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of
several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%

Religions:
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%

Languages:
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects,
Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47%
male: 60%
female: 34% (2003 est.)

Government Bhutan

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
local short form: Druk Yul

Government type:
monarchy; special treaty relationship with India

Capital:
name: Thimphu
geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 39 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha,
Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel,
Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu,
Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse

Independence:
8 August 1949 (from India)

National holiday:
National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17
December (1907)

Constitution:
no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001, the king
commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005
publicly unveiled it; is awaiting national referendum

Legal system:
based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late
2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay
NGEDUP (since 5 September 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the
monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed,
five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council
(Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms
in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the
monarch with two-thirds vote

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected
from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35
are designated by the monarch to represent government and other
secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in
2008)
election results: NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed
by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
no legal parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant
antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for
Democracy (exiled)

International organization participation:
AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW,
SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2
United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1]
(212) 826-1919; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese mission to the
UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although
informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy
in New Delhi (India)

Flag description:
divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper
triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along
the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from
the hoist side

Economy Bhutan

Economy - overview:
The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is
based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood
for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of
subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate
the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure
difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's
through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's
financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically
backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most
development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian
migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for
tourists are key resources. Model education, social, and environment
programs are underway with support from multilateral development
organizations. Each economic program takes into account the
government's desire to protect the country's environment and
cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious
expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale,
environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and
uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor,
and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.9 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$840.5 million

GDP - real growth rate:
5.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25.8%
industry: 37.9%
services: 36.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
NA
note: major shortage of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 93%
industry: 2%
services: 5%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $346.6 million
expenditures: including capital expenditures of $NA
note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of
Bhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.)

Public debt:
81.4% of GDP

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs

Industries:
cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages,
calcium carbide

Industrial production growth rate:
9.3% (1996 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.882 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.1%
hydro: 99.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
250.3 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
1.51 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
10 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
1,100 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports:
$154 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts,
cement, fruit, precious stones, spices

Exports - partners:
Japan 33.2%, Germany 13.6%, France 13.5%, South Korea 7.8%, US
7.7%, Thailand 5.8%, Italy 5.1% (2005)

Imports:
$196 million c.i.f. (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics,
rice

Imports - partners:
Hong Kong 68.4%, Mexico 20.8%, France 3.9% (2005)

Debt - external:
$593 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
$78 million substantial aid from India and other nations

Currency (code):
ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code:
BTN; INR

Exchange rates:
ngultrum per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583
(2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Bhutan

Telephones - main lines in use:
32,700 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
37,800 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor
domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor
especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003
international: country code - 975; international telephone and
telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
satellite earth station - 1 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2006)

Radios:
37,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2006)

Televisions:
11,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bt

Internet hosts:
7,567 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
25,000 (2005)

Transportation Bhutan

Airports:
2 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

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

Roadways:
total: 8,050 km
paved: 4,991 km
unpaved: 3,059 km (2003)

Military Bhutan

Military branches:
Royal Bhutan Army: Royal Bodyguard, Royal Bhutan Police (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 483,860
females age 18-49: 453,683 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 314,975
females age 18-49: 296,833 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 23,939
females age 18-49: 21,979 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$8.29 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Bhutan

Disputes - international:
approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as refugees in
Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High
Commissioner for Refugees camps; Bhutan cooperates with India to
expel Indian separatists

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Bolivia

Introduction Bolivia

Background:
Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away
from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has
consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups.
Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have
faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and
illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected
Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the
widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule
in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's
traditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority.
However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have
exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian
populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of
the eastern lowlands.

Geography Bolivia

Location:
Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates:
17 00 S, 65 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 1,098,580 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq km
water: 14,190 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries:
total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km,
Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Terrain:
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills,
lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Natural resources:
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver,
iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 2.78%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 97.03% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,320 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
flooding in the northeast (March-April)

Environment - current issues:
the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the
international demand for tropical timber are contributing to
deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation
methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification;
loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used
for drinking and irrigation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

Geography - note:
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

People Bolivia

Population:
8,989,046 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 1,603,982/female 1,542,319)
15-64 years: 60.4% (male 2,660,806/female 2,771,807)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 182,412/female 227,720) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.8 years
male: 21.2 years
female: 22.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.45% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 51.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 55.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.84 years
male: 63.21 years
female: 68.61 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian

Ethnic groups:
Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%,
Aymara 25%, white 15%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%

Languages:
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.2%
male: 93.1%
female: 81.6% (2003 est.)

Government Bolivia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Republica de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: La Paz (adminstrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Sucre (constitutional capital)

Administrative divisions:
9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni,
Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz,
Tarija

Independence:
6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution:
2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

Legal system:
based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of
age, universal and compulsory (single)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January
2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22
January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January
2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 18
December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma elected president; percent
of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 53.7%; Jorge Fernando QUIROGA
Ramirez 28.6%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 7.8%; Michiaki NAGATANI
Morishit 6.5%; Felipe QUISPE Huanca 2.2%; Guildo ANGULA Cabrera 0.7%

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
seats; 69 are directly elected from their districts and 61 are
elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MAS 73,
PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms
by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department);
provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)

Political parties and leaders:
Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic Solidarity
Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz
BARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy
ZABALA]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ
Zamora]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma];
Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National
Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New
Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti Indigenous
Movement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE Huanca]; Poder Democratico Nacional
or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Socialist Party or PS
[Jeres JUSTINIANO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole
Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Roman
LOAYZA]

International organization participation:
CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA,
MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gustavo GUZMAN Saldana
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, San
Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000
FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with
the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of
Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the
yellow band

Economy Bolivia

Economy - overview:
Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American
countries, reformed its economy after suffering a disastrous
economic crisis in the early 1980s. The reforms spurred real GDP
growth, which averaged 4% in the 1990s, and poverty rates fell.
Economic growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999 because of
a global slowdown and homegrown factors such as political turmoil,
civil unrest, and soaring fiscal deficits, all of which hurt
investor confidence. In 2003, violent protests against the
pro-foreign investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DE
LOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of plans to
export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large
northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a
controversial natural gas law that imposes on the oil and gas firms
significantly higher taxes as well as new contracts that give the
state control of their operations. Bolivian officials are in the
process of implementing the law; meanwhile, foreign investors have
stopped investing and have taken the first legal steps to secure
their investments. Real GDP growth in 2003-05 - helped by increased
demand for natural gas in neighboring Brazil - was positive, but
still below the levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia's fiscal
position has improved in recent years, but the country remains
dependent on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and foreign
governments to meet budget shortfalls. In 2005, the G8 announced a
$2 billion debt-forgiveness plan over the next few decades that
should help reduce some fiscal pressures on the government in the
near term.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$25.82 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$9.657 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.8%
industry: 35.2%
services: 52% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
4.22 million (2005 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
8% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
64% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 32% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
60.6 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
12.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.848 billion
expenditures: $3.189 billion; including capital expenditures of $741
million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes;
timber

Industries:
mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco,
handicrafts, clothing

Industrial production growth rate:
5.7% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
4.25 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 44.4%
hydro: 54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.5% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
3.963 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
10 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
42,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
48,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
458.8 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
6.72 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.74 billion cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
679.6 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$462 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$2.371 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore,
tin

Exports - partners:
Brazil 41.2%, US 14.1%, Colombia 8.8%, Argentina 7.6%, Peru 5.5%
(2005)

Imports:
$1.845 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts,
prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans

Imports - partners:
Brazil 21.9%, Argentina 16.7%, US 13.8%, Chile 6.9%, Peru 6.5%,
Japan 6.1%, China 5.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.798 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$6.309 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$221 million (2005 est.)

Currency (code):
boliviano (BOB)

Currency code:
BOB

Exchange rates:
bolivianos per US dollar - 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004), 7.6592
(2003), 7.17 (2002), 6.6069 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bolivia

Telephones - main lines in use:
646,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.421 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties;
most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile
cellular telephone use expanding rapidly
domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs
digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic
cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded
international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Radios:
5.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
48 (1997)

Televisions:
900,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bo

Internet hosts:
20,085 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)

Internet users:
480,000 (2005)

Transportation Bolivia

Airports:
1,084 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,068
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 60
914 to 1,523 m: 207
under 914 m: 797 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refined
products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 3,519 km
narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 60,762 km
paved: 4,314 km (including 11 km of expressways)
unpaved: 56,448 km (2003)

Waterways:
10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 127,297 GRT/198,525 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo
3, petroleum tanker 10
foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 1, China 1, Egypt 2, Iran 1, Singapore
3, Taiwan 1, Yemen 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the
Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges in
maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Military Bolivia

Military branches:
Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Bolivian
Navy (Armada Boliviana; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual number
of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is
effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one
estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18,
with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12
months (2002)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,923,234
females age 18-49: 2,007,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,311,414
females age 18-49: 1,502,177 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 101,101
females age 18-49: 98,671 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$130 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Bolivia

Disputes - international:
Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama
corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but
not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas
and other commodities

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Bolivia is a source and transit country for men,
women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual
exploitation to Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, as well as to Spain;
children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, forced
mining, and agricultural labor; illegal migrants from Asia
transiting Bolivia are vulnerable as trafficking victims
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bolivia has failed to show evidence
of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in the areas of
prosecutions and victim protection

Illicit drugs:
world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru)
with an estimated 26,500 hectares under cultivation in August 2005,
an 8% increase from 2004; intermediate coca products and cocaine
exported mostly to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to
European drug markets; cultivation steadily increasing despite
eradication and alternative crop programs; money-laundering activity
related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil
and Paraguay

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Bosnia and Herzegovina

Introduction Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background:
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991
was followed by a declaration of independence from the former
Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic
Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and
Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning
the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form
a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the
number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement
creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed
a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic
civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December
1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's
international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and
democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic,
and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government
comprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led
Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were
charged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of the
High Representative (OHR) was established to oversee the
implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96,
a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops
served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of
the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led
Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewed
hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced
SFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace and
stability throughout the country.

Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Geographic coordinates:
44 00 N, 18 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 51,129 sq km
land: 51,129 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 225 km, Serbia 302 km

Coastline:
20 km

Maritime claims:
no data available

Climate:
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short,
cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along
coast

Terrain:
mountains and valleys

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt,
manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 19.61%
permanent crops: 1.89%
other: 78.5% (2005)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of
urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of
infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation

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

Geography - note:
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is
divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the
territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about
49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous
to Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally
has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an
ethnic Serb majority in the east

People Bosnia and Herzegovina

Population:
4,498,976 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.5% (male 359,739/female 336,978)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,590,923/female 1,564,665)
65 years and over: 14.4% (male 265,637/female 381,034) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 38.4 years
male: 37.2 years
female: 39.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.35% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78 years
male: 74.39 years
female: 81.88 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian

Ethnic groups:
Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)
note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid
confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Religions:
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%

Languages:
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.6%
male: 98.4%
female: 91.1% (2000 est.)

Government Bosnia and Herzegovina

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina
former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Government type:
emerging federal democratic republic

Capital:
name: Sarajevo
geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally
supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the
Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna
i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note -
Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative
unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district
remains under international supervision

Independence:
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence was
completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992)

National holiday:
National Day, 25 November (1943)

Constitution:
the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new
constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its
own constitution

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC
(chairman since 6 November 2006; presidency member since 1 October
2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating
(every eight months): Zeljko KOMSIC (since 1 October 2006 - Croat)
and Haris SILAJDZIC (since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan
TERZIC (since 20 December 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman;
approved by the National House of Representatives
elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one
Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term
(eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years);
the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she
was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the
chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 1
October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council
of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the
National House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of
the Serb vote; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the Croat vote; Haris
SILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the Bosniak vote
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko
LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC
(since in 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since in 2003); President
of the Republika Srpska: Milan JELIC (since 9 November 2006)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the
national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats -
elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika
Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms);
and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5
Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's
House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National
Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law
specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order
administrative division entity legislatures
elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1
October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last
constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)
election results: national House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9,
SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, other 7; House of Peoples -
percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition -
NA
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that
consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1
October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17,
HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30
Bosniak, 30 Croat); last constituted December 2002; the Republika
Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006
(next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4,
SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional
reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples
(COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly
including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four
members of the smaller communities

Judicial branch:
BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members are
selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives,
two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three
non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of Human
Rights); BH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions
- Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over
cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over
cases initiated in the entities); note - a War Crimes Chamber opened
in March 2005
note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a
number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the
Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska
has five municipal courts

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK];
Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or
GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and
Herzegovina or HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP
[Zvonko JURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Marko TADIC];
Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BH
[Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 100 or HDZ100; Croatian
Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ
[Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC];
Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiative
or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH
[Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman
TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Serb
Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan CAVIC]; Serb Radical Party of the
Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical
Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social
Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social
Democratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party of
Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW,
OSCE, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas L. McELHANEY
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
mailing address: use street address
telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
FAX: [387] (33) 659-722
branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar

Flag description:
a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow
isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the
remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed
white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse
of the triangle

Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina

Economy - overview:
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to Macedonia as the poorest
republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is
almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and
the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry
remains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economic
structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military
industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia was saddled
with a host of industrial firms with little commercial potential.
The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by
80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace
in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from
a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag in
output was made up in 2003-05. National-level statistics are limited
and do not capture the large share of black market activity. The
konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency
introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the
currency and the banking sector has increased. Implementation of
privatization, however, has been slow, and local entities only
reluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reform
accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were
shut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control
most of the banking sector. A sizeable current account deficit and
high unemployment rate remain the two most serious economic
problems. The country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction
assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but
will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$23.09 billion
note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much
as 50% of official GDP (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.495 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,200 (2005 est.)

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

Labor force:
1.026 million (2001)

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

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

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

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.4% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.373 billion
expenditures: $4.401 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
29% of GDP

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Industries:
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle
assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and
aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining

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

Electricity - production:
10.51 billion kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
8.849 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
3.2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
2.271 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
21,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
160 million cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

Current account balance:
$-2.087 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$2.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners:
Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.6%, Germany 12.8%, Austria
6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

Imports:
$6.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.7%, Slovenia 13.1%, Italy 11%, Austria
6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.531 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$3.116 billion (2005 est.)

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

Currency (code):
marka (BAM)

Currency code:
BAM

Exchange rates:
marka per US dollar - 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003),
2.0782 (2002), 2.1857 (2001)
note: the marka is pegged to the euro

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.594 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone and telegraph network needs
modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average as
contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republics
domestic: NA
international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
940,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.ba

Internet hosts:
31,490 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
806,400 (2005)

Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Airports:
28 (2006)

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

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

Heliports:
5 (2006)

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

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

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

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

Military Bosnia and Herzegovina

Military branches:
VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands
within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces are
subordinate commands within the Army)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation
of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years
of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military
service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law,
military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18
and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service
obligation is four months (July 2004)

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

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

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 32,942
females age 18-49: 31,466 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$234.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.5% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina

Disputes - international:
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimited
most of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain in
dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed
sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder
ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 19,213 (Croatia)
IDPs: 309,200 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in
1992-95 war) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to
Western Europe; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering
activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak
law enforcement, and instances of corruption

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Botswana

Introduction Botswana

Background:
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted
its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining,
dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due
to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature
preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of
HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Geography Botswana

Location:
Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 600,370 sq km
land: 585,370 sq km
water: 15,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe
813 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain:
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in
southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore,
silver

Land use:
arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.34% (2005)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west,
carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure
visibility

Environment - current issues:
overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

People Botswana

Population:
1,639,833
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2006 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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

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

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
37.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
350,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
33,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Ethnic groups:
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including
Kgalagadi and white 7%

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

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.8%
male: 76.9%
female: 82.4% (2003 est.)

Government Botswana

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
local long form: Republic of Botswana
local short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland

Government type:
parliamentary republic

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

Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*,
Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast,
Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern

Independence:
30 September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

Constitution:
March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review
limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal