Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (11)

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 60% 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. 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 such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. Hydropower exports to India have boosted Bhutan's overall growth, even though GDP fell in 2008 as a result of a slowdown in India, its predominant export market. New hydropower projects will be the driving force behind Bhutan's ability to create employment and sustain growth in the coming years.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$3.533 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 169 $2.91 billion (2007 est.)

$2.738 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.389 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

21.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 6.3% (2007 est.)

6.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$5,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $4,300 (2007 est.)

$4,100 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 22.3%

industry: 37.9%

services: 39.8% (2006)

Labor force:

NA

note: major shortage of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 63%

industry: 6%

services: 31% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:

2.5% (2004) country comparison to the world: 28

Population below poverty line:

31.7% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $272 million

expenditures: $350 million

note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2005)

Public debt:

81.4% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 11 81.4% of GDP (2004)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 54 14% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$381.1 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$220.3 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$169.9 million (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Agriculture - products:

rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs

Industries:

cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

NA

Electricity - production:

4.475 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 116

Electricity - consumption:

528.8 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 160

Electricity - exports:

3.644 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

11 million kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Oil - consumption:

1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

Oil - imports:

1,168 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 201

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 199

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200

Current account balance:

$116 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 57

Exports:

$350 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 169

Exports - commodities:

electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices

Exports - partners:

India 89%, Bangladesh 6.5%, Italy 1.2% (2008)

Imports:

$320 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 192

Imports - commodities:

fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice

Imports - partners:

India 59.5%, Japan 13.4%, China 5.6% (2008)

Debt - external:

$713.3 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 158

Exchange rates:

ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar - 41.487 (2007), 45.279 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003)

note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee

Communications ::Bhutan

Telephones - main lines in use:

27,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 181

Telephones - mobile cellular:

251,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 170

Telephone system:

general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services

domestic: 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 Intelsat (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2007)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2007)

Internet country code:

.bt

Internet hosts:

9,096 (2009) country comparison to the world: 119

Internet users:

40,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 174

Transportation ::Bhutan

Airports:

2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 197

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)

Roadways:

total: 8,050 km country comparison to the world: 140 paved: 4,991 km

unpaved: 3,059 km (2003)

Military ::Bhutan

Military branches:

Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2009)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 190,104

females age 16-49: 167,289 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 150,210

females age 16-49: 135,991 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 7,668

female: 7,379 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

Transnational Issues ::Bhutan

Disputes - international:

Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian Nagaland separatists; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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

@Bolivia (South America)

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, indigenous 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: 1,098,581 sq km country comparison to the world: 28 land: 1,083,301 sq km

water: 15,280 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries:

total: 6,940 km

border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 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)

Total renewable water resources:

622.5 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.44 cu km/yr (13%/7%/81%)

per capita: 157 cu m/yr (2000)

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

Geography - note:

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

People ::Bolivia

Population:

9,775,246 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 84

Age structure:

0-14 years: 35.5% (male 1,767,310/female 1,701,744)

15-64 years: 60% (male 2,877,605/female 2,992,043)

65 years and over: 4.5% (male 193,196/female 243,348) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.9 years

male: 21.3 years

female: 22.6 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.772% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 74

Birth rate:

25.82 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

Death rate:

7.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Net migration rate:

-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 123

Urbanization:

urban population: 66% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.79 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 44.66 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 58 male: 48.56 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 40.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 66.89 years country comparison to the world: 156 male: 64.2 years

female: 69.72 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.17 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

8,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever

water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

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 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 86.7%

male: 93.1%

female: 80.7% (2001 census)

Education expenditures:

6.4% of GDP (2003) country comparison to the world: 32

Government ::Bolivia

Country name:

conventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia

conventional short form: Bolivia

local long form: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia

local short form: Bolivia

Government type:

republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a "Social Unitarian State"

Capital:

name: La Paz (administrative 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; voters approved a new constitution on 25 January 2009

Legal system:

based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; the 2009 Constitution incorporates indigenous community justice into Bolivia's judicial system

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)

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 December 2009)

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; 70 members are directly elected from their districts and 60 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms); note - under representational rules established by the 2009 Constitution, the National Congress will become the Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional; the number of Deputies will remain at 130, but the number of Senators will rise to 36

elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in December 2009)

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); Constitutional Tribunal (five primary or titulares and five alternate or suplente magistrates appointed by Congress; to rule on constitutional issues); National Electoral Court (six members elected by Congress, Supreme Court, the president, and the political party with the highest vote in the last election for four-year terms); note - under the 2009 Constitution, all Constitutional and Supreme Court judges will be elected by popular vote

Political parties and leaders:

Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Mirta QUEVEDO]; National Unity [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]; Poder Democratico Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Social Alliance [Rene JOAQUINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB

other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions

International organization participation:

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Erika Angela DUENAS Loayza

chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410

FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712

consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

note: as of September 2008, the US has expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Krishna URS

embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz

mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032

telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000

FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111

note: as of September 2008, the Bolivian Government has expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band

note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag

Economy ::Bolivia

Economy - overview:

Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. The period 2003-05 was characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company. In early 2008, higher earnings for mining and hydrocarbons exports pushed the current account surplus to 9.4% of GDP and the government's higher tax take produced a fiscal surplus after years of large deficits. Private investment as a share of GDP, however, remains among the lowest in Latin America, and inflation remained at double-digit levels in 2008. The decline in commodity prices in late 2008, the lack of foreign investment in the mining and hydrocarbon sectors, and the suspension of trade benefits with the United States will pose challenges for the Bolivian economy in 2009.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$43.38 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 $40.88 billion (2007 est.)

$39.08 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$16.6 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 4.6% (2007 est.)

4.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$4,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 $4,300 (2007 est.)

$4,200 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 11.3%

industry: 36.9%

services: 51.8% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

4.454 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 40%

industry: 17%

services: 43% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 7.5% (2007 est.)

note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment

Population below poverty line:

60% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 0.5%

highest 10%: 44.1% (2005)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

59.2 (2006) country comparison to the world: 7 44.7 (1999)

Investment (gross fixed):

18% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Budget:

revenues: $8.039 billion

expenditures: $7.5 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

45.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 46.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

14% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 184 8.7% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

13% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 59 6.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

13.87% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 62 12.86% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$3.998 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 59 $3.032 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$6.339 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 59 $4.729 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$5.433 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 81 $4.759 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 97 $2.263 billion (31 December 2007)

$2.223 billion (31 December 2006)

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:

10.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10

Electricity - production:

5.495 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 111

Electricity - consumption:

4.665 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 111

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

51,360 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62

Oil - consumption:

60,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92

Oil - exports:

10,950 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94

Oil - imports:

6,172 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 151

Oil - proved reserves:

465 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 47

Natural gas - production:

14.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35

Natural gas - consumption:

2.41 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Natural gas - exports:

11.79 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 17

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

Natural gas - proved reserves:

750.4 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30

Current account balance:

$2.015 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $1.984 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$6.448 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $4.49 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin

Exports - partners:

Brazil 60.1%, US 8.3%, Japan 4.1% (2008)

Imports:

$4.641 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 $3.24 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans

Imports - partners:

Brazil 26.7%, Argentina 16.3%, US 10.5%, Chile 9.5%, Peru 7.1%, China 4.8% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$7.722 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 74 $5.318 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$5.931 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 102 $5.385 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$5.998 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 87

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Exchange rates:

bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.253 (2008 est.), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004)

Communications ::Bolivia

Telephones - main lines in use:

690,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 90

Telephones - mobile cellular:

4.83 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 89

Telephone system:

general assessment: privatization begun in 1995; reliability has steadily improved; new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly; fixed-line teledensity of 7 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density slighly exceeds 50 per 100 persons

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) (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:

48 (1997)

Internet country code:

.bo

Internet hosts:

105,031 (2009) country comparison to the world: 71

Internet users:

1 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 87

Transportation ::Bolivia

Airports:

952 (2009) country comparison to the world: 8

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 16

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 936

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 58

914 to 1,523 m: 186

under 914 m: 687 (2009)

Pipelines:

gas 4,883 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refined products 1,589 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 3,504 km country comparison to the world: 50 narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways:

total: 62,479 km country comparison to the world: 71 paved: 3,749 km

unpaved: 58,730 km (2004)

Waterways:

10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2007) country comparison to the world: 13

Merchant marine:

total: 23 country comparison to the world: 93 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 11, carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned: 7 (Bahamas 1, China 1, Iran 1, Singapore 1, Syria 2, Taiwan 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Puerto Aguirre (inland port on the Paraguay/Parana waterway at the Bolivia/Brazil border); 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, EB), Bolivian Navy (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2009)

Military service age and obligation:

18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2009)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,295,746

females age 16-49: 2,366,828 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,666,697

females age 16-49: 1,906,396 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 108,304

female: 104,882 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 88

Transnational Issues ::Bolivia

Disputes - international:

Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas and other commodities; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore, under Bolivian administration in 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute

Illicit drugs:

world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 29,500 hectares under cultivation in 2007, increased slightly when compared to 2006; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 120 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2007; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; cultivation generally increasing since 2000, despite eradication and alternative crop programs; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption (2008)

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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

@Bosnia and Herzegovina (Europe)

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. EUFOR's mission changed from peacekeeping to civil policing in October 2007, with its presence reduced from nearly 7,000 to less than 2,500 troops.

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: 51,197 sq km country comparison to the world: 128 land: 51,187 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:

total: 1,538 km

border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 249 km, Serbia 357 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)

Total renewable water resources:

37.5 cu 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, 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 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:

4,613,414 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.5% (male 344,760/female 323,303)

15-64 years: 70.7% (male 1,645,274/female 1,617,136)

65 years and over: 14.8% (male 279,781/female 403,160) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 39.8 years

male: 38.7 years

female: 41 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.339% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 172

Birth rate:

8.85 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 214

Death rate:

8.63 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

Net migration rate:

3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28

Urbanization:

urban population: 47% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 9.1 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 155 male: 10.44 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 7.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.5 years country comparison to the world: 43 male: 74.92 years

female: 82.34 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.25 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 212

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 165

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

100 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

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: 96.7%

male: 99%

female: 94.4% (2000 est.)

Education expenditures:

NA

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 completed 1 March 1992; independence declared 3 March 1992)

National holiday:

National Day, 25 November (1943)

Constitution:

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

Legal system:

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Zeljko KOMSIC (chairman since 6 July 2009; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Croat); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Haris SILAJDZIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak); and Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb)

head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 11 January 2007)

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 chairmanship rotates every eight months and resumes where it left off following each national election; 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 votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC with 39.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Haris SILAJDZIC with 62.8% of the votes for the Bosniak seat

note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Borjana KRISTO (since 21 February 2007); Vice Presidents Spomenka MICIC (since NA 2007) and Mirsad KEBO (since NA 2007); President of the Republika Srpska: Rajko KUSMANOVIC (since 28 December 2007)

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of 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); and the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats, 28 seats allocated for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats for the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation, 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: House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007); national House of Representatives - elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; 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, HDZ1990 2, other 5

note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; and 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, HDZ1990 7, other 14; 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, SBiH 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); 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]; Bosnian Patriotic Party of BPS [Sefer HALILOVIC]; 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 1990 or HDZ1990 [Bozo LJUBIC]; Croatian Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ [Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Party of DP [Dragan CAVIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; Nasa Stranka or NS [Bojan BAJIC]; 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 for Work and Progress or RzB [Mladen IVANKOVIC-LIJANOVIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC]; 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:

other: displaced persons associations; student councils; war veterans

International organization participation:

BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Mitar KUJUNDZIC

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 Charles L. ENGLISH

embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo

mailing address: use embassy 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:

The interethnic warfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 2003-08 when GDP growth exceeded 5% per year. 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. 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. Bosnia's private sector is growing and foreign investment is slowly increasing, but government spending, at nearly 40% of adjusted GDP, remains high because of redundant government offices at the state, entity and municipal level. Implementing privatization, however, has been slow, particularly in the Federation where political division between ethnically-based political parties makes agreement on economic policy more difficult. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment rate remain the two most serious macroeconomic problems. Successful implementation of a value-added tax in 2006 provided a predictable source of revenue for the government and helped rein in gray market activity. National-level statistics have also improved over time but a large share of economic activity remains unofficial and unrecorded. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. Bosnia's economy has been largely sheltered from the global financial downtown although key economic indicators have worsened. Key exporters in the metal, automobile and wood processing industries have reported a worsening performance and have announced layoffs and output reductions.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$29.77 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $28.22 billion (2007 est.)

$26.62 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Bosnia has a large informal sector that may be as much as 50% of official GDP

GDP (official exchange rate):

$18.47 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

5.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 6% (2007 est.)

6.9% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$6,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 $6,200 (2007 est.)

$5,900 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 10.2%

industry: 23.9%

services: 66% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

1.863 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 122

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 19.8%

industry: 32.6%

services: 47.6% (2007)

Unemployment rate:

29% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 174 45.5% (31 December 2004 est.)

note: official rate; gray economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30%

Population below poverty line:

25% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 27.4% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

56.2 (2007) country comparison to the world: 11

Budget:

revenues: $8.516 billion

expenditures: $8.867 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

40% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 34% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

7.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 1.6% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.98% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 120 7.17% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$4.49 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 $5.13 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$5.614 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 62 $5.597 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$10.26 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 70 $8.895 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

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:

11.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6

Electricity - production:

11.32 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

Electricity - consumption:

8.488 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

Electricity - exports:

4.344 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

3.743 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117

Oil - consumption:

29,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112

Oil - exports:

191.8 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131

Oil - imports:

25,990 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204

Natural gas - consumption:

310 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 50

Natural gas - imports:

310 million cu m country comparison to the world: 63

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202

Current account balance:

-$2.764 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 -$1.931 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$5.194 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $4.243 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners:

Croatia 20.7%, Slovenia 16.7%, Italy 16.7%, Germany 13%, Austria 10.3%, Hungary 4.8% (2008)

Imports:

$12.29 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $9.947 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Croatia 24.6%, Slovenia 12.7%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 10.5%, Hungary 6.6%, Turkey 6.5%, Austria 6.3% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$3.516 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 $4.525 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$7.388 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 $6.734 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.3083 (2008 est.), 1.4419 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004)

note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro

Communications ::Bosnia and Herzegovina

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.031 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 80

Telephones - mobile cellular:

3.179 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 106

Telephone system:

general assessment: post-war reconstruction of the telecommunications network, aided by a internationally sponsored program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the number of main telephone lines available; mobile cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly

domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 22 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density has reached 70 per 100 persons

international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Internet country code:

.ba

Internet hosts:

69,370 (2009) country comparison to the world: 79

Internet users:

1.308 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 81

Transportation ::Bosnia and Herzegovina

Airports:

25 (2009) country comparison to the world: 132

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 7

2,438 to 3,047 m: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 18

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 7

under 914 m: 10 (2009)

Heliports:

5 (2009)

Railways:

total: 1,000 km country comparison to the world: 88 standard gauge: 1,000 km 1.435-m gauge (590 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways:

total: 21,846 km country comparison to the world: 107 paved: 11,425 km (4,714 km of interurban roads)

unpaved: 10,421 km (2006)

Waterways:

Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2008)

Ports and terminals:

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

Military ::Bosnia and Herzegovina

Military branches:

Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces (OSBiH): Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzracna Obrana, ZPO) (2009)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2009)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,212,007

females age 16-49: 1,170,645 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 991,953

females age 16-49: 959,226 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 27,368

female: 25,644 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

4.5% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 23

Transnational Issues ::Bosnia and Herzegovina

Disputes - international:

sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 7,269 (Croatia)

IDPs: 131,600 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced in 1992-95 war) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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

@Botswana (Africa)

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: 581,730 sq km country comparison to the world: 47 land: 566,730 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)

Total renewable water resources:

14.7 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.19 cu km/yr (41%/18%/41%)

per capita: 107 cu m/yr (2000)

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:

1,990,876 country comparison to the world: 146 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 34.8% (male 352,399/female 340,058)

15-64 years: 61.4% (male 613,714/female 608,003)

65 years and over: 3.9% (male 31,155/female 45,547) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.7 years

male: 21.5 years

female: 21.9 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.937% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

Birth rate:

22.89 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Death rate:

8.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

Net migration rate:

5 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 21 note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2009 est.)

Urbanization:

urban population: 60% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 141 male: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 11.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 61.85 years country comparison to the world: 178 male: 61.72 years

female: 61.99 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.6 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

23.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 2

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

300,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 23

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

11,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)

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