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- @Bouvet Island
-
- Header
- Affiliation:
- (territory of Norway)
-
- @Bouvet Island, Geography
-
- Location:
- Southern Africa, in the South Atlantic Ocean, 2,575 km south-southwest
- of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
- Map references:
- Antarctic Region
- Area:
- total area:
- 58 sq km
- land area:
- 58 sq km
- comparative area:
- about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 29.6 km
- Maritime claims:
- territorial sea:
- 4 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- antarctic
- Terrain:
- volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 meters; coast is mostly
- inaccessible
- Natural resources:
- none
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 0%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 0%
- forest and woodland:
- 0%
- other:
- 100% (all ice)
- Irrigated land:
- 0 sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- NA
- international agreements:
- NA
- Note:
- covered by glacial ice
-
- @Bouvet Island, People
-
- Population:
- uninhabited
-
- @Bouvet Island, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Bouvet Island
- Digraph:
- BV
- Type:
- territory of Norway
- Capital:
- none; administered from Oslo, Norway
- Independence:
- none (territory of Norway)
-
- @Bouvet Island, Economy
-
- Overview:
- no economic activity
-
- @Bouvet Island, Communications
-
- Ports:
- none; offshore anchorage only
- Telecommunications:
- automatic meteorological station
-
- @Bouvet Island, Defense Forces
-
- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of Norway
-
-
- @Brazil, Geography
-
- Location:
- Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
- Map references:
- South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 8,511,965 sq km
- land area:
- 8,456,510 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly smaller than the US
- note:
- includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da
- Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
- Land boundaries:
- total 14,691 km, Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643
- km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru
- 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
- Coastline:
- 7,491 km
- Maritime claims:
- contiguous zone:
- 24 nm
- continental shelf:
- 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- short section of the boundary with Paraguay, just west of Salto das
- Sete Quedas (Guaira Falls) on the Rio Parana, is in dispute; two short
- sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute - Arroio Invernada
- (Arroyo de la Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the
- islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay River
- Climate:
- mostly tropical, but temperate in south
- Terrain:
- mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
- mountains, and narrow coastal belt
- Natural resources:
- iron ore, manganese, bauxite, nickel, uranium, phosphates, tin,
- hydropower, gold, platinum, petroleum, timber
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 7%
- permanent crops:
- 1%
- meadows and pastures:
- 19%
- forest and woodland:
- 67%
- other:
- 6%
- Irrigated land:
- 27,000 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- deforestation in Amazon Basin; air and water pollution in Rio de
- Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation
- and water pollution caused by improper mining activities
- natural hazards:
- recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
- international agreements:
- party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
- Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
- Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
- Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental
- Protocol, Tropical Timber
- Note:
- largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every
- South American country except Chile and Ecuador
-
- @Brazil, People
-
- Population:
- 158,739,257 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 1.28% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 21.48 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 8.63 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 59.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 62.25 years
- male:
- 57.41 years
- female:
- 67.32 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 2.44 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Brazilian(s)
- adjective:
- Brazilian
- Ethnic divisions:
- Portuguese, Italian, German, Japanese, Amerindian, black 6%, white
- 55%, mixed 38%, other 1%
- Religions:
- Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%
- Languages:
- Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
- total population:
- 81%
- male:
- 82%
- female:
- 80%
- Labor force:
- 57 million (1989 est.)
- by occupation:
- services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%
-
- @Brazil, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Federative Republic of Brazil
- conventional short form:
- Brazil
- local long form:
- Republica Federativa do Brasil
- local short form:
- Brasil
- Digraph:
- BR
- Type:
- federal republic
- Capital:
- Brasilia
- Administrative divisions:
- 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district*
- (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara,
- Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato
- Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui,
- Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia,
- Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins
- Independence:
- 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
- Constitution:
- 5 October 1988
- Legal system:
- based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Suffrage:
- voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over
- 18 and under 70 years of age
- Executive branch:
- chief of state and head of government:
- President Itamar FRANCO (since 29 December 1992); election last held
- 15 November 1989, with runoff on 17 December 1989 (next to be held
- October 1994); results - Fernando COLLOR de Mello 53%, Luis Inacio
- LULA da Silva 47%; note - first free, direct presidential election
- since 1960; Fernando COLLOR de Mello was impeached in December 1992
- and succeeded by former Vice President Itamar FRANCO
- cabinet:
- Cabinet; appointed by the president
- Legislative branch:
- bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional)
- Federal Senate (Senado Federal):
- election last held 3 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994);
- results - percent of vote by party PMBD 33%, PFL 16%, PSDB 12%, PDS
- 4%, PDT 6%, PT 1%, other 28%; seats - (81 total as of 3 February 1991)
- PMDB 27, PFL 15, PSDB 10, PTB 8, PDT 5, other 16
- Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados):
- election last held 3 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994);
- results - PMDB 21%, PFL 17%, PDT 9%, PDS 8%, PRN 7.9%, PTB 7%, PT 7%,
- other 23.1%; seats - (503 total as of 3 February 1991) PMDB 108, PFL
- 87, PDT 46, PDS 43, PRN 40, PTB 35, PT 35, other 109
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Federal Tribunal
- Political parties and leaders:
- National Reconstruction Party (PRN), Daniel TOURINHO, president;
- Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Luiz HENRIQUE da Silveira,
- president; Liberal Front Party (PFL), Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president;
- Workers' Party (PT), Luis Inacio LULA da Silva, president; Brazilian
- Workers' Party (PTB), Rodrigues PALMA, president; Democratic Workers'
- Party (PDT), Leonel BRIZOLA, president; Progressive Renewal Party
- (PPR), Paulo MALUF, president; Brazilian Social Democracy Party
- (PSDB), Tasso JEREISSATI, president; Popular Socialist Party (PPS),
- Roberto FREIRE, president; Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Joao
- AMAZONAS, secretary general; Liberal Party (PL), Flavio ROCHA,
- president
- Other political or pressure groups:
- left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions allied to leftist
- Workers' Party are critical of government's social and economic
- policies
- Member of:
- AfDB, AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77,
- GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
- IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
- LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MERCOSUR, NAM (observer), OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA,
- RG, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR,
- UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Paulo Tarso FLECHA de LIMA
- chancery:
- 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- (202) 745-2700
- FAX:
- (202) 745-2827
- consulate(s) general:
- Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong (Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands),
- Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
- consulate(s):
- Houston and San Francisco
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Melvyn LEVITSKY
- embassy:
- Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal
- mailing address:
- APO AA 34030
- telephone:
- [55] (61) 321-7272
- FAX:
- [55] (61) 225-9136
- consulate(s) general:
- Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
- consulate(s):
- Porto Alegre, Recife
- Flag:
- green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue
- celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state
- and district) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over
- Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E
- PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
-
- @Brazil, Economy
-
- Overview:
- The economy, with large agrarian, mining, and manufacturing sectors,
- entered the 1990s with declining real growth, runaway inflation, an
- unserviceable foreign debt of $122 billion, and a lack of policy
- direction. In addition, the economy remained highly regulated,
- inward-looking, and protected by substantial trade and investment
- barriers. Ownership of major industrial and mining facilities is
- divided among private interests - including several multinationals -
- and the government. Most large agricultural holdings are private, with
- the government channeling financing to this sector. Conflicts between
- large landholders and landless peasants have produced intermittent
- violence. The COLLOR government, which assumed office in March 1990,
- launched an ambitious reform program that sought to modernize and
- reinvigorate the economy by stabilizing prices, deregulating the
- economy, and opening it to increased foreign competition. The
- government also obtained an IMF standby loan in January 1992 and
- reached agreements with commercial bankers on the repayment of
- interest arrears and on the reduction of debt and debt service
- payments. Galloping inflation (the rate doubled in 1992 and by March
- 1994 had risen to 42% per month) continues to undermine economic
- stability. Itamar FRANCO, who assumed the presidency following
- President COLLOR'S resignation in December 1992, was out of step with
- COLLOR'S reform agenda; initiatives to redress fiscal problems,
- privatize state enterprises, and liberalize trade and investment
- policies have lost momentum. Brazil's natural resources remain a
- major, long-term economic strength
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $785 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 5% (1993)
- National product per capita:
- $5,000 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 2,709% (1993)
- Unemployment rate:
- 4.9% (1993)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $113 billion
- expenditures:
- $109 billion, including capital expenditures of $23 billion (1992)
- Exports:
- $38.8 billion (f.o.b. 1993)
- commodities:
- iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee, motor vehicle
- parts
- partners:
- EC 27.6%, Latin America 21.8%, US 17.4%, Japan 6.3% (1993)
- Imports:
- $25.7 billion (f.o.b. 1993)
- commodities:
- crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal
- partners:
- US 23.3%, EC 22.5%, Middle East 13.0%, Latin America 11.8%, Japan 6.5%
- (1993)
- External debt:
- $119 billion (1993)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 9.5% (1993); accounts for 39% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 63,765,000 kW
- production:
- 242.184 billion kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 1,531 kWh (1992)
- Industries:
- textiles and other consumer goods, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber,
- iron ore, steel, motor vehicles and auto parts, metalworking, capital
- goods, tin
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 11% of GDP; world's largest producer and exporter of
- coffee and orange juice concentrate and second-largest exporter of
- soybeans; other products - rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, beef;
- self-sufficient in food, except for wheat
- Illicit drugs:
- illicit producer of cannabis and coca, mostly for domestic
- consumption; government has a modest eradication program to control
- cannabis and coca cultivation; important transshipment country for
- Bolivian and Colombian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.5 billion; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.2
- million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $284 million; former Communist
- countries (1970-89), $1.3 billion
- Currency:
- 1 cruzeiro real (CR$) = 100 centavos
- Exchange rates:
- CR$ per US$1 - 390.845 (January 1994), 88.449 (1993), 4.513 (1992),
- 0.407 (1991), 0.068 (1990), 0.003 (1989)
- note:
- on 1 August 1993 the cruzeiro real, equal to 1,000 cruzeiros, was
- introduced; another new currency, the real, will be introduced on 1
- July 1994
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Brazil, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 30,133 km total; 24,690 km 1.000-meter gauge, 5,120 km 1.600-meter
- gauge, 310 km mixed 1.600-1.000-meter gauge, 13 km 0.760-meter gauge;
- 2,150 km electrified
- Highways:
- total:
- 1,670,148 km
- paved:
- 161,503 km
- unpaved:
- gravel/earth 1,508,645 km (1990)
- Inland waterways:
- 50,000 km navigable
- Pipelines:
- crude oil 2,000 km; petroleum products 3,804 km; natural gas 1,095 km
- Ports:
- Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio
- de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos
- Merchant marine:
- 220 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,139,176 GRT/8,695,682 DWT,
- bulk 53, cargo 40, chemical tanker 14, combination ore/oil 12,
- container 11, liquified gas 11, oil tanker 62, passenger-cargo 5,
- refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11
- note:
- in addition, 1 naval tanker is sometimes used commercially
- Airports:
- total:
- 3,581
- usable:
- 3,024
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 436
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 2
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 22
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 598
- Telecommunications:
- good system; extensive microwave radio relay facilities; 9.86 million
- telephones; broadcast stations - 1,223 AM, no FM, 112 TV, 151
- shortwave; 3 coaxial submarine cables, 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
- stations and 64 domestic satellite earth stations
-
- @Brazil, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Brazilian Army, Navy of Brazil (including Marines), Brazilian Air
- Force, Military Police (paramilitary)
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 43,489,704; fit for military service 29,286,530; reach
- military age (18) annually 1,674,930 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 3% of GDP (1990)
-
-
- @British Indian Ocean Territory
-
- Header
- Affiliation:
- (dependent territory of the UK)
-
- @British Indian Ocean Territory, Geography
-
- Location:
- Southern Asia, in the Indian Ocean, south of India about halfway
- between Africa and Indonesia
- Map references:
- Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 60 sq km
- land area:
- 60 sq km
- comparative area:
- about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
- note:
- includes the island of Diego Garcia
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 698 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 3 nm
- International disputes:
- the entire Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius
- Climate:
- tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
- Terrain:
- flat and low (up to 4 meters in elevation)
- Natural resources:
- coconuts, fish
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 0%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 0%
- forest and woodland:
- 0%
- other:
- 100%
- Irrigated land:
- 0 sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- NA
- international agreements:
- NA
- Note:
- archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost
- island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is
- site of joint US-UK military facility
-
- @British Indian Ocean Territory, People
-
- Population:
- no indigenous inhabitants
- note:
- there are UK-US military personnel; civilian inhabitants, known as the
- Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK-US military
- facilities
-
- @British Indian Ocean Territory, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- conventional short form:
- none
- Abbreviation:
- BIOT
- Digraph:
- IO
- Type:
- dependent territory of the UK
- Capital:
- none
- Independence:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
- head of government:
- Commissioner Thomas GEORGE (since September 1991); Administrator Mr.
- R. G. WELLS (since NA 1991); note - both reside in the UK
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- US diplomatic representation:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Flag:
- white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and six
- blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree and yellow crown
- centered on the outer half of the flag
-
- @British Indian Ocean Territory, Economy
-
- Overview:
- All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego
- Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction
- projects and various services needed to support the military
- installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK,
- Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or
- agricultural activities on the islands.
- Electricity:
- provided by the US military
-
- @British Indian Ocean Territory, Communications
-
- Highways:
- total:
- NA
- paved:
- short stretch of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
- unpaved:
- NA
- Ports:
- Diego Garcia
- Airports:
- total:
- 1
- usable:
- 1
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 1
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 1 on Diego Garcia
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 1,229-2,439 m:
- 0
- Telecommunications:
- minimal facilities; broadcast stations (operated by US Navy) - 1 AM, 1
- FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
-
- @British Indian Ocean Territory, Defense Forces
-
- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of the UK
-
-
- @British Virgin Islands
-
- Header
- Affiliation:
- (dependent territory of the UK)
-
- @British Virgin Islands, Geography
-
- Location:
- Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 110 km east of Puerto
- Rico
- Map references:
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Area:
- total area:
- 150 sq km
- land area:
- 150 sq km
- comparative area:
- about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC
- note:
- includes the island of Anegada
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 80 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 3 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
- Terrain:
- coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
- Natural resources:
- negligible
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 20%
- permanent crops:
- 7%
- meadows and pastures:
- 33%
- forest and woodland:
- 7%
- other:
- 33%
- Irrigated land:
- NA sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- subject to hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
- international agreements:
- NA
- Note:
- strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
-
- @British Virgin Islands, People
-
- Population:
- 12,864 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 1.24% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 20.31 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 6.09 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 19.51 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 72.67 years
- male:
- 70.83 years
- female:
- 74.65 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 2.27 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- British Virgin Islander(s)
- adjective:
- British Virgin Islander
- Ethnic divisions:
- black 90%, white, Asian
- Religions:
- Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%,
- Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other
- 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981)
- Languages:
- English (official)
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
- total population:
- 98%
- male:
- 98%
- female:
- 98%
- Labor force:
- 4,911 (1980)
- by occupation:
- NA
-
- @British Virgin Islands, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- British Virgin Islands
- Abbreviation:
- BVI
- Digraph:
- VI
- Type:
- dependent territory of the UK
- Capital:
- Road Town
- Administrative divisions:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Independence:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- National holiday:
- Territory Day, 1 July
- Constitution:
- 1 June 1977
- Legal system:
- English law
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor
- Peter Alfred PENFOLD (since 14 October 1991)
- head of government:
- Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT (since NA September 1986)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council; appointed by the governor
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- Legislative Council:
- election last held 12 November 1990 (next to be held by November
- 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (9 total) VIP 6,
- IPM 1, independents 2
- Judicial branch:
- Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- United Party (UP), Conrad MADURO; Virgin Islands Party (VIP), H.
- Lavity STOUTT; Independent Progressive Movement (IPM), E. Walwyln
- BREWLEY
- Member of:
- CARICOM (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau),
- IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- US diplomatic representation:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Flag:
- blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the
- Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag;
- the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical
- column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE
- (Be Watchful)
-
- @British Virgin Islands, Economy
-
- Overview:
- The economy, one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean area, is
- highly dependent on the tourist industry, which generates about 21% of
- the national income. In 1985 the government offered offshore
- registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and,
- in consequence, incorporation fees generated about $2 million in 1987.
- The economy slowed in 1991 because of the poor performances of the
- tourist sector and tight commercial bank credit. Livestock raising is
- the most significant agricultural activity. The islands' crops,
- limited by poor soils, are unable to meet food requirements.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $133 million (1991)
- National product real growth rate:
- 2% (1991)
- National product per capita:
- $10,600 (1991)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 2.5% (1990 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- NEGL% (1992)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $51 million
- expenditures:
- $88 million, including capital expenditures of $38 million (1991)
- Exports:
- $2.7 million (f.o.b., 1988)
- commodities:
- rum, fresh fish, gravel, sand, fruits, animals
- partners:
- Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
- Imports:
- $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1988)
- commodities:
- building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
- partners:
- Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
- External debt:
- $4.5 million (1985)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 4% (1985)
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 10,500 kW
- production:
- 43 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 3,510 kWh (1990)
- Industries:
- tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore
- financial center
- Agriculture:
- livestock (including poultry), fish, fruit, vegetables
- Economic aid:
- $NA
- Currency:
- 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- US currency is used
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
-
- @British Virgin Islands, Communications
-
- Highways:
- total:
- 106 km (1983)
- paved:
- NA
- unpaved:
- NA
- Ports:
- Road Town
- Airports:
- total:
- 3
- usable:
- 3
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 2
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 0
- Telecommunications:
- 3,000 telephones; worldwide external telephone service; submarine
- cable communication links to Bermuda; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no
- FM, 1 TV
-
- @British Virgin Islands, Defense Forces
-
- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of the UK
-
-
- @Brunei, Geography
-
- Location:
- Southeastern Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely
- surrounded by Malaysia
- Map references:
- Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 5,770 sq km
- land area:
- 5,270 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than Delaware
- Land boundaries:
- total 381 km, Malysia 381 km
- Coastline:
- 161 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country;
- all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam;
- parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984,
- Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa
- Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island
- Climate:
- tropical; hot, humid, rainy
- Terrain:
- flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
- Natural resources:
- petroleum, natural gas, timber
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 1%
- permanent crops:
- 1%
- meadows and pastures:
- 1%
- forest and woodland:
- 79%
- other:
- 18%
- Irrigated land:
- 10 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- NA
- international agreements:
- party to - Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not
- ratified - Law of the Sea
- natural hazards:
- typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
- Note:
- close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and
- Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an
- enclave of Malaysia
-
- @Brunei, People
-
- Population:
- 284,653 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.7% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 26.18 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 5.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 5.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 25.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 71.1 years
- male:
- 69.46 years
- female:
- 72.78 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 3.43 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Bruneian(s)
- adjective:
- Bruneian
- Ethnic divisions:
- Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%
- Religions:
- Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs
- and other 15% (1981)
- Languages:
- Malay (official), English, Chinese
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
- total population:
- 77%
- male:
- 85%
- female:
- 69%
- Labor force:
- 89,000 (includes members of the Army)
- by occupation:
- government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and
- construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)
- note:
- 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)
-
- @Brunei, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Negara Brunei Darussalam
- conventional short form:
- Brunei
- Digraph:
- BX
- Type:
- constitutional sultanate
- Capital:
- Bandar Seri Begawan
- Administrative divisions:
- 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and
- Muara, Temburong, Tutong
- Independence:
- 1 January 1984 (from UK)
- National holiday:
- National Day 23 February (1984)
- Constitution:
- 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of
- Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January
- 1984)
- Legal system:
- based on Islamic law
- Suffrage:
- none
- Executive branch:
- chief of state and head of government:
- Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji
- HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)
- cabinet:
- Council of Cabinet Ministers; composed chiefly of members of the royal
- family
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri):
- elections last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to
- an appointive body by decree of the sultan; an elected legislative
- Council is being considered as part of constitution reform, but
- elections are unlikely for several years
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman;
- Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and
- now banned), leader NA
- Member of:
- APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTELSAT
- (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
- OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, UNTAC, WHO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador JAYA bin Abdul Latif
- chancery:
- 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037
- telephone:
- (202) 342-0159
- FAX:
- (202) 342-0158
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Theresa A. TULL
- embassy:
- Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
- mailing address:
- American Embassy Box B, APO AP 96440
- telephone:
- [673] (2) 229-670
- FAX:
- [673] (2) 225-293
- Flag:
- yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and
- black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red
- is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed
- flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a
- scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
-
- @Brunei, Economy
-
- Overview:
- The economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship,
- government regulation and welfare measures, and village tradition. It
- is almost totally supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas,
- with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for more than 50%
- of GDP. Per capita GDP is among the highest in the Third World, and
- substantial income from overseas investment supplements domestic
- production. The government provides for all medical services and
- subsidizes food and housing.
- National product:
- GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion (1991 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 1% (1991)
- National product per capita:
- $9,000 (1991 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 2% (1993 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 3.7% (1989)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $1.3 billion
- expenditures:
- $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1989
- est.)
- Exports:
- $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
- partners:
- Japan 53%, UK 12%, South Korea 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 5% (1990)
- Imports:
- $2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
- partners:
- Singapore 35%, UK 26%, Switzerland 9%, US 9%, Japan 5% (1990)
- External debt:
- $0
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 310,000 kW
- production:
- 890 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 3,300 kWh (1990)
- Industries:
- petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
- Agriculture:
- imports about 80% of its food needs; principal crops and livestock
- include rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $153
- million
- Currency:
- 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.6032 (January 1994), 1.6158 (1993),
- 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989); note - the
- Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Brunei, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line
- Highways:
- total:
- 1,090 km
- paved:
- bituminous 370 km (with another 52 km under construction)
- unpaved:
- gravel or earth 720 km
- Inland waterways:
- 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters
- Pipelines:
- crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km
- Ports:
- Kuala Belait, Muara
- Merchant marine:
- 7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476
- GRT/340,635 DWT
- Airports:
- total:
- 2
- usable:
- 2
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 1
- with runway over 3,659 m:
- 1
- with runway 2,440-3,659 m:
- 0
- with runway 1,220-2,439 m:
- 1
- Telecommunications:
- service throughout country is adequate for present needs;
- international service good to adjacent Malaysia; radiobroadcast
- coverage good; 33,000 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 4 AM/FM,
- 1 TV; 74,000 radio receivers (1987); satellite earth stations - 1
- Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
-
- @Brunei, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 79,486; fit for military service 46,258; reach
- military age (18) annually 2,756 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 9% of GDP (1990)
-
-
- @Bulgaria, Geography
-
- Location:
- Balkan State, Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between
- Romania and Turkey
- Map references:
- Africa, Arctic Region, Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Middle
- East, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 110,910 sq km
- land area:
- 110,550 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than Tennessee
- Land boundaries:
- total 1,808 km, Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
- Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all
- with Serbia), Turkey 240 km
- Coastline:
- 354 km
- Maritime claims:
- contiguous zone:
- 24 nm
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
- Terrain:
- mostly mountains with lowlands in north and south
- Natural resources:
- bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 34%
- permanent crops:
- 3%
- meadows and pastures:
- 18%
- forest and woodland:
- 35%
- other:
- 10%
- Irrigated land:
- 10 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw
- sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from
- air pollution; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical
- plants and industrial wastes
- natural hazards:
- subject to earthquakes, landslides
- international agreements:
- party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
- Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental
- Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
- Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile
- Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity,
- Climate Change, Law of the Sea
- Note:
- strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from
- Europe to Middle East and Asia
-
- @Bulgaria, People
-
- Population:
- 8,799,986 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- -0.32% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 11.71 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 11.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -3.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 73.24 years
- male:
- 69.99 years
- female:
- 76.67 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 1.71 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Bulgarian(s)
- adjective:
- Bulgarian
- Ethnic divisions:
- Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%, Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian
- 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%
- Religions:
- Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman Catholic 0.5%,
- Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%
- Languages:
- Bulgarian; secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
- total population:
- 93%
- male:
- NA%
- female:
- NA%
- Labor force:
- 4.3 million
- by occupation:
- industry 33%, agriculture 20%, other 47% (1987)
-
- @Bulgaria, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Bulgaria
- conventional short form:
- Bulgaria
- Digraph:
- BU
- Type:
- emerging democracy
- Capital:
- Sofia
- Administrative divisions:
- 9 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya,
- Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna
- Independence:
- 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day 3 March (1878)
- Constitution:
- adopted 12 July 1991
- Legal system:
- based on civil law system, with Soviet law influence; has accepted
- compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- President Zhelyu Mitev ZHELEV (since 1 August 1990); Vice President
- (vacant); election last held January 1992; results - Zhelyu ZHELEV was
- elected by popular vote
- head of government:
- Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Lyuben Borisov
- BEROV (since 30 December 1992); Deputy Chairman of the Council of
- Ministers (Deputy Prime Minister) Evgeniy MATINCHEV (since 30 December
- 1992)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers; elected by the National Assembly
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie):
- last held 13 October 1991; results - UDF (and breakaway factions) 34%,
- BSP 33%, MRF 7.5%; seats - (240 total) UDF 110, BSP 106, Movement for
- Rights and Freedoms 24
- note:
- the UDF split in March 1993 to form the New Union for Democracy (NUD)
- with 18 seats, and the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) with 92 seats
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court, Constitutional Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), Filip DIMITROV, chairman, an
- alliance of approximately 20 pro-Democratic parties including United
- Democratic Center, Democratic Party, Radical Democratic Party,
- Christian Democratic Union, Alternative Social Liberal Party,
- Republican Party, Civic Initiative Movement, and about a dozen other
- groups; Movement for Rights and Freedoms (mainly ethnic Turkish party)
- (MRF), Ahmed DOGAN, chairman; Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), Zhan
- VIDENOV, chairman; New Union for Democracy (NUD), Dimitar LUDZHEV,
- chairman
- Other political or pressure groups:
- Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa (Support) Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union;
- Bulgarian Democratic Youth (formerly Communist Youth Union);
- Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB);
- Nationwide Committee for Defense of National Interests; Peasant Youth
- League; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union - United (BZNS); Bulgarian
- Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov" Bulgarian Agrarian National Union;
- Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Union of Macedonian
- Societies (IMRO-UMS); numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest
- groups with various agendas
- Member of:
- ACCT (observer), BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI (participating), CSCE, EBRD,
- ECE, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
- INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer),
- ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
- UNIDO, UNTAC, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ognyan Raytchev PISHEV
- chancery:
- 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- (202) 387-7969
- FAX:
- (202) 234-7973
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador William D. MONTGOMERY
- embassy:
- 1 Saborna Street, Sofia
- mailing address:
- Unit 25402, Sofia; APO AE 09213
- telephone:
- [359] (2) 88-48-01 through 05
- FAX:
- [359] (2) 80-19-77
- Flag:
- three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the
- national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has
- been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat
- ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the
- dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation
- from Nazi control)
-
- @Bulgaria, Economy
-
- Overview:
- The Bulgarian economy continued its painful adjustment in 1993 from
- the misdirected development undertaken during four decades of
- Communist rule. Many aspects of a market economy have been put in
- place and have begun to function, but much of the economy, especially
- the industrial sector, has yet to re-establish market links lost with
- the collapse of other centrally planned Eastern European economies.
- The prices of many imported industrial inputs, especially energy
- products, have risen markedly, and falling real wages have not
- sufficed to restore competitiveness. The trade deficit, exacerbated by
- UN trade sanctions against neighboring Serbia, grew in late 1993,
- accelerating the depreciation of the lev. These difficulties in
- adjusting to the challenges of a more open system, together with a
- severe drought, caused nonagricultural output to fall by perhaps 8% in
- 1993. The government plans more extensive privatization in 1994 to
- improve the management of state enterprises and to encourage foreign
- investment in ailing state firms. Bulgaria resumed payments on its $10
- billion in commercial debt in 1993 following the negotiation of a 50%
- write-off. An IMF program and second agreement with official creditors
- on Bulgaria's smaller amount of official debt are required to close
- the debt deal.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $33.9 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- -4% (1993 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $3,800 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 64% (1993)
- Unemployment rate:
- 16% (1993)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $14 billion
- expenditures:
- $17.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $610 million (1993
- est.)
- Exports:
- $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
- commodities:
- machinery and equipment 30.6%; agricultural products 24%; manufactured
- consumer goods 22.2%; fuels, minerals, raw materials, and metals
- 10.5%; other 12.7% (1991)
- partners:
- former CEMA countries 57.7% (USSR 48.6%, Poland 2.1%, Czechoslovakia
- 0.9%); developed countries 26.3% (Germany 4.8%, Greece 2.2%); less
- developed countries 15.9% (Libya 2.1%, Iran 0.7%) (1991)
- Imports:
- $2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
- commodities:
- fuels, minerals, and raw materials 58.7%; machinery and equipment
- 15.8%; manufactured consumer goods 4.4%; agricultural products 15.2%;
- other 5.9%
- partners:
- former CEMA countries 51.0% (former USSR 43.2%, Poland 3.7%);
- developed countries 32.8% (Germany 7.0%, Austria 4.7%); less developed
- countries 16.2% (Iran 2.8%, Libya 2.5%)
- External debt:
- $12 billion (1993)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate -10% (1993 est.); accounts for about 37% of GDP (1990)
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 11,500,000 kW
- production:
- 45 billion kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 5,070 kWh (1992)
- Industries:
- machine building and metal working, food processing, chemicals,
- textiles, building materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals
- Agriculture:
- climate and soil conditions support livestock raising and the growing
- of various grain crops, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, and tobacco;
- more than one-third of the arable land devoted to grain; world's
- fourth-largest tobacco exporter; surplus food producer
- Illicit drugs:
- transshipment point for southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan
- route
- Economic aid:
- $NA
- Currency:
- 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki
- Exchange rates:
- leva (Lv) per US$1 - 32.00 (January 1994), 24.56 (January 1993), 17.18
- (January 1992), 16.13 (March 1991), 0.7446 (November 1990), 0.84
- (1989); note - floating exchange rate since February 1991
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Bulgaria, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 4,300 km total, all government owned (1987); 4,055 km 1.435-meter
- standard gauge, 245 km narrow gauge; 917 km double track; 2,640 km
- electrified
- Highways:
- total:
- 36,930 km
- paved:
- 33,902 km (including 276 km expressways)
- unpaved:
- earth 3,028 km (1991)
- Inland waterways:
- 470 km (1987)
- Pipelines:
- crude oil 193 km; petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,400 km
- (1992)
- Ports:
- coastal - Burgas, Varna, Varna West; inland - Ruse, Vidin, and Lom on
- the Danube
- Merchant marine:
- 111 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 1,225,996 GRT/1,829,642 DWT,
- bulk 48, cargo 30, chemical carrier 4, container 2, oil tanker 16,
- passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6,
- short-sea passenger 2
- note:
- Bulgaria owns 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,717 DWT operating
- under Liberian registry
- Airports:
- total:
- 487
- usable:
- 85
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 32
- with runways over 3659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 21
- with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
- 36
- note:
- a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
- Telecommunications:
- extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial cable and
- microwave radio relay; 2.6 million telephones; direct dialing to 36
- countries; phone density is 29 phones per 100 persons (1992); almost
- two-thirds of the lines are residential; 67% of Sofia households have
- phones (November 1988); telephone service is available in most
- villages; broadcast stations - 20 AM, 15 FM, and 29 TV, with 1 Soviet
- TV repeater in Sofia; 2.1 million TV sets (1990); 92% of country
- receives No. 1 television program (May 1990); 1 satellite ground
- station using Intersputnik; INTELSAT is used through a Greek earth
- station
-
- @Bulgaria, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Troops, Internal
- Troops
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 2,175,921; fit for military service 1,816,484; reach
- military age (19) annually 70,306 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- 5.77 billion leva, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of
- defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate
- could produce misleading results
-
-
- @Burkina, Geography
-
- Location:
- Western Africa, between Ghana and Mali
- Map references:
- Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 274,200 sq km
- land area:
- 273,800 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than Colorado
- Land boundaries:
- total 3,192 km, Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Mali
- 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
- Coastline:
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims:
- none; landlocked
- International disputes:
- the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was
- submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983
- and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides
- agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary
- demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
- Climate:
- tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
- Terrain:
- mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and
- southeast
- Natural resources:
- manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony,
- copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 10%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 37%
- forest and woodland:
- 26%
- other:
- 27%
- Irrigated land:
- 160 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural
- activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing;
- soil degradation; deforestation
- natural hazards:
- recurring droughts
- international agreements:
- party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine
- Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not
- ratified - Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
- Note:
- landlocked
-
- @Burkina, People
-
- Population:
- 10,134,661 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.81% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 48.42 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 18.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 118.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 47.03 years
- male:
- 46.18 years
- female:
- 47.9 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 6.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Burkinabe (singular and plural)
- adjective:
- Burkinabe
- Ethnic divisions:
- Mossi (about 2.5 million), Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
- Religions:
- indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic)
- 10%
- Languages:
- French (official), tribal languages belong to Sudanic family, spoken
- by 90% of the population
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
- total population:
- 18%
- male:
- 28%
- female:
- 9%
- Labor force:
- NA (most adults are employed in subsistance agriculture; 52% of
- population is 15 years of age or older)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 80%, industry 15%, commerce, services, and government 5%
- note:
- 20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for
- seasonal employment (1984)
-
- @Burkina, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Burkina Faso
- conventional short form:
- Burkina
- former:
- Upper Volta
- Digraph:
- UV
- Type:
- parliamentary
- Capital:
- Ouagadougou
- Administrative divisions:
- 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde,
- Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi,
- Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore,
- Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa,
- Yatenga, Zoundweogo
- Independence:
- 5 August 1960 (from France)
- National holiday:
- Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)
- Constitution:
- 2 June 1991
- Legal system:
- based on French civil law system and customary law
- Suffrage:
- none
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987); election
- last held December 1991
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Roch KABORE (since March 1994)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- Assembly of People's Deputies:
- elections last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held NA); results -
- percent of vote by party NA; seats - (107 total), ODP-MT 78, CNPP-PSD
- 12, RDA 6, ADF 4, other 7
- note:
- the current law also provides for a second consultative chamber, which
- had not been formally constituted as of 1 July 1992
- Judicial branch:
- Appeals Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Organization for People's Democracy- Labor Movement (ODP-MT), ruling
- party, Simon COMPAORE, Secretary General; National Convention of
- Progressive Patriots-Social Democratic Party (CNPP-PSD), Moussa BOLY;
- African Democratic Rally (RDA), Gerard Kango OUEDRAOGO; Alliance for
- Democracy and Federation (ADF), Amadou Michel NANA
- Other political or pressure groups:
- committees for the defense of the revolution; watchdog/political
- action groups throughout the country in both organizations and
- communities
- Member of:
- ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT,
- IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT,
- INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
- UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Thomas Yara KAMBOU
- chancery:
- 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- (202) 332-5577 or 6895
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Donald J. McCONNELL
- embassy:
- Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
- mailing address:
- 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
- telephone:
- [226] 30-67- 23 through 25
- FAX:
- [226] 31-23-68
- Flag:
- two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow
- five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African colors
- of Ethiopia
-
- @Burkina, Economy
-
- Overview:
- One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina has a high
- population density, few natural resources, and relatively infertile
- soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor communications
- network within a landlocked country. Agriculture provides about 40% of
- GDP and is entirely of a subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by
- unprofitable government-controlled corporations, accounts for about
- 15% of GDP.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 0.7% (1992)
- National product per capita:
- $700 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- -0.8% (1992)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $483 million
- expenditures:
- $548 million, including capital expenditures of $189 million (1992)
- Exports:
- $300 million (f.o.b., 1992)
- commodities:
- cotton, gold, animal products
- partners:
- EC 42%, Cote d'Ivoire 11%, Taiwan 15%
- Imports:
- $685 million (f.o.b., 1992)
- commodities:
- machinery, food products, petroleum
- partners:
- EC 49%, Africa 24%, Japan 6%
- External debt:
- $865 million (December 1991 est.)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 6.7% (1992); accounts for about 15% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 120,000 kW
- production:
- 320 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 40 kWh (1991)
- Industries:
- cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes,
- textiles, gold mining and extraction
- Agriculture:
- accounts for about 40% of GDP; cash crops - peanuts, shea nuts,
- sesame, cotton; food crops - sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock;
- not self-sufficient in food grains
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.9
- billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $113 million
- Currency:
- 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
- Exchange rates:
- CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993),
- 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989)
- note:
- beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per
- French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Burkina, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 620 km total; 520 km Ouagadougou to Cote d'Ivoire border and 100 km
- Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1.00-meter gauge and single track
- Highways:
- total:
- 16,500 km
- paved:
- 1,300 km
- unpaved:
- improved earth 7,400 km; unimproved earth 7,800 km (1985)
- Airports:
- total:
- 48
- usable:
- 38
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 2
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 2
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 8
- Telecommunications:
- all services only fair; microwave radio relay, wire, and radio
- communication stations in use; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV;
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
-
- @Burkina, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's
- Militia
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 2,013,763; fit for military service 1,029,960
- Defense expenditures:
- $NA, NA% of GDP
-
-
- @Burma, Geography
-
- Location:
- Southeastern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and
- Thailand
- Map references:
- Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 678,500 sq km
- land area:
- 657,740 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly smaller than Texas
- Land boundaries:
- total 5,876 km, Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km,
- Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
- Coastline:
- 1,930 km
- Maritime claims:
- contiguous zone:
- 24 nm
- continental shelf:
- 200 nm or to the edge of continental margin
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest
- monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild
- temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon,
- December to April)
- Terrain:
- central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
- Natural resources:
- petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal,
- some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 15%
- permanent crops:
- 1%
- meadows and pastures:
- 1%
- forest and woodland:
- 49%
- other:
- 34%
- Irrigated land:
- 10,180 sq km (1989)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- deforestation
- natural hazards:
- subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and
- landslides common during rainy season (June to September)
- international agreements:
- party to - Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
- Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
- Change, Law of the Sea
- Note:
- strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
-
- @Burma, People
-
- Population:
- 44,277,014 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 1.86% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 28.45 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 63.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 59.98 years
- male:
- 57.94 years
- female:
- 62.15 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 3.64 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Burmese (singular and plural)
- adjective:
- Burmese
- Ethnic divisions:
- Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian
- 2%, other 5%
- Religions:
- Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%,
- animist beliefs 1%, other 2%
- Languages:
- Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
- total population:
- 81%
- male:
- 89%
- female:
- 72%
- Labor force:
- 16.007 million (1992)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other
- 4.1% (FY89 est.)
-
- @Burma, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Union of Burma
- conventional short form:
- Burma
- local long form:
- Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as
- Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)
- local short form:
- Myanma Naingngandaw
- former:
- Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
- Digraph:
- BM
- Type:
- military regime
- Capital:
- Rangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)
- Administrative divisions:
- 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya,
- singular - pyine); Chin State, Irrawaddy*, Kachin State, Karan State,
- Kayah State, Magwe*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Pegu*, Rakhine State,
- Rangoon*, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tenasserim*
- Independence:
- 4 January 1948 (from UK)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 4 January (1948)
- Constitution:
- 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); National
- Convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft chapter headings for a
- new constitution
- Legal system:
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state and head of government:
- Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE
- (since 23 April 1992)
- State Law and Order Restoration Council:
- military junta which assumed power 18 September 1988
- Legislative branch:
- People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw):
- last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened; results - NLD 80%;
- seats - (485 total) NLD 396, the regime-favored NUP 10, other 79; was
- dissolved after the coup of 18 September 1988
- Judicial branch:
- none; Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18
- September 1988
- Political parties and leaders:
- Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), leader NA;
- National Unity Party (NUP; proregime), THA KYAW; National League for
- Democracy (NLD), U AUNG SHWE
- Other political or pressure groups:
- National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), headed by
- the elected prime minister SEIN WIN (consists of individuals
- legitimately elected to Parliament but not recognized by the military
- regime; the group fled to a border area and joined with insurgents in
- December 1990 to form a parallel government; Kachin Independence Army
- (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen National Union (KNU);
- several Shan factions, including the Mong Tai Army (MTA); All Burma
- Student Democratic Front (ABSDF)
- Member of:
- AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
- IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
- LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador U THAUNG
- chancery:
- 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- (202) 332-9044 or 9045
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission, Charge d'Affaires Franklin P.
- HUDDLE, Jr.
- embassy:
- 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon
- mailing address:
- American Embassy, Box B, APO AP 96546
- telephone:
- [95] (1) 82055, 82181
- FAX:
- [95] (1) 80409
- Flag:
- red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all
- in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a
- stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions
-
- @Burma, Economy
-
- Overview:
- Burma has a mixed economy with about 70% private activity, mainly in
- agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with about 30%
- state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and
- foreign trade. Government policy in the last five years, 1989-93, has
- aimed at revitalizing the economy after four decades of tight central
- planning. Thus, private activity has markedly increased; foreign
- investment has been encouraged, so far with moderate success; and
- efforts continue to increase the efficiency of state enterprises.
- Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated
- because of the volume of black market trade. A major ongoing problem
- is the failure to achieve monetary and fiscal stability. Inflation has
- been running at 25% to 30% annually. Good weather helped boost GDP by
- perhaps 5% in 1993. Although Burma remains a poor Asian country, its
- rich resources furnish the potential for substantial long-term
- increases in income, exports, and living standards.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $41 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 5% (1993 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $950 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 30% (1993 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $8.1 billion
- expenditures:
- $11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
- Exports:
- $613.4 million (FY93)
- commodities:
- pulses and beans, teak, rice, hardwood
- partners:
- Singapore, China, Thailand, India, Hong Kong
- Imports:
- $1.02 billion (FY93)
- commodities:
- machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products
- partners:
- Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia
- External debt:
- $4 billion (1992)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 4.9% (FY93 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 1,100,000 kW
- production:
- 2.8 billion kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 65 kWh (1992)
- Industries:
- agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood
- products; petroleum refining; mining of copper, tin, tungsten, iron;
- construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 40% of GDP and 66% of employment (including fish and
- forestry); self-sufficient in food; principal crops - paddy rice,
- corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; world's largest stand of hardwood
- trees; rice and timber account for 55% of export revenues
- Illicit drugs:
- world's largest illicit producer of opium (2,575 metric tons in 1993)
- and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; opium
- production has doubled since the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic
- programs
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $158 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.9
- billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $424 million
- Currency:
- 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
- Exchange rates:
- kyats (K) per US$1 - 6.2301 (December 1993), 6.1570 (1993), 6.1045
- (1992), 6.2837 (1991), 6.3386 (1990), 6.7049 (1989); unofficial - 105
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
-
- @Burma, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 3,991 km total, all government owned; 3,878 km 1.000-meter gauge, 113
- km narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km double track
- Highways:
- total:
- 27,000 km
- paved:
- bituminous 3,200 km
- unpaved:
- gravel, improved earth 17,700 km; unimproved earth 6,100 km
- Inland waterways:
- 12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
- Pipelines:
- crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km
- Ports:
- Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein
- Merchant marine:
- 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 665,628 GRT/941,512 DWT, bulk
- 15, cargo 15, chemical 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1,
- container 2, oil tanker 2, passenger-cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 5,
- vehicle carrier 2
- Airports:
- total:
- 83
- usable:
- 78
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 24
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 3
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 38
- Telecommunications:
- meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for
- business and government; international service is good; 53,000
- telephones (1986); radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most
- populous areas; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (1985); 1 Indian
- Ocean INTELSAT earth station
-
- @Burma, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Army, Navy, Air Force
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 11,199,531; females age 15-49 11,273,643; males fit
- for military service 5,979,710; females fit for military service
- 6,034,810; males reach military age (18) annually 445,933 (1994 est.);
- females reach military age (18) annually 430,738 (1994 est.); both
- sexes liable for military service
- Defense expenditures:
- $NA, NA% of GDP
-
-
- @Burundi, Geography
-
- Location:
- Central Africa, between Tanzania and Zaire
- Map references:
- Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 27,830 sq km
- land area:
- 25,650 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than Maryland
- Land boundaries:
- total 974 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km, Zaire 233 km
- Coastline:
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims:
- none; landlocked
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- temperate; warm; occasional frost in uplands
- Terrain:
- mostly rolling to hilly highland; some plains
- Natural resources:
- nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not
- yet exploited), vanadium
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 43%
- permanent crops:
- 8%
- meadows and pastures:
- 35%
- forest and woodland:
- 2%
- other:
- 12%
- Irrigated land:
- 720 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- soil exhaustion and erosion; deforestation; habitat loss threatening
- wildlife populations
- natural hazards:
- NA
- international agreements:
- party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified -
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
- Note:
- landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed
- Population:
- 6,124,747 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.26% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 44.02 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 21.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 113.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 40.3 years
- male:
- 38.31 years
- female:
- 42.35 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 6.69 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Burundian(s)
- adjective:
- Burundi
- Ethnic divisions:
- Africans:
- Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1% (other Africans
- include about 70,000 refugees, mostly Rwandans and Zairians)
- non-Africans:
- Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
- Religions:
- Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs
- 32%, Muslim 1%
- Languages:
- Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika
- and in the Bujumbura area)
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
- total population:
- 50%
- male:
- 61%
- female:
- 40%
- Labor force:
- 1.9 million (1983 est.)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and commerce 1.5%,
- services 1.5%
- note:
- 52% of population of working age (1985)
-
- @Burundi, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Burundi
- conventional short form:
- Burundi
- local long form:
- Republika y'u Burundi
- local short form:
- Burundi
- Digraph:
- BY
- Type:
- republic
- Capital:
- Bujumbura
- Administrative divisions:
- 15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega,
- Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana,
- Ruyigi
- Independence:
- 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
- Constitution:
- 13 March 1992; provides for establishment of a plural political system
- Legal system:
- based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not
- accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Suffrage:
- universal adult at age NA
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- Interim President Sylvestre NTIBANTUNGANYA, Speaker of the National
- Assembly, succeeded deceased President NTARYAMIRA in early April 1994
- with a mandate for at least 90 days; on 11 July 1994 the mandate was
- extended by the Constitutional Court for three more months at the
- request of 12 political parties locked in negotiations on a new
- broad-based government; elections will be held later in 1994
- note:
- President Melchior NDADAYE died in the military coup of 21 October
- 1993 and was succeeded on 5 February 1994 by President Cyprien
- NTARYAMIRA, who was killed in a mysterious airplane explosion on 6
- April 1994
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Anatole KANYENKIKO (since 7 February 1994); chosen by
- the president
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers ; appointed by prime minister
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
- elections last held 29 June 1993 (next to be held NA): results -
- FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA 21.4%; seats - (81 total) FRODIBU 65, UPRONA 16;
- other parties won too small shares of the vote to win seats in the
- assembly
- note:
- The National Unity Charter outlining the principles for constitutional
- government was adopted by a national referendum on 5 February 1991
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
- Political parties and leaders:
- Unity for National Progress (UPRONA); Burundi Democratic Front
- (FRODEBU); Organization of the People of Burundi (RBP); Socialist
- Party of Burundi (PSB); People's Reconciliation Party (PRP)
- Other political or pressure groups:
- opposition parties legalized in March 1992; Burundi African Alliance
- for the Salvation (ABASA); Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social
- Development (RADDES)
- Member of:
- ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
- IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU,
- LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Jacques BACAMURWANKO, designated (January 1994)
- chancery:
- Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
- telephone:
- (202) 342-2574
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Leonard J. LANGE
- embassy:
- Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
- mailing address:
- B. P. 34, 1720, Bujumbura
- telephone:
- [257] (223) 454
- FAX:
- [257] (222) 926
- Flag:
- divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and
- green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk
- superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars
- outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two
- stars below)
-
- @Burundi, Economy
-
- Overview:
- A landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic
- development, Burundi is predominately agricultural with only a few
- basic industries. Its economic health depends on the coffee crop,
- which accounts for 80% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to
- pay for imports therefore continues to rest largely on the vagaries of
- the climate and the international coffee market. As part of its
- economic reform agenda, launched in February 1991 with IMF and World
- Bank support, Burundi is trying to diversify its agricultural exports
- and attract foreign investment in industry. Several state-owned coffee
- companies were privatized via public auction in September 1991.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $4.4 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- -3.8% (1991)
- National product per capita:
- $700 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 4.7% (1992 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $318 million
- expenditures:
- $326 million, including capital expenditures of $150 million (1991
- est.)
- Exports:
- $40.8 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- coffee 81%, tea, cotton, hides, and skins
- partners:
- EC 57%, US 19%, Asia 1%
- Imports:
- $188 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- capital goods 31%, petroleum products 15%, foodstuffs, consumer goods
- partners:
- EC 45%, Asia 29%, US 2%
- External debt:
- $970 million (1991)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 11% (1991 est.); accounts for about 15% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 55,000 kW
- production:
- 105 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 20 kWh (1991)
- Industries:
- light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of
- imported components; public works construction; food processing
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 50% of GDP; 90% of population dependent on subsistence
- farming; marginally self-sufficient in food production; cash crops -
- coffee, cotton, tea; food crops - corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes,
- bananas, manioc; livestock - meat, milk, hides and skins
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $71 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.2
- billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $32 million; Communist
- countries (1970-89), $175 million
- Currency:
- 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes
- Exchange rates:
- Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1 - 247.94 (November 1993), 208.30 (1992),
- 181.51 (1991), 171.26 (1990), 158.67 (1989), 140.40 (1988)
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Burundi, Communications
-
- Highways:
- total:
- 6,285 km
- paved:
- 1,099 km
- unpaved:
- gravel, crushed stone 2,500 km; improved, unimproved earth 2,686 km
- (1990)
- Inland waterways:
- Lake Tanganyika
- Ports:
- Bujumbura (lake port) connects to transportation systems of Tanzania
- and Zaire
- Airports:
- total:
- 5
- usable:
- 3
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 1
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 1
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 0
- Telecommunications:
- sparse system of wire, radiocommunications, and low-capacity microwave
- radio relay links; 8,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 2 FM,
- 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
-
- @Burundi, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Army (includes naval and air units), paramilitary Gendarmerie
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 1,315,660; fit for military service 687,474; reach
- military age (16) annually 67,949 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $28 million, 3.7% of GDP (1989)
-
-
- @Cambodia, Geography
-
- Location:
- Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand
- and Vietnam
- Map references:
- Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 181,040 sq km
- land area:
- 176,520 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly smaller than Oklahoma
- Land boundaries:
- total 2,572 km, Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
- Coastline:
- 443 km
- Maritime claims:
- contiguous zone:
- 24 nm
- continental shelf:
- 200 nm
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in
- dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam not defined; parts of border
- with Thailand in dispute; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly
- defined
- Climate:
- tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to October); dry season (December
- to March); little seasonal temperature variation
- Terrain:
- mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
- Natural resources:
- timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower
- potential
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 16%
- permanent crops:
- 1%
- meadows and pastures:
- 3%
- forest and woodland:
- 76%
- other:
- 4%
- Irrigated land:
- 920 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- deforestation resulting in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in
- particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural
- fisheries)
- natural hazards:
- monsoonal rains (June to November)
- international agreements:
- party to - Marine Life Conservation; signed, but not ratified -
- Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
- Note:
- a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle
- Sap
-
- @Cambodia, People
-
- Population:
- 10,264,628 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.87% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 45.09 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 16.36 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 110.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 49.26 years
- male:
- 47.8 years
- female:
- 50.8 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 5.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Cambodian(s)
- adjective:
- Cambodian
- Ethnic divisions:
- Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
- Religions:
- Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%
- Languages:
- Khmer (official), French
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
- total population:
- 35%
- male:
- 48%
- female:
- 22%
- Labor force:
- 2.5 million to 3 million
- by occupation:
- agriculture 80% (1988 est.)
-
- @Cambodia, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Cambodia
- conventional short form:
- Cambodia
- local long form:
- Reacheanachak Kampuchea
- local short form:
- Kampuchea
- Digraph:
- CB
- Type:
- multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy
- established in September 1993
- Capital:
- Phnom Penh
- Administrative divisions:
- 20 provinces (khet, singular and plural); Banteay Meanchey,
- Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum,
- Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Phnum Penh,
- Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanokiri, Siemreab-Otdar
- Meanchey, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
- Independence:
- 9 November 1949 (from France)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 9 November 1949
- Constitution:
- promulgated September 1993
- Legal system:
- currently being defined
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated NA September 1993)
- head of government:
- power shared between First Prime Minister Prince Norodom RANARIDDH and
- Second Prime Minister HUN SEN
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers; elected by the National Assembly
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral; a 120-member constituent assembly based on proportional
- representation within each province was establised following the
- UN-supervised election in May 1993; the constituent assembly was
- transformed into a legislature in September 1993 after delegates
- promulgated the constitution
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court established under the constitution has not yet been
- established and the future judicial system is yet to be defined by law
- Political parties and leaders:
- National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and
- Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) under Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH;
- Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party (CPP) under
- CHEA SIM; Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party under SON SANN; Democratic
- Kampuchea (DK, also known as the Khmer Rouge) under KHIEU SAMPHAN
- Member of:
- ACCT (observer), AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
- IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU,
- LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- Ambassador SISOWATH SIRIRATH represents Cambodia at the United Nations
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Charles H. TWINING
- embassy:
- 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh
- mailing address:
- Box P, APO AP 96546
- telephone:
- (855) 23-26436 or (855) 23-26438
- FAX:
- (855) 23-26437
- Flag:
- horizontal band of red separates two equal horizontal bands of blue
- with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat in the
- center
-
- @Cambodia, Economy
-
- Overview:
- The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is
- slowly recovering. Government leaders are moving toward restoring
- fiscal and monetary discipline and have established good working
- relations with international financial institutions. Despite such
- positive developments, the reconstruction effort faces many tough
- challenges. Rural Cambodia, where 90% of almost ten million Khmer
- live, remains mired in poverty. The almost total lack of basic
- infrastructure in the countryside will hinder development and will
- contribute to a growing imbalance in growth between urban and rural
- areas over the near term. Moreover, the new government's lack of
- experience in administering economic and technical assistance
- programs, and rampant corruption among officials, will slow the growth
- of critical public sector investment. Inflation for 1993 as a whole
- was 60%, less than a quarter of the 1992 rate, and was declining
- during the year. The government hoped the rate would fall to 10% in
- early 1994.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $6 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 7.5% (1993 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $600 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 60% (1993 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $350 million
- expenditures:
- $350 million, including capital expenditures of $133 million (1994
- est.)
- Exports:
- $70 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- natural rubber, rice, pepper, raw timber
- partners:
- Thailand, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Vietnam
- Imports:
- $360 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- international food aid; fuels, consumer goods, machinery
- partners:
- Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam
- External debt:
- total outstanding bilateral official debt to OECD members $248 million
- (yearend 1991), plus 840 million ruble debt to former CEMA countries
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 15.6% (year NA); accounts for 10% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 35,000 kW
- production:
- 70 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 9 kWh (1990)
- Industries:
- rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem
- mining
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 50% of GDP; mainly subsistence farming except for rubber
- plantations; main crops - rice, rubber, corn; food shortages - rice,
- meat, vegetables, dairy products, sugar, flour
- Illicit drugs:
- secondary transshipment country for heroin produced in the Golden
- Triangle
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $725 million; Western
- (non-US countries) (1970-89), $300 million; Communist countries
- (1970-89), $1.8 billion; donor countries and multilateral institutions
- pledged $880 million in assistance in 1992
- Currency:
- 1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen
- Exchange rates:
- riels (CR) per US$1 - 2,390 (December 1993), 2,800 (September 1992),
- 500 (December 1991), 560 (1990), 159.00 (1988), 100.00 (1987)
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Cambodia, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 612 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned
- Highways:
- total:
- 13,351 km (some roads in serious disrepair)
- paved:
- bituminous 2,622 km
- unpaved:
- crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth 7,105 km; unimproved earth
- 3,624 km
- Inland waterways:
- 3,700 km navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 meters; 282 km
- navigable to craft drawing 1.8 meters
- Ports:
- Kampong Saom, Phnom Penh
- Airports:
- total:
- 20
- usable:
- 13
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 6
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 2
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 8
- Telecommunications:
- service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually
- nonexistent for general public; international service limited to
- Vietnam and other adjacent countries; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no
- FM, 1 TV
-
- @Cambodia, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Khmer Royal Armed Forces (KRAF):
- created in 1993 by the merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces
- and the two non-Communist resistance armies; note - the KRAF is also
- known as the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF)
- Resistance forces:
- National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge)
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 2,182,912; fit for military service 1,217,357; reach
- military age (18) annually 67,463 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- $NA, NA% of GDP
-
-
- @Cameroon, Geography
-
- Location:
- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Equatorial
- Guinea and Nigeria
- Map references:
- Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 475,440 sq km
- land area:
- 469,440 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than California
- Land boundaries:
- total 4,591 km, Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo
- 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
- Coastline:
- 402 km
- Maritime claims:
- territorial sea:
- 50 nm
- International disputes:
- demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of
- which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and
- awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; boundary
- commission, created with Nigeria to discuss unresolved land and
- maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula, has not
- yet convened, but a commission was formed in January 1994 to study a
- flare-up of the dispute
- Climate:
- varies with terrain from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in
- north
- Terrain:
- diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center,
- mountains in west, plains in north
- Natural resources:
- petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 13%
- permanent crops:
- 2%
- meadows and pastures:
- 18%
- forest and woodland:
- 54%
- other:
- 13%
- Irrigated land:
- 280 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing;
- desertification; poaching
- natural hazards:
- recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases
- international agreements:
- party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
- Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
- Change, Nuclear Test Ban
- Note:
- sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa
-
- @Cameroon, People
-
- Population:
- 13,132,191 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.91% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 40.53 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 11.41 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 77.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 57.07 years
- male:
- 55.03 years
- female:
- 59.17 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 5.84 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Cameroonian(s)
- adjective:
- Cameroonian
- Ethnic divisions:
- Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%,
- Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%,
- non-African less than 1%
- Religions:
- indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%
- Languages:
- 24 major African language groups, English (official), French
- (official)
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
- total population:
- 55%
- male:
- 66%
- female:
- 45%
- Labor force:
- NA
- by occupation:
- agriculture 74.4%, industry and transport 11.4%, other services 14.2%
- (1983)
- note:
- 50% of population of working age (15-64 years) (1985)
-
- @Cameroon, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Cameroon
- conventional short form:
- Cameroon
- former:
- French Cameroon
- Digraph:
- CM
- Type:
- unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties
- legalized 1990)
- Capital:
- Yaounde
- Administrative divisions:
- 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord,
- Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
- Independence:
- 1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration)
- National holiday:
- National Day, 20 May (1972)
- Constitution:
- 20 May 1972
- Legal system:
- based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not
- accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Suffrage:
- 20 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); election last held 11
- October 1992; results - President Paul BIYA reelected with about 40%
- of the vote amid widespread allegations of fraud; SDF candidate John
- FRU NDI got 36% of the vote; UNDP candidate Bello Bouba MAIGARI got
- 19% of the vote
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Simon ACHIDI ACHU (since 9 April 1992)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet; appointed by the president
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
- elections last held 1 March 1992 (next scheduled for March 1997);
- results - (180 seats) CPDM 88, UNDP 68, UPC 18, MDR 6
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), Paul BIYA, president, is
- government-controlled and was formerly the only party, but opposition
- parties were legalized in 1990
- major opposition parties:
- National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP); Social Democratic
- Front (SDF); Cameroonian Democratic Union (UDC); Union of Cameroonian
- Populations (UPC)
- Other political or pressure groups:
- NA
- Member of:
- ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, GATT,
- IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
- INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA,
- UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
- chancery:
- 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- (202) 265-8790 through 8794
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Harriet ISOM
- embassy:
- Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
- mailing address:
- B. P. 817, Yaounde
- telephone:
- [237] 23-40-14 and 23-05-12
- FAX:
- [237] 23-07-53
- consulate(s):
- none (Douala closed July 1993)
- Flag:
- three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with
- a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular
- pan-African colors of Ethiopia
-
- @Cameroon, Economy
-
- Overview:
- Because of its offshore oil resources and favorable agricultural
- conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed, most diversified
- primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces
- many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries,
- such as political instability, a top-heavy civil service, and a
- generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. The development
- of the oil sector led rapid economic growth between 1970 and 1985.
- Growth came to an abrupt halt in 1986, precipitated by steep declines
- in the prices of major exports: coffee, cocoa, and petroleum. Export
- earnings were cut by almost one-third, and inefficiencies in fiscal
- management were exposed. In 1990-93, with support from the IMF and
- World Bank, the government began to introduce reforms designed to spur
- business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, and
- recapitalize the nation's banks. Political instability following
- suspect elections in 1992 brought IMF/WB structural adjustment to a
- halt. Although the 50% devaluation of the currency in January 1994
- improves the potential for export growth, mismanagement remains and is
- the main barrier to economic improvement.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19.1 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- NA
- National product per capita:
- $1,500 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 3% (1990 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 25% (1990 est.)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $1.7 billion
- expenditures:
- $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $422 million (FY90
- est.)
- Exports:
- $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
- commodities:
- petroleum products 51%, coffee, beans, cocoa, aluminum products,
- timber
- partners:
- EC (particularly France) about 50%, US, African countries
- Imports:
- $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
- commodities:
- machines and electrical equipment, food, consumer goods, transport
- equipment
- partners:
- EC about 60% (France 41%, Germany 9%), African countries, Japan, US 4%
- External debt:
- $6 billion (1991)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 6.4% (FY87); accounts for 30% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 755,000 kW
- production:
- 2.19 billion kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 190 kWh (1991)
- Industries:
- petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer
- goods, textiles, sawmills
- Agriculture:
- the agriculture and forestry sectors provide employment for the
- majority of the population, contributing nearly 25% to GDP and
- providing a high degree of self-sufficiency in staple foods;
- commercial and food crops include coffee, cocoa, timber, cotton,
- rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, livestock, root starches
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $479 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $4.75
- billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $29 million; Communist
- countries (1970-89), $125 million
- Currency:
- 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
- Exchange rates:
- Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05
- (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26
- (1990), 319.01 (1989)
- note:
- beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per
- French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
- Fiscal year:
- 1 July - 30 June
-
- @Cameroon, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 1,003 km total; 858 km 1.000-meter gauge, 145 km 0.600-meter gauge
- Highways:
- total:
- 65,000 km
- paved:
- 2,682 km
- unpaved:
- gravel, improved earth 32,318 km; unimproved earth 30,000 km
- Inland waterways:
- 2,090 km; of decreasing importance
- Ports:
- Douala
- Merchant marine:
- 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,122 GRT/33,509 DWT
- Airports:
- total:
- 61
- usable:
- 49
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 11
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 6
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 21
- Telecommunications:
- good system of open wire, cable, troposcatter, and microwave radio
- relay; 26,000 telephones, 2 telephones per 1,000 persons, available
- only to business and government; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 11 FM, 1
- TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
-
- @Cameroon, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force, National
- Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 2,939,761; fit for military service 1,481,750; reach
- military age (18) annually 137,020 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $219 million, less than 2% of GDP (1990
- est.)
-
-
- @Canada, Geography
-
- Location:
- Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North
- Pacific Ocean north of the US
- Map references:
- Arctic Region, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 9,976,140 sq km
- land area:
- 9,220,970 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than US
- Land boundaries:
- total 8,893 km, US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
- Coastline:
- 243,791 km
- Maritime claims:
- continental shelf:
- 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- maritime boundary disputes with the US; Saint Pierre and Miquelon is
- focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
- Climate:
- varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
- Terrain:
- mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
- Natural resources:
- nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish,
- timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 5%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 3%
- forest and woodland:
- 35%
- other:
- 57%
- Irrigated land:
- 8,400 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal
- smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on
- agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming
- contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry
- activities
- natural hazards:
- continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development
- international agreements:
- party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
- Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
- Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
- Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
- Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air
- Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
- Protocol, Law of the Sea
- Note:
- second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location
- between Russia and US via north polar route; nearly 90% of the
- population is concentrated in the region near the US/Canada border
-
- @Canada, People
-
- Population:
- 28,113,997 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 1.18% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 14.1 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 7.39 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 78.13 years
- male:
- 74.73 years
- female:
- 81.71 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 1.84 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Canadian(s)
- adjective:
- Canadian
- Ethnic divisions:
- British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%,
- indigenous Indian and Eskimo 1.5%
- Religions:
- Roman Catholic 46%, United Church 16%, Anglican 10%, other 28%
- Languages:
- English (official), French (official)
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
- total population:
- 97%
- male:
- NA%
- female:
- NA%
- Labor force:
- 13.38 million
- by occupation:
- services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction 3%,
- other 4% (1988)
-
- @Canada, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Canada
- Digraph:
- CA
- Type:
- confederation with parliamentary democracy
- Capital:
- Ottawa
- Administrative divisions:
- 10 provinces and 2 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba,
- New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia,
- Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
- Independence:
- 1 July 1867 (from UK)
- National holiday:
- Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
- Constitution:
- amended British North America Act 1867 patriated to Canada 17 April
- 1982; charter of rights and unwritten customs
- Legal system:
- based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system
- based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
- with reservations
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor
- General Raymond John HNATYSHYN (since 29 January 1990)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN (since 4 November 1993) was elected on 25
- October 1993, replacing Kim CAMBELL; Deputy Prime Minister Sheila
- COPPS
- cabinet:
- Federal Ministry; chosen by the prime minister from members of his own
- party sitting in Parliament
- Legislative branch:
- bicameral Parliament (Parlement)
- Senate (Senat):
- consisting of a body whose members are appointed to serve until 75
- years of age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the
- prime minister; its normal limit 104 senators
- House of Commons (Chambre des Communes):
- elections last held 25 October 1993 (next to be held by NA October
- 1998); results - number of votes by percent NA; seats - (295 total)
- Liberal Party 178, Bloc Quebecois 54, Reform Party 52, New Democratic
- Party 8, Progressive Conservative Party 2, independents 1
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Liberal Party, Jean CHRETIEN; Bloc Quebecois, Lucien BOUCHARD; Reform
- Party, Preston MANNING; New Democratic Party, Audrey McLAUGHLIN;
- Progressive Conservative Party, Jean CHAREST
- Member of:
- ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC,
- CDB (non-regional), COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating
- state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
- IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
- IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
- NSG, OAS, OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO,
- UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO,
- UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WIPO, WTO, ZC
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Raymond CHRETIEN
- chancery:
- 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
- telephone:
- (202) 682-1740
- FAX:
- (202) 682-7726
- consulate(s) general:
- Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles,
- Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle
- consulate(s):
- Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Pittsburg, Princeton, San Diego, San
- Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador James Johnston BLANCHARD
- embassy:
- 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430
- telephone:
- (613) 238-5335 or 4470
- FAX:
- (613) 238-5720
- consulate(s) general:
- Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver
- Flag:
- three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width,
- square), and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band
-
- @Canada, Economy
-
- Overview:
- As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely
- resembles the US in per capita output, market-oriented economic
- system, and pattern of production. Since World War II the impressive
- growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has
- transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily
- industrial and urban. In the 1980s, Canada registered one of the
- highest rates of real growth among the OECD nations, averaging about
- 3.2%. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and
- modern capital plant, Canada has excellent economic prospects,
- although the country still faces high unemployment and a growing debt.
- Moreover, the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and
- French-speaking areas has observers discussing a possible split in the
- confederation; foreign investors have become edgy.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $617.7 billion (1993)
- National product real growth rate:
- 2.4% (1993)
- National product per capita:
- $22,200 (1993)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 1.9% (1993)
- Unemployment rate:
- 11% (December 1993)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $92.34 billion (Federal)
- expenditures:
- $123.04 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93 est.)
- Exports:
- $133.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
- commodities:
- newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas,
- aluminum, motor vehicles and parts; telecommunications equipment
- partners:
- US, Japan, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China
- Imports:
- $125.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
- commodities:
- crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer
- goods, electronic computers; telecommunications equipment and parts
- partners:
- US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea
- External debt:
- $435 billion (1993)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 3.5% (1993)
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 109,340,000 kW
- production:
- 493 billion kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 17,900 kWh (1992)
- Industries:
- processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper
- products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products,
- petroleum and natural gas
- Agriculture:
- accounts for about 3% of GDP; one of the world's major producers and
- exporters of grain (wheat and barley); key source of US agricultural
- imports; large forest resources cover 35% of total land area;
- commercial fisheries provide annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons,
- of which 75% is exported
- Illicit drugs:
- illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of
- hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of
- high-quality marijuana indoors; growing role as a transit point for
- heroin and cocaine entering the US market
- Economic aid:
- donor:
- ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $7.2 billion
- Currency:
- 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1 - 1.3174 (January 1994), 1.2901
- (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
-
- @Canada, Communications
-
- Railroads:
- 146,444 km total; two major transcontinental freight railway systems -
- Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway;
- passenger service - VIA (government operated); 158 km is electrified
- Highways:
- total:
- 884,272 km
- paved:
- 250,023 km
- unpaved:
- gravel 462,913 km; earth 171,336 km
- Inland waterways:
- 3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway
- Pipelines:
- crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km
- Ports:
- Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's
- (Newfoundland), Toronto, Vancouver
- Merchant marine:
- 59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 448,357 GRT/639,319 DWT, bulk 9,
- cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, container 1, oil tanker 22, passenger 1,
- passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6,
- short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2
- note:
- does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes
- Airports:
- total:
- 1,356
- usable:
- 1,107
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 458
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 4
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 29
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 326
- Telecommunications:
- excellent service provided by modern media; 18.0 million telephones;
- broadcast stations - 900 AM, 29 FM, 53 (1,400 repeaters) TV; 5 coaxial
- submarine cables; over 300 earth stations operating in INTELSAT
- (including 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and domestic systems
-
- @Canada, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Canadian Armed Forces (including Land Forces Command, Maritime
- Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Training Command), Royal
- Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 7,508,590; fit for military service 6,482,267; reach
- military age (17) annually 191,850 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $10.3 billion, 1.9% of GDP (FY93/94)
-
-
- @Cape Verde, Geography
-
- Location:
- Western Africa, in the southeastern North Atlantic Ocean, 500 km west
- of Senegal in Western Africa
- Map references:
- Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 4,030 sq km
- land area:
- 4,030 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than Rhode Island
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 965 km
- Maritime claims:
- measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- temperate; warm, dry, summer; precipitation very erratic
- Terrain:
- steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
- Natural resources:
- salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin, fish
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 9%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 6%
- forest and woodland:
- 0%
- other:
- 85%
- Irrigated land:
- 20 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
- natural hazards:
- subject to prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility;
- volcanically and seismically active
- international agreements:
- party to - Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
- Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
- Change
- Note:
- strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major
- north-south sea routes; important communications station; important
- sea and air refueling site
-
- @Cape Verde, People
-
- Population:
- 423,120 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 3.01% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 46.23 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -7.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 57.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 62.59 years
- male:
- 60.7 years
- female:
- 64.58 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 6.32 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Cape Verdean(s)
- adjective:
- Cape Verdean
- Ethnic divisions:
- Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%
- Religions:
- Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs
- Languages:
- Portuguese, Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African words
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
- total population:
- 66%
- male:
- NA%
- female:
- NA%
- Labor force:
- 102,000 (1985 est.)
- by occupation:
- agriculture (mostly subsistence) 57%, services 29%, industry 14%
- (1981)
- note:
- 51% of population of working age (1985)
-
- @Cape Verde, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Cape Verde
- conventional short form:
- Cape Verde
- local long form:
- Republica de Cabo Verde
- local short form:
- Cabo Verde
- Digraph:
- CV
- Type:
- republic
- Capital:
- Praia
- Administrative divisions:
- 14 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo,
- Maio, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina,
- Santa Cruz, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal
- Independence:
- 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 5 July (1975)
- Constitution:
- new constitution came into force 25 September 1992
- Legal system:
- NA
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- President Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (since 22 March 1991) election
- last held 17 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results -
- Antonio Monteiro MASCARENHAS (independent) received 72.6% of vote
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho VEIGA (since 13
- January 1991);
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers; appointed by prime minister from members of the
- Assembly
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular):
- elections last held 13 January 1991 (next to be held January 1996);
- results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (79 total) MPD 56,
- PAICV 23; note - this multiparty Assembly election ended 15 years of
- single-party rule
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)
- Political parties and leaders:
- Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and
- chairman; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro
- Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman
- Member of:
- ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
- IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS,
- NAM, OAU, UN (Cape Verde assumed a nonpermanent seat on the Security
- Council on 1 January 1992), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL,
- WHO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Carlos Alberto Santos SILVA
- chancery:
- 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
- telephone:
- (202) 965-6820
- FAX:
- (202) 965-1207
- consulate(s) general:
- Boston
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Joseph M. SEGARS
- embassy:
- Rua Hoji Ya Henda 81, Praia
- mailing address:
- C. P. 201, Praia
- telephone:
- [238] 61-56-16 or 61-56-17
- FAX:
- [238] 61-13-55
- Flag:
- three horozontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with
- a horozontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue; a circle
- of 10 yellow five pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the
- red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands
-
- @Cape Verde, Economy
-
- Overview:
- Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base,
- a serious, long-term drought, and a high birthrate. The economy is
- service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services
- accounting for 60% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives
- in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 20%; the fishing
- sector accounts for 4%. About 90% of food must be imported. The
- fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. In
- 1988 fishing represented only 3.5% of GDP. Cape Verde annually runs a
- high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants and foreign
- aid. Economic reforms launched by the new democratic government in
- February 1991 are aimed at developing the private sector and
- attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy.
- National product:
- GDP - exchange rate conversion - $415 million (1991 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 3.3% (1991 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $1,070 (1991)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 8.7% (1991 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 25% (1988)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $104 million
- expenditures:
- $133 million, including capital expenditures of $72 million (1991
- est.)
- Exports:
- $6 million (f.o.b., 1990)
- commodities:
- fish, bananas, hides and skins
- partners:
- Portugal 40%, Algeria 31%, Angola, Netherlands (1990 est.)
- Imports:
- $145 million (c.i.f., 1990)
- commodities:
- foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment
- partners:
- Sweden 33%, Spain 11%, Germany 5%, Portugal 3%, France 3%,
- Netherlands, US (1990 est.)
- External debt:
- $156 million (1991)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 18% (1988 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 15,000 kW
- production:
- 15 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 40 kWh (1991)
- Industries:
- fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair,
- construction materials, food and beverage production
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 20% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence
- farming; bananas are the only export crop; other crops - corn, beans,
- sweet potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector
- limited by poor soils and scanty rainfall; annual food imports
- required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small
- exports
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-90), $93 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $586
- million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Communist
- countries (1970-89), $36 million
- Currency:
- 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos
- Exchange rates:
- Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1 - 85.992 (December 1993), 80.574
- (1993), 68.018 (1992), 71.408 (1991), 70.031 (1990), 77.978 (1989)
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Cape Verde, Communications
-
- Highways:
- total:
- NA
- paved:
- NA
- unpaved:
- NA
- Ports:
- Mindelo, Praia
- Merchant marine:
- 7 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,717 GRT/19,000 DWT
- Airports:
- total:
- 6
- usable:
- 6
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 6
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 1
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 2
- Telecommunications:
- interisland microwave radio relay system, high-frequency radio to
- Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; over 1,700 telephones; broadcast stations -
- 1 AM, 6 FM, 1 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean
- INTELSAT earth station
-
- @Cape Verde, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP) (including Army and Navy),
- Security Service
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 78,153; fit for military service 45,804
- Defense expenditures:
- $NA, NA% of GDP
-
-
- @Cayman Islands
-
- Header
- Affiliation:
- (dependent territory of the UK)
-
- @Cayman Islands, Geography
-
- Location:
- Caribbean, in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, nearly halfway between
- Cuba and Honduras
- Map references:
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Area:
- total area:
- 260 sq km
- land area:
- 260 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 160 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 3 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool,
- relatively dry winters (November to April)
- Terrain:
- low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
- Natural resources:
- fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 0%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 8%
- forest and woodland:
- 23%
- other:
- 69%
- Irrigated land:
- NA sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- subject to hurricanes
- international agreements:
- NA
- Note:
- important location between Cuba and Central America
-
- @Cayman Islands, People
-
- Population:
- 31,790 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 4.33% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 15.06 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 4.98 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 33.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 77.1 years
- male:
- 75.37 years
- female:
- 78.81 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Caymanian(s)
- adjective:
- Caymanian
- Ethnic divisions:
- mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups
- 20%
- Religions:
- United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist,
- Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant denominations
- Languages:
- English
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
- total population:
- 98%
- male:
- 98%
- female:
- 98%
- Labor force:
- 8,061
- by occupation:
- service workers 18.7%, clerical 18.6%, construction 12.5%, finance and
- investment 6.7%, directors and business managers 5.9% (1979)
-
- @Cayman Islands, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Cayman Islands
- Digraph:
- CJ
- Type:
- dependent territory of the UK
- Capital:
- George Town
- Administrative divisions:
- 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay,
- West End, Western
- Independence:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- National holiday:
- Constitution Day (first Monday in July)
- Constitution:
- 1959, revised 1972 and 1992
- Legal system:
- British common law and local statutes
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
- head of government:
- Governor and President of the Executive Council Michael GORE (since 15
- September 1992)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council; 3 members are appointed by the governor, 4 members
- elected by the Legislative Assembly
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- Legislative Assembly:
- election last held November 1992 (next to be held November 1996);
- results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total, 12 elected)
- Judicial branch:
- Grand Court, Cayman Islands Court of Appeal
- Political parties and leaders:
- no formal political parties
- Member of:
- CARICOM (observer), CDB, INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- US diplomatic representation:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Flag:
- blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the
- Caymanian coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of
- the flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above a
- shield with three stars (representing the three islands) and a scroll
- at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS
-
- @Cayman Islands, Economy
-
- Overview:
- The economy depends heavily on tourism (70% of GDP and 75% of foreign
- currency earnings) and offshore financial services, with the tourist
- industry aimed at the luxury market and catering mainly to visitors
- from North America. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods
- needs must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest
- standards of living in the region.
- National product:
- GDP - exchange rate conversion - $670 million (1991 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 4.4% (1991)
- National product per capita:
- $23,000 (1991 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 1.5% (1992 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 7% (1992)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $141.5 million
- expenditures:
- $160.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
- Exports:
- $2.6 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
- commodities:
- turtle products, manufactured consumer goods
- partners:
- mostly US
- Imports:
- $262.2 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
- commodities:
- foodstuffs, manufactured goods
- partners:
- US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan
- External debt:
- $15 million (1986)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate NA%
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 74,000 kW
- production:
- 256 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 8,780 kWh (1992)
- Industries:
- tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, building
- materials, furniture making
- Agriculture:
- minor production of vegetables, fruit, livestock; turtle farming
- Illicit drugs:
- a major money-laundering center for illicit drug profits;
- transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and
- Europe
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $26.7 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $35
- million
- Currency:
- 1 Caymanian dollar (CI$) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- Caymanian dollars (CI$) per US$1 - 0.85 (22 November 1993)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
-
- @Cayman Islands, Communications
-
- Highways:
- total:
- 160 km (main roads)
- paved:
- NA
- unpaved:
- NA
- Ports:
- George Town, Cayman Brac
- Merchant marine:
- 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 368,037 GRT/581,060 DWT, bulk 9,
- cargo 8, chemical tanker 2, oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 1,
- roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
- note:
- a flag of convenience registry
- Airports:
- total:
- 3
- usable:
- 3
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 2
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 2
- Telecommunications:
- 35,000 telephones; telephone system uses 1 submarine coaxial cable and
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station to link islands and access
- international services; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, no TV
-
- @Cayman Islands, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF)
- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of the UK
-
-
- @Central African Republic, Geography
-
- Location:
- Central Africa, between Chad and Zaire
- Map references:
- Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 622,980 sq km
- land area:
- 622,980 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly smaller than Texas
- Land boundaries:
- total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan
- 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
- Coastline:
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims:
- none; landlocked
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
- Terrain:
- vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in
- northeast and southwest
- Natural resources:
- diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 3%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 5%
- forest and woodland:
- 64%
- other:
- 28%
- Irrigated land:
- NA sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife
- refuges; desertification
- natural hazards:
- hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas
- international agreements:
- party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
- Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
- Law of the Sea
- Note:
- landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
- Population:
- 3,142,182 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.16% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 42.3 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 20.69 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 137.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 42.54 years
- male:
- 41.07 years
- female:
- 44.06 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 5.42 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Central African(s)
- adjective:
- Central African
- Ethnic divisions:
- Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%,
- Europeans 6,500 (including 3,600 French)
- Religions:
- indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim
- 15%, other 11%
- note:
- animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian
- majority
- Languages:
- French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language),
- Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
- total population:
- 27%
- male:
- 33%
- female:
- 15%
- Labor force:
- 775,413 (1986 est.)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3%
- note:
- about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)
-
- @Central African Republic, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Central African Republic
- conventional short form:
- none
- local long form:
- Republique Centrafricaine
- local short form:
- none
- former:
- Central African Empire
- Abbreviation:
- CAR
- Digraph:
- CT
- Type:
- republic; one-party presidential regime since 1986
- Capital:
- Bangui
- Administrative divisions:
- 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic
- prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture
- economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui** Basse-Kotto,
- Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui,
- Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham,
- Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga
- Independence:
- 13 August 1960 (from France)
- National holiday:
- National Day, 1 December (1958) (proclamation of the republic)
- Constitution:
- 21 November 1986
- Legal system:
- based on French law
- Suffrage:
- 21 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- President Felix (Ange) PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) election last
- held 19 September 1993; PATASSE received 52.45% of the votes and Abel
- GOUMBA received 45.62%; next election schelduled for 1998
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Dr. Jean-Luc MANDABA (since 25 October 1993)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
- elections last held 19 September 1993; results - percentage vote by
- party NA; seats - (85 total) MLPC 33, RDC 14, PLD 7, ADP 6, PSD 3,
- others 22
- note:
- the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council
- (Conseil Economique et Regional); when they sit together they are
- called the Congress (Congres)
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
- Political parties and leaders:
- Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the
- party of the new president, Ange Felix PATASSE; Central African
- Democratic Party (RDC), Laurent GOMINA-PAMPALI; Council of Moderates
- Coalition includes; Union of the People for Economic and Social
- Development (UPDS), Katossy SIMANI; Liberal Republican Party (PARELI),
- Augustin M'BOE; Central African Socialist Movement (MSCA), Michel
- BENGUE; Concerted Democratic Forces (CFD), a coalition of 13 parties,
- including; Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Francois PEHOUA;
- Central African Republican party (PRC), Ruth ROLLAND; Social
- Democratic Party (PSD), Enoch DERANT-LAKOUE; Civic Forum (FC), Gen.
- Timothee MALENDOMA; Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Nestor
- KOMBOT-NAGUEMON; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African
- People (MLPC), Felix (Ange) PATASSE
- Member of:
- ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
- ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
- NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Henri KOBA
- chancery:
- 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- (202) 483-7800 or 7801
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Robert E. GRIBBIN
- embassy:
- Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
- mailing address:
- B. P. 924, Bangui
- telephone:
- [236] 61-02-00, 61-25-78, 61-43-33, 61-02-10
- FAX:
- [236] 61-44-94
- Flag:
- four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow
- with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed
- star on the hoist side of the blue band
-
- @Central African Republic, Economy
-
- Overview:
- Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, remains the backbone of
- the CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in the
- countryside. In 1990 the agricultural sector generated about 42% of
- GDP. Timber accounted for about 26% of export earnings and the diamond
- industry for 54%. Important constraints to economic development
- include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system,
- and a weak human resource base. Multilateral and bilateral development
- assistance, particularly from France, plays a major role in providing
- capital for new investment.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.5 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- -3% (1990 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $800 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- -3% (1990 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 30% (1988 est.) in Bangui
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $175 million
- expenditures:
- $312 million, including capital expenditures of $122 million (1991
- est.)
- Exports:
- $123.5 million (f.o.b.1992)
- commodities:
- diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco
- partners:
- France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
- Imports:
- $165.1 million (f.o.b.1992)
- commodities:
- food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment,
- motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial
- products
- partners:
- France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria
- External debt:
- $859 million (1991)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 40,000 kW
- production:
- 95 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 30 kWh (1991)
- Industries:
- diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of
- bicycles and motorcycles
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 42% of GDP; self-sufficient in food production except for
- grain; commercial crops - cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber; food crops
- - manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $52 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $1.6
- billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million; Communist countries
- (1970-89), $38 million
- Currency:
- 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
- Exchange rates:
- Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05
- (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26
- (1990), 319.01 (1989)
- note:
- beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per
- French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Central African Republic, Communications
-
- Highways:
- total:
- 22,000 km
- paved:
- bituminous 458 km
- unpaved:
- improved earth 10,542 km; unimproved earth 11,000 km
- Inland waterways:
- 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft
- dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
- Airports:
- total:
- 65
- usable:
- 51
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 3
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 2
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 20
- Telecommunications:
- fair system; network relies primarily on radio relay links, with
- low-capacity, low-powered radiocommunication also used; broadcast
- stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
-
- @Central African Republic, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Central African Army (including Republican Guard), Air Force, National
- Gendarmerie, Police Force
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 701,728; fit for military service 367,264
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.)
-
-
- @Chad, Geography
-
- Location:
- Central Africa, between the Central African Republic and Libya
- Map references:
- Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
- Area:
- total area:
- 1.284 million sq km
- land area:
- 1,259,200 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly more than three times the size of California
- Land boundaries:
- total 5,968 km, Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197 km,
- Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
- Coastline:
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims:
- none; landlocked
- International disputes:
- the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in February 1994 that
- the 100,000 sq km Aozou Strip between Chad and Libya belongs to Chad,
- and that Libya must withdraw from it by 31 May 1994; Libya had
- withdrawn its forces in response to the ICJ ruling, but as of June
- 1994 still maintained an airfield in the disputed area; demarcation of
- international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to
- border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification
- by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Climate:
- tropical in south, desert in north
- Terrain:
- broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest,
- lowlands in south
- Natural resources:
- petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron,
- kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 2%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 36%
- forest and woodland:
- 11%
- other:
- 51%
- Irrigated land:
- 100 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- desertification
- natural hazards:
- hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts;
- subject to locust plagues
- international agreements:
- party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands; signed, but
- not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine
- Dumping
- Note:
- landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
-
- @Chad, People
-
- Population:
- 5,466,771 (July 1994 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.15% (1994 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 42.12 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Death rate:
- 20.59 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 131.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 40.79 years
- male:
- 39.7 years
- female:
- 41.94 years (1994 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 5.33 children born/woman (1994 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Chadian(s)
- adjective:
- Chadian
- Ethnic divisions:
- north and center:
- Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi,
- Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba)
- south:
- non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa)
- nonindigenous 150,000, of whom 1,000 are French
- Religions:
- Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs, animism 25%
- Languages:
- French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), Sango (in
- south), more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic (1990 est.)
- total population:
- 30%
- male:
- 42%
- female:
- 18%
- Labor force:
- NA
- by occupation:
- agriculture 85% (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and
- fishing)
-
- @Chad, Government
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Chad
- conventional short form:
- Chad
- local long form:
- Republique du Tchad
- local short form:
- Tchad
- Digraph:
- CD
- Type:
- republic
- Capital:
- N'Djamena
- Administrative divisions:
- 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture); Batha, Biltine,
- Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone
- Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai,
- Salamat, Tandjile
- Independence:
- 11 August 1960 (from France)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day 11 August (1960)
- Constitution:
- 22 December 1989, suspended 3 December 1990; Provisional National
- Charter 1 March 1991; constitutional commission drafting new
- constitution to submit to transitional parliament for ratification in
- April 1994
- Legal system:
- based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not
- accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Suffrage:
- universal at age NA
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- President Col. Idriss DEBY, since 4 December 1990 (after seizing power
- on 3 December 1990 - transitional government's mandate expires April
- 1995)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Kassire Delwa KOUMAKOYE (since 17 November 1993)
- cabinet:
- Council of State; appointed by the president on recommendation of the
- prime minister
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- National Consultative Council (Conceil National
- Consultatif):
- elections last held 8 July 1990; disbanded 3 December 1990 and
- replaced by the Provisional Council of the Republic having 30 members
- appointed by President DEBY on 8 March 1991; this, in turn, was
- replaced by a 57-member Higher Transitional Council (Conseil Superieur
- de Transition) elected by a specially convened Sovereign National
- Conference on 6 April 1993
- Judicial branch:
- Court of Appeal
- Political parties and leaders:
- Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS; former dissident group), Idriss
- DEBY, chairman
- note:
- President DEBY, who promised political pluralism, a new constitution,
- and free elections by April 1994, has postponed these initiatives for
- another year; there are numerous dissident groups and 26 opposition
- political parties
- Other political or pressure groups:
- NA
- Member of:
- ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
- ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
- NAM, OAU, OIC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
- WMO, WTO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- (vacant); Ambassador KOUMBARIA Laoumaye Mekonyo died on 16 May 1994
- chancery:
- 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
- telephone:
- (202) 462-4009
- FAX:
- (202) 265-1937
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Lawrence POPE
- embassy:
- Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena
- mailing address:
- B. P. 413, N'Djamena
- telephone:
- [235] (51) 62-18, 40-09, or 62-11
- FAX:
- [235] (51) 33-72
- Flag:
- three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red;
- similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flag of Andorra,
- which has a national coat of arms featuring a quartered shield
- centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France
- Overview:
- Climate, geographic remoteness, poor resource endowment, and lack of
- infrastructure make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in
- the world. Its economy is hobbled by political turmoil, conflict with
- Libya, drought, and food shortages. Consequently the economy has shown
- little progress in recent years in overcoming a severe setback brought
- on by civil war in the late 1980s. Over 80% of the work force is
- involved in subsistence farming and fishing. Cotton is the major cash
- crop, accounting for at least half of exports. Chad is highly
- dependent on foreign aid, especially food credits, given chronic
- shortages in several regions. The government hopes that discovery of
- several oil deposits near Lake Chad will lead to economic revival and
- a windfall in government revenues by 2000.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.7 billion (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 8.4% (1991 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $500 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 2%-3% (1991 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $115 million
- expenditures:
- $412 million, including capital expenditures of $218 million (1991
- est.)
- Exports:
- $193.9 million (f.o.b., 1991)
- commodities:
- cotton 48%, cattle 35%, textiles 5%, fish
- partners:
- France, Nigeria, Cameroon
- Imports:
- $294.1 million (f.o.b., 1991)
- commodities:
- machinery and transportation equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%,
- petroleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%; note - excludes military
- equipment
- partners:
- US, France, Nigeria, Cameroon
- External debt:
- $492 million (December 1990 est.)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 12.9% (1989 est.); accounts for nearly 15% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 40,000 kW
- production:
- 70 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 15 kWh (1991)
- Industries:
- cotton textile mills, slaughterhouses, brewery, natron (sodium
- carbonate), soap, cigarettes
- Agriculture:
- accounts for about 45% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; cotton
- most important cash crop; food crops include sorghum, millet, peanuts,
- rice, potatoes, manioc; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, camels;
- self-sufficient in food in years of adequate rainfall
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $198 million; Western
- (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5
- billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $28 million; Communist
- countries (1970-89), $80 million
- Currency:
- 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
- Exchange rates:
- Communaute Financiere Africaine Francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05
- (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26
- (1990), 319.01 (1989)
- note:
- beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per
- French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- @Chad, Communications
-
- Highways:
- total:
- 31,322 km
- paved:
- bituminous 32 km
- unpaved:
- gravel, crushed stone 7,300 km; earth 23,990 km
- Inland waterways:
- 2,000 km navigable
- Airports:
- total:
- 68
- usable:
- 58
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 5
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 1
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 3
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 27
- Telecommunications:
- fair system of radiocommunication stations for intercity links;
- broadcast stations - 6 AM, 1 FM, limited TV service; many facilities
- are inoperative; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
-
- @Chad, Defense Forces
-
- Branches:
- Army (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, and Gendarmerie), Republican
- Guard
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 1,276,167; fit for military service 663,326; reach
- military age (20) annually 54,027 (1994 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $58 million, 5.6% of GDP (1989)
-