Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Bhutan Military
Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal BhutanPolice, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards (paramilitary)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 504,342 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 269,251 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 21,167 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Bhutan Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 98,700 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps
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@Bolivia
Bolivia Introduction
Background: Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, continuing the privatization program, and waging an anti-corruption campaign.
Bolivia Geography
Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map references: South America
Area: total: 1,098,580 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq km
water: 14,190 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size ofMontana
Land boundaries: total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Natural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 53%
other: 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,750 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding in the northeast (March-April)
Environment - current issues: the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear TestBan, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography - note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
Bolivia People
Population: 8,300,463 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.46% (male 1,626,698; female 1,565,748)
15-64 years: 57.07% (male 2,315,098; female 2,421,987)
65 years and over: 4.47% (male 166,986; female 203,946) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.76% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 27.27 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 58.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.06 years
male: 61.53 years
female: 66.72 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.51 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4,200 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 380 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mestizo (mixed white andAmerindian ancestry) 30%, white 15%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 90.5%
female: 76% (1995 est.)
Bolivia Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Republica de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia
Government type: republic
Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994
Legal system: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August 1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August 1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 June 1997 (next to be held May or June 2002)
election results: Hugo BANZER Suarez elected president; percent of vote - Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 17%, Juan Carlos DURAN (MNR) 18%, Ivo KULJIS (UCS) 16%, Remedios LOZA (CONDEPA) 17%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote; Hugo BANZER Suarez won a congressional runoff election on 5 August 1997 after forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA, NFR, and PDC
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - some members are drawn from party lists, thus not directly elected)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA June 2002)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -NA%; seats by party - ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR 4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2;Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party- ADN 32, MNR 26, MIR 23, UCS 21, CONDEPA 19, MBL 5, IU 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or PDC[leader NA]; Civic Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ];Conscience of the Fatherland or CONDEPA [Remedios LOZA Alvarado];Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Antonio ARANIBAR]; Movement of theRevolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora]; Nationalist DemocraticAction or ADN [Hugo BANZER Suarez]; Nationalist RevolutionaryMovement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New Republican Force orNFR [leader NA]; Pachacuti Indigenous Movement [Filipe QUISPE];United Left or IU [Marcos DOMIC]
note: the ADN, MIR, and UCS comprise the ruling coalition
Political pressure groups and leaders: Cocalero Groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions
International organization participation: CAN, CCC, ECLAC, FAO,G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA,Mercosur (associate), MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorMarlene FERNANDEZ del Granado
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorV. Manuel ROCHA
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 432254
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band
Bolivia Economy
Economy - overview: Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American countries, has made considerable progress toward the development of a market-oriented economy. Successes under President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-97) included the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and joining the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur), as well as the privatization of the state airline, telephone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil company. His successor, Hugo BANZER Suarez has tried to further improve the country's investment climate with an anticorruption campaign. Growth slowed in 1999, in part due to tight government budget policies, which limited needed appropriations for anti-poverty programs, and the fallout from the Asian financial crisis. In 2000, major civil disturbances in April, and again in September and October, held down overall growth to 2.5%.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $20.9 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16%
industry: 31%
services: 53% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: 70% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 2.5 million
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, servicesNA%
Unemployment rate: 11.4% (1997)
note: widespread underemployment
Budget: revenues: $2.7 billion
expenditures: $2.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)
Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1995 est.)
Electricity - production: 3.625 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 56.61%
hydro: 41.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.79% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 3.377 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 4 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 10 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber
Exports: $1.26 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: soybeans, natural gas, zinc, gold, wood
Exports - partners: UK 16%, US 12%, Peru 11%, Argentina 10%,Colombia 7% (1998)
Imports: $1.86 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: capital goods, raw materials and semi-manufactures, chemicals, petroleum, food
Imports - partners: US 32%, Japan 24%, Brazil 12%, Argentina 12%,Chile 7%, Peru 4%, Germany 3%, other 6% (1998)
Debt - external: $6.6 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $588 million (1997)
Currency: boliviano (BOB)
Currency code: BOB
Exchange rates: bolivianos per US dollar - 6.4071 (January 2001), 6.1835 (2000), 5.8124 (1999), 5.5101 (1998), 5.2543 (1997), 5.0746 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Bolivia Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 327,600 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 116,000 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile cellular telephone use expanding rapidly
domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)
Radios: 5.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 48 (1997)
Televisions: 900,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .bo
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2000)
Internet users: 35,000 (2000)
Bolivia Transportation
Railways: total: 3,691 km (single track)
narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km electrified) (1995)
Highways: total: 49,400 km
paved: 2,500 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved: 46,900 km (1996)
Waterways: 10,000 km (commercially navigable)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km
Ports and harbors: none; however, Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
Merchant marine: total: 42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 141,017 GRT/211,058 DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 20, chemical tanker 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 3 (2000 est.)
Airports: 1,093 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 13
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,080
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 212
under 914 m: 800 (2000 est.)
Bolivia Military
Military branches: Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza NavalBoliviana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana),National Police Force (Policia Nacional de Bolivia)
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,005,660 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,306,452 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 90,120 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $147 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.8% (FY99)
Bolivia Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights
Illicit drugs: world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru, a distant second) with an estimated 14,600 hectares under cultivation in 2000, a 33% decrease in overall cultivation of coca from 1999 levels; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to the US and other international drug markets; eradication and alternative crop programs have slashed illicit coca cultivation during the BANZER administration beginning in 1997
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@Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina Introduction
Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991, was followed by a referendum for independence from the former Yugoslavia in February 1992. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties signed a peace agreement that brought to a halt the three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Agreement retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This national government is charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are charged with overseeing internal functions. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission is to deter renewed hostilities. SFOR remains in place at a level of approximately 21,000 troops.
Bosnia and Herzegovina Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N, 18 00 E
Map references: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe
Area: total: 51,129 sq km
land: 51,129 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Yugoslavia 527 km
Coastline: 20 km
Maritime claims: NA
Climate: hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast
Terrain: mountains and valleys
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m
Natural resources: coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, NuclearTest Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority
Bosnia and Herzegovina People
Population: 3,922,205
note: all data dealing with population are subject to considerable error because of the dislocations caused by military action and ethnic cleansing (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.13% (male 405,713; female 383,850)
15-64 years: 70.78% (male 1,422,796; female 1,353,410)
65 years and over: 9.09% (male 150,802; female 205,634) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.38% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 12.86 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 7.99 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 8.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 24.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.75 years
male: 69.04 years
female: 74.65 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian
Ethnic groups: Serb 31%, Bosniak 44%, Croat 17%, Yugoslav 5.5%, other 2.5% (1991)
note: Bosniak has replaced muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam
Religions: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%, other 10%
Languages: Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Bosnia and Herzegovina Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina
Government type: emerging democracy
Capital: Sarajevo
Administrative divisions: there are two first-order administrative divisions - the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko in northeastern Bosnia is a self-governing administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; it is not part of either the Federation or Republika Srpska
Independence: 1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: National Day, 25 November (1943)
Constitution: the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new constitution now in force
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency JozoKRIZANOVI (chairman since 14 June 2001, presidency member since NAMarch 2001 - Croat); other members of the three-member rotating(every 8 months) presidency: Zivko RADISIC (since 13 October 1998 -Serb) and Beriz BELKIC (since NA March 2001 - Bosniak); note - AnteJELAVIC was dismissed from his post by the UN High Representative inMarch 2001
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA (since 18 July 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the National House of Representatives
elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term; the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election; election last held 12-13 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2002); the chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the National House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Zivko RADISIC with 52% of the Serb vote was elected chairman of the collective presidency for the first 8 months; Ante JELAVIC with 52% of the Croat vote followed RADISIC in the rotation; Alija IZETBEGOVIC with 87% of the Bosniak vote won the highest number of votes in the election but was ineligible to serve a second term until RADISIC and JELAVIC had each served a first term as Chairman of the Presidency; IZETBEGOVIC retired from the presidency 14 October 2000 and was temporarily replaced by Halid GENJAC; Ante JELAVIC was replaced by Jozo KRIZANOVIC in March 2001
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Karlo FILIPOVIC (since 27 February 2001); Vice President Safet HALILOVIC (since 27 February 2001); note - president and vice president rotate every year; President of the Republika Srpska: Mirko SAROVIC (since 11 November 2000)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the National House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - 14 Serb, 14 Croat, and 14 Bosniak; members elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve two-year terms); note - as of 1 January 2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a permanent election law; a draft law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures; officials elected in 2000 were elected to two-year terms on the presumption that a permanent law would be in place before 2002
elections: National House of Representatives - elections last held 11 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2002); House of Peoples - last constituted after the 11 November 2000 elections (next to be constituted in the fall of 2002)
election results: National House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDP 9, SDA 8, SDS 6, HDZ-BiH 5, SBH 5, PDP 2, NHI 1, BPS 1, DPS 1, SNS 1, SNSD-DSP 1, DNZ 1, SPRS 1; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - NA
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Representatives (140 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 11 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 38, SDP 37, HDZ-BiH 25, SBH 21, DNZ 3, NHI 2, BPS 2, DPS 2, BOSS 2, GDS 1, RP 1, HSS 1, LDS 1, Pensioners' Party of FBiH 1, SNSD-DSP 1, HKDU 1, HSP 1; and a House of Peoples (74 seats - 30 Bosniak, 30 Croat, and 14 others); last constituted November 2000; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 11 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDS 31, PDP 11, SNSD 11, SDA 6, DSP 4, SDP 4, SPRS 4, SBH 4, DNS 3, SNS 2, NHI 1, DSRS 1, Pensioners' Party 1; as of 1 January 2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a permanent election law; a draft law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures; officials elected in 2000 were elected to two-year terms on the presumption that a permanent law would be in place before 2002
Judicial branch: BiH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members:four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House ofRepresentatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's NationalAssembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of theEuropean Court of Human Rights)
note: a new state court, established in November 1999, has jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities; the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower courts; there are ten cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has five municipal courts
Political parties and leaders: Bosnian Party or BOSS [MirnesAJANOVIC]; Bosnian Patriotic Party or BPS [Sefer HALILOVIC]; CivicDemocratic Party of BiH or GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat ChristianDemocratic Union or HKDU BiH [Ante PASALIC]; Croatian DemocraticUnion of BiH or HDZ-BiH [leader vacant]; Croatian Party of Rights orHSP [Zdravko HRSTIC]; Croatian Peasants Party of BiH or HSS-BiH[Ilija SIMIC]; Democratic Action Party or SDA [Alija IZETBEGOVIC];Democratic National Alliance or DNS [Dragan KOSTIC]; DemocraticParty of Pensioners or DPS [Alojz KNEZOVIC]; Democratic Party of RSor DSRS [Dragomir DUMIC]; Democratic Peoples Union or DNZ [FikretABDIC]; Democratic Socialist Party or DSP [Nebojsa RADMANOVIC];Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New CroatianInitiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovinaor SBH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP[Mladen IVANIC]; Party of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD[Milorad DODIK]; Pensioners' Party of FBiH [Husein VOJNIKOVIC];Pensioners' Party of SR [Stojan BOGOSAVAC]; Republican Party of BiHor RP [Stjepan KLJUIC]; Serb Democratic Party or Serb Lands or SDS[Dragan KALINIC]; Serb National Alliance (Serb People's Alliance) orSNS [Biljana PLAVSIC]; Social Democratic Party BIH or SDP-BiH[Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Socialist Party of Republika Srpska or SPRS[Zivko RADISIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: BIS, CE (guest), CEI,EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorIgor DAVIDOVIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorThomas J. MILLER
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
mailing address: use street address
telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar
Flag description: a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle
Government - note: The Dayton Agreement, signed in Paris on 14 December 1995, retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's exterior border and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This national government - based on proportional representation similar to that which existed in the former socialist regime - is charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton Agreement also recognized a second tier of government, comprised of two entities - a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska (RS) - each presiding over roughly one-half the territory. The Federation and RS governments are charged with overseeing internal functions. The Dayton Agreement established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. About 250 international and 450 local staff members are employed by the OHR.
Bosnia and Herzegovina Economy
Economy - overview: Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry has been greatly overstaffed, one reflection of the socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia hosted a large share of Yugoslavia's defense plants. The bitter interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80% from 1990 to 1995, unemployment to soar, and human misery to multiply. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-98 at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed appreciably in 1999 and 2000, and GDP remains far below the 1990 level. Economic data are of limited use because, although both entities issue figures, national-level statistics are not available. Moreover, official data do not capture the large share of activity that occurs on the black market. The marka - the national currency introduced in 1998 - has gained wide acceptance, and the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has dramatically increased its reserve holdings. Implementation of privatization, however, has been slower than anticipated. Banking reform accelerated in early 2001 as all the communist-era payments bureaus were shut down. The country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 8% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 19%
industry: 23%
services: 58% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.026 million
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, servicesNA%
Unemployment rate: 35%-40% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.9 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries: steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 2.585 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 38.68%
hydro: 61.32%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 2.684 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 150 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 430 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Exports: $950 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: NA
Exports - partners: Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany
Imports: $2.45 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: NA
Imports - partners: Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy
Debt - external: $3.4 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $1 billion (1999 est.)
Currency: marka (BAM)
Currency code: BAM
Exchange rates: marka per US dollar - 2.086 (January 2001), 2.124 (2000), 1.837 (1999), 1.760 (1998), 1.734 (1997), 0.015 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Bosnia and Herzegovina Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 303,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 9,000 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: telephone and telegraph network is in need of modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average when compared with services in other former Yugoslav republics
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 940,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .ba
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)
Internet users: 3,500 (2000)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Transportation
Railways: total: 1,021 km (electrified 795 km; operating as diesel or steam until grids are repaired)
standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge; note - many segments still need repair and/or reconstruction (2000)
Highways: total: 21,846 km
paved: 14,020 km
unpaved: 7,826 km
note: road system is in need of maintenance and repair (2001)
Waterways: NA km; large sections of the Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris
Pipelines: crude oil 174 km; natural gas 90 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje
Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)
Airports: 28 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.)
Heliports: 4 (2000 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Military
Military branches: Federation Army or VF (composed of both Croatian and Bosniak elements), Republika Srpska Army or VRS (composed of Bosnian Serb elements); note - within both of these forces air and air defense are subordinate commands
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,127,146 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 895,780 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 29,757 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Bosnia and Herzegovina Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to Western Europe
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@Botswana
Botswana Introduction
Background: Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. The economy, one of the most robust on the continent, is dominated by diamond mining.
Botswana Geography
Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 600,370 sq km
land: 585,370 sq km
water: 15,000 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; KalahariDesert in southwest
Elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of the Limpopo andShashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
Land use: arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 47%
other: 6% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Environment - current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
Botswana People
Population: 1,586,119
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40.3% (male 321,164; female 318,007)
15-64 years: 55.56% (male 423,954; female 457,227)
65 years and over: 4.14% (male 26,691; female 39,076) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.47% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 28.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 24.18 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 63.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 37.13 years
male: 36.77 years
female: 37.51 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 35.8% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 290,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 24,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%
Languages: English (official), Setswana
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.8%
male: 80.5%
female: 59.9% (1995 est.)
Botswana Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone
Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*;Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi,Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Pikwe*,South-East, Southern
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)
Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 54.3%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected by the other 12) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 57.2%, BNF 26%, other 16.8%; seats by party - BDP 33, BNF 6, other 1
Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)
Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP[Festus MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA];Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Michael DINGAKE]; Botswana AllianceMovement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]
note: main parties are: BDP, BNF, BCP; other minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim SETSHWAELO, chairman] but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO], the Botswana Peoples Party, the Independence Freedom Party [Motsamai MPHO], and the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorKgosi SEEPAPITSO IV
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorJohn E. LANGE
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Botswana Economy
Economy - overview: Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $6,600 in 2000. Diamond mining has fueled much of Botswana's economic expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for three-fourths of export earnings. Tourism, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. The government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is 19%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4%
industry: 46% (including 36% mining)
services: 50% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 47% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.6% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)
Labor force - by occupation: 100,000 public sector; 135,000 private sector, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa; most others engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: 40% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560 million (FY96)
Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing
Industrial production growth rate: 6.2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 610 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 1.517 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 950 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: sorghum, corn, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts), beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock
Exports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds 72%, vehicles, copper, nickel, meat (1998)
Exports - partners: EU 77%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 18%, Zimbabwe 3% (1998)
Imports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 76%,Europe 10%, South Korea 5% (1998)
Debt - external: $455 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $73 million (1995)
Currency: pula (BWP)
Currency code: BWP
Exchange rates: pulas per US dollar - 5.4585 (January 2001), 5.1018 (2000), 4.6244 (1999), 4.2259 (1998), 3.6508 (1997), 3.3242 (1996)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Botswana Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 86,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: sparse system
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations
international: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 15, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios: 237,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: 31,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .bw
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)
Internet users: 12,000 (2000)
Botswana Transportation
Railways: total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2000)
Highways: total: 18,482 km
paved: 4,343 km
unpaved: 14,139 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 92 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 81
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3