Government type:monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Capital:name: Thimphugeographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 39 Etime difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha,Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel,Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu,Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrangnote: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse
Independence:8 August 1949 (from India)
National holiday:National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17December (1907)
Constitution:no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001, the kingcommissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005publicly unveiled it; is awaiting national referendum
Legal system:based on Indian law and English common law; has not acceptedcompulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law
Executive branch:chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers SangayNGEDUP (since 5 September 2005)cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by themonarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed,five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council(Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarchelections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reformsin July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove themonarch with two-thirds vote
Legislative branch:unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 electedfrom village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35are designated by the monarch to represent government and othersecular interests; members serve three-year terms)elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in2008)election results: NA
Judicial branch:Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointedby the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:no legal parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militantantigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front forDemocracy (exiled)
International organization participation:AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF,Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW,SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)
Flag description:divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the uppertriangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered alongthe dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away fromthe hoist side
Economy Bhutan
Economy - overview:The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, isbased on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihoodfor more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely ofsubsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominatethe terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructuredifficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India'sthrough strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India'sfinancial assistance. The industrial sector is technologicallybackward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Mostdevelopment projects, such as road construction, rely on Indianmigrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction fortourists are key resources. Model education, social, and environmentprograms are underway with support from multilateral developmentorganizations. Each economic program takes into account thegovernment's desire to protect the country's environment andcultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautiousexpansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale,environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls anduncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor,and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$2.9 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$840.5 million
GDP - real growth rate:5.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25.8% industry: 37.9% services: 36.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force: NA note: major shortage of skilled labor
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 93% industry: 2% services: 5%
Unemployment rate:NA%
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):7% (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $346.6 millionexpenditures: including capital expenditures of $NAnote: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths ofBhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.)
Public debt:81.4% of GDP
Agriculture - products:rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs
Industries:cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages,calcium carbide
Industrial production growth rate:9.3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production:1.882 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:250.3 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:1.51 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:10 million kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - consumption:1,100 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Exports:$154 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities:electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts,cement, fruit, precious stones, spices
Exports - partners:Japan 33.2%, Germany 13.6%, France 13.5%, South Korea 7.8%, US7.7%, Thailand 5.8%, Italy 5.1% (2005)
Imports:$196 million c.i.f. (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities:fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics,rice
Imports - partners:Hong Kong 68.4%, Mexico 20.8%, France 3.9% (2005)
Debt - external:$593 million (2004)
Economic aid - recipient:$78 million substantial aid from India and other nations
Currency (code):ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)
Currency code:BTN; INR
Exchange rates:ngultrum per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583(2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)
Fiscal year:1 July - 30 June
Communications Bhutan
Telephones - main lines in use:32,700 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:37,800 (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poordomestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poorespecially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003international: country code - 975; international telephone andtelegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;satellite earth station - 1 (2005)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2006)
Radios:37,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:1 (2006)
Televisions:11,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.bt
Internet hosts:7,567 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):NA
Internet users:25,000 (2005)
Transportation Bhutan
Airports: 2 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 11,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 1914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways: total: 8,050 km paved: 4,991 km unpaved: 3,059 km (2003)
Military Bhutan
Military branches:Royal Bhutan Army: Royal Bodyguard, Royal Bhutan Police (2005)
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription(2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 483,860females age 18-49: 453,683 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 314,975females age 18-49: 296,833 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 23,939females age 18-49: 21,979 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$8.29 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:1% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Bhutan
Disputes - international:approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as refugees inNepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the HighCommissioner for Refugees camps; Bhutan cooperates with India toexpel Indian separatists
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Bolivia
Introduction Bolivia
Background:Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke awayfrom Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history hasconsisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups.Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders havefaced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, andillegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians electedMovement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by thewidest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rulein 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country'straditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority.However, since taking office, his controversial strategies haveexacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindianpopulations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities ofthe eastern lowlands.
Geography Bolivia
Location:Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates:17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map references:South America
Area:total: 1,098,580 sq kmland: 1,084,390 sq kmwater: 14,190 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries:total: 6,743 kmborder 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 mhighest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Natural resources:tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver,iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 2.78% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 97.03% (2005)
Irrigated land:1,320 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:flooding in the northeast (March-April)
Environment - current issues:the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and theinternational demand for tropical timber are contributing todeforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivationmethods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification;loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies usedfor drinking and irrigation
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Lawof the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine LifeConservation, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography - note:landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highestnavigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
People Bolivia
Population:8,989,046 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 35% (male 1,603,982/female 1,542,319)15-64 years: 60.4% (male 2,660,806/female 2,771,807)65 years and over: 4.6% (male 182,412/female 227,720) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 21.8 yearsmale: 21.2 yearsfemale: 22.5 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.45% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:23.3 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 51.77 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 55.31 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 48.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 65.84 yearsmale: 63.21 yearsfemale: 68.61 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:4,900 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Bolivian(s)adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups:Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%,Aymara 25%, white 15%
Religions:Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Languages:Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 87.2%male: 93.1%female: 81.6% (2003 est.)
Government Bolivia
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Boliviaconventional short form: Bolivialocal long form: Republica de Bolivialocal short form: Bolivia
Government type:republic
Capital:name: La Paz (adminstrative capital)geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 Wtime difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)note: Sucre (constitutional capital)
Administrative divisions:9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni,Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz,Tarija
Independence:6 August 1825 (from Spain)
National holiday:Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Constitution:2 February 1967; revised in August 1994
Legal system:based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not acceptedcompulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years ofage, universal and compulsory (single)
Executive branch:chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006);note - the president is both chief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head ofgovernmentcabinet: Cabinet appointed by the presidentelections: president and vice president elected on the same ticketby popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 18December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma elected president; percentof vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 53.7%; Jorge Fernando QUIROGARamirez 28.6%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 7.8%; Michiaki NAGATANIMorishit 6.5%; Felipe QUISPE Huanca 2.2%; Guildo ANGULA Cabrera 0.7%
Legislative branch:bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists ofChamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members areelected by proportional representation from party lists to servefive-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130seats; 69 are directly elected from their districts and 61 areelected by proportional representation from party lists to servefive-year terms)elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -NA%; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber ofDeputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MAS 73,PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6
Judicial branch:Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year termsby National Congress); District Courts (one in each department);provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)
Political parties and leaders:Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic SolidarityUnion or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [FranzBARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [FreddyZABALA]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZZamora]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma];Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; NationalRevolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; NewRepublican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti IndigenousMovement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE Huanca]; Poder Democratico Nacionalor PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Socialist Party or PS[Jeres JUSTINIANO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; SoleConfederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [RomanLOAYZA]
International organization participation:CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA,MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Gustavo GUZMAN Saldanachancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, SanFrancisco, Seattle, Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000 FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111
Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green withthe coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag ofGhana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in theyellow band
Economy Bolivia
Economy - overview:Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin Americancountries, reformed its economy after suffering a disastrouseconomic crisis in the early 1980s. The reforms spurred real GDPgrowth, which averaged 4% in the 1990s, and poverty rates fell.Economic growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999 because ofa global slowdown and homegrown factors such as political turmoil,civil unrest, and soaring fiscal deficits, all of which hurtinvestor confidence. In 2003, violent protests against thepro-foreign investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DELOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of plans toexport Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to largenorthern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed acontroversial natural gas law that imposes on the oil and gas firmssignificantly higher taxes as well as new contracts that give thestate control of their operations. Bolivian officials are in theprocess of implementing the law; meanwhile, foreign investors havestopped investing and have taken the first legal steps to securetheir investments. Real GDP growth in 2003-05 - helped by increaseddemand for natural gas in neighboring Brazil - was positive, butstill below the levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia's fiscalposition has improved in recent years, but the country remainsdependent on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and foreigngovernments to meet budget shortfalls. In 2005, the G8 announced a$2 billion debt-forgiveness plan over the next few decades thatshould help reduce some fiscal pressures on the government in thenear term.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$25.82 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$9.657 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4.1% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$2,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.8% industry: 35.2% services: 52% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 4.22 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Unemployment rate:8% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:64% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 32% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:60.6 (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):5.4% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):12.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $2.848 billionexpenditures: $3.189 billion; including capital expenditures of $741million (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes;timber
Industries:mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco,handicrafts, clothing
Industrial production growth rate:5.7% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:4.25 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44.4% hydro: 54% nuclear: 0% other: 1.5% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:3.963 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:10 million kWh (2003)
Oil - production:42,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:48,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:458.8 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:6.72 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:1.74 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:2.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:679.6 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$462 million (2005 est.)
Exports:$2.371 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore,tin
Exports - partners:Brazil 41.2%, US 14.1%, Colombia 8.8%, Argentina 7.6%, Peru 5.5%(2005)
Imports:$1.845 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts,prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans
Imports - partners:Brazil 21.9%, Argentina 16.7%, US 13.8%, Chile 6.9%, Peru 6.5%,Japan 6.1%, China 5.8% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$1.798 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$6.309 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$221 million (2005 est.)
Currency (code):boliviano (BOB)
Currency code:BOB
Exchange rates:bolivianos per US dollar - 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004), 7.6592(2003), 7.17 (2002), 6.6069 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Bolivia
Telephones - main lines in use:646,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:2.421 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties;most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobilecellular telephone use expanding rapidlydomestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employsdigital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-opticcable; mobile cellular systems are being expandedinternational: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)
Radios:5.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:48 (1997)
Televisions:900,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.bo
Internet hosts:20,085 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):9 (2000)
Internet users:480,000 (2005)
Transportation Bolivia
Airports: 1,084 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,068 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 60 914 to 1,523 m: 207 under 914 m: 797 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refinedproducts 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2006)
Railways:total: 3,519 kmnarrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 60,762 kmpaved: 4,314 km (including 11 km of expressways)unpaved: 56,448 km (2003)
Waterways:10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 127,297 GRT/198,525 DWTby type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo3, petroleum tanker 10foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 1, China 1, Egypt 2, Iran 1, Singapore3, Taiwan 1, Yemen 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at theBolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges inmaritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
Military Bolivia
Military branches:Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano), BolivianNavy (Armada Boliviana; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force(Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2006)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18, with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12 months (2002)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 1,923,234females age 18-49: 2,007,315 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 1,311,414females age 18-49: 1,502,177 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 101,101females age 18-49: 98,671 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$130 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:1.4% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Bolivia
Disputes - international:Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacamacorridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted butnot sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gasand other commodities
Trafficking in persons:current situation: Bolivia is a source and transit country for men,women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexualexploitation to Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, as well as to Spain;children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, forcedmining, and agricultural labor; illegal migrants from Asiatransiting Bolivia are vulnerable as trafficking victimstier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bolivia has failed to show evidenceof increasing efforts to combat trafficking in the areas ofprosecutions and victim protection
Illicit drugs:world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru)with an estimated 26,500 hectares under cultivation in August 2005,an 8% increase from 2004; intermediate coca products and cocaineexported mostly to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile toEuropean drug markets; cultivation steadily increasing despiteeradication and alternative crop programs; money-laundering activityrelated to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Braziland Paraguay
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Bosnia and Herzegovina
Introduction Bosnia and Herzegovina
Background:Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991was followed by a declaration of independence from the formerYugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnicSerbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia andMontenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioningthe republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to forma "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced thenumber of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreementcreating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialeda peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethniccivil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina'sinternational boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic anddemocratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic,and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of governmentcomprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/CroatFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-ledRepublika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments werecharged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of theHigh Representative (OHR) was established to oversee theimplementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96,a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troopsserved in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects ofthe agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-ledStabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewedhostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replacedSFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace andstability throughout the country.
Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location:Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
Geographic coordinates:44 00 N, 18 00 E
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 51,129 sq kmland: 51,129 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 1,459 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 225 km, Serbia 302 km
Coastline:20 km
Maritime claims:no data available
Climate:hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short,cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters alongcoast
Terrain:mountains and valleys
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 mhighest point: Maglic 2,386 m
Natural resources:coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt,manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 1.89% other: 78.5% (2005)
Irrigated land:30 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues:air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing ofurban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction ofinfrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone LayerProtection, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country isdivided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of theterritory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguousto Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionallyhas been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and anethnic Serb majority in the east
People Bosnia and Herzegovina
Population:4,498,976 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 15.5% (male 359,739/female 336,978)15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,590,923/female 1,564,665)65 years and over: 14.4% (male 265,637/female 381,034) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 38.4 yearsmale: 37.2 yearsfemale: 39.5 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.35% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:8.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:13.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.07 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 78 yearsmale: 74.39 yearsfemale: 81.88 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:900 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian
Ethnic groups:Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoidconfusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam
Religions:Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%
Languages:Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 94.6%male: 98.4%female: 91.1% (2000 est.)
Government Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country name:conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovinalocal long form: nonelocal short form: Bosna i Hercegovinaformer: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SocialistRepublic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government type:emerging federal democratic republic
Capital:name: Sarajevogeographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 Etime difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationallysupervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, theBosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosnai Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note -Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrativeunit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the districtremains under international supervision
Independence:1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence wascompleted 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992)
National holiday:National Day, 25 November (1943)
Constitution:the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a newconstitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has itsown constitution
Legal system:based on civil law system
Suffrage:18 years of age, universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC(chairman since 6 November 2006; presidency member since 1 October2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating(every eight months): Zeljko KOMSIC (since 1 October 2006 - Croat)and Haris SILAJDZIC (since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak)head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers AdnanTERZIC (since 20 December 2002)cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman;approved by the National House of Representativeselections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, oneCroat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term(eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years);the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or shewas the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but thechairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 1October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Councilof Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by theNational House of Representativeselection results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% ofthe Serb vote; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the Croat vote; HarisSILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the Bosniak votenote: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: NikoLOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC(since in 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since in 2003); Presidentof the Republika Srpska: Milan JELIC (since 9 November 2006)
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of thenational House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats -elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the RepublikaSrpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms);and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation'sHouse of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's NationalAssembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election lawspecifies four-year terms for the state and first-orderadministrative division entity legislatureselections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - lastconstituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)election results: national House of Representatives - percent ofvote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9,SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, other 7; House of Peoples -percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition -NAnote: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature thatconsists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected bypopular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote byparty - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17,HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30Bosniak, 30 Croat); last constituted December 2002; the RepublikaSrpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popularvote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006(next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party -NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4,SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutionalreform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples(COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assemblyincluding eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and fourmembers of the smaller communities
Judicial branch:BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members areselected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives,two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and threenon-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of HumanRights); BH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions- Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction overcases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction overcases initiated in the entities); note - a War Crimes Chamber openedin March 2005note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has anumber of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in theFederation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpskahas five municipal courts
Political parties and leaders:Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK];Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party orGDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia andHerzegovina or HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP[Zvonko JURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Marko TADIC];Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BH[Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 100 or HDZ100; CroatianPeoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ[Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC];Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiativeor NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH[Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [SulejmanTIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; SerbDemocratic Party or SDS [Dragan CAVIC]; Serb Radical Party of theRepublika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb RadicalParty-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; SocialDemocratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; SocialDemocratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party ofRepublika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW,OSCE, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVICchancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas L. McELHANEY embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo mailing address: use street address telephone: [387] (33) 445-700 FAX: [387] (33) 659-722 branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar
Flag description:a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellowisosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; theremainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointedwhite stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuseof the triangle
Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina
Economy - overview:Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to Macedonia as the poorestrepublic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture isalmost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, andthe republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industryremains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economicstructure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of militaryindustries in the republic with the result that Bosnia was saddledwith a host of industrial firms with little commercial potential.The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peacein place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates froma low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag inoutput was made up in 2003-05. National-level statistics are limitedand do not capture the large share of black market activity. Thekonvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currencyintroduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in thecurrency and the banking sector has increased. Implementation ofprivatization, however, has been slow, and local entities onlyreluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reformaccelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus wereshut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now controlmost of the banking sector. A sizeable current account deficit andhigh unemployment rate remain the two most serious economicproblems. The country receives substantial amounts of reconstructionassistance and humanitarian aid from the international community butwill have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$23.09 billionnote: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as muchas 50% of official GDP (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$8.495 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$5,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.2% industry: 30.8% services: 55% (2002)
Labor force: 1.026 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Unemployment rate:45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:25% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:26.2 (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):4.4% (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $4.373 billionexpenditures: $4.401 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Public debt:29% of GDP
Agriculture - products:wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries:steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicleassembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank andaircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate:5.5% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:10.51 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 53.5% hydro: 46.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:8.849 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:3.2 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:2.271 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - consumption:21,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:160 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:300 million cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance:$-2.087 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$2.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:metals, clothing, wood products
Exports - partners:Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.6%, Germany 12.8%, Austria6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005)
Imports:$6.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.7%, Slovenia 13.1%, Italy 11%, Austria6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$2.531 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$3.116 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$650 million (2001 est.)
Currency (code):marka (BAM)
Currency code:BAM
Exchange rates:marka per US dollar - 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003),2.0782 (2002), 2.1857 (2001)note: the marka is pegged to the euro
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina
Telephones - main lines in use:968,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:1.594 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: telephone and telegraph network needsmodernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average ascontrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republicsdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations
Radio broadcast stations:AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:940,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions:NA
Internet country code:.ba
Internet hosts:31,490 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):3 (2000)
Internet users:806,400 (2005)
Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina
Airports:28 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 82,438 to 3,047 m: 41,524 to 2,437 m: 1under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 201,524 to 2,437 m: 1914 to 1,523 m: 7under 914 m: 12 (2006)
Heliports:5 (2006)
Railways:total: 608 km (777 km electrified)standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 21,846 kmpaved: 11,425 km (4,686 km of interurban roads)unpaved: 10,421 km (2005)
Waterways:Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2006)
Ports and terminals:Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (allinland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje
Military Bosnia and Herzegovina
Military branches:VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commandswithin the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces aresubordinate commands within the Army)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service obligation is four months (July 2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 1,119,508females age 18-49: 1,079,435 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 910,539females age 18-49: 881,446 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 32,942females age 18-49: 31,466 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$234.3 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:4.5% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina
Disputes - international:Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimitedmost of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain indispute; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputedsections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinderratification of the 1999 border agreement