GeographyBrunei
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 5,770 sq km land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 381 km border countries: Malaysia 381 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain:
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land: 2.08% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
8.5 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.09 per capita: 243 cu m/yr (1994)
Natural hazards:
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Environment - current issues:
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia
PeopleBrunei
Population:
381,371 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 53,400/female 50,333) 15-64 years: 69.6% (male 132,895/female 132,391) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 5,927/female 6,425) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.5 years male: 27.5 years female: 27.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.785% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
18.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
3.28 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.52 years male: 73.32 years female: 77.83 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.94 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian
Ethnic groups:
Malay 66.3%, Chinese 11.2%, indigenous 3.4%, other 19.1% (2004 est.)
Religions:
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10%
Languages:
Malay (official), English, Chinese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.7% male: 95.2% female: 90.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (2000)
GovernmentBrunei
Country name:
conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei
Government type:
constitutional sultanate
Capital:
name: Bandar Seri Begawan geographic coordinates: 4 53 N, 114 56 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Independence:
1 January 1984 (from UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection
Constitution:
29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
Legal system:
based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Sharia law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age for village elections; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967) cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Legislative branch:
Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; council met in March 2006 and in March 2007 elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)
Political parties and leaders:
National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi] note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu] and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] were deregistered; parties are small and have limited activity
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB,IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent),ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Angela SHIM chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William E. TODD embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 222-0384 FAX: [673] 222-5293
Flag description:
yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
EconomyBrunei
Economy - overview:
Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for just over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$19.64 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.39 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$51,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.9% industry: 71.6% services: 27.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
180,400 (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.9% industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $3.765 billion expenditures: $4.815 billion (2004 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.4% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.5% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$2.674 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.258 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.38 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs
Industries:
petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
3.1 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
2.924 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
180,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
13,200 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
200,000 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
304 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
13.8 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
3.99 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
9.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$7.101 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$6.767 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, natural gas, refined products, clothing
Exports - partners:
Japan 32.8%, Indonesia 24.4%, Australia 13.4%, South Korea 12.2%, US 5.5% (2007)
Imports:
$2 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
UK 46.4%, Singapore 19.5%, Malaysia 11.3% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$770,000 (2004)
Debt - external:
$0 (2005)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Bruneian dollar (BND)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.5886 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003)
CommunicationsBrunei
Telephones - main lines in use:
79,200 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
339,800 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service) (2006)
Radios:
329,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006)
Televisions:
201,900 (1998)
Internet country code:
.bn
Internet hosts:
14,950 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
199,532 (2007)
TransportationBrunei
Airports:
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Heliports:
3 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 3,650 km paved: 2,819 km unpaved: 831 km (2005)
Waterways:
209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 1 (UK 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Lumut, Muara, Seria
MilitaryBrunei
Military branches:
Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF): Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 108,356 females age 16-49: 110,153 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 91,297 females age 16-49: 93,228 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 3,223 female: 3,182 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesBrunei
Disputes - international:
Brunei and Malaysia agreed in September 2008 to resolve their offshore and deepwater seabed dispute, resume hydrocarbon exploration, and renounce any territorial claims on land; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands in 1984, but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants
Illicit drugs:
drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Bulgaria
IntroductionBulgaria
Background:
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
GeographyBulgaria
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania andTurkey
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km
Coastline:
354 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 29.94% permanent crops: 1.9% other: 68.16% (2005)
Irrigated land:
5,880 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
19.4 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.92 cu km/yr (3%/78%/19%) per capita: 895 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes, landslides
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
PeopleBulgaria
Population:
7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 514,238/female 489,608) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 2,449,812/female 2,532,845) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 520,962/female 755,210) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.1 years male: 38.9 years female: 43.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.813% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
9.58 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.83 years male: 69.22 years female: 76.66 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
346 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups:
Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (includingMacedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)
Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)
Languages:
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.7% female: 97.7% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005)
GovernmentBulgaria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria local long form: Republika Balgariya local short form: Balgariya
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Sofia geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas,Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana,Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen,Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora,Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol
Independence:
3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution:
adopted 12 July 1991
Legal system:
civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Georgi PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005) and Meglena PLUGCHIEVA (since 25 April 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Georgi PARVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PARVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held in June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%, MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%, other 8.7%; seats by party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13, independents 4; note - seats by party as of January 2008 - CfB 82, NMS2 36, MRF 34, Bulgarian New Democracy 16, DSB 16, UDF 16, BPU 13, ATAKA 11, independents 16
Judicial branch:
Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)
Political parties and leaders:
ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the AttackNational Union); Attack National Union [Volen SIDEROV]; BulgarianAgrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER];Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; Bulgarian People's Unionor BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Partyor BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Citizens for the European Development ofBulgaria or GERB [Tsvetan TSVETANOV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB(coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV];Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; InternalMacedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [KrasimirKARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [AhmedDOGAN]; National Movement for Stability and Progress or NMSS [SimeonSAXE-COBURG-GOTHA] (formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2);New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [PetarSTOYANOV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI];United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition of center-rightparties dominated by UDF)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
International organization participation:
ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU(new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC,IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE,PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL,WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Latechezar PETKOV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy McELDOWNEY embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed
EconomyBulgaria
Economy - overview:
Bulgaria, a former communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, has experienced strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996. Successive governments have demonstrated commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but have failed so far to rein in rising inflation and large current account deficits. Bulgaria has averaged more than 6% growth since 2004, attracting significant amounts of foreign direct investment, but corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain significant challenges.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$86.71 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$39.61 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.2% industry: 32.3% services: 61.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
2.593 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 8.5% industry: 33.6% services: 57.9% (2nd qtr. 2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.1% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25.4% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.6 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
29.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $16.84 billion expenditures: $15.35 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
10.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.58% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$15.58 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$17.03 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$25.18 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock
Industries:
electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
Industrial production growth rate:
14% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
43.15 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
30.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
7.534 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.054 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
3,661 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
109,600 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
50,530 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports:
158,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
15 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
5.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
5.179 billion cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$8.53 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$18.44 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners:
Turkey 11.5%, Germany 10.3%, Italy 10.2%, Greece 9.1%, Belgium 6.2%,Romania 4.9% (2007)
Imports:
$28.67 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials
Imports - partners:
Russia 12.3%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 8.7%, Ukraine 7.2%, Turkey 6.9%,Greece 6.2%, Romania 4.5%, Austria 4.3% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$742 million (2005-06 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$17.38 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$34.88 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$33.91 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$559 million (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$10.32 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
lev (BGN)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003)
CommunicationsBulgaria
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.3 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.897 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now exceeds the population domestic: a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions; the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay international: country code - 359; submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios:
4.51 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.bg
Internet hosts:
513,470 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
200 (2001)
Internet users:
1.899 million (2007)
TransportationBulgaria
Airports:
214 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 131 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 95 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 83 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 72 (2007)
Heliports:
4 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 2,500 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 4,294 km standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified) narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 40,231 km paved: 39,587 km (includes 331 km of expressways) unpaved: 644 km (2005)
Waterways:
470 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 74 by type: bulk carrier 37, cargo 14, chemical tanker 5, container 6, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 65 (Germany 63, Ireland 1, Russia 1) registered in other countries: 31 (Comoros 2, Malta 5, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15, Slovakia 6) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Burgas, Varna
MilitaryBulgaria
Military branches:
Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian AirForces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,701,979 females age 16-49: 1,691,092 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,364,029 females age 16-49: 1,401,348 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 39,477 female: 37,339 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesBulgaria
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Burkina Faso
IntroductionBurkina Faso
Background:
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
GeographyBurkina Faso
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 3,193 km border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources:
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt
Land use:
arable land: 17.66% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 82.12% (2005)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
17.5 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.8 cu km/yr (13%/1%/86%) per capita: 60 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues:
recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
PeopleBurkina Faso
Population:
15,264,735 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 3,549,034/female 3,521,684) 15-64 years: 51.1% (male 3,885,124/female 3,922,198) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 154,476/female 232,219) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.7 years male: 16.5 years female: 16.9 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.109% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
44.68 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
13.59 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio: