female: 7,153 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Transnational Issues ::Bhutan
Disputes - international:
Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian Nagaland separatists; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient
page last updated on January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@Bolivia (South America)
Introduction ::Bolivia
Background:
Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of the eastern lowlands. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change.
Geography ::Bolivia
Location:
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 1,098,581 sq km country comparison to the world: 28 land: 1,083,301 sq km
water: 15,280 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,940 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain:
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Natural resources:
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 2.78%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 97.03% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,320 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
622.5 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.44 cu km/yr (13%/7%/81%)
per capita: 157 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
flooding in the northeast (March-April)
volcanism: Bolivia experiences volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (elev. 5,163 m, 16,939 ft), which last erupted in 1995 and Olca-Paruma
Environment - current issues:
the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
People ::Bolivia
Population:
9,947,418 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.5% (male 1,767,310/female 1,701,744)
15-64 years: 60% (male 2,877,605/female 2,992,043)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 193,196/female 243,348) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.2 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 22.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.72% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Birth rate:
25.16 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Death rate:
6.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Net migration rate:
-1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Urbanization:
urban population: 66% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.41 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 63 male: 47.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 39.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.23 years country comparison to the world: 155 male: 64.52 years
female: 70.07 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.07 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups:
Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%,Aymara 25%, white 15%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Languages:
Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.7%
male: 93.1%
female: 80.7% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 31
Government ::Bolivia
Country name:
conventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia
Government type:
republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a "Social Unitarian State"
Capital:
name: La Paz (administrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Sucre (constitutional capital)
Administrative divisions:
9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Independence:
6 August 1825 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Constitution:
7 February 2009
Legal system:
based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; the 2009 Constitution incorporates indigenous community justice into Bolivia's judicial system
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term and are eligible for a single re-election; election last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 64%; Manfred REYES VILLA 26%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 6%; Rene JOAQUINO 2%; other 2%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats total; 70 uninominal deputies directly elected from a single district, 7 "special" indigenous deputies directly elected from non-contiguous indigenous districts, and 53 plurinominal deputies elected by proportional representation from party lists; all deputies serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 26, PPB-CN 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 89, PPB-CN 36, UN 3, AS 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms); District Courts (one in each department); Plurinational Constitutional Court (five primary or titulares and five alternate or suplente magistrates elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to rule on constitutional issues); Plurinational Electoral Organ (seven members elected by the Assembly and the president; one member must be of indigenous origin to six-year terms); Agro-Environmental Court (judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to run on agro-environmental issues); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)
Political parties and leaders:
Bolivia-National Convergence or PPB-CN [Manfred REYES VILLA];Fearless Movement or MSM [Juan DE GRANADO Cosio]; Movement TowardSocialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; National Unity or UN[Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]; People or Gente [Roman LOAYZA]; SocialAlliance or AS [Rene JOAQUINO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Bolivian Workers Central or COR; Federation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto or FEJUVE; Landless Movement or MST; National Coordinator for Change or CONALCAM; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB
other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (including Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB and National Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ); labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COB and Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)
International organization participation:
CAN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO(correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA,MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Erika Angela DUENAS Loayza
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
note: as of September 2008, the US has expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John CREAMER
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000
note: in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, and the countries have yet to reinstate ambassadors
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land
note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag
National anthem:
name: "Cancion Patriotica" (Patriotic Song)
lyrics/music: Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI
note: adopted 1852
Economy ::Bolivia
Economy - overview:
Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. The period 2003-05 was characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company in exchange for a predetermined service fee. After higher prices for mining and hydrocarbons exports produced a fiscal surplus in 2008, the global recession in 2009 slowed growth. A decline in commodity prices that began in late 2008, a lack of foreign investment in the mining and hydrocarbon sectors, a poor infrastructure, and the suspension of trade benefits with the United States will pose challenges for the Bolivian economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$47.98 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 $46.22 billion (2009 est.)
$44.7 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.18 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 3.4% (2009 est.)
6.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,800 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 $4,700 (2009 est.)
$4,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 38%
services: 51% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
4.614 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 17%
services: 43% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 7.7% (2009 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Population below poverty line:
30.3% of population living on less than $2/day (2009 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 44.1% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
58.2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 9 44.7 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
17.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Public debt:
40.3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 40.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 3.3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 October 2010) country comparison to the world: 26 13% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 12.36% (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$4.374 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 97 $3.524 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$12.16 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 95 $11.04 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$8.314 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $7.233 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$2.792 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 90 $2.672 billion (31 December 2008)
$2.263 billion (31 December 2007)
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:
4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Electricity - production:
5.495 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - consumption:
4.665 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
47,050 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Oil - consumption:
59,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Oil - exports:
10,950 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Oil - imports:
6,172 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Oil - proved reserves:
465 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - production:
14.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - consumption:
2.41 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - exports:
11.79 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas - proved reserves:
750.4 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Current account balance:
$878 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $800.7 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$6.058 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 $4.848 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
Exports - partners:
Brazil 41.38%, US 13.87%, Japan 5.62%, Colombia 5.32%, South Korea 4.7%, Peru 4.16% (2009)
Imports:
$5.006 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 $4.095 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans
Imports - partners:
Brazil 27.12%, Argentina 15.69%, US 12.77%, Chile 9.11%, Peru 6.85% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$8.739 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 $8.581 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$6.13 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $5.653 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA (31 December 2009)
$5.998 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA (31 December 2010)
$63.8 million (31 December 2008)
Exchange rates:
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.0699 (2010), 7.07 (2009), 7.253 (2008), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006)
Communications ::Bolivia
Telephones - main lines in use:
810,200 (2009) country comparison to the world: 87
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.148 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 81
Telephone system:
general assessment: privatization begun in 1995; primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; overall reliability has steadily improved
domestic: most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and, in 2009, teledensity reached 75 per 100 persons; fixed-line teledensity is low at less than 10 per 100 persons
international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
large number of radio and television broadcasting stations with private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and television stations generally operating freely, although both pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media outlets in response to their reporting (2007)
Internet country code:
.bo
Internet hosts:
125,462 (2010) country comparison to the world: 74
Internet users:
1.103 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 95
Transportation ::Bolivia
Airports:
881 (2010) country comparison to the world: 8
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 865
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 58
914 to 1,523 m: 187
under 914 m: 615 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 5,192 km; liquid petroleum gas 51 km; oil 2,488 km; refined products 1,590 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 3,504 km country comparison to the world: 50 narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 62,479 km country comparison to the world: 73 paved: 3,749 km
unpaved: 58,730 km (2004)
Waterways:
10,000 km (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2010) country comparison to the world: 13
Merchant marine:
total: 22 country comparison to the world: 98 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 11, carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 7 (Bahamas 1, Ecuador 1, Iran 1, Syria 4) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Puerto Aguirre (inland port on the Paraguay/Parana waterway at the Bolivia/Brazil border); Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
Military ::Bolivia
Military branches:
Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano, EB),Bolivian Navy (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB; includes marines),Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,415,712
females age 16-49: 2,482,359 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,714,438
females age 16-49: 1,959,763 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 108,336
female: 104,934 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 115
Transnational Issues ::Bolivia
Disputes - international:
Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas and other commodities; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore, under Bolivian administration in 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute
Illicit drugs:
world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 29,500 hectares under cultivation in 2007, increased slightly when compared to 2006; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 120 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2007; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; cultivation generally increasing since 2000, despite eradication and alternative crop programs; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption (2008)
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Bosnia and Herzegovina (Europe)
Introduction ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Background:
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing most government functions. The Dayton Accords also established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called "Bonn Powers." In 1995-96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewed hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace and stability throughout the country. EUFOR's mission changed from peacekeeping to civil policing in October 2007, with its presence reduced from nearly 7,000 to less than 2,500 troops. Troop strength at the end of 2009 stood at roughly 2,000. In January 2010, Bosnia and Herzegovina assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.
Geography ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 51,197 sq km country comparison to the world: 128 land: 51,187 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,538 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 249 km, Serbia 357 km
Coastline:
20 km
Maritime claims:
no data available
Climate:
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast
Terrain:
mountains and valleys
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 19.61%
permanent crops: 1.89%
other: 78.5% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
37.5 cu km (2003)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east
People ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Population:
4,621,598 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.5% (male 344,760/female 323,303)
15-64 years: 70.7% (male 1,645,274/female 1,617,136)
65 years and over: 14.8% (male 279,781/female 403,160) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.3 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 41.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.016% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
Birth rate:
8.87 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 213
Death rate:
8.71 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.074 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.88 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 156 male: 10.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.66 years country comparison to the world: 44 male: 75.09 years
female: 82.49 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.26 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 214
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Nationality:
noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian
Ethnic groups:
Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)
note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam
Religions:
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%
Languages:
Bosnian (official), Croatian (official), Serbian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 99%
female: 94.4% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
Government ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina
former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government type:
emerging federal democratic republic
Capital:
name: Sarajevo
geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is a self-governing administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and formally held in condominium between the two entities; the District remains under international supervision
Independence:
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence completed on 1 March 1992; independence declared on 3 March 1992)
National holiday:
National Day, 25 November (1943)
Constitution:
the Dayton Peace Accords, signed on 14 December 1995 in Paris, included a constitution; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution
Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman of the presidency since 10 November 2010; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotate every eight months: Bakir IZETBEGOVIC (presidency member since 3 October 2010 - Bosniak); Zeljko KOMSIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Croat)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 11 January 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the state-level House of Representatives (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years); the chairmanship rotates every eight months and resumes where it left off following each general election; election last held on 3 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014); the chairman of the Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the state-level House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 48.9% of the votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC with 60.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Bakir IZETBEGOVIC with 34.9% of the votes for the Bosniak seat
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Borjana KRISTO (since 21 February 2007); Vice Presidents Spomenka MICIC (since 21 February 2007) and Mirsad KEBO (since 21 February 2007); President of the Republika Srpska: Milorad DODIK (since 3 October 2010); took office 15 November 2010
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats, 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Peoples and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve four-year terms); and the state-level House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats, 28 seats allocated for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats for the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures
elections: House of Peoples - last constituted in February 2007 (next to be constituted in 2011); state-level House of Representatives - elections last held on 3 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; state-level House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDP BiH 8, SDA 7, SNSD 7, SDS 5, SBBBiH 4, HDZ-BiH 3, SBiH 2, HDZ-1990/HSP 2, other 4
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other); last constituted February 2007; and a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held on 3 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDP 28, SDA 23, SBBBiH 13, HDZ-BiH 12, HDZ-1990/HSP 5, other 17; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held on 3 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 37, SDS 18, PDP 7, DNS 6, SP 4, DP 3, SDP 3, SDA 2, NDS 2 SRS-RS 1; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly including 8 Croats, 8 Bosniaks, 8 Serbs, and 4 members of the smaller communities
Judicial branch:
BiH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of Human Rights); BiH State Court (consists of 44 national judges and seven international judges and has three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and cases initiated in the entities that question BiH's sovereignty, political independence, or national security or with economic crimes that have serious repercussions to BiH's economy, beyond that of an entity or Brcko District); a War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005
note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has five district courts and a number of municipal courts
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for a Better Future of BiH or SBB-BiH [ Fahrudin RADONCIC];Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK];Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Bosnian Patriotic Party orBPS [Sefer HALILOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or GDS [IbrahimSPAHIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP [Zvonko JURISIC]; CroatPeasants' Party-New Croat Initiative or HSS-NHI [Ante COLAK];Croatian Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina orHKDU [Ivan MUSA]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia andHerzegovina or HDZ-BiH [Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union1990 or HDZ-1990 [Bozo LJUBIC]; Croatian Peoples Union [MilenkoBRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ [Rifat DOLIC]; DemocraticParty or DP [Dragan CAVIC]; Democratic Peoples' Alliance or DNS[Marko PAVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; NasaStranka or NS [NA; leadership elections late 2010/early 2011]; NewSocialist Party or NSP [Zdravko KRSMANOVIC]; Party for Bosnia andHerzegovina or SBiH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party of Democratic Action orSDA [Sulejman TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [MladenIVANIC]; Peoples' Party of Work for Progress or NSRzB [MladenIVANKOVIC-LIJANOVIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC];Serb Radical Party of the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [MilankoMIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [MirkoBLAGOJEVIC]; Social Democratic Party of BiH or SDP BiH [ZlatkoLAGUMDZIJA]; Social Democratic Union or SDU [Nermin PECANAC];Socialist Party of Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: war veterans; displaced persons associations; family associations of missing persons; private media
International organization participation:
BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS(observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UN SecurityCouncil (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mitar KUJUNDZIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick S. MOON
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar