Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (female 35,924; male 36,504) 15-64 years: 66% (female 87,868; male 82,780) 65 years and over: 6% (female 8,247; male 5,293) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.09% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 19.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.12 years
male: 67.37 years
female: 76.97 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic divisions: black 85%, white 15%
Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Languages: English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available (1963 est.)
total population: 90%
male: 90%
female: 89%
Labor force: 136,900 (1993)
by occupation: government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1989)
@The Bahamas:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas
Digraph: BF
Type: commonwealth
Capital: Nassau
Administrative divisions: 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor’s Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nicholls Town and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay
Independence: 10 July 1973 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution: 10 July 1973
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor on the prime minister’s recommendation
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: a 16-member body appointed by the governor general House of Assembly: elections last held 19 August 1992 (next to be held by August 1997); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (49 total) FNM 32, PLP 17
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM;
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS embassy: Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau telephone: [1] (809) 322-1181, 328-2206 FAX: [1] (809) 328-7838
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
@The Bahamas:Economy
Overview: The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or 40% of the local work force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, per capita GDP is one of the highest in the region.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $4.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $15,900 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 13.1% (1993)
Budget:
revenues: $696 million
expenditures: $756 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)
Exports: $257 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products
partners: US 51%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5%
Imports: $1.15 billion (f.o.b,,1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics
partners: US 55%, Japan 17%, Nigeria 12%, Denmark 7%, Norway 6%
External debt: $455 million (December 1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 424,000 kW
production: 929 million kWh
consumption per capita: 3,200 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products – citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; also a money-laundering center
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345 million
Currency: 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 – 1.00 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 July – 30 June
@The Bahamas:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 2,400 km
paved: 1,350 km
unpaved: gravel 1,050 km
Ports: Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau
Merchant marine:
total: 936 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,815,474 GRT/35,253,416 DWT
ships by type: bulk 162, cargo 181, chemical tanker 39, combination bulk 9, combination ore/oil 19, container 52, liquefied gas tanker 20, oil tanker 182, passenger 55, refrigerated cargo 146, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 16, vehicle carrier 12 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 46 countries among which are UK 158 ships, Norway 125, Greece 100, US 94, Denmark 80, Netherlands 53, France 36, Finland 35, Japan 35, Sweden 25
Airports:
total: 60
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11
with paved runways under 914 m: 22 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 8
@The Bahamas:Communications
Telephone system: 99,000 telephones; totally automatic system; highly developed
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 1
televisions: NA
@The Bahamas:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)
________________________________________________________________________
BAHRAIN
@Bahrain:Geography
Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total area: 620 sq km
land area: 620 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar
Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 6%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 90%
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs
natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms international agreements: party to – Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified – Biodiversity
Note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world’s petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
@Bahrain:People
Population: 575,925 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (female 87,398; male 89,976) 15-64 years: 67% (female 152,363; male 231,586) 65 years and over: 2% (female 7,051; male 7,551) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.58% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 24.12 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 3.31 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.94 years
male: 71.46 years
female: 76.49 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.12 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Religions: Shi’a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 84%
male: 89%
female: 77%
Labor force: 140,000
by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
note: 42% of labor force is Bahraini
@Bahrain:Government
Names:
conventional long form: State of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn
Digraph: BA
Type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Manama
Administrative divisions: 12 districts (manatiq, singular – mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa’wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat ‘Isa, Mintaqat Juzur Hawar, Sitrah
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1961)
Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent HAMAD bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (son of the Amir, born 28 January 1950)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)
cabinet: Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet; appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992
Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR al-Abdallah chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-0741, 342-0742 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador David M. RANSOM embassy: Building No. 979, Road 3119 (next to Ahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama
mailing address: FPO AE 09834-5100; P.O. Box 26431, Manama (International Mail)
telephone: [973] 273300; afterhours [973] 275-126 FAX: [973] 272594
Flag: red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side
@Bahrain:Economy
Overview: Tiny in area, Bahrain is well-to-do in economic resources and per capita income. Petroleum production and processing account for about 80% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, during and following the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from imported crude. Prospects for 1995 are good, with private enterprise the main driving force, e.g., in banking and construction. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $7.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $12,100 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.2 billion (1989)
expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports: $3.69 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7% partners: Japan 11%, UAE 5%, South Korea 4%, India 4%, Saudi Arabia 3% (1992)
Imports: $3.83 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%
partners: Saudi Arabia 47%, UK 7%, Japan 7%, US 6%, Germany 5% (1992)
External debt: $2.6 billion (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 13% (1992); accounts for 38% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity:
capacity: 1,050,000 kW
production: 3.3 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 5,453 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing
Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for less than 2% of GDP; not self-sufficient in food production; heavily subsidized sector produces fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, fish
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $45 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion
Currency: 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 – 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Bahrain:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 2,670 km
paved: 2,010 km
unpaved: 660 km (1991 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km
Ports: Manama, Mina’ Salman, Sitrah
Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 79,949 GRT/120,900 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 4, chemical tanker 1
Airports:
total: 4
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 1
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
@Bahrain:Communications
Telephone system: 98,000 telephones; 170 telephones/1,000 persons; modern system; good domestic services; excellent international connections
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 radios: 60 million
Television:
broadcast stations: 2
televisions: 21 million
@Bahrain:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Coast Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 210,725; males fit for military service 117,414; males reach military age (15) annually 4,346 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $247 million, 5.5% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
BAKER ISLAND
(territory of the US)
@Baker Island:Geography
Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total area: 1.4 sq km
land area: 1.4 sq km
comparative area: about 2.3 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 4.8 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until 1891)
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment:
current issues: no natural fresh water resources natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
international agreements: NA
Note: treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
@Baker Island:People
Population: uninhabited; note – American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and cemetery ruins are located near the middle of the west coast
@Baker Island:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island
Digraph: FQ
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
Capital: none; administered from Washington, DC
@Baker Island:Economy
Overview: no economic activity
@Baker Island:Transportation
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only; note – there is one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
Airports: 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m
Note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
@Baker Island:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard
________________________________________________________________________
BANGLADESH
@Bangladesh:Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Map references: Asia
Area:
total area: 144,000 sq km
land area: 133,910 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries: total 4,246 km, Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline: 580 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water-sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges
Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber
Land use:
arable land: 67%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 16%
other: 11%
Irrigated land: 27,380 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation
natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season international agreements: party to – Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified – Desertification, Law of the Sea
@Bangladesh:People
Population: 128,094,948 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (female 25,195,262; male 26,352,299) 15-64 years: 57% (female 34,862,105; male 37,867,705) 65 years and over: 3% (female 1,761,336; male 2,056,241) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.32% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 34.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 104.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.46 years
male: 55.69 years
female: 55.22 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.39 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladesh
Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million
Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other
Languages: Bangla (official), English
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 35%
male: 47%
female: 22%
Labor force: 50.1 million
by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 21%, industry and mining 14% (1989)
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
@Bangladesh:Government
Names:
conventional long form: People’s Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh
former: East Pakistan
Digraph: BG
Type: republic
Capital: Dhaka
Administrative divisions: 4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi
Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended many times
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991); election last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results – Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote
head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN (since 20 March 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad): elections last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held by February 1996); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, BCP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, JSD 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN; Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People’s Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Humayun KABIR chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-8372 through 8376 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador David N. MERRILL embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212 telephone: [880] (2) 884700 through 884722 FAX: [880] (2) 883-744
Flag: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam
@Bangladesh:Economy
Overview: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains one of the world’s poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with the cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the economy. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, the inefficiency of state-owned enterprises, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), and inadequate power supplies. Excellent rice crops and expansion of the export garment industry led to real growth of 4% in 1992 and again in 1993. Policy measures intended to reduce government regulation of private industry, to curb population growth, and to expand employment opportunities have had only partial success given the serious nature of Bangladesh’s basic problems.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $130.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,040 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $2.8 billion
expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (FY92/93)
Exports: $2.38 billion (1993)
commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp partners: US 33%, Western Europe 39% (Germany 8.4%, Italy 6%) (FY91/92 est.)
Imports: $3.99 billion (1993)
commodities: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles partners: Hong Kong 7.5%, Singapore 7.4%, China 7.4%, Japan 7.1% (FY91/92 est.)
External debt: $13.5 billion (June 1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.9% (FY92/93 est.); accounts for 9.4% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 2,740,000 kW
production: 9.2 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 70 kWh (1993)
Industries: jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer
Agriculture: accounts for 33% of GDP, 65% of employment, and one-fifth of exports; world’s largest exporter of jute; commercial products – jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils, cotton
Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $11.65 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6.52 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion
Currency: 1 taka (Tk) = 100 poiska
Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1 – 40.250 (January 1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July – 30 June
@Bangladesh:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 2,892 km
broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992)
Highways:
total: 7,240 km
paved: 3,840 km
unpaved: 3,400 km (1985)
Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)
Pipelines: natural gas 1,220 km
Ports: Barisal, Chandpur, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Dacca, Khulna, Mongla (includes Chalna), Narayanganj
Merchant marine:
total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 293,304 GRT/428,013 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 31, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3
Airports:
total: 16
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 7
@Bangladesh:Communications
Telephone system: 241,250 telephones; 1 telephone/522 persons; poor domestic telephone service
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations; adequate international radio communications and landline service
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 11
televisions: NA
@Bangladesh:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
paramilitary forces: Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 33,039,035; males fit for military service 19,607,817 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $448 million, 1.7% of GDP (FY93/94)
________________________________________________________________________
BARBADOS
@Barbados:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area: 430 sq km
land area: 430 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 97 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Natural resources: petroleum, fishing, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 77%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 9%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 14%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
natural hazards: hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic landslides
international agreements: party to – Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified – Biodiversity
Note: easternmost Caribbean island
@Barbados:People
Population: 256,395 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (female 30,175; male 31,507) 15-64 years: 66% (female 86,103; male 82,727) 65 years and over: 10% (female 15,849; male 10,034) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.24% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.45 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.16 years
male: 71.47 years
female: 77.06 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Barbadian(s)
adjective: Barbadian
Ethnic divisions: African 80%, European 4%, other 16%
Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Languages: English
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970) total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
Labor force: 124,800 (1992)
by occupation: services and government 41%, commerce 15%, manufacturing and construction 18%, transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 8%, agriculture 6%, utilities 2% (1992 est.)
@Barbados:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Digraph: BB
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Bridgetown
Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas note: the new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Independence: 30 November 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution: 30 November 1966
Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Billie MILLER (since 6 September 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Assembly: election last held 6 September 1994 (next to be held by January 1999); results – percentage vote by party NA; seats – (28 total) DLP 8, BLP 19, NDP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Labor Party (DLP),David THOMPSON; Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Owen ARTHUR; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richard HAYNES
Other political or pressure groups: Barbados Workers Union, Leroy TROTMAN; People’s Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers’ Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE; Clement Payne Labor Union, David COMMISSIONG
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Courtney BLACKMAN chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9218, 9219
FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York consulate(s): Los Angeles
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanette W. HYDE embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (809) 436-4950
FAX: [1] (809) 429-5246
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
@Barbados:Economy
Overview: A per capita income of $9,200 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. A moderate recovery that began in late 1993 after 3 years of contraction is mainly due to increased tourism and expansion in the construction sector. Economic prospects for 1995 depend mostly on continued growth in the industrialized countries, especially in Europe, which would spur further expansion in tourism.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $2.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $9,200 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20.5% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $509 million
expenditures: $636 million, including capital expenditures of $86 million (FY94/95 est.)
Exports: $161 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing partners: US 13%, UK 10%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Windward Islands 8%
Imports: $703 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components partners: US 36%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 3%
External debt: $652 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 2% (FY93/94 est.); accounts for about 10% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 152,100 kW
production: 510 million kWh
consumption per capita: 1,841 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops – vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million
Currency: 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 – 2.0113 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April – 31 March
@Barbados:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,570 km
paved: 1,475 km
unpaved: gravel, earth 95 km
Ports: Bridgetown
Merchant marine:
total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,563 GRT/103,632 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 6, oil tanker 2
Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
@Barbados:Communications
Telephone system: 89,000 telephones
local: island wide automatic telephone system; intercity: NA
international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 2 (1 pay)
televisions: NA
@Barbados:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes the Ground Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 71,153; males fit for military service 49,488 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion – $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
BASSAS DA INDIA
(possession of France)
@Bassas Da India:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique
Map references: Africa
Area:
total area: 0.2 km2
land area: 0.2 km2
comparative area: NA
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 meters high
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (all rock)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
international agreements: NA
@Bassas Da India:People
Population: uninhabited
@Bassas Da India:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bassas da India
Digraph: BS
Type: French possession administered by a Commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Capital: none; administered by France from Reunion
Independence: none (possession of France)
@Bassas Da India:Economy
Overview: no economic activity
@Bassas Da India:Transportation
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
@Bassas Da India:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
________________________________________________________________________
BELARUS
@Belarus:Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States – European States
Area:
total area: 207,600 sq km
land area: 207,600 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries: total 3,098 km, Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: none
Climate: cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Terrain: generally flat and contains much marshland
Natural resources: forest land, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 29%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 15%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 55%
Irrigated land: 1,490 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues: soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl’
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to – Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified – Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked
@Belarus:People
Population: 10,437,418 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (female 1,126,062; male 1,166,439) 15-64 years: 65% (female 3,494,891; male 3,293,196) 65 years and over: 13% (female 913,508; male 443,322) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.3% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.98 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 11.23 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.03 years
male: 66.36 years
female: 75.93 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Belarusian(s)
adjective: Belarusian
Ethnic divisions: Byelorussian 77.9%, Russian 13.2%, Polish 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.9%, other 1.9%
Religions: Eastern Orthodox, other
Languages: Byelorussian, Russian, other
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 96%
Labor force: 4.887 million
by occupation: industry and construction 40%, agriculture and forestry 21%, other 39% (1992)
@Belarus:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus
local long form: Respublika Byelarus’ local short form: none
former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: BO
Type: republic
Capital: Minsk
Administrative divisions: 6 voblastsi (singular – voblasts’) and one municipality* (harady, singular – horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel’skaya (Homyel’), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna), Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk) note: the administrative centers of the voblastsi are included in parentheses
Independence: 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 July (1990)
Constitution: adopted 15 March 1994; replaces constitution of April 1978
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994); election held June 24 and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 80%, Vyacheslav KEBICH 14% head of government: Prime Minister Mikhail CHIGIR (since July 1994); Deputy Prime Ministers Vladimir GARKUN, Viktor GONCHAR, Sergey LING, Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH, Valeriy KOKAREV (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers
note: first presidential elections took place in June-July 1994
Legislative branch: unicameral
Supreme Soviet: elections last held 4 April 1990 (next to be held 14 May 1995); results – Communists 87%; seats – (360 total) number of seats by party NA; note – 50 seats are for public bodies; the Communist Party obtained an overwhelming majority
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), Zenon POZNYAK, chairman; Party of Popular Accord, Gennadiy KARPENKO; Union of Belarusian Entreprenuers, V. N. KARYAGIN; Belarusian Party of Communists, Vasiliy NOVIKOV, Viktor CHIKIN, chairmen; Belarus Peasant Party, Yevgeniy LUGIN, chairman; Belarusian Socialist Party, Vyacheslav KUZNETSOV, chairman; Belarusian Social Democrat Party (SDBP), Oleg TRUSOV, Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairmen; Agrarian Party of Belarus, Aleksandr DUBKO; United Democratic Party of Belarus (UDPB), Aleksandr DOBROVOLSKIY, chairman; Independent Trade Unions, Sergey ANTONCHIK, chairman
Member of: CCC, CE (guest), CEI (associate members), CIS, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFC, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sergey Nikolayevich MARTYNOV chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604
FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth Spencer YALOWITZ embassy: Starovilenskaya #46, Minsk
mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (0172) 34-65-37
Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top), red, and white
@Belarus:Economy
Overview: Belarus ranks among the most developed of the former Soviet states, with a relatively modern – by Soviet standards – and diverse machine building sector and a robust agriculture sector. It also serves as a transport link for Russian oil exports to the Baltic states and Eastern and Western Europe. The breakup of the Soviet Union and its command economy has resulted in a sharp economic contraction as traditional trade ties have collapsed. The Belarusian government has lagged behind the governments of most other former Soviet states in economic reform, with privatization almost nonexistent. The system of state orders and distribution persists. In mid-1994, the Belarusian government embarked on an austerity program with IMF support to slash state credits and consumer subsidies in order to bring down the budget deficit and reduce inflation. However, despite its promising start, the regime’s drive to reinvigorate the economy has fallen short, and the IMF has criticized its failure to implement the reforms that the Fund had negotiated. As a result, the IMF has suspended talks on introducing a stand-by arrangement. Economic relations with Russia, which will have an important bearing on the future course of the economy, will be strengthened if Minsk adopts the necessary legislation to implement a customs union agreed to in January 1995.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $53.4 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -20% (1994)
National product per capita: $5,130 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 29% per month (1994)
Unemployment rate: 1.4% officially registered unemployed (December 1993); large numbers of underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $968 million to outside of the FSU countries (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria
Imports: $534 million from outside the FSU countries (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: fuel, natural gas, industrial raw materials, textiles, sugar
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Poland
External debt: $1.5 billion (July 1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -19% (1994); accounts for about 40% of GDP (1992)
Electricity:
capacity: 7,010,000 kW
production: 31.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 3,010 kWh (1994)
Industries: employ about 40% of labor force and produced a wide variety of products including (in percent share of total output of former Soviet Union): tractors (12%); metal-cutting machine tools (11%); off-highway dump trucks up to 110-metric-ton load capacity (100%); wheel-type earthmovers for construction and mining (100%); eight-wheel-drive, high-flotation trucks with cargo capacity of 25 metric tons for use in tundra and roadless areas (100%); equipment for animal husbandry and livestock feeding (25%); motorcycles (21.3%); television sets (11%); chemical fibers (28%); fertilizer (18%); linen fabric (11%); wool fabric (7%); radios; refrigerators; and other consumer goods
Agriculture: accounts for almost 25% of GDP and 5.7% of total agricultural output of former Soviet Union; employs 21% of the labor force; in 1988 produced the following (in percent of total Soviet production): grain (3.6%), potatoes (12.2%), vegetables (3.0%), meat (6.0%), milk (7.0%); net exporter of meat, milk, eggs, flour, potatoes
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis; mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: Belarusian rubel (BR)
Exchange rates: Belarusian rubels per US$1 – 10,600 (end December 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Belarus:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 5,570 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 5,570 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways:
total: 98,200 km
paved: 66,100 km
unpaved: earth 32,100 km (1990)
Inland waterways: NA km
Pipelines: crude oil 1,470 km; refined products 1,100 km; natural gas 1,980 km (1992)
Ports: Mazyr
Merchant marine:
note: claims 5% of former Soviet fleet
Airports:
total: 118
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
with paved runways under 914 m: 11 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9
with unpaved runways under 914 m: 62
@Belarus:Communications
Telephone system: 1,849,000 telephones (December 1991); 18 telephones/100 persons; telephone service inadequate for the purposes of either business or the population; about 70% of the telephones are in homes; over 750,000 applications from households for telephones remain unsatisfied (1992); new investment centers on international connections and business needs; the new BelCel NMT 450 cellular system (a joint venture) is now operating in Minsk local: NA
intercity: NA
international: international traffic is carried by the Moscow international gateway switch and also by 2 satellite earth stations near Minsk – INTELSAT (through Canada) and EUTELSAT (through the UK)
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0 radios: 3.14 million (5,615,000 with multiple speaker systems for program diffusion)
Television:
broadcast stations: NA
televisions: 3.538 million
@Belarus:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,550,500; males fit for military service 1,999,138; males reach military age (18) annually 71,808 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 56.5 billion rubles, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note – conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
________________________________________________________________________
BELGIUM
@Belgium:Geography
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 30,510 sq km
land area: 30,230 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: total 1,385 km, France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: median line with neighbors exclusive fishing zone: median line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Natural resources: coal, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 20%
forest and woodland: 21%
other: 34%
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: Meuse River, a major source of drinking water, polluted from steel production wastes; other rivers polluted by animal wastes and fertilizers; industrial air pollution contributes to acid rain in neighboring countries
natural hazards: flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes international agreements: party to – Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified – Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of the EU
@Belgium:People
Population: 10,081,880 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (female 875,079; male 919,939) 15-64 years: 66% (female 3,303,219; male 3,363,250) 65 years and over: 16% (female 969,966; male 650,427) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.17% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 11.46 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 10.22 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.21 years
male: 73.94 years
female: 80.67 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.62 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian
Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%
Languages: Dutch 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11% divided along ethnic lines
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 99%
Labor force: 4.126 million
by occupation: services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)
@Belgium:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique local short form: Belgique
Digraph: BE
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Brussels
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French: provinces, singular – province; Flemish: provincien, singular – provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state
Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet; the king appoints the ministers who are approved by the legislature
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: (Flemish – Senaat, French – Senat); elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by the end of 1995); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (184 total; of which 106 are directly elected; in the 1995 elections, seats will decrease to 71) CVP 20, SP 14, VLD 13, VU 5, AGALEV 5, VB 5, ROSSEN 1, PS 18, PRL 9, PSC 9, ECOLO 6, FDF 1
Chamber of Deputies: (Flemish – Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French – Chambre des Representants); elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by 21 May 1995); results – CVP 16.7%, PS 13.6%, SP 12.0%, VLD 11.9%, PRL 8.2%, PSC 7.8%, VB 6.6%, VU 5.9%, ECOLO 5.1%, AGALEV 4.9%, FDF 2.6%, ROSSEM 3.2%, FN 1.5%; seats – (212 total; in 1995 elections, seats will decrease to 150) CVP 39, PS 35, SP 28, VLD 26, PRL 20, PSC 18, VB 12, VU 10, ECOLO 10, AGALEV 7, FDF 3, ROSSEM 3, FN 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish – Hof van Cassatie, French – Cour de Cassation)
Political parties and leaders: Flemish Christian Democrats (CVP – Christian People’s Party), Johan van HECKE, president; Francophone Christian Democrats (PSC – Social Christian Party), Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist Party (SP), Louis TOBBACK, president; Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN, president; Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president; Francophone Liberal Reform Party (PRL), Jean GOL, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president; Volksunie (VU), Bert ANCIAUX, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM; National Front (FN), Daniel FERET, president; AGALEV (Flemish Greens), no president; ECOLO (Francophone Ecologists), no president; other minor parties
Other political or pressure groups: Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi
Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andre ADAM (appointed 3 October 1994) chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: APO AE 09724; PSC 82, Box 002, Brussels telephone: [32] (2) 513 38 30
FAX: [32] (2) 511 27 25
Flag: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
@Belgium:Economy
Overview: This small private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. With few natural resources Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Three-fourths of its trade is with other EU countries. The economy grew at a strong 4% pace during the period 1988-90, slowed to 1% in 1991-92, dropped by 1.5% in 1993, and recovered with 2.3% growth in 1994. Belgium’s public debt has risen to 140% of GDP, and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries.
National product: GDP – purchasing power parity – $181.5 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $18,040 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 14.1% (December 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $97.8 billion
expenditures: $109.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $117 billion (f.o.b., 1992) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products
partners: EC 75.5%, US 3.7%, former Communist countries 1.4% (1991)
Imports: $120 billion (c.i.f., 1992) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: EC 73%, US 4.8%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist countries 1.8% (1991)
External debt: $31.3 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -0.1% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 14,040,000 kW
production: 66 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 6,334 kWh (1993)
Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
Agriculture: accounts for 2.0% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production – beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; net importer of farm products
Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine entering the European market
Economic aid:
donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
Currency: 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 – 31.549 (January 1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Belgium:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 3,410 km (2,362 km electrified; 2,563 km double track) standard gauge: 3,410 km 1.435-m gauge (1994)
Highways:
total: 137,912 km
paved: 129,639 km (including 1,667 km of limited access divided highway)