Nationality:
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese
Ethnic groups: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant
tribes 15%
Religions: Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced
Hinduism 25%
Languages: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects,
Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.2%
male: 56.2%
female: 28.1% (1995 est.)
People-note: refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately
91,000 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations
Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps
@Bhutan:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
Data code: BT
Government type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
National capital: Thimphu
Administrative divisions: 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and
plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi,
Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang,
Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India)
National holiday: National Day, 17 December (1907) (Ugyen WANGCHUCK
became first hereditary king)
Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights
note: Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the
National Assembly
Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972);
note-the king is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972);
note-the king is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) appointed by the
king
note: there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members
nominated by the king
elections: none; the king is a hereditary monarch
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150
seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious
bodies, and 35 are designated by the king to represent government and
other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: NA
Judicial branch: the Supreme Court of Appeal is the king; High Court,
judges appointed by the king
Political parties and leaders: no legal parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: Buddhist clergy; Indian
merchant community; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant
antigovernment campaign
International organization participation: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note-Bhutan has a Permanent
Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New
York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; the Bhutanese mission to
the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York
honorary consulate(s): San Francisco; Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US and Bhutan have no
formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained
between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)
Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner;
the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange;
centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon
facing away from the hoist side
@Bhutan:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy, one of the world's smallest and least
developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the
main livelihood for 90% of the population and account for about 40% of
GDP. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal
husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building
of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy
is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary
links. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most
production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects,
such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's
hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key
resources. The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in
expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare.
Model education, social, and environment programs in Bhutan are
underway with support from multilateral development organizations.
Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to
protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. GDP growth
averaged 5% per year in 1991-95, with information not yet available
for 1996-97. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like
industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper
foreign investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 6.9% (1995 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$730 (1995 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 32%
services: 26% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 7% (FY96/97 est.)
Labor force: NA
by occupation: agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2%
note: massive lack of skilled labor
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $146 million
expenditures: $152 million, including capital expenditures of $94
million (FY95/96 est.)
note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's
budget expenditures
Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic
beverages, calcium carbide
Industrial production growth rate: 7.6% (1992 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 361,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 1.707 billion kWh (1995)
note: exports electricity to India
Electricity-consumption per capita: 143 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains;
dairy products, eggs
Exports:
total value: $77.4 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit,
electricity (to India), precious stones, spices
partners: India 94%, Bangladesh
Imports:
total value: $104.1 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts,
vehicles, fabrics, rice
partners: India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US
Debt-external: $129 million (FY94/95)
Economic aid:
recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note-Indian currency is also
legal tender
Exchange rates: ngultrum (Nu) per US$1-39.358 (January 1998), 36.313
(1997), 35.433 (1996), 32.427 (1995), 31.374 (1994), 30.493 (1993);
note-the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Telephones: 4,620 (1991 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with very few
telephones in use
international: international telephone and telegraph service is by
landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1990)
Radios: 23,000 (1989 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1990 est.)
Televisions: 200 (1985 est.)
@Bhutan:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 3,285 km
paved: 1,994 km
unpaved: 1,291 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Bhutan:Military
Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 466,594 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 248,985 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 18,946 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Bhutan:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: with Nepal over 91,000 Bhutanese refugees in
Nepal
______________________________________________________________________
BOLIVIA
@Bolivia:Geography
Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 1,098,580 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq km
water: 14,190 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km,
Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano),
hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Cerro Illimani 6,882 m
Natural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten,
antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 53%
other: 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,750 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to
efficient fuel combustion, as well as to physical activity by those
unaccustomed to it from birth; flooding in the northeast (March-April)
Environment-current issues: the clearing of land for agricultural
purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are
contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor
cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture);
desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water
supplies used for drinking and irrigation
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography-note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's
highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
@Bolivia:People
Population: 7,826,352 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 1,559,149; female 1,526,646)
15-64 years: 56% (male 2,139,680; female 2,245,268)
65 years and over: 5% (male 161,431; female 194,178) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 31.43 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 9.89 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 63.86 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.89 years
male: 57.98 years
female: 63.94 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.05 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mestizo (mixed white and
Amerindian ancestry) 25%-30%, white 5%-15%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 90.5%
female: 76% (1995 est.)
@Bolivia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Republica de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia
Data code: BL
Government type: republic
National capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital
and seat of judiciary)
Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos,
singular-departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro,
Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994
Legal system: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21
years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August 1997);
Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August 1997);
note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August
1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August
1997); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from a panel of candidates
proposed by the Senate
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 June 1997 (next
to be held June 2002)
election results: Hugo BANZER Suarez elected president; percent of
vote-Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 17%, Juan
Carlos DURAN (MNR) 18%, Ivo KULJIS (UCS) 16%, Remedios LOZA (CONDEPA)
17%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote; Hugo BANZER
Suarez won a congressional runoff election on 5 August 1997 after
forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA, NFR and PCD
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats;
members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies-last held 1
June 1997 (next to be held June 2002)
election results: Chamber of Senators-percent of vote by party-NA;
seats by party - ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR 4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2; Chamber of
Deputies-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-ADN 32, MNR 26,
MIR 23, UCS 21, CONDEPA 19, MBL 5, IU 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges appointed for a
10-year term by National Congress
Political parties and leaders:
Left Parties: Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Antonio ARANIBAR];
Patriotic Axis of Convergence or EJE-P [Ramiro BARRANECHEA]; April 9
Revolutionary Vanguard or VR-9 [Carlos SERRATE]; Alternative of
Democratic Socialism or ASD [Jerjes JUSTINIANO]; Revolutionary Front
of the Left or FRI [Oscar ZAMORA]; Bolivian Communist Party or PCB
[Marcos DOMIC]; United Left or IU [Marcos DOMIC]; Front of National
Salvation or FSN [Manual MORALES Davila]; Socialist Party One or PS-1;
Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB; Socialist Unzaguista Movement or
MAS
Center-Left Parties: Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Oscar
EID]; Christian Democrat or PDC [Benjamin MIGUEL]; New Youth Force
[Alfonso SAAVEDRA Bruno]
Center Party: Nationalist Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo
SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]
Center-Right Parties: Nationalist Democratic Action or ADN [Enrique
TORO]; New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES VILLA]
Populist Parties: Civic Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ];
Conscience of the Fatherland or CONDEPA [Remedios LOZA Alvarado];
Solidarity and Democracy or SYD; Unity and Progress Movement or MUP
[Ivo KULJIS]; Popular Patriotic Movement or MPP [Julio MANTILLA]
Evangelical Party: Bolivian Renovating Alliance or ARBOL [Marcelo
FERNANDEZ, Hugo VILLEGAS]
Indigenous Parties: Tupac Katari Revolutionary Liberation Movement or
MRTK-L [Victor Hugo CARDENAS Conde]; Nationalist Katarista Movement or
MKN [Fernando UNTOJA]; Front of Katarista Unity or FULKA [Genaro
FLORES]; Katarismo National Unity or KND [Filepe KITTELSON]
International organization participation: AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM,
OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marcelo PEREZ Monasterios
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410 through 4412
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donna Jean HRINAK
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 430251
FAX: [591] (2) 433900
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow,
and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar
to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star
centered in the yellow band
@Bolivia:Economy
Economy-overview: With its long history of semifeudal social controls,
dependence on volatile prices for its mineral exports, and bouts of
hyperinflation, Bolivia has remained one of the poorest and least
developed Latin American countries. However, Bolivia has experienced
generally improving economic conditions since the PAZ Estenssoro
administration (1985-89) introduced market-oriented policies which
reduced inflation from 11,700% in 1985 to about 20% in 1988. PAZ
Estenssoro was followed as president by Jaime PAZ Zamora (1989-93) who
continued the free-market policies of his predecessor, despite
opposition from his own party and from Bolivia's once powerful labor
movement. By maintaining fiscal discipline, PAZ Zamora helped reduce
inflation to 9.3% in 1993, while GDP grew by an annual average of
3.25% during his tenure. President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-1997) vowed
to advance the market-oriented economic reforms he helped launch as
PAZ Estenssoro's planning minister. His successes included the signing
of a free trade agreement with Mexico and the Southern Cone Common
Market (Mercosur) as well as the privatization of the state airline,
phone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil company.
Furthermore, SANCHEZ DE LOZADA sponsored legislation creating private
social security accounts for all adult Bolivians and capitalized these
new accounts with the state's remaining 50% share in the privatized
companies. Hugo BANZER Suarez took office in August 1997 and has
proclaimed his commitment to the economic reforms of the previous
administration.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$23.1 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 4.4% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$3,000 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 26%
services: 57% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 7% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 2.5 million
by occupation: agriculture NA%, services and utilities NA%,
manufacturing, mining and construction NA%
Unemployment rate: 10%
Budget:
revenues: $3.75 billion
expenditures: $3.75 billion, including capital expenditures of $556.2
million (1995 est.)
Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco,
handicrafts, clothing
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1995 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 786,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 2.9 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 370 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice,
potatoes; timber
Exports:
total value: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
commodities: metals 34%, natural gas 9.4%, soybeans 8.4%, jewelry 11%,
wood 6.9%
partners: US 22%, UK 9.3%, Colombia 8.7%, Peru 7.4%, Argentina 7.2%
Imports:
total value: $1.7 billion (c.i.f. 1997)
commodities: capital goods 48%, chemicals 11%, petroleum 5%, food 5%
(1993 est.)
partners: US 20%, Japan 13%, Brazil 12, Chile 7.5% (1996)
Debt-external: $4.2 billion (1997)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $588 million (1997)
Currency: 1 boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1-5.3724 (January 1998), 5.2543
(1997), 5.0746 (1996), 4.8003 (1995), 4.6205 (1994), 4.2651 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 144,300 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most
telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities
domestic: microwave radio relay system being expanded
international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 129, FM 0, shortwave 68
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 43
Televisions: 500,000 (1993 est.)
@Bolivia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,691 km (single track)
narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km
electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total: 52,216 km
paved: 2,872 km (including 27 km of expressways)
unpaved: 49,344 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways
Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural gas
1,495 km
Ports and harbors: none; however, Bolivia has free port privileges in
the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,214 GRT/6,390 DWT
(1997 est.)
Airports: 1,153 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 1,142
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 229
under 914 m: 837 (1997 est.)
@Bolivia:Military
Military branches: Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval
Boliviana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana),
National Police Force (Policia Nacional de Bolivia)
Military manpower-military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 1,859,823 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 1,209,537 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 82,670 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $154 million (1997)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.9% (1996)
@Bolivia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South
Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884;
dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights
Illicit drugs: world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Peru
and Colombia) with an estimated 46,900 hectares under cultivation in
1997, a 2.5% decrease in overall cultivation of coca from 1996 levels;
Bolivia, however, is the second-largest producer of coca leaf; even
so, farmer abandonment and voluntary and forced eradication programs
resulted in leaf production dropping from 75,100 metric tons in 1996
to 73,000 tons in 1997, a 3% decrease from 1996; government considers
all but 12,000 hectares illicit; intermediate coca products and
cocaine exported to or through Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile
to the US and other international drug markets; alternative crop
program aims to reduce illicit coca cultivation
______________________________________________________________________
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Introduction