Military
Bahamas, The
Military branches:
Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 80,200 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 50,282 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 3,016
female: 3,024 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Bahamas, The
Disputes - international:
disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a
potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug
dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and
Europe; offshore financial center
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Bahrain
Introduction
Bahrain
Background:
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians.
In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of
treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a
British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in
1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf
countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign
affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves,
Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has
transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD
bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic
and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community.
Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and
municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society,
won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the
legislature. However, Shi'a discontent has resurfaced in recent
years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.
Geography
Bahrain
Location:
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 665 sq km
land: 665 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Land use:
arable land: 2.82%
permanent crops: 5.63%
other: 91.55% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%)
per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; dust storms
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; lack of freshwater resources
(groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
People
Bahrain
Population:
718,306
note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.4% (male 95,709/female 93,747)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 288,957/female 212,706)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 14,224/female 12,963) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.9 years
male: 33 years
female: 26.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.337% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.26 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.36 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.25 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.92 years
male: 72.41 years
female: 77.5 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.53 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic groups:
Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)
Religions:
Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
Languages:
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 88.6%
female: 83.6% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1991)
Government
Bahrain
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Manama
geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat
note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor
Independence:
15 August 1971 (from UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date
of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of
independence from British protection
Constitution:
adopted 14 February 2002
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch,
born 21 October 1969)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman al-Khalifa
(since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman
al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by
the monarch
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40
members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or
Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December
2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni
Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11;
note - seats by party as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8,
al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4,
unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with
al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1
Judicial branch:
High Civil Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders:
political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized
per a July 2005 law
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators
other: several small leftist and other groups are active
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA,
NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Houda Ezra Ibrahim NUNU
chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111
FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Adam ERELI
embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club),
Block 331, Zinj District, Manama
mailing address: PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international
mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama
telephone: [973] 1724-2700
FAX: [973] 1727-0547
Flag description:
red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a
white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five
points represent the five pillars of Islam
Economy
Bahrain
Economy - overview:
With its highly developed communication and transport facilities,
Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the
Gulf. Petroleum production and refining account for over 60% of
Bahrain's export receipts, over 70% of government revenues, and 11%
of GDP (exclusive of allied industries), underpinning Bahrain's
strong economic growth in recent years. Aluminum is Bahrain's second
major export after oil. Other major segments of Bahrain's economy
are the financial and construction sectors. Bahrain is focused on
Islamic banking and is competing on an international scale with
Malaysia as a worldwide banking center. Bahrain is actively pursuing
the diversification and privatization of its economy to reduce the
country's dependence on oil. As part of this effort, in August 2006
Bahrain and the US implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the
first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Continued strong growth
hinges on Bahrain's ability to acquire new natural gas supplies as
feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum
industries. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the
depletion of oil and underground water resources are long-term
economic problems.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$24.01 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.66 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$33,900 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.3%
industry: 43.6%
services: 56% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
437,000
note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 79%
services: 20% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
22.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $5.418 billion
expenditures: $4.968 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
31.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.35% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.169 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$10.63 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$10.32 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Industries:
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron
pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance,
ship repairing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
5.2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
9.233 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
8.742 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
48,610 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
32,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
238,900 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
221,500 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
124.6 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
11.33 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
11.33 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$2.907 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$13.79 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Exports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 3.5%, US 2.5%, UAE 2.5% (2007)
Imports:
$10.93 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 37.7%, Japan 7.2%, US 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, UK 4.5%, UAE
4.2%, China 4.1% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$103.9 million (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.101 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.858 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$13.31 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$7.72 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$21.12 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Bahraini dinar (BHD)
Currency code:
BHD
Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006),
0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003)
Communications
Bahrain
Telephones - main lines in use:
194,200 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.116 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones
international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic
Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides
links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to
Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite
earth station - 1 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
338,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (1997)
Televisions:
275,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.bh
Internet hosts:
2,621 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
250,000 (2007)
Transportation
Bahrain
Airports:
3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 52 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 3,498 km
paved: 2,768 km
unpaved: 730 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 9
by type: bulk carrier 4, container 4, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 6 (Kuwait 5, UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Military
Bahrain
Military branches:
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense),
Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for
NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 210,938
females age 16-49: 170,471 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 171,536
females age 16-49: 142,714 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,543
female: 6,429 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Bahrain
Disputes - international:
none
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Bahrain is a destination country for men and
women trafficked for the purposes of involuntary servitude and
commercial sexual exploitation; men and women from Africa, South
Asia, and Southeast Asia migrate voluntarily to Bahrain to work as
laborers or domestic servants where some face conditions of
involuntary servitude such as unlawful withholding of passports,
restrictions on movements, non-payment of wages, threats, and
physical or sexual abuse; women from Thailand, Morocco, Eastern
Europe, and Central Asia are trafficked to Bahrain for the purpose
of commercial sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bahrain is on the Tier 2 Watch List
for failing to show evidence of increased efforts to combat human
trafficking, particularly efforts that enforce laws against
trafficking in persons, and that prevent the punishment of victims
of trafficking; during 2007, Bahrain passed a comprehensive law
prohibiting all forms of trafficking in persons; the government also
established a specialized anti-trafficking unit within the Ministry
of Interior to investigate trafficking crimes; however, the
government did not report any prosecutions or convictions for
trafficking offenses during 2007, despite reports of a substantial
problem of involuntary servitude and sex trafficking (2008)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Bangladesh
Introduction
Bangladesh
Background:
Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in
the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region
and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East
Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu)
and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became
East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part
country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the
Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from
its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A
military-backed caretaker regime suspended planned parliamentary
elections in January 2007 in an effort to reform the political
system and root out corruption; the regime has pledged new
democratic elections by the end of 2008. About a third of this
extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy
season, hampering economic development.
Geography
Bangladesh
Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Geographic coordinates:
24 00 N, 90 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Iowa
Land boundaries:
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline:
580 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March
to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Terrain:
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Land use:
arable land: 55.39%
permanent crops: 3.08%
other: 41.53% (2005)
Irrigated land:
47,250 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
1,210.6 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 79.4 cu km/yr (3%/1%/96%)
per capita: 560 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during
the summer monsoon season
Environment - current issues:
many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate
flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water;
water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use
of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally
occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling
water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil
degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing
from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel
of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty
into the Bay of Bengal
People
Bangladesh
Population:
153,546,896 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.4% (male 26,364,370/female 24,859,792)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 49,412,903/female 47,468,013)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,912,321/female 2,529,502) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.8 years
male: 22.8 years
female: 22.9 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.022% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
28.86 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 57.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 58.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 56.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.21 years
male: 63.14 years
female: 63.28 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.08 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
13,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
650 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: leptospirosis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladeshi
Ethnic groups:
Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims)
(1998)
Religions:
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)
Languages:
Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.1%
male: 53.9%
female: 31.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 8 years
female: 8 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2005)
Government
Bangladesh
Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh
local short form: Banladesh
former: East Bengal, East Pakistan
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Dhaka
geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet
Independence: