26.2 (2001)
Budget:
revenues: $7.094 billion
expenditures: $7.137 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
34% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$5.13 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.597 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$8.895 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle
assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and
aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate:
6.7% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
12.84 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
8.501 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
5.123 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.015 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 53.5%
hydro: 46.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
27,590 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
27,370 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
400 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006)
Current account balance:
-$1.939 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$4.243 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products
Exports - partners:
Croatia 21%, Slovenia 16.5%, Italy 16.1%, Germany 13.3%, Austria
9.6%, Hungary 5.7% (2007)
Imports:
$9.947 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.7%, Slovenia 13.3%, Germany 13.1%, Italy 10.4%, Austria
7%, Turkey 6.5%, Hungary 5.4% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$546.1 million (2005 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.525 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$6.734 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
konvertibilna marka (convertible mark) (BAM)
Currency code:
BAM
Exchange rates:
konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.4419 (2007), 1.5576
(2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003)
note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro
Communications
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.065 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.45 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: post-war reconstruction of the
telecommunications network, aided by a internationally sponsored
program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the number of
main telephone lines available; mobile cellular subscribership has
been increasing rapidly
domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density exceeds 50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
940,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.ba
Internet hosts:
56,032 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
1.055 million (2007)
Transportation
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Airports:
28 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 12 (2007)
Heliports:
5 (2007)
Railways:
total: 608 km
standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 21,846 km
paved: 11,425 km (4,714 km of interurban roads)
unpaved: 10,421 km (2006)
Waterways:
Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all
inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje
Military
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Military branches:
Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces (OSBiH): Army of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzracna Obrana, ZPO) (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and
in the Republika Srpska; conscription abolished January 2006;
4-month service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,212,007
females age 16-49: 1,170,645 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 996,225
females age 16-49: 962,927 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 30,246
female: 28,189 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Disputes - international:
sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Serbia; discussions continue with Croatia on several
small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access
that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 7,269 (Croatia)
IDPs: 131,600 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in
1992-95 war) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western
Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable
to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and
unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of
corruption
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Botswana
Introduction
Botswana
Background:
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted
its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining,
dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due
to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature
preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of
HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
Geography
Botswana
Location:
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 600,370 sq km
land: 585,370 sq km
water: 15,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe
813 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain:
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in
southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m
Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore,
silver
Land use:
arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
14.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.19 cu km/yr (41%/18%/41%)
per capita: 107 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west,
carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure
visibility
Environment - current issues:
overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
People
Botswana
Population:
1,842,323
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.2% (male 329,418/female 318,160)
15-64 years: 60.9% (male 566,239/female 556,286)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 29,165/female 43,055) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.2 years
male: 21 years
female: 21.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.434% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
22.96 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
14.02 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
5.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 44.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 44.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.16 years
male: 51.28 years
female: 49.02 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.66 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
37.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
350,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
33,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic groups:
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including
Kgalagadi and white 7%
Religions:
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6%
(2001 census)
Languages:
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1%
(official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.2%
male: 80.4%
female: 81.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
8.7% of GDP (2007)
Government
Botswana
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
local long form: Republic of Botswana
local short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Gaborone
geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*,
Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast,
Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern
Independence:
30 September 1966 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)
Constitution:
March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review
limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April
2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April
2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004
(next to be held in October 2009); vice president appointed by the
president
election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 52%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely
advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the
chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving
5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members
selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63
seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are
appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and
Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004
(next to be held in October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%,
BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1
Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each
district)
Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO];
Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana
Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front
or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS
Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the
United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence
Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union
[D. K. KWELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba
Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga
elites)
other: diamond mining companies
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen J. NOLAN
embassy: Embassy Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone
mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 395-3982
FAX: [267] 395-6947
Flag description:
light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Economy
Botswana
Economy - overview:
Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth
rates since independence in 1966, though growth slowed to 4.7%
annually in 2006-07. Through fiscal discipline and sound management,
Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in
the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of nearly
$15,000 in 2007. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the
best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the
expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and
for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services,
subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On
the downside, the government must deal with high rates of
unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially was 23.8% in 2004,
but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection
rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's
impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond
mining production overshadows long-term prospects.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$26.04 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.31 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 51.5% (including 36% mining)
services: 46.9% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
288,400 formal sector employees (2004)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
7.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
30.3% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
63 (1993)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $4.741 billion
expenditures: $3.816 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Public debt:
5.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
14.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.22% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.026 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.336 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
NA
Agriculture - products:
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts
Industries:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock
processing; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
4.2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
979 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
2.574 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.959 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
11,640 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
14,500 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
$1.973 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$5.025 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
Exports - partners:
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs
Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006)
Imports:
$3.403 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment,
textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products,
metal and metal products
Imports - partners:
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4%
(2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$70.89 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.79 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$408 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$3.947 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
pula (BWP)
Currency code:
BWP
Exchange rates:
pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104
(2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003)
Communications
Botswana
Telephones - main lines in use:
136,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.427 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of
mobile-cellular service and participation in regional development;
system is fully digital with fiber-optic cables linking the major
population centers in the east; fixed-line connections declined in
recent years and now stand at roughly 8 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density currently is about 80 per 100
persons
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations;
mobile-cellular service is growing fast
international: country code - 267; international calls are made via
satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international
exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios:
252,720 (2000)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1 state-owned, 1 private)
Televisions:
31,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.bw
Internet hosts:
6,374 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2001)
Internet users:
80,000 (2007)
Transportation
Botswana
Airports:
85 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 74
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 54
under 914 m: 17 (2007)
Railways:
total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 25,798 km
paved: 8,410 km
unpaved: 17,388 km (2005)
Military
Botswana
Military branches:
Botswana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Air Wing (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official
qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 487,853
females age 16-49: 464,278 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 290,093
females age 16-49: 257,700 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 23,007
female: 22,551 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Botswana
Disputes - international:
Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of
Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and political persecution;
Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections
to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the
Zambezi River at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing
the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Bouvet Island
Introduction
Bouvet Island
Background:
This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by
glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by
a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was
made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK
waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island
the previous year. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet Island and the
adjacent territorial waters a nature reserve. Since 1977, it has run
an automated meteorological station on the island.
Geography
Bouvet Island
Location:
island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good
Hope (South Africa)
Geographic coordinates:
54 26 S, 3 24 E
Map references:
Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 49 sq km
land: 49 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29.6 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate:
antarctic
Terrain:
volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (93% ice) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve Norway
People
Bouvet Island
Population:
uninhabited
Government
Bouvet Island
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island
Dependency status: