accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (adult)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005);
First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi (since 9 November 2007);
Second Vice President Gabriel NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9 February
2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August
2005); First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi (since 9 November
2007); Second Vice President Gabriel NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9
February 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year
term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted
in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected
by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; next elections to be
held in August 2010; vice presidents nominated by the president,
endorsed by parliament
election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the
parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in
February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by
a two-thirds majority of the legislature
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a Senate (54 seats;
34 members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms, with
remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of
state) and a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100
seats, 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women;
additional seats appointed by a National Independent Electoral
Commission to ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in July
2010); National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held in
July 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - CNDD-FDD 30, FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1; National Assembly - percent
of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD
4.1%, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party -
CNDD-FDD 59, FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; High Court of
Justice (composed of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court)
Political parties and leaders:
governing parties: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce
NGENDAKUMANA]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front
for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Jeremie NGENDAKUMANA];
Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA]
note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are:
National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD [Leonard
NYANGOMA]; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of
the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party
for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations
economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressure
group)
other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO
chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574
FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER
embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
telephone: [257] 223454
FAX: [257] 222926
Flag description:
divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom)
and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk
superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars
outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above,
two stars below)
Economy ::Burundi
Economy - overview:
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an
underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on
subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea
exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The
ability to pay for imports rests primarily on weather conditions and
international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the
population, dominates the coffee trade. An ethnic-based war that
lasted for over a decade resulted in more than 200,000 deaths,
forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced
140,000 others internally. Only one in two children go to school,
and approximately one in 15 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and
electricity remain in short supply. Burundi's GDP grew around 4%
annually in 2006-08. Political stability and the end of the civil
war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but
underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a
weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk
undermining planned economic reforms. Burundi will continue to
remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral
donors; the delay of funds after a corruption scandal cut off
bilateral aid in 2007 reduced government's revenues and its ability
to pay salaries.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.109 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
$2.976 billion (2007 est.)
$2.872 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.097 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
3.6% (2007 est.)
5.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$300 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 227
$300 (2007 est.)
$300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 33.4%
industry: 21%
services: 45.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.245 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 84
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 93.6%
industry: 2.3%
services: 4.1% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
68% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 28% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42.4 (1998)
country comparison to the world: 54
Investment (gross fixed):
12.5% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
Budget:
revenues: $295.2 million
expenditures: $355 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
24.1% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
8.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.08% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 36
10.12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.52% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 32
16.84% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$261.6 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 102
$208.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$189.9 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 116
$141 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$370 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 118
$342 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc
(tapioca); beef, milk, hides
Industries:
light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of
imported components; public works construction; food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Electricity - production:
92 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Electricity - consumption:
125.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
40 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Oil - consumption:
3,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
Oil - imports:
2,495 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 197
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Current account balance:
-$182 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
-$116.8 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$79 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
$52.9 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides
Exports - partners:
Switzerland 27.9%, UK 11%, Pakistan 9.5%, Belgium 5.1%, Rwanda 5%,
Egypt 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$350 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
$257.6 million (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 20.7%, Belgium 12.6%, Uganda 8.4%, Kenya 7.4%, China
5.9%, France 5.4%, Germany 4.9%, India 4.1%, Tanzania 4.1%, Japan 4%
(2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$266.7 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
$177.1 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2003)
country comparison to the world: 151
Exchange rates:
Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar - 1,198 (2008 est.), 1,065
(2007), 1,030 (2006), 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004)
Communications ::Burundi
Telephones - main lines in use:
30,400 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 178
Telephones - mobile cellular:
480,600 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 156
Telephone system:
general assessment: primitive system; telephone density one of the
lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well less than
1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but remains
at a meager 5 per 100 persons
domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications,
and low-capacity microwave radio relay
international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)
Internet country code:
.bi
Internet hosts:
191 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 189
Internet users:
65,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 167
Transportation ::Burundi
Airports:
8 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 161
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 12,322 km
country comparison to the world: 131
paved: 1,286 km
unpaved: 11,036 km (2004)
Waterways:
mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bujumbura
Military ::Burundi
Military branches:
National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationale, FDN): Army
(includes naval detachment and Air Wing), Gendarmerie (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
military service is voluntary; the armed forces law of 31 December
2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but the
government had previously specified that each recruit would need to
have a primary school leaving certificate (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,878,544
females age 16-49: 1,851,676 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,124,072
females age 16-49: 1,102,729 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 101,402
female: 101,897 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Transnational Issues ::Burundi
Disputes - international:
Burundi and Rwanda dispute sections of border on the
Akanyaru/Kanyaru and the Kagera/Nyabarongo rivers, which have
changed course since the 1960s, when the boundary was delimited;
cross-border conflicts among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups,
associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government
forces persist in the Great Lakes region
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 9,849 (Democratic Republic of the
Congo)
IDPs: 100,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most
IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Burundi is a source country for children
trafficked for the purposes of child soldiering, domestic servitude,
and commercial sexual exploitation; a small number of Burundian
children may be trafficked internally for domestic servitude or
commercial sexual exploitation; in early 2008, Burundian children
were allegedly trafficked to Uganda, via Rwanda, for agricultural
labor and commercial sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Burundi is on the Tier 2 Watch List
for the second consecutive year for its failure to provide
sufficient evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in
persons in 2007; the government's inability to provide adequate
protective services to children accused of association with armed
groups and to conduct anti-trafficking law enforcement activities
continue to be causes for concern; Burundi has not ratified the 2000
UN TIP Protocol (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Cambodia (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Cambodia
Background:
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the
Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached
its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai
and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in
a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French
protection in 1863 and it became part of French Indochina in 1887.
Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full
independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year
struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and
evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died
from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer
Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion
drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year
Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war.
The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a
ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge.
UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of
normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997
ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national
elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition
government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements
of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving
Khmer Rouge leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal
for crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively
peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending
political parties before a coalition government was formed. In
October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his
son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local
elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, and there was little
in the way of pre-election violence that preceded prior elections.
National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful.
Geography ::Cambodia
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand,
Vietnam, and Laos
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 181,035 sq km
country comparison to the world: 89
land: 176,515 sq km
water: 4,520 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Land boundaries:
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
Coastline:
443 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season
(December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
Natural resources:
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates,
hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 20.44%
permanent crops: 0.59%
other: 78.97% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
476.1 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 4.08 cu km/yr (1%/0%/98%)
per capita: 290 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Environment - current issues:
illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining
for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have
resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular,
destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil
erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access
to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing
and overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and
Tonle Sap
People ::Cambodia
Population:
14,494,293
country comparison to the world: 65
note: estimates for this country 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
2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 2,388,922/female 2,336,439)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 4,498,568/female 4,743,677)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 197,649/female 329,038) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.1 years
male: 21.4 years
female: 22.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.765% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Birth rate:
25.73 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Death rate:
8.08 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 22% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 54.79 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 43
male: 61.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 47.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.1 years
country comparison to the world: 177
male: 60.03 years
female: 64.27 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.04 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
75,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
6,900 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and
malaria
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 (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian
Ethnic groups:
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
Religions:
Buddhist 96.4%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (1998
census)
Languages:
Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 73.6%
male: 84.7%
female: 64.1% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 9 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 172
Government ::Cambodia
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic
pronunciation)
local short form: Kampuchea
former: Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of
Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
Government type:
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Phnom Penh
geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong,
singular and plural)
provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong
Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb,
Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pailin, Pouthisat, Preah
Seihanu (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem
Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
municipalities: Phnum Penh (Phnom Penh)
Independence:
9 November 1953 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
Constitution:
promulgated 21 September 1993
Legal system:
primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period,
royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of
customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing
influence of common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985)
[co-prime minister from 1993 to 1997]; Permanent Deputy Prime
Minister MEN SAM AN (since 25 September 2008); Deputy Prime
Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK AN, TEA BANH, HOR
NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004); BIN CHHIN (since 5
September 2007); KEAT CHHON, YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008);
KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and
appointed by the monarch