486,620 are fit for military service; of the 1,064,285 females 15-49, 537,049
are fit for military service; about 55,550 males and 53,663 females reach
military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.7% of GDP, or $28.9 million (1988 est.)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Bermuda
(dependent territory of the UK)
- Geography
Total area: 50 km2; land area: 50 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 103 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions
Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
20% forest and woodland; 80% other
Environment: ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes;
consists of about 360 small coral islands
Note: 1,050 km east of North Carolina; some reclaimed land
leased by US Government
- People
Population: 58,337 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Bermudian(s); adjective--Bermudian
Ethnic divisions: 61% black, 39% white and other
Religion: 37% Anglican, 14% Roman Catholic, 10% African Methodist
Episcopal (Zion), 6% Methodist, 5% Seventh-Day Adventist, 28% other
Language: English
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 32,000; 25% clerical, 22% services, 21% laborers,
13% professional and technical, 10% administrative and managerial, 7% sales,
2% agriculture and fishing (1984)
Organized labor: 8,573 members (1985); largest union is Bermuda Industrial
Union
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Hamilton
Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire,
Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys,
Smiths, Southampton, Warwick
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: 8 June 1968
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Bermuda Day, 22 May
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, deputy governor, premier,
deputy premier, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or
Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor Sir Desmond LANGLEY (since NA October 1988);
Head of Government--Premier John William David SWAN (since NA January
1982)
Political parties and leaders: United Bermuda Party (UBP), John W. D.
Swan; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Frederick Wade; National Liberal
Party (NLP), Gilbert Darrell
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
House of Assembly--last held 9 February 1989 (next to be
held by February 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(40 total) UBP 23, PLP 15, NLP 1, other 1
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU),
headed by Ottiwell Simmons
Member of: INTERPOL, WHO
Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK,
Bermuda's interests in the US are represented by the UK; US--Consul
General James M. MEDAS; Consulate General at Vallis Building,
Par-la-Ville Road (off Front Street West), Hamilton (mailing address is
P. O. Box 325, Hamilton, or FPO New York 09560); telephone (809) 295-1342
Flag: red with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the
Bermudian coat of arms (white and blue shield with a red lion holding a scrolled
shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered
on the outer half of the flag
- Economy
Overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the
world, having successfully exploited its location by providing luxury tourist
facilities and financial services. The tourist industry attracts more than
90% of its business from North America. The industrial sector is
small, and agriculture is severely limited by a lack of suitable land. About
80% of food needs are imported.
GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $23,000; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (1988)
Unemployment: 2.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $280 million; expenditures $279 million, including
capital expenditures of $34 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $23 million (f.o.b.,1985);
commodities--semitropical produce, light manufactures;
partners--US 25%, Italy 25%, UK 14%, Canada 5%, other 31%
Imports: $402 million (c.i.f., 1985);
commodities--fuel, foodstuffs, machinery;
partners--US 58%, Netherlands Antilles 9%, UK 8%, Canada 6%, Japan
5%, other 14%
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 134,000 kW capacity; 446 million kWh produced,
7,680 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, finance, structural concrete products,
paints, pharmaceuticals, ship repairing
Agriculture: accounts for less than 1% of GDP; most basic foods must
be imported; produces bananas, vegetables, citrus fruits, flowers, dairy
products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $34 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $267 million
Currency: Bermudian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bermudian dollar
(Bd$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar (Bd$) per US$1--1.0000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications
Highways: 210 km public roads, all paved (about 400 km of private roads)
Ports: Freeport, Hamilton, St. George
Merchant marine: 93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,163,947
GRT/7,744,319 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 10 cargo, 4 refrigerated
cargo, 5 container, 10 roll-on/roll-off, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 1 combination ore/oil, 10 liquefied
gas, 20 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: modern with fully automatic telephone system; 46,290
telephones; stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 3 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Bhutan
- Geography
Total area: 47,000 km2; land area: 47,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Indiana
Land boundaries: 1,075 km total; China 470 km, India 605 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot
summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures;
70% forest and woodland; 23% other
Environment: violent storms coming down from the Himalayas were the source
of the country name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
- People
Population: 1,565,969 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 137 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 48 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Bhutanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Bhutanese
Ethnic divisions: 60% Bhote, 25% ethnic Nepalese, 15% indigenous or
migrant tribes
Religion: 75% Lamaistic Buddhism, 25% Indian- and Nepalese-influenced
Hinduism
Language: Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects--most widely spoken
dialect is Dzongkha (official); Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Literacy: 5%
Labor force: NA; 95% agriculture, 1% industry and commerce; massive lack
of skilled labor (1983)
Organized labor: not permitted
- Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Bhutan
Type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Capital: Thimphu
Administrative divisions: 3 regions and 1 division*; Central Bhutan,
Eastern Bhutan, Southern Bhutan*, Western Bhutan; note--there may now be 18
districts (dzong, singular and plural) named Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang,
Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi,
Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdiphodrang
Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India)
Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights
Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (Ugyen Wangchuck became first hereditary
king), 17 December (1907)
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Royal Advisory Council,
Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), chairman of the Council of Ministers,
Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Tshogdu)
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since
24 July 1972)
Political parties: no legal parties
Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections
Elections: no national elections
Communists: no overt Communist presence
Other political or pressure groups: Buddhist clergy, Indian merchant
community, ethnic Nepalese organizations
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IMF, NAM,
SAARC, UNESCO, UPU, UN, WHO
Diplomatic representation: no formal diplomatic relations, although
informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassies in
New Delhi (India); the Bhutanese mission to the UN in New York has consular
jurisdiction in the US
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper
triangle is orange and the lower triangle is red; centered along the dividing
line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side
- Economy
Overview: The economy is based on agriculture and forestry, which
provide the main livelihood for 90% of the population and account for about
50% of GDP. One of the world's least developed countries, rugged mountains
dominate and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult
and expensive. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists
are its most important natural resources.
GDP: $273 million, per capita $199; real growth rate 6.3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1989 est.)
Unemployment: NA
Budget: revenues $99 million; expenditures $128 million, including
capital expenditures of $65 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $70.9 million (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities--cardamon, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit;
partners--India 93%
Imports: $138.3 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.);
commodities--fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts,
vehicles, fabrics;
partners--India 67%
External debt: $70.1 million (FY89 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 12.4% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 353,000 kW capacity; 2,000 million kWh produced, 1,300 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: cement, chemical products, mining, distilling, food
processing, handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; based on subsistence farming and
animal husbandry; self-sufficient in food except for foodgrains; other
production--rice, corn, root crops, citrus fruit, dairy, and eggs
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-87), $85.8 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $11 million
Currency: ngultrum (plural--ngultrum); 1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100
chetrum; note--Indian currency is also legal tender
Exchange rates: ngultrum (Nu) per US$1--16.965 (January 1990),
16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611 (1986), 12.369 (1985);
note--the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications
Highways: 1,304 km total; 418 km surfaced, 515 km improved, 371 km
unimproved earth
Civil air: 1 jet, 2 prop
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: inadequate; 1,890 telephones (1985); 15,000 radio
receivers (1987 est.); 85 TV sets (1985); stations--20 AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Bhutan Army
Military manpower: males 15-49, 389,142; 208,231 fit for military
service; 17,203 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Bolivia
- Geography
Total area: 1,098,580 km2; land area: 1,084,390 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries: 6,743 km total; Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400
km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: 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
Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain: high plateau, hills, lowland plains
Natural resources: tin, natural gas, crude oil, zinc, tungsten,
antimony, silver, iron ore, lead, gold, timber
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 25% meadows and
pastures; 52% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to
efficient fuel combustion; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's
highest navigable lake, with Peru
- People
Population: 6,706,854 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Bolivian(s); adjective Bolivian
Ethnic divisions: 30% Quechua, 25% Aymara, 25-30% mixed, 5-15% European
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic; active Protestant minority, especially
Evangelical Methodist
Language: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara (all official)
Literacy: 63%
Labor force: 1,700,000; 50% agriculture, 26% services and utilities,
10% manufacturing, 4% mining, 10% other (1983)
Organized labor: 150,000-200,000, concentrated in mining, industry,
construction, and transportation; mostly organized under Bolivian Workers'
Central (COB) labor federation
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Bolivia
Type: republic
Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of
judiciary)
Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos,
singular--departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, El Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando,
Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
Constitution: 2 February 1967
Legal system: based on Spanish law and Code Napoleon; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Jaime
PAZ Zamora (since 6 August 1989); Vice President Luis OSSIO Sanjines
(since 6 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Movement of the Revolutionary
Left (MIR), Jaime Paz Zamora; Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN),
Hugo Banzer Suarez; Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Gonzalo
Sanchez de Lozada; United Left (IU), coalition of leftist parties which
includes Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), led by Antonio Aranibar,
Patriotic National Convergency Axis (EJE-P) led by Walter Delgadillo,
and Bolivian Communist Party (PCB) led by Humberto Ramirez; Conscience of
the Fatherland (CONDEPA), Carlos Palenque Aviles; Revolutionary
Vanguard-9th of April (VR-9), Carlos Serrate Reich
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 (married) or 21 (single)
Elections:
President--last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993);
results--Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada (MNR) 23%, Hugo Banzer Suarez
(ADN) 22%, Jaime Paz Zamora (MIR) 19%; no candidate received a
majority of the popular vote; Jaime Paz Zamora (MIR) formed a
coalition with Hugo Banzer (ADN); with ADN support Paz Zamora
won the congressional runoff election on 4 August and was inaugurated
on 6 August;
Senate--last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats (27 total) MNR 9, ADN 8, MIR 8, CONDEPA 2;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May
1993); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats (130 total) MNR 40, ADN 38, MIR 30, IU 10, CONDEPA 9,
VR-9 3
Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO,
SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge CRESPO; Chancery at
3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4410
through 4412; there are Bolivian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador Robert GELBARD; Embassy at Banco Popular del Peru Building,
corner of Calles Mercado y Colon, La Paz (mailing address is P. O. Box 425,
La Paz, or APO Miami 34032); telephone [591] (2) 350251 or 350120
Flag: 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
- Economy
Overview: The Bolivian economy steadily deteriorated between
1980 and 1985 as La Paz financed growing budget deficits by expanding
the money supply and inflation spiraled--peaking at 11,700%. An austere
orthodox economic program adopted by newly elected President Paz
Estenssoro in 1985, however, succeeded in reducing inflation to between
10% and 20% annually during 1987 and 1989, eventually restarting
economic growth. President Paz Zamora has pledged to retain the economic
policies of the previous government in order to keep inflation down
and continue the growth begun under his predecessor. Nevertheless,
Bolivia continues to be one of the poorest countries in Latin
America, and it remains vulnerable to price fluctuations for
its limited exports--mainly minerals and natural gas. Moreover,
for many farmers, who constitute half of the country's
work force, the main cash crop is coca, which is sold for cocaine
processing.
GNP: $4.6 billion, per capita $660; real growth rate 2.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 20.7% (1988)
Budget: revenues $2,867 million; expenditures $2,867 million,
including capital expenditures of $663 million (1987)
Exports: $634 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--metals 45%, natural gas 32%, coffee, soybeans,
sugar, cotton, timber, and illicit drugs;
partners--US 23%, Argentina
Imports: $786 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--food, petroleum, consumer goods, capital goods;
partners--US 15%
External debt: $5.7 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1987)
Electricity: 817,000 kW capacity; 1,728 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverage, tobacco,
handicrafts, clothing; illicit drug industry reportedly produces the largest
revenues
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP (including forestry and
fisheries); principal commodities--coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice,
potatoes, timber; self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: world's second-largest producer of coca
(after Peru) with an estimated 54,000 hectares under cultivation;
government considers all but 12,000 hectares illicit and subject to
eradication; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or
through Colombia and Brazil to the US and other international drug
markets
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $909 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
$1.4 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $340 million
Currency: boliviano (plural--bolivianos); 1 boliviano ($B) = 100
centavos
Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1--2.6917 (1989), 2.3502
(1988), 2.0549 (1987), 1.9220 (1986), 0.4400 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 3,675 km total; 3,643 km 1.000-meter gauge and 32 km
0.760-meter gauge, all government owned, single track
Highways: 38,836 km total; 1,300 km paved, 6,700 km gravel, 30,836 km
improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways
Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; refined products 580 km; natural gas
1,495 km
Ports: none; maritime outlets are Arica and Antofagasta in Chile and
Matarani in Peru
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,051
GRT/22,155 DWT; note--1 is owned by the Bolivian Navy
Civil air: 56 major transport aircraft
Airports: 636 total, 551 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways;
1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 110 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: radio relay system being expanded; improved
international services; 144,300 telephones; stations--129 AM, no FM, 43 TV,
68 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Bolivian Army, Bolivian Navy, Bolivian Air Force (literally,
the Army of the Nation, the Navy of the Nation, the Air Force of the Nation)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,629,154; 1,060,187 fit for military
service; 70,528 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 3% of GNP (1987)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Botswana
- Geography
Total area: 600,370 km2; land area: 585,370 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: 4,013 km total; Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km,
Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: short section of the boundary with Namibia is indefinite;
quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement
Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain: predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert
in southwest
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash,
coal, iron ore, silver, natural gas
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 75% meadows and pastures;
2% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: rains in early 1988 broke six years of drought that had
severely affected the important cattle industry; overgrazing; desertification
Note: landlocked; very long boundary with South Africa
- People
Population: 1,224,527 (July 1990), growth rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)