Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 58 years male, 64 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun and adjective--Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic divisions: 95% Batswana; about 4% Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi;
about 1% white
Religion: 50% indigenous beliefs, 50% Christian
Language: English (official), Setswana
Literacy: 60%
Labor force: 400,000; 163,000 formal sector employees, most others
are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1988 est.);
19,000 are employed in various mines in South Africa (1988)
Organized labor: 19 trade unions
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Botswana
Type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Central, Chobe, Ghanzi,
Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Ngamiland, North-East, South-East, Southern;
note--in addition, there may now be 4 town councils named Francistown,
Gaborone, Lobaste, Selebi-Pikwe
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK; formerly Bechuanaland)
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; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Botswana Day, 30 September (1966)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or
House of Chiefs and a lower house or National Assembly
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Quett K. J. MASIRE (since
13 July 1980); Vice President Peter S. MMUSI (since 3 January 1983)
Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Quett
Masire; Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth Koma; Botswana People's Party
(BPP), Knight Maripe; Botswana Independence Party (BIP), Motsamai Mpho;
Botswana Progressive Union (BPU), Daniel Kwele
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
President--last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October
1994);
results--President Quett K. J. Masire was reelected by the National
Assembly;
National Assembly--last held 7 October 1989 (next to be
held October 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(34 total, 30 elected) BDP 31, BNF 3
Communists: no known Communist organization; Koma of BNF has long history
of Communist contacts
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern African
Customs Union, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley
SEBELE; Chancery at Suite 404, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-4990 or 4991;
US--Ambassador-designate David PASSAGE; Deputy Chief of Mission
Johnnie CARSON; Embassy at Botswana Road, Gaborone
(mailing address is P. O. Box 90, Gaborone); telephone [267] 353982
through 353984
Flag: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe
in the center
- Economy
Overview: The economy has historically been based on cattle raising and
crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for over 80% of the
population, but produces only about 50% of food needs and contributes
a small 5% to GDP. The driving force behind the rapid economic growth of
the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This sector, mostly on the
strength of diamonds, has gone from generating 25% of GDP in 1980 to over 50%
in 1988. No other sector has experienced such growth, especially not
that of the agricultural sector, which is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor
soils. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 25%. A scarce resource base
limits diversification into labor-intensive industries.
GDP: $1.87 billion, per capita $1,600; real growth rate 8.4%
(FY88)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.45% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1987)
Budget: revenues $1,235 million; expenditures $1,080 million, including
capital expenditures of NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--diamonds 88%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 4%, cattle, animal
products;
partners--Switzerland, US, UK, other EC-associated members of
Southern African Customs Union
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--foodstuffs, vehicles, textiles, petroleum products;
partners--Switzerland, US, UK, other EC-associated members of Southern
African Customs Union
External debt: $700 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 16.8% (FY86)
Electricity: 217,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced,
510 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: livestock processing; mining of diamonds, copper,
nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP; subsistence
farming predominates; cattle raising supports 50% of the population;
must import large share of food needs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $242 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $43 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
$24 million
Currency: pula (plural--pula); 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1--1.8734 (January 1990), 2.0125 (1989),
1.8159 (1988), 1.6779 (1987), 1.8678 (1986), 1.8882 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications
Railroads: 712 km 1.0 67-meter gauge
Highways: 11,514 km total; 1,600 km paved; 1,700 km crushed stone or
gravel, 5,177 km improved earth, 3,037 km unimproved earth
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 99 total, 87 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: the small system is a combination of open-wire lines,
radio relay links, and a few radiocommunication stations; 17,900 telephones;
stations--2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Wing, Botswana Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 249,480; 131,304 fit for military
service; 14,363 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.2% of GNP (1987)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Bouvet Island
(territory of Norway)
- Geography
Total area: 58 km2; land area: 58 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 29.6 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 meters;
coast is mostly inacessible
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: covered by glacial ice
Note: located in the South Atlantic Ocean 2,575 km
south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
- People
Population: uninhabited
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: territory of Norway
- Economy
Overview: no economic activity
- Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: automatic meteorological station
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Brazil
- Geography
Total area: 8,511,965 km2; land area: 8,456,510 km2; includes
Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade,
Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
Comparative area: slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries: 14,691 km total; Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km,
Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km,
Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Coastline: 7,491 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: short section of the boundary with Paraguay (just west of
Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) is in dispute; two short
sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute (Arroyo de la
Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of
the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay); claims a Zone of Interest in Antarctica
Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
mountains, and narrow coastal belt
Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, bauxite, nickel, uranium,
phosphates, tin, hydropower, gold, platinum, crude oil, timber
Land use: 7% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures;
67% forest and woodland; 6% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recurrent droughts in northeast; floods and frost in south;
deforestation in Amazon basin; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro
and Sao Paulo
Note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries
with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
- People
Population: 152,505,077 (July 1990), growth rate 1.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Brazilian(s); adjective--Brazilian
Ethnic divisions: Portuguese, Italian, German, Japanese, black,
Amerindian; 55% white, 38% mixed, 6% black, 1% other
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic (nominal)
Language: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Literacy: 76%
Labor force: 57,000,000 (1989 est.); 42% services, 31% agriculture,
27% industry
Organized labor: 13,000,000 dues paying members (1989 est.)
- Government
Long-form name: Federative Republic of Brazil
Type: federal republic
Capital: Brasilia
Administrative divisions: 24 states (estados, singular--estado),
2 territories* (territorios, singular--territorio), and 1 federal district**
(distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa*, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara,
Distrito Federal**, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato
Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana,
Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul,
Rondonia, Roraima*, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins;
note--the territories of Amapa and Roraima will become states
on 15 March 1991
Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
Constitution: 5 October 1988
Legal system: based on Latin codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional)
consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or
Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Fernando
Affonso COLLOR de Mello (since 15 March 1990); Vice President
Itamar FRANCO (since 15 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: National Reconstruction Party (PRN),
Daniel Tourinho, president; Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB),
Ulysses Guimaraes, president; Liberal Front Party (PFL), Hugo
Napoleao, president; Workers' Party (PT), Luis Ignacio (Lula) da
Silva, president; Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), Luiz Gonzaga de Paiva
Muniz, president; Democratic Labor Party (PDT), Doutel de Andrade,
president; Democratic Social Party (PDS), Jarbas Passarinho, president;
Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Mario Covas, president;
Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), Salomao Malina, secretary general;
Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Joao Amazonas, president
Suffrage: voluntary at age 16; compulsory between ages 18 and 70;
voluntary at age 70
Elections:
President--last held 15 November 1989, with runoff on 17
December 1989 (next to be held November 1994);
results--Fernando Collor de Mello 53%, Luis Inacio da Silva 47%;
first free, direct presidential election since 1960;
Senate--last held 15 November 1986 (next to be held 3 October
1990); results--PMDB 60%, PFL 21%, PDS 8%, PDT 3%, others 8%;
seats--(66 total) PMDB 43, PFL 15, PDS 6, PDT 2, others 6; note--as of
1990 Senate has 75 seats;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 15 November 1986 (next to
be held 3 October 1990);
results--PMDB 53%, PFL 23%, PDS 7%, PDT 5%, other 12%;
seats--(495 total) PMDB 258, PFL 114, PDS 33, PDT 24, others 58;
note--as of 1990 Chamber of Deputies has 570 seats
Communists: about 30,000
Other political or pressure groups: left wing of the Catholic Church
and labor unions allied to leftist Worker's Party are critical of government's
social and economic policies
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS, PAHO,
SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcilio Marques MOREIRA; Chancery
at 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-2700;
there are Brazilian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, and New York, and Consulates in Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador Richard MELTON; Embassy at Avenida das Nocoes,
Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal (mailing address is APO Miami 34030);
telephone [55] (6) 321-7272; there are US Consulates General in Rio de Janeiro
and Sao Paulo, and Consulates in Porto Alegre and Recife
Flag: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue
celestial globe with 23 white five-pointed stars (one for each state) arranged
in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white
equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
- Economy
Overview: The economy, a mixture of private enterprises of all
sizes and extensive government intervention, experienced enormous
difficulties in the late 1980s, notably declining real growth, runaway
inflation, foreign debt obligations of more than $100 billion, and
uncertain economic policy. Government intervention includes trade and
investment restrictions, wage/price controls, interest and exchange rate
controls, and extensive tariff barriers. Ownership of major industrial
facilities is divided among private interests, the government, and
multinational companies. Ownership in agriculture likewise is varied,
with the government intervening in the politically sensitive
issues involving large landowners and the masses of poor peasants.
In consultation with the IMF, the Brazilian Government has initiated
several programs over the last few years to ameliorate the stagnation
and foreign debt problems. None of these has given more than temporary
relief. The strategy of the new Collor government is to increase
the pace of privatization, encourage foreign trade and investment,
and establish a more realistic exchange rate. One long-run strength
is the existence of vast natural resources.
GDP: $377 billion, per capita $2,500; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1,765% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 2.5% (December 1989)
Budget: revenues $27.8 billion; expenditures $40.1 billion,
including capital expenditures of $8.8 billion (1986)
Exports: $34.2 billion (1989 est.);
commodities--coffee, metallurgical products, chemical products,
foodstuffs, iron ore, automobiles and parts;
partners--US 28%, EC 26%, Latin America 11%, Japan 6% (1987)
Imports: $18.0 billion (1989 est.);
commodities--crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs,
coal;
partners--Middle East and Africa 24%, EC 22%, US 21%, Latin
America 12%, Japan 6% (1987)
External debt: $109 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.2% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 52,865,000 kW capacity; 202,280 million kWh produced,
1,340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles and other consumer goods, shoes, chemicals, cement,
lumber, iron ore, steel, motor vehicles and auto parts, metalworking, capital
goods, tin
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP; world's largest producer and
exporter of coffee and orange juice concentrate and second-largest exporter of
soybeans; other products--rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, beef; self-sufficient
in food, except for wheat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and coca, mostly for
domestic consumption; government has an active eradication program
to control cannabis and coca cultivation
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $2.5 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $9.5 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $284 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
$1.3 billion
Currency: novo cruzado (plural--novos cruzados);
1 novo cruzado (NCr$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: novos cruzados (NCr$) per US$1--2.83392 (1989),
0.26238 (1988), 0.03923 (1987), 0.01366 (1986), 0.00620 (1985); note--
25 tourist/parallel rate (December 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 29,694 km total; 25,268 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,339 km
1.600-meter gauge, 74 km mixed 1.600-1.000-meter gauge,
13 km 0.760-meter gauge; 2,308 km electrified
Highways: 1,448,000 km total; 48,000 km paved, 1,400,000 km gravel or
earth
Inland waterways: 50,000 km navigable
Pipelines: crude oil, 2,000 km; refined products, 3,804 km; natural gas,
1,095 km
Ports: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre,
Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos
Merchant marine: 271 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,855,708
GRT/9,909,097 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 68 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo,
12 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off, 56 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 14 combination ore/oil,
82 bulk, 2 combination bulk
Civil air: 176 major transport aircraft
Airports: 3,774 total, 3,106 usable; 386 with permanent-surface runways;
2 with runways over 3,659 m; 21 with runways 2,240-3,659 m; 503 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system; extensive radio relay facilities;
9.86 million telephones; stations--1,223 AM, no FM, 112 TV, 151 shortwave;
3 coaxial submarine cables 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations with total
of 3 antennas; 64 domestic satellite stations
- Defense Forces
Branches: Brazilian Army, Navy of Brazil, Brazilian Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 39,620,936; 26,752,307 fit for military
service; 1,617,378 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 0.6% of GDP, or $2.3 billion (1989 est.)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: British Indian Ocean Territory
(dependent territory of the UK)
- Geography
Total area: 60 km2; land area: 60 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 698 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: Diego Garcia is claimed by Mauritius
Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain: flat and low (up to 4 meters in elevation)
Natural resources: coconuts, fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: archipelago of 2,300 islands
Note: Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies
strategic location in central Indian Ocean
- People
Population: no permanent civilian population; formerly about 3,000
islanders
Ethnic divisions: civilian inhabitants, known as the Ilois, evacuated to
Mauritius before construction of UK and US defense facilities
- Government
Long-form name: British Indian Ocean Territory (no short-form
name); abbreviated BIOT
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: none
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government--Commissioner R. EDIS (since NA 1988),
Administrator Robin CROMPTON (since NA 1988);
note--both officials reside in the UK
Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory
of the UK)
Flag: the flag of the UK is used
- Economy
Overview: All economic activity is concentrated on the largest
island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located.
Construction projects and various services needed to support the military
installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK and US.
There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.
Electricity: provided by the US military
- Communications
Highways: short stretch of paved road between port and airfield on
Diego Garcia
Ports: Diego Garcia
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways over 3,659 m on Diego Garcia
Telecommunications: minimal facilities; stations (operated by the
US Navy)--1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
----------------------------------------------------
Country: British Virgin Islands
(dependent territory of the UK)
- Geography
Total area: 150 km2; land area: 150 km2
Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 20% arable land; 7% permanent crops; 33% meadows and pastures;
7% forest and woodland; 33% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes and tropical storms from July
to October
Note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
- People
Population: 12,258 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--British Virgin Islander(s); adjective--British
Virgin Islander
Ethnic divisions: over 90% black, remainder of white and Asian origin
Religion: majority Methodist; others include Anglican, Church of God,
Seventh-Day Adventist, Baptist, and Roman Catholic
Language: English (official)
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Road Town
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: 1 June 1977
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister,
Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by
Governor John Mark Ambrose HERDMAN (since NA 1986);
Head of Government--Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT (since NA 1986)