summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Reng Tlang 957 m
Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber
Land use:
arable land: 73%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures : 5%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 5% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 31,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely
flooded during the summer monsoon season
Environment - current issues: many people are landless and forced to
live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable
water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of
fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides;
intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the
northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation;
deforestation; severe overpopulation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
@Bangladesh:People
Population: 125,340,261 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 24,397,316; female 23,417,919)
15-64 years : 59% (male 37,758,378; female 35,715,343)
65 years and over: 3% (male 2,204,445; female 1,846,860) (July 1997
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.82% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 29.8 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 10.9 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.19 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 100 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.26 years
male: 56.35 years
female : 56.16 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.45 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladesh
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1
million
Religions: Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, other 1.2%
Languages: Bangla (official), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.1%
male: 49.4%
female : 26.1% (1995 est.)
@Bangladesh:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former : East Pakistan
Data code: BG
Government type: republic
National capital: Dhaka
Administrative divisions: 4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna,
Rajshahi
note: there may be two new divisions named Barisal and Sylhet
Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended
following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended
many times
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Shahabuddin AHMED (since 9 October 1996);
note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial, but with the
13th amendment to the constitution ("Caretaker Government Amendment"),
the president's role becomes significant at times when Parliament is
dissolved and a caretaker government is installed - at presidential
direction - to supervise the elections
head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina WAJED (since 23 June
1996)
cabinet : Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year
term; election last held 24 July 1996 (next to be held by NA October
2001); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that
wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the
president
election results : Shahabuddin AHMED elected president without
opposition; percent of National Parliament vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad
(330 seats; 300 elected by popular vote from single territorial
constituencies, 30 seats reserved for women; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 12 June 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - AL 33.87%, BNP 30.87%;
seats by party - AL 178, BNP 113, JP 33, JI 3, other 2, election still
to be held 1; note - the elections of 12 June 1996 brought to power an
Awami League government for the first time in twenty-one years; held
under a neutral, caretaker administration, the elections were
characterized by a peaceful, orderly process and massive voter
turnout, ending a bitter two-year impasse between the former BNP and
opposition parties that had paralyzed National Parliament and led to
widespread street violence
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, the Chief Justices and other judges
are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP),
Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo
Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD; Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Motiur
Rahman NIZAMI; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP,
UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Khwaja Mohammad SHEHABUDDIN
chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone : [1] (202) 342-8372 through 8376
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David N. MERRILL
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
mailing address : G.P.O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
telephone: [880] (2) 884700 through 884722
FAX: [880] (2) 883-744
Flag description: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist
side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam
Economy
Economy - overview: Despite sustained domestic and international
efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh
remains one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least
developed nations. Annual GDP growth has averaged over 4% in recent
years from a low base. Its economy is largely agricultural, with the
cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the economy.
Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, the
inefficiency of state-owned enterprises, a rapidly growing labor force
that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy
resources (natural gas), inadequate power supplies, and slow
implementation of economic reforms. Frequent strikes that crippled the
economy in 1995 and early 1996 subsided after Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina WAJED's Awami League government assumed power in mid-1996,
allowing a return to normal economic activity. The current government
has made some headway improving the climate for foreign investors and
liberalizing the capital markets; for example, it has negotiated with
foreign firms for oil and gas exploration, better countrywide
distribution of cooking gas, and the construction of natural gas
pipelines and power plants. Progress on other economic reforms has
been halting because of opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector
unions, and other vested interest groups.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $155.1 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (1996)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,260 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
industry: 18%
services: 51% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 4% (FY95/96)
Labor force:
total: 50.1 million
by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 21%, industry and mining 14%
(1989)
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
Unemployment rate: 35.9% (1996)
Budget:
revenues : $4.1 billion
expenditures: $6 billion, including capital expenditures of $3 billion
(FY95/96 est.)
Industries: jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing,
steel, fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 2.98 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 10.01 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 76 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes;
beef, milk, poultry
Exports:
total value: $3.9 billion (FY95/96 est.)
commodities : garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and
seafood
partners: Western Europe 42%, US 30%, Hong Kong 4%, Japan 3% (FY95/96
est.)
Imports:
total value: $6.8 billion (FY95/96 est.)
commodities: capital goods, textiles, food, petroleum products
partners: India 21%, China 10%, Western Europe 8%, Hong Kong 7%,
Singapore 6% (FY95/96 est.)
Debt - external: $17.1 billion (1996)
Economic aid:
recipient : $1.585 billion (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 taka (Tk) = 100 poiska
Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1 - 42.450 (January 1997), 41.794
(1996), 40.278 (1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Bangladesh:Communications
Telephones: 249,800 (1994 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: poor domestic telephone service
international : satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
neighboring countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 11
Televisions: 350,000 (1993 est.)
@Bangladesh:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,892 km
broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992)
Highways:
total : 168,513 km
paved: 15,672 km
unpaved: 152,841 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km
main cargo routes)
Pipelines: natural gas 1,220 km
Ports and harbors: Chittagong, Dhaka, Chalna Port (Mongla)
Merchant marine:
total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 323,057 GRT/464,090 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 32, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1996 est.)
Airports: 15 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m : 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces
(includes Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve,
Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 32,797,816 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 19,406,790 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $481 million (FY95/96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (FY95/96)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: a portion of the boundary with India in
dispute; Bangladesh and India signed a treaty 12 December 1996 to
share water from the Ganges
Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in
neighboring countries
______________________________________________________________________
BARBADOS
@Barbados:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: 13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 97 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea : 12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 37%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland : 12%
other: 46% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste
disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal
threatens contamination of aquifers
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity
Geography - note: easternmost Caribbean island
@Barbados:People
Population: 258,756 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 31,025; female 30,197)
15-64 years: 66% (male 83,977; female 87,208)
65 years and over : 10% (male 10,002; female 16,347) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.12% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 15.35 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 8.25 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.6 years
male : 71.84 years
female: 77.43 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Barbadian(s)
adjective: Barbadian
Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 4%, other 16%
Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%,
other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Languages: English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97.4%
male: 98%
female: 96.8% (1995 est.)
@Barbados:Government
Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Barbados
Data code: BB
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Bridgetown
Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew,
Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint
Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas
note: the city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Independence: 30 November 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution: 30 November 1966
Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative
acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since
1 June 1996)
head of government : Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6
September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Billie MILLER (since 6
September 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general
appointed by the queen; prime minister appointed by the governor
general
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
(21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of
Assembly (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections : House of Assembly - last held 6 September 1994 (next to be
held by January 1999)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - BLP 19, DLP 8, NDP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature, judges are appointed by
the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Service
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David
THOMPSON]; Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Richard HAYNES]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Barbados Workers Union [Leroy
TROTMAN]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Workers' Party
of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David
COMMISSIONG]
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, NAM,
OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Courtney N. BLACKMAN
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9218, 9219
FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
consulate(s): Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanette W. HYDE
embassy : Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street,
Bridgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055
telephone : [1] (246) 436-4950
FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side),
gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold
band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the
past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
Economy
Economy - overview: Historically, the Barbadian economy had been
dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but in
recent years the production has diversified into manufacturing and
tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown
helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996. The industry
generated $331.8 million by the end of June and was expected to double
by the end of the year. Prime Minister Owen ARTHUR called for
"prudent" financial management to ensure that economic growth would
continue. As part of his plan, the Prime Minister introduced a
controversial Value Added Tax (VAT) in an effort to reform the tax
administration process. The VAT will be administered at 15% for most
industries and 7% for the tourism industry. The government has also
continued its efforts to promote regional integration initiatives, to
reduce the unacceptably high unemployment rate, and to encourage
direct foreign investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.65 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,300 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.4%
industry: 39.3%
services: 54.3% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.8% (1995)
Labor force:
total: 126,000 (1993)
by occupation: services and government 41%, commerce 15%,
manufacturing and construction 18%, transportation, storage,
communications, and financial institutions 8%, agriculture 6%,
utilities 2% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $550 million
expenditures: $710 million, including capital expenditures of $86
million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly
for export
Industrial production growth rate: 7.7% (1995)
Electricity - capacity: 153,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 644 million kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 2,208 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Exports:
total value: $235 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages,
chemicals, electrical components, clothing
partners: US 13%, UK 10%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Windward Islands 8%
Imports:
total value: $763 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction
materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
partners: US 36%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 3%
Debt - external: $359 million (December 1996)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed
rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Barbados:Communications
Telephones: 87,343 (1991 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: island wide automatic telephone system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1 pay)
Televisions: 69,350 (1993 est.)
@Barbados:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,610 km
paved : 1,542 km
unpaved: 68 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: Bridgetown
Merchant marine:
total: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 453,828 GRT/684,470 DWT
ships by type : bulk 16, cargo 27, combination bulk 4, oil tanker 3,
refrigerated cargo 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 1 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes Ground
Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 71,547 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 49,446 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for
narcotics bound for the US and Europe
______________________________________________________________________
BASSAS DA INDIA
(possession of France)
@Bassas da India:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel,
about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S, 39 50 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 0.2 sq km
land: 0.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about one-third the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 meters high
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land : 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (all rock)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: maritime hazard since it is usually under water
during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
@Bassas da India:People
Population: uninhabited
@Bassas da India:Government
Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Bassas da India
Data code: BS
Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high
commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
National capital: none; administered by France from Reunion
Independence: none (possession of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
Economy
Economy - overview: no economic activity
@Bassas da India:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar
______________________________________________________________________
BELARUS
@Belarus:Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 28 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 207,600 sq km
land: 207,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas