total: 4,911 (1980)
by occupation: tourism NA%
Unemployment rate: 3% (1995)
Budget:
revenues: $77.1 million
expenditures : $76.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY93/94)
Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete
block, offshore financial center
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1985)
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Exports:
total value: $3.4 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities : rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Imports:
total value: $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1988)
commodities: building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Debt - external: $4.5 million (1985)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@British Virgin Islands:Communications
Telephones: 6,291 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA
international: submarine cable to Bermuda
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1995)
Radios: 9,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 4,000 (1992 est.)
@British Virgin Islands:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 113 km (1995 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Road Town
Merchant marine: none (1995 est.)
Airports: 3 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m : 1
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
BRUNEI
@Brunei:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and
Malaysia
Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N, 114 40 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 5,770 sq km
land : 5,270 sq km
water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland
in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land : 1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 85%
other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very
rare
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea
linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by
Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia
@Brunei:People
Population: 307,616 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 52,239; female 50,025)
15-64 years: 63% (male 101,326; female 90,941)
65 years and over: 4% (male 7,207; female 5,878) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.5% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 25.2 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.13 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.54 years
male: 70 years
female: 73.16 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.37 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian
Ethnic groups: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%
Religions: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%,
indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)
Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.2%
male: 92.6%
female: 83.4% (1995 est.)
@Brunei:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei
Data code: BX
Government type: constitutional sultanate
National capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Administrative divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular -
daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984)
Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a
State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1
January 1984)
Legal system: based on Islamic law
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri
Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5
October 1967); note - the sultan is both the chief of state and head
of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri
Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5
October 1967); note - the sultan is both the chief of state and head
of government
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by
the sultan; deals with executive matters
note: there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the
sultan) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members
appointed by the sultan) that deals with constitutional matters, and
the Council of Succession (members appointed by the sultan) that
determines the succession to the throne if the need arises
elections: none; the sultan is a traditional Islamic monarch
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat
Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative capacity;
NA seats; members appointed by the sultan)
elections: last held in March 1962
note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree
of the sultan; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as
part of constitutional reform, but elections are unlikely for several
years
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice and judges are sworn in
by the sultan for three-year terms
Political parties and leaders: Brunei United National Party
(inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Solidarity
Party (the first legal political party and now banned), Mohamad HATTA
bin Maji Zainal Abidin, secretary general; Brunei Peoples Party
(banned), Sheik A. M. AZAHARI, leader; Brunei National Democratic
Party or BNDP (deregistered), Haji Abdul LATIF bin Abdul Hamad,
president
International organization participation: APEC, ASEAN, C, CCC, ESCAP,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Pengiran Anak Dato Haji PUTEH
chancery: Watergate, Suite 300, 3rd floor, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 342-0159
FAX: [1] (202) 342-0158
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Glen Robert RASE
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri
Begawan
mailing address : American Embassy Box B, Bandar Seri Begawan, APO AP
96440
telephone: [673] (2) 229670
FAX: [673] (2) 225293
Flag description: yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost
double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the
national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem
includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an
upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
Economy
Economy - overview: This small, wealthy economy is a mixture of
foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and
welfare measures, and village tradition. It is almost totally
supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from
the petroleum sector accounting for perhaps half of GDP. Per capita
GDP is among the highest in the Third World, and substantial income
from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production.
The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food
and housing. The government is beginning to show progress on its basic
policy of diversifying the economy away from oil and gas. Brunei's
leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world
economy will undermine internal social cohesion.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,800 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 3%
industry: 46%
services: 51% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.5% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 119,000 (1993 est.); note - includes members of the Army
by occupation: government 48%, production of oil, natural gas,
services, and construction 42%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4%,
other 6% (1986 est.)
note : 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)
Unemployment rate: 4.8% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures : $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $768
million (1995 est.)
Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas,
construction
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 344,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 1.24 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,003 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: rice, cassava (tapioca), bananas; water
buffalo, pigs
Exports:
total value : $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
partners: Japan 50%, UK 19%, Thailand 10%, Singapore 9% (1994 est.)
Imports:
total value: $2 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities : machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods,
food, chemicals
partners: Singapore 29%, UK 19%, US 13%, Malaysia 9%, Japan 5% (1994
est.)
Debt - external: $0
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.4061 (January
1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994), 1.6158 (1993),
1.6290 (1992); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore
dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Brunei:Communications
Telephones: 76,900 (1993)
Telephone system: service throughout country is adequate for present
needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 115,000 (1993)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1984 est.)
Televisions: 78,000 (1993 est.)
@Brunei:Transportation
Railways:
total: 13 km (private line)
narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge
Highways:
total: 1,120 km
paved: 388 km
unpaved : 732 km (1995)
Waterways: 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m
Pipelines: crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas
920 km
Ports and harbors: Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria,
Tutong
Merchant marine:
total: 7 liquefied gas tankers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476
GRT/340,635 DWT (1996 est.)
Airports: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 85,327 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 49,466 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 3,014 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $312 million (1994)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 6.2% (1994)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient
that divides the country; all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by
China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and
the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone
that encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island
______________________________________________________________________
BULGARIA
@Bulgaria:Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between
Romania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total : 110,910 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km
water: 360 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all
with Serbia), Turkey 240 km
Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea : 12 nm
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable
land
Land use:
arable land: 37%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 16%
forests and woodland: 35%
other: 10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,370 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions;
rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents;
deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid
rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants
and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls
key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
@Bulgaria:People
Population: 8,290,988 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 720,499; female 685,258)
15-64 years: 67% (male 2,769,288; female 2,823,431)
65 years and over: 16% (male 558,028; female 734,484) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.63% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 8.05 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 13.38 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.65 years
male: 68.06 years
female: 75.44 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.14 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%, Macedonian
2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%
Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman
Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian,
and other 0.5%
Languages: Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic
breakdown
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1992 est.)
@Bulgaria:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
Data code: BU
Government type: emerging democracy
National capital: Sofia
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast);
Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya,
Varna
Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991
Legal system: based on civil law system with Soviet law influence;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Petar STOYANOV (since 22 January 1997); Vice
President Todor KAVALDZHIEV (since 22 January 1997)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime
Minister) Ivan Kostov (since 19 May 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers
Aleksandur BOZHKOV (since 12 February 1997 Evgeniy BAKURDZHIEV (since
21 May 1997), Veselin METODIEV (since 21 May 1997)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 October and 3
November 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); chairman of the Council of
Ministers (prime minister) appointed by the president
election results: Petar STOYANOV elected president; percent of vote -
Petar STOYANOV 59.73%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie
(240 seats; members are popularly elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 19 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results : percent of vote by party - UDF 52%, BSP 22%, ANS
7%, Euro-left 5.5%, BBB 4.95%; seats by party - UDF 137, BSP 58, ANS
19, Euro-left 14, BBB 12
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a seven-year
term by the president; Constitutional Court, 12 justices appointed or
elected for a nine-year term
Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP
[Georgi PURVANOV, chairman]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF (an
alliance of pro-Democratic parties) [Ivan KOSTOV]; Euro-left
[Alexander TOMOV]; Alliance for National Salvation or ANS (coalition
led mainly by Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]);
Bulgarian Business Bloc or BBB [George GANCHEV]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Democratic Alliance for the
Republic or DAR; New Union for Democracy or NUD; Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa
Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union; Bulgarian Communist Party or
BCP; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or KNSB;
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union - United or BZNS; Bulgarian
Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov" Bulgarian Agrarian National Union;
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Union of Macedonian
Societies or IMRO-UMS; numerous regional, ethnic, and national
interest groups with various agendas
International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE,
CEI, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OSCE,
PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UPU,
WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Snezhana Damianova BOTUSHAROVA
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone : [1] (202) 387-7969
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Avis T. BOHLEN (22 July 1996)
embassy : 1 Saborna Street, Sofia
mailing address: Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC
50521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 980-52-41 through 48
FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green,
and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white
stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath
of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing
the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation
from Nazi control)
Economy
Economy - overview: One of the poorest countries of central Europe,
Bulgaria has slowly continued the process of moving from its old
command economy towards a market-oriented economy. Slow advancement on
economic reforms pitched the economy into crisis in 1996, marked by a
banking system in turmoil, a depreciating currency, inflation of 311%
and contracting production and foreign trade. Foreign exchange
reserves dwindled to extremely low levels ($518 million), while
dramatically hiked interest rates added to the domestic debt burden
and stifled growth. GDP fell by 10% in 1996, after experiencing 2.6%
growth in 1995. Privatization of state-owned industries stagnated,
although the first auction of a mass privatization program was
undertaken in late 1996. Lagging progress on structural reforms led to
postponement of IMF disbursements under a $580 million standby loan
agreed to in July. In November 1996, the IMF proposed a currency board
as Bulgaria's best chance to restore confidence in the lev, eliminate
discretionary spending, and avoid hyperinflation. The government has
pledged to sell some of the country's most attractive state assets to
the highest foreign bidders in 1997. The Bulgarian economy is
projected to have another year of negative growth (minus 5%), and
inflation near 700% in 1997, assuming introduction of a currency board
in July of 1997.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $39.9 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -10% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,630 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.6%
industry: 35.7%
services: 51.7% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 311% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 3.57 million (1996 est.)
by occupation : industry 41%, agriculture 18%, other 41% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 12.5% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3 billion
expenditures : $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: machine building and metal working, food processing,
chemicals, textiles, construction materials, ferrous and nonferrous
metals
Industrial production growth rate: -6.5% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 12.09 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 36.07 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,491 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, oilseed, vegetables, fruits, tobacco;
livestock
Exports:
total value: $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities : machinery and equipment 12.8%; agriculture and food
21.9%; textiles and apparel 14%; metals and ores 19.7%; chemicals
16.9%; minerals and fuels 9.3% (1995)
partners: OECD 50.0% (EU 37.2%); CIS and Central and Eastern Europe
32.4%; Arab countries 5.8%; other 11.8% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $4.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials 30.1%; machinery and
equipment 23.6%; textiles and apparel 11.6%; agricultural products
10.8%; metals and ores 6.8%; chemicals 12.3%; other 4.8% (1995)
partners : OECD 45.5% (EU 38.1%); CIS and Central and Eastern European
countries 41.1%; Arab countries 1.8%; other 11.6% (1995)
Debt - external: $9.3 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: NA
Currency: 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki