(1994), 27.1 (1993), 23.3 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Bulgaria:Communications
Telephones: 2,773,293 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: almost two-thirds of the lines are residential; 67%
of Sofia households have telephones (November 1988 est.)
domestic: extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay; telephone service is available in
most villages
international : direct dialing to 36 countries; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region); Intelsat available
through a Greek earth station
Radio broadcast stations: AM 20, FM 15, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 29 (Russian repeater in Sofia 1)
Televisions: 2.1 million (May 1990 est.)
@Bulgaria:Transportation
Railways:
total : 4,292 km
standard gauge: 4,047 km 1.435-m gauge (2,650 km electrified; 917
double track)
other gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 36,777 km
paved: 33,798 km (including 314 km of expressways)
unpaved : 2,979 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 470 km (1987)
Pipelines: crude oil 193 km; petroleum products 525 km; natural gas
1,400 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
Merchant marine:
total: 99 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,063,367 GRT/1,596,438
DWT
ships by type: bulk 45, cargo 25, chemical tanker 4, container 2, oil
tanker 12, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 1
note : Bulgaria owns an additional 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 151,855 DWT operating under the registries of Liberia and
Malta (1996 est.)
Airports: 355 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 116
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m : 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
under 914 m: 88 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 239
2,438 to 3,047 m : 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 226 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border
Troops, Internal Troops
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,052,731 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 1,711,729 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 62,908 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $418.6 million (1996)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.0% to 2.5% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian
heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the
European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; significant
producer of amphetamines, much of which are consumed in the Middle
East
______________________________________________________________________
BURKINA FASO
@Burkina Faso:Geography
Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km
land : 273,800 sq km
water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 3,192 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km,
Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west
and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Black Volta River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of
gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc,
silver
Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 50%
other : 15% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 200 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts
Environment - current issues: recent droughts and desertification
severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution,
and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: landlocked
@Burkina Faso:People
Population: 10,891,159 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,636,509; female 2,602,984)
15-64 years : 49% (male 2,515,266; female 2,799,542)
65 years and over: 3% (male 146,267; female 190,591) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.45% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 46.43 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 20.33 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 116.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 42.29 years
male: 42.45 years
female : 42.12 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.72 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective: Burkinabe
Ethnic groups: Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande,
Fulani
Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman
Catholic) 10%
Languages: French (official), tribal languages belonging to Sudanic
family, spoken by 90% of the population
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 19.2%
male: 29.5%
female: 9.2% (1995 est.)
@Burkina Faso:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso
former: Upper Volta
Data code: UV
Government type: parliamentary
National capital: Ouagadougou
Administrative divisions: 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba,
Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houe, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri,
Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno,
Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo
Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)
Constitution: 2 June 1991
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Kadre' De'sire' OUE'DRAOGO (since 6
February 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1998); prime
minister appointed by the president with the consent of the
legislature
election results: Blaise COMPAORE elected president with 90.4% percent
of the votes of those who voted (the abstention rate was 74.7%)
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of People's Deputies or
Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (111 seats; members are popularly
elected to serve five-year terms)
elections : last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP
97, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2; note - 4 contested seats are to be filled in
special election on 19 June 1997 by order of the Supreme Court
note: the current law also provides for a second consultative chamber,
which has not been formally constituted
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders: Organization for People's Democracy -
Labor Movement or ODP-MT (ruling party at time of 1992 elections but
was subsumed, with about a dozen smaller parties, into the powerful
CDP in February 1996); African Democratic Assembly or RDA [Gerard
Kango OUEDRAOGO]; Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF [Herman
YAMEOGO]; Burkinabe Socialist Bloc or BSB [Earnest Nongma OUEDRAOGO,
president]; Burkinabe Environmentalist Party or UVDB; Congress for
Democracy and Progress or CDP [Din Salif SAWADAGO] (the strongest
party in the 1997 legislative elections); Front for Social Forces or
FFS [Fide'le KIENTEGA]; National Convention of Progressive
Patriots-Social Democratic Party or CNPP-PSD [Moussa BOLY] (not
prominent in 1997); Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph
KI-ZERBO]; Party for Progress and Social Development or PPDS; Party
for African Independence or PAI
Political pressure groups and leaders: committees for the defense of
the revolution; watchdog/political action groups throughout the
country in both organizations and communities
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,
OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Gaetan R. OUEDRAOGO
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577, 6895
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON (16 July 1996)
embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
telephone: [226] 306723 through 306725
FAX : [226] 303890
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green
with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Economy - overview: One of the poorest countries in the world,
landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density and a high
population growth rate, few natural resources, and a fragile soil.
Over 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture which
is highly vulnerable to variations in rainfall. Industry remains
dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations.
Following the African franc currency devaluation in January 1994 the
government updated its development program in conjunction with
international agencies, and exports and economic growth have
increased.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $740 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
industry: 25%
services: 44% (1994 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 7.8% (1995)
Labor force: NA (most adults are employed in subsistence agriculture)
by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry 15%, commerce, services, and
government 5%
note: 20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring
countries for seasonal employment (1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $483 million
expenditures : $548 million, including capital expenditures of $189
million (1992)
Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap,
cigarettes, textiles, gold
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1994)
Electricity - capacity: 121,000 kW (1991)
Electricity - production: 320 million kWh (1991)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 28 kWh (1992 est.)
Agriculture - products: peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton, sorghum,
millet, corn, rice; livestock
Exports:
total value : $298 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: cotton, gold, animal products
partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Italy, Thailand
Imports:
total value: $500 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities : machinery, food products, petroleum
partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Togo, Nigeria
Debt - external: $1.1 billion (December 1994 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997),
511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69
(1992)
note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100
per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Burkina Faso:Communications
Telephones: 21,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: all services only fair
domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations
international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 49,000 (1991 est.)
@Burkina Faso:Transportation
Railways:
total: 622 km (517 km from Ouagadougou to the Cote d'Ivoire border and
105 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya)
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)
Highways:
total: 12,506 km
paved : 2,001 km
unpaved: 10,505 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 22 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m : 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 8 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 9 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National
Police, People's Militia
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,219,544 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 1,137,882 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $104 million (1994)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 6.4% (1994)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
BURMA
@Burma:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of
Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Geographic coordinates: 22 00 N, 98 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total : 678,500 sq km
land: 657,740 sq km
water: 20,760 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,876 km
border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km,
Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
Coastline: 1,930 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers
(southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall,
mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon,
December to April)
Terrain: central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
highest point : Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper,
tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural
gas
Land use:
arable land : 15%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 49%
other: 34% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10,680 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and
landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic
droughts
Environment - current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of
air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment
contribute to disease
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping
lanes
@Burma:People
Population: 46,821,943 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (male 8,743,108; female 8,410,224)
15-64 years: 59% (male 13,878,541; female 13,859,783)
65 years and over : 4% (male 873,670; female 1,056,617) (July 1997
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.81% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 29.54 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 11.41 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 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 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 78.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.62 years
male: 54.89 years
female: 58.45 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.76 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: Burmese
Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%,
Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%
Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%),
Muslim 4%, animist beliefs 1%, other 2%
Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 88.7%
female: 77.7% (1995 est.)
@Burma:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Union of Burma
conventional short form: Burma
local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US
Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)
local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
Data code: BM
Government type: military regime
National capital: Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon)
Administrative divisions: 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7
states (pyine-mya, singular - pyine); Chin State, Ayeyarwady*, Bago*,
Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*, Mandalay*, Mon State,
Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon*
Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948)
Constitution: 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988);
national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new
constitution; chapter headings and three of 15 sections have been
approved
Legal system: does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the
prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government : Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Law and
Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note -
the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: State Law and Order Restoration Council; military junta which
assumed power 18 September 1988
elections: none; the prime minister assumed power upon resignation of
the former prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw
(485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened
election results: percent of vote by party - NLD 82%; seats by party -
NLD 396, NUP 10, other 79
Judicial branch: limited; remnants of the British-era legal system in
place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary
is not independent of the executive
Political parties and leaders: Union Solidarity and Development
Association (USDA, proregime), THAN AUNG, general secretary; National
Unity Party (NUP, proregime), THA KYAW; National League for Democracy
(NLD), AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary; and eight minor legal
parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Coalition Government
of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), headed by Dr. SEIN WIN - consists of
individuals legitimately elected to the People's Assembly but not
recognized by the military regime; the group fled to a border area and
joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government;
Kachin Independence Army (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen
National Union (KNU); several Shan factions, including the Mong Tai
Army (MTA); All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF)
International organization participation: AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CCC,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU,
Mekong Group, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador TIN WINN
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044, 9045
FAX : [1] (202) 332-9046
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kent M.
WIEDEMANN
embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address : Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 282055, 282182 (operator assistance required)
FAX: [95] (1) 280409
Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a
cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14
administrative divisions
Economy
Economy - overview: Burma has a mixed economy with private activity
dominant in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with
substantial state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy
industry, and the rice trade. Government policy in the last eight
years, 1989-96, has aimed at revitalizing the economy after three
decades of tight central planning. Thus, private activity has markedly
increased; foreign investment has been encouraged, so far with
moderate success; and efforts continue to increase the efficiency of
state enterprises. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are
greatly understated because of the volume of black-market trade. A
major ongoing problem is the failure to achieve monetary and fiscal
stability. Although Burma remains a poor Asian country, its rich
resources furnish the potential for substantial long-term increases in
income, exports, and living standards.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $51.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,120 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 63%
industry: 9%
services : 28% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 30%-40% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 16.007 million (1992)
by occupation: agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%,
government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY88/89 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $5.3 billion
expenditures : $10 billion, including capital expenditures of $3
billion (1995 est.)
Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and
wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials;
pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 8.9% (FY94/95 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 1.21 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 3.37 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 73 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses;
hardwood
Exports:
total value: $1.1 billion (1996 est.)
commodities: rice, pulses and beans, teak, rubber, hardwood
partners: Singapore, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Japan
Imports:
total value : $2 billion (1996 est.)
commodities: machinery, transport equipment, construction materials,
food products, consumer goods
partners: Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand
Debt - external: $5.5 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $61 million (1993)
Currency: 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1 - 6.0600 (1997), 5.9176 (1996),
5.6670 (1995), 5.9749 (1994), 6.1570 (1993), 6.1045 (1992); unofficial
- 160-170 (1996)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Burma:Communications
Telephones: 122,195 (1993 est.)