total: 620 sq km
land: 620 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central
escarpment
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 92% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms
Environment - current issues: desertification resulting from the
degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust
storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and
sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from
large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; no natural
fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only
sources for all water needs
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources;
strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
@Bahrain:People
Population: 634,137
note: includes 228,424 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 96,240; female 93,846)
15-64 years: 67% (male 252,767; female 173,072)
65 years and over: 3% (male 9,270; female 8,942) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.78% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 20.61 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 3.89 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.46 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
total population: 1.3 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.98 years
male: 70.58 years
female: 75.45 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.82 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.2%
male: 89.1%
female: 79.4% (1995 est.)
@Bahrain:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
Data code: BA
Government type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Manama
Administrative divisions: 12 municipalities (manatiq, singular -
mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah
al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al
Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur
Hawar, Sitrah
note: all municipalities administered from Manama
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 16 December (1971)
Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born
21 October 1969)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa
(since NA 1971)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26
August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet;
appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992
Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited
Political pressure groups and leaders: Shi'a activists have fomented
unrest sporadically since late 1994, demanding the return of an
elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small,
clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF,
ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR Abdallah
chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 342-0741
FAX: (202) 362-2192
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Johnny YOUNG
embassy: Building Number 979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club),
Block 311, Zinj District, Manama
mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100;
International Mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama
telephone: 273-300
FAX: 272-594
Flag description: red with a white serrated band (eight white points)
on the hoist side
@Bahrain:Economy
Economy - overview: In Bahrain, petroleum production and processing
account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues,
and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing
fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, during and following the Gulf
crisis of 1990-91. With its highly developed communication and
transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms
with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of
petroleum products made from imported crude. Construction proceeds on
several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the
young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources
are major long-term economic problems.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.6 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $13,700 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 46%
services: 53% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 295,000 (1998 est.)
note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(July 1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: industry, commerce, and service 79%,
government 20%, agriculture 1% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.5 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998)
Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting,
offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (1995)
Electricity - production: 4.77 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 1.09 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products;
shrimp, fish
Exports: $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 61%, aluminum
7%
Exports - partners: India 18%, Japan 11%, Saudi Arabia 8%, South Korea
7%, UAE 5% (1997)
Imports: $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports - commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%
Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 45%, US 10%, UK 6%, Japan 5%, Germany
4% (1997)
Debt - external: $2 billion (1997)
Economic aid - recipient: $48.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Bahrain:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 141,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 130,000 (1999 est.)
Telephone system: modern system; good domestic services and excellent
international connections
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with
rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones
international: tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio
relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi
Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 338,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997)
Televisions: 275,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (1999)
@Bahrain:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 3,164 km
paved: 2,433 km
unpaved: 731 km (1998 est.)
note: there is a paved causeway connecting Bahrain to Saudi Arabia
Pipelines: crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32
km
Ports and harbors: Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 228,273 GRT/304,654 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 (1999
est.)
Airports: 3 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)
@Bahrain:Military
Military branches: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police
Force
Military manpower - military age: 15 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 221,109 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 121,442 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 5,699 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $318 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.2% (FY99)
@Bahrain:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: the territorial dispute with Qatar over the
Hawar Islands and the maritime boundary dispute with Qatar are
currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
______________________________________________________________________
BAKER ISLAND
@Baker Island:Geography
Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of
the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates: 0 13 N, 176 31 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 1.4 sq km
land: 1.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 4.8 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow
fringing reef
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until 1891)
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can
be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues: no natural fresh water resources
Geography - note: treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation
consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs;
primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds,
shorebirds, and marine wildlife
@Baker Island:People
Population: uninhabited
note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and
naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during
World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by
special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and
generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and
remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the
middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife
Service (July 2000 est.)
@Baker Island:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island
Data code: FQ
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered
from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge
system
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
@Baker Island:Economy
Economy - overview: no economic activity
@Baker Island:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one
boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
Airports: 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely
covered with vegetation and unusable
Transportation - note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the
west coast
@Baker Island:Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
@Baker Island:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
BANGLADESH
@Bangladesh:Introduction
Background: Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East
Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan. A third of this
desperately poor country annually floods during the monsoon rainy
season, hampering normal economic development.
@Bangladesh:Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma
and India
Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline: 580 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid
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: Keokradong 1,230 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: 129,194,224 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 24,055,675; female 22,918,354)
15-64 years: 60% (male 39,924,040; female 37,992,459)
65 years and over: 4% (male 2,342,134; female 1,961,562) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.59% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 25.44 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 8.73 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.19 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 71.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.16 years
male: 60.4 years
female: 59.91 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (2000 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
Capital: Dhaka
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka,
Khulna, Rajshahi
note: there may be one additional division named 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 for 1 seat; 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: Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA
Wajed]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP ;
Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP ;
Jamaat-E-Islami or JI ; Jatiyo Party or JP
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC,
UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Khwaja Mohammad SHEHABUDDIN
chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: (202) 342-8372
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John C. HOLZMAN
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
telephone: (2) 884700 through 884722
FAX: (2) 883744
Flag description: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist
side of center; the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to
achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush countryside,
and secondarily, the traditional color of Islam
@Bangladesh: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. The 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. Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA
Wajed's Awami League 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.
The especially severe floods of 1998 increased the country's reliance
on large-scale international aid. So far the East Asian financial
crisis has not had major impact on the economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $187 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.2% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,470 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 17%
services: 53% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: 35.6% (FY95/96 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 23.7% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (FY98/99 est.)
Labor force: 56 million (1995-96)
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman,
Qatar, Malaysia, and Singapore
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 63%, services 26%, industry
11% (FY95/96)
Unemployment rate: 35.2% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $4.3 billion
expenditures: $6.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997)
Industries: cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper
newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar
Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 12.5 billion kWh (1999 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 98%
hydro: 2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 11.039 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes;
beef, milk, poultry, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit
Exports: $5.1 billion (1998)
Exports - commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen
fish and seafood
Exports - partners: US 33%, Germany 10%, UK 9%, France 6%, Italy 5%
(1997)
Imports: $8.01 billion (1998)