Chapter 10

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados Digraph: BB Type: parliamentary democracy 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 new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status Independence: 30 November 1966 (from UK) Constitution: 30 November 1966 Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966) Political parties and leaders: Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD; Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry FORDE; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES Other political or pressure groups: Barbados Workers Union, Leroy TROTMAN; People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE; Clement Payne Labor Union, David COMMISSIONG Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: House of Assembly: last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results - DLP 49.8%; seats - (28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10 Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature Leaders: Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987) Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Rudi WEBSTER

*Barbados, Government

chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 939-9200 through 9202 consulate general: New York consulate: Los Angeles US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Box B, FPO AA 34054 telephone: (809) 436-4950 through 4957 FAX: (809) 429-5246 Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, 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)

*Barbados, Economy

Overview: A per capita income of $7,000 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. The economy slowed in 1990-91, however, and Bridgetown's declining hard currency reserves and inability to finance its deficits have caused it to adopt an austere economic reform program. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.8 billion ( 1991) National product real growth rate: -4% (1991) National product per capita: $7,000 (1991) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1% (1991) Unemployment rate: 23% (1992) Budget: revenues $547 million; expenditures $620 million (FY92-93), including capital expenditures of $60 million Exports: $205.8 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment partners: CARICOM 31%, US 16%, UK 13% Imports: $697 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, construction materials, chemicals partners: US 34%, CARICOM 16%, UK 11%, Canada 6% External debt: $750 million (1991 est.) Industrial production: growth rate -1.3% (1991); accounts for 10% of GDP Electricity: 152,100 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 2,118 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export, petroleum Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops - vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million Currency: 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed rate) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

*Barbados, Communications

Highways: 1,570 km total; 1,475 km paved, 95 km gravel and earth Ports: Bridgetown Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,710 GRT79,263 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 oil tanker Airports: total: 1 usable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0 Telecommunications: islandwide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

*Barbados, Defense Forces

Branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force, including the Ground Forces and Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 70,254; fit for military service 49,096 (1993 est.); no conscription Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989)

*Bassas da India, Header

Affiliation: (possession of France)

*Bassas da India, Geography

Location: Southern Africa, in the southern Mozambique Channel about halfway between Madagascar and Mozambique Map references: Africa Area: total area: NA km2 land area: NA km2 comparative area: NA Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 35.2 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: claimed by Madagascar Climate: tropical Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 meters high Natural resources: none Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all rock) Irrigated land: 0 km2 Environment: surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones Note: navigational hazard since it is usually under water during high tide

*Bassas da India, People

Population: uninhabited

*Bassas da India, Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bassas da India Digraph: BS Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Jacques DEWATRE (since July 1991), resident in Reunion Capital: none; administered by France from Reunion Independence: none (possession of France)

*Bassas da India, Economy

Overview: no economic activity

*Bassas da India, Communications

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

*Bassas da India, Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of France

*Belarus, Geography

Location: Eastern Europe, between Poland and Russia Map references: Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - European States, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 207,600 km2 land area: 207,600 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas Land boundaries: total 3,098 km, Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: none Climate: mild and moist; transitional between continental and maritime Terrain: generally flat and contains much marshland Natural resources: forest land, peat deposits Land use: arable land: 29% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 15% forest and woodland: 0% other: 56% Irrigated land: 1,490 km2 (1990) Environment: southern part of Belarus highly contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' Note: landlocked

*Belarus, People

Population: 10,370,269 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.34% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 13.28 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 11.1 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 19.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.73 years male: 66.04 years female: 75.66 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian Ethnic divisions: Belarusian 77.9%, Russian 13.2%, Polish 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.9%, other 1.9% Religions: Eastern Orthodox NA%, other NA% Languages: Byelorussian, Russian, other Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 5.418 million by occupation: industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 20%, other 38% (1990)

*Belarus, Government

Names: conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Belarus local short form: none former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic Digraph: BO Type: republic Capital: Minsk Administrative divisions: 6 oblasts (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and one municipality* (harady,, singular - horad); Brestskaya, Homyel'skaya, Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya,, Mahilyowskaya, Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya note: each voblasts' has the same name as its administrative center Independence: 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) Constitution: adopted NA April 1978 Legal system: based on civil law system National holiday: 24 August (1991) Political parties and leaders: Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), Zenon PAZNYAK, chairman; United Democratic Party of Belarus (UDPB), Aleksandr DOBROVOLSKIY, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Belarus (SDBP), Mikhail TKACHEV, chairman; Belarus Workers Union, Mikhail SOBOL, Chairman; Belarus Peasants Party; Party of People's Unity, Gennadiy KARPENKO; Communist Party of Belarus Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: Supreme Soviet: last held 4 April 1990 (next to be held NA); results - Communists 87%; seats - (360 total) number of seats by party NA; note - 50 seats are for public bodies; the Communist Party obtained an overwhelming majority Executive branch: chairman of the Supreme Soviet, chairman of the Council of Ministers; note - Belarus has approved a directly elected presidency but so far no elections have been scheduled Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Soviet Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Stanislav S. SHUSHKEVICH (since 18 September 1991) Head of Government: Prime Minister Vyacheslav F. KEBICH (since NA April 1990), First Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH (since NA 1991)

*Belarus, Government

Member of: CBSS (observer), CIS, CSCE, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, IOC, ITU, NACC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Designate Sergey Nikolayevich MARTYNOV chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 619, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 638-2954 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador David H. SWARTZ embassy: Starovilenskaya #46, Minsk mailing address: APO AE 09862 telephone: 7-0172-34-65-37 Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top), red, and white

*Belarus, Economy

Overview: In many ways Belarus resembles the three Baltic states, for example, in its industrial competence, its higher-than-average standard of living, and its critical dependence on the other former Soviet states for fuels and raw materials. Belarus ranks fourth in gross output among the former Soviet republics, having produced 4% of the total GDP and employing 4% of the labor force in the old USSR. Once a mainly agricultural area, it now supplies important producer and consumer goods - sometimes as the sole producer - to the other states. Belarus had a significant share of the machine-building capacity of the former USSR. It is especially noted for production of tractors, large trucks, machine tools, and automation equipment. The soil in Belarus is not as fertile as the black earth of Ukraine, but by emphasizing favorable crops and livestock (especially pigs and chickens), Belarus has become a net exporter to the other former republics of meat, milk, eggs, flour, and potatoes. Belarus produces only small amounts of oil and gas and receives most of its fuel from Russia through the Druzhba oil pipeline and the Northern Lights gas pipeline. These pipelines transit Belarus en route to Eastern Europe. Belarus produces petrochemicals, plastics, synthetic fibers (nearly 30% of former Soviet output), and fertilizer (20% of former Soviet output). Raw material resources are limited to potash and peat deposits. The peat (more than one-third of the total for the former Soviet Union) is used in domestic heating, as boiler fuel for electric power stations, and in the production of chemicals. The potash supports fertilizer production. In 1992 GDP fell an estimated 13%, largely because the country is highly dependent on the ailing Russian economy for raw materials and parts. National product: GDP $NA National product real growth rate: -13% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $NA Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% per month (first quarter 1993) Unemployment rate: 0.5% of officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Exports: $1.1 billion to outside of the successor states of the former USSR (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: NA Imports: $751 million from outside the successor states of the former USSR (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: machinery, chemicals, textiles partners: NA External debt: $2.6 billion (end of 1991) Industrial production: growth rate -9.6%; accounts for about 50% of GDP (1992)

*Belarus, Economy

Electricity: 8,025,000 kW capacity; 37,600 million kWh produced, 3,626 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: employ about 27% of labor force and produce a wide variety of products essential to the other states; products include (in percent share of total output of former Soviet Union): tractors (12%); metal-cutting machine tools (11%); off-highway dump trucks up to 110-metric-ton load capacity (100%); wheel-type earthmovers for construction and mining (100%); eight- wheel-drive, high-flotation trucks with cargo capacity of 25 metric tons for use in tundra and roadless areas (100%); equipment for animal husbandry and livestock feeding (25%); motorcycles (21.3%); television sets (11%); chemical fibers (28%); fertilizer (18%); linen fabric (11%); wool fabric (7%); radios; refrigerators; and other consumer goods Agriculture: accounts for almost 25% of GDP and 5.7% of total agricultural output of former Soviet Union; employs 20% of the labor force; in 1988 produced the following (in percent of total Soviet production): grain (3.6%), potatoes (12.2%), vegetables (3.0%), meat (6.0%), milk (7.0%); net exporter of meat, milk, eggs, flour, potatoes Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium and cannabis; mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe Economic aid: NA Currency: 1 rubel (abbreviation NA) = 10 Russian rubles note: the rubel circulates with the Russian ruble; certain purchase are made only with rubels; government has established a different, and varying, exchange rate for trade between Belarus and Russia Exchange rates: NA Fiscal year: calendar year

*Belarus, Communications

Railroads: 5,570 km; does not include industrial lines (1990) Highways: 98,200 km total; 66,100 km hard surfaced, 32,100 km earth (1990) Inland waterways: NA km Pipelines: crude oil 1,470 km, refined products 1,100 km, natural gas 1,980 km (1992) Ports: none; landlocked Merchant marine: claims 5% of former Soviet fleet Airports: total: 124 useable: 55 with permanent-surface runways: 31 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 28 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 20 Telecommunications: construction of NMT-450 analog cellular network proceeding in Minsk, in addition to installation of some 300 km of fiber optic cable in the city network; telephone network has 1.7 million lines, 15% of which are switched automatically; Minsk has 450,000 lines; telephone density is approximately 17 per 100 persons; as of 1 December 1991, 721,000 applications from households for telephones were still unsatisfied; international connections to other former Soviet republics are by landline or microwave and to other countries by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway switch; Belarus has not constructed ground stations for international telecommunications via satellite to date

*Belarus, Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Air Forces, Air Defense Forces, Security Forces (internal and border troops) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,491,039; fit for military service 1,964,577; reach military age (18) annually 71,875 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: 56.5 billion rubles, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

*Belgium, Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering on the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands Map references: Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 30,510 km2 land area: 30,230 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland Land boundaries: total 1,385 km, France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km Coastline: 64 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: equidistant line with neighbors exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast) territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast Natural resources: coal, natural gas Land use: arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 21% other: 34% Irrigated land: 10 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: air and water pollution Note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of the EC

*Belgium, People

Population: 10,040,939 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.23% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 11.94 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 10.32 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.72 years male: 73.41 years female: 80.21 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.62 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12% Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% Languages: Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11% divided along ethnic lines Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 4.126 million by occupation: services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)

*Belgium, Government

Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique local short form: Belgique Digraph: BE Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Brussels Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands) Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the process of revising the Constitution with the aim of federalizing the Belgian state Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831) Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman VAN ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC) , Melchior WATHELET, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy SPITAELS; Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), Antoine DUQUESNE, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president; Volksunie (VU), Jaak GABRIELS, president; Communist Party (PCB), Louis VAN GEYT, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel VAN DILLEN, chairman; ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM; National Front (FN), Werner van STEEN; Live Differently (AGALEV; Flemish Green party), Leo COX; Ecologist (ECOLO; Francophone Green party), NA; other minor parties Other political or pressure groups: Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory Elections: Senate: last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (184 total; of which 106 are directly elected) CVP 20, SP 14, PVV (now VLD) 13, VU 5, AGALEV 5, VB 5, ROSSEN 1, PS 18, PRL 9, PSC 9, ECOLO 6, FDF 1

*Belgium, Government