Chapter 18
Government - note: Until declaring independence in spring 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina existed as a republic in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Bosnia was partitioned by fighting during 1992-95 and governed by competing ethnic factions. Bosnia's current governing structures were created by the Dayton Accords, the 1995 peace agreement which was officially signed in Paris on 14 December 1995 by Bosnian President IZETBEGOVIC, Croatian President TUDJMAN, and Serbian President MILOSEVIC. This agreement retained Bosnia's exterior border and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This national government - based on proportional representation similar to that which existed in the former socialist regime - is charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton Accords also recognized a second tier of government, comprised of two entities - a joint Muslim-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska (RS) - each presiding over roughly one-half the territory. These Federation and RS governments are charged with overseeing internal functions. As mandated by the Dayton Accords, the Bosnians on 14 September 1996 participated in the first post-war elections of national, entity, and cantonal leaders. The Bosnians have been slow to form and install new joint institutions. A new Federation cabinet was sworn in 18 December 1996 and the new Bosnian central government cabinet was confirmed on 3 January 1997.
Economy
Economy - overview: Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture has been almost all in private hands, farms have been small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally has been a net importer of food. Industry has been greatly overstaffed, one reflection of the rigidities of communist central planning and management. TITO had pushed the development of military industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia hosted a large share of Yugoslavia's defense plants. The bitter interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by perhaps 90% since 1990, unemployment to soar, and human misery to multiply. No reliable economic statistics for 1992-96 are available, although output almost certainly is well below $1,000 per head. In the Federation, unemployment remains in the 40%-50% range and inflation is low. By contrast, growth in the Republika Srpska in 1996 was flat and inflation surpassed 30%. The country receives substantial amounts of humanitarian aid from the international community. Wide regional differences in war damage and access to the outside world have resulted in substantial variations in living conditions among local areas.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%
Labor force: total: 1,026,254 by occupation: NA%
Unemployment rate: officially about 70% but probably much lower, perhaps 40%-50% (1996 est.)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining; much of capacity damaged or shut down (1995)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 3.991 million kW (1991)
Electricity - production: 1.87 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 475 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Exports: total value: $152 million (1995 est.) commodities: NA partners: NA
Imports: total value : $1.1 billion (1995 est.) commodities: NA partners: NA
Debt - external: $3.5 billion (yearend 1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $600 million (1996 est.)
Currency: 1 dinar = 100 para; Croatian kuna used in Croat-held area; old and new Serbian dinars used in Serb-held area; the deutsche mark (DM) has supplanted local currencies throughout Bosnia
Exchange rates: NA
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Bosnia and Herzegovina:Communications
Telephones: 727,000
Telephone system: telephone and telegraph network is in need of modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average when compared with services in other former Yugoslav republics domestic: NA international : no satellite earth stations
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 840,000
Television broadcast stations: 6
Televisions: 1,012,094
@Bosnia and Herzegovina:Transportation
Railways: total: 1,021 km (electrified 795 km; operating as diesel or steam until grids are repaired) standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge (1995); note - some segments need repair and/or reconstruction
Highways: total : 21,168 km paved: 11,436 km unpaved: 9,732 km (1991 est.) note: roads need maintenance and repair
Waterways: NA km; Sava blocked by downed bridges
Pipelines: crude oil 174 km; natural gas 90 km (1992); note - pipelines now disrupted
Ports and harbors: Bosanski Brod (access to Ploce, Croatia)
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 24 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m : 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total : 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 865,763 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 696,202 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males : 23,771 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: disputes with Serbia over Serbian populated areas
Illicit drugs: transit point for minor regional marijuana trafficking routes ______________________________________________________________________
BOTSWANA
@Botswana:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 600,370 sq km land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,013 km border countries : Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain: predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
Elevation extremes: lowest point : junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m highest point: Tsodilo Hill 1,489 m
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
Land use: arable land : 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 47% other: 6% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Environment - current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
@Botswana:People
Population: 1,500,765 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42% (male 319,920; female 312,104) 15-64 years: 54% (male 384,533; female 428,157) 65 years and over : 4% (male 21,949; female 34,102) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.48% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 32.65 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 17.9 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 54.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 44.52 years male: 43.52 years female: 45.55 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.14 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic groups: Batswana 95%, Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi 4%, white 1%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%
Languages: English (official), Setswana
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.8% male: 80.5% female: 59.9% (1995 est.)
@Botswana:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana former : Bechuanaland
Data code: BC
Government type: parliamentary republic
National capital: Gaborone
Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Phikwe*, South-East, Southern
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)
Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state : President Sir Ketumile MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Sir Ketumile MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections : president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999); vice president appointed by the president election results: Sir Ketumile MASIRE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected by the other 12) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly - elections last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held October 1999) election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BDP 27, BNF 13
Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Sir Ketumile MASIRE]; Botswana Freedom Party or BFP [leader NA]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA]; Botswana People's Party or BPP [Knight MARIPE]; Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER (14 June 1996) embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 356947
Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Economy
Economy - overview: Agriculture still provides a livelihood for more than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs and accounts for only 4% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 33% in 1995. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 21%. On the plus side is the substantial positive trade balance.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,100 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 43% services : 53% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 9.8% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total : 428,000 (1992) by occupation: 220,000 formal sector employees, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa; most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 21% (1995 est.)
Budget: revenues : $1.8 billion expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $613 million (FY95/96)
Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing
Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)
Electricity - capacity: 197,000 kW (1993)
Electricity - production: 950 million kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 747 kWh (1993 est.)
Agriculture - products: sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts), beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock
Exports: total value: $2.1 billion (f.o.b. 1995 est.) commodities: diamonds 71%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 3% partners: Europe 81%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 14%, Zimbabwe 3%
Imports: total value: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%, Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6%
Debt - external: $691 million (1994)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $189 million (1993)
Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1 - 3.6417 (January 1997), 3.3014 (1996), 2.7716 (1995), 2.6831 (1994), 2.4190 (1993), 2.1327 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Botswana:Communications
Telephones: 19,109 (1985 est.)
Telephone system: sparse system domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations international: microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 13,800 (1993 est.)
@Botswana:Transportation
Railways: total: 971 km narrow gauge: 971 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 11,800 km paved : 1,676 km unpaved: 10,124 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 80 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 34 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m : 9 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 46 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m : 43 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Botswana Defense Force (includes Army and Air Wing), Botswana National Police
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 343,929 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 180,692 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 17,632 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $199 million (FY93/94)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.2% (FY93/94)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: quadripoint with Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River remained unresolved in January 1996 and the parties have agreed to refer the matter to the ICJ ______________________________________________________________________
BOUVET ISLAND
(territory of Norway)
@Bouvet Island:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
Geographic coordinates: 54 26 S, 3 24 E
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total: 58 sq km land : 58 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 29.6 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 meters; coast is mostly inaccessible
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 780 m
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures : 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all ice)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography - note: covered by glacial ice
@Bouvet Island:People
Population: uninhabited
@Bouvet Island:Government
Country name: conventional long form : none conventional short form: Bouvet Island
Data code: BV
Dependency status: territory of Norway
Flag description: the flag of Norway is used
Economy
Economy - overview: no economic activity; declared a nature reserve
@Bouvet Island:Communications
Communications - note: automatic meteorological station
@Bouvet Island:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________
BRAZIL
@Brazil:Geography
Location: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 55 00 W
Map references: South America
Area: total: 8,511,965 sq km land : 8,456,510 sq km water: 55,455 sq km note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries: total: 14,691 km border countries: Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Coastline: 7,491 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf : 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
Land use: arable land : 5% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 58% other : 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 28,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
Environment - current issues: deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers the existence of a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities
Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Tropical Timber 94
Geography - note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
@Brazil:People
Population: 164,511,366 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 25,018,597; female 24,164,894) 15-64 years: 65% (male 53,217,683; female 54,215,461) 65 years and over : 5% (male 3,181,539; female 4,713,192) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.1% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 20.43 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 9.42 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 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: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 53.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population : 61.42 years male: 56.78 years female: 66.3 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian
Ethnic groups: white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%
Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.3% male: 83.3% female : 83.2% (1995 est.)
@Brazil:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil conventional short form: Brazil local long form : Republica Federativa do Brasil local short form: Brasil
Data code: BR
Government type: federal republic
National capital: Brasilia
Administrative divisions: 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins
Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
Constitution: 5 October 1988
Legal system: based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age
Executive branch: chief of state : President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1998) election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO elected president; percent of vote - Fernando Henrique CARDOSO 53%, Luis Inacio LULA da Silva 26%, Eneas CARNEIRO 7%, Orestes QUERCIA 4%, Leonel BRIZOLA 3%, Espiridiao AMIN 3%; note - second direct presidential election since 1960