Chapter 20
Economy--overview: Possessing large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. Prior to the institution of a stabilization plan--the Plano Real (Real Plan) in mid-1994, stratospheric inflation rates had disrupted economic activity and discouraged foreign investment. Since then, tight monetary policy has brought inflation under control--consumer prices increased by 2% in 1998 compared to more than 1,000% in 1994. At the same time, GDP growth slowed from 5.7% in 1994 to about 3.0% in 1997 due to tighter credit. The Real Plan faced its strongest challenge in 1998, as the world financial crisis caused investors to more closely examine the country's structural weaknesses. The most severe spillover for Brazil--after Russia's debt default in August 1998--created unrelenting pressure on the currency which forced the country to hike annual interest rates to 50%. Approximately $30 billion in capital left the country in August and September. After crafting a fiscal adjustment program and pledging progress on structural reform, Brazil received a $41.5 billion IMF-led international support program in November 1998. Capital continued to leach out of the country, and investors, concerned about the rising mountain of debt and currency widely-viewed as overvalued, stayed on the sidelines. In January 1999, Brazil made an abrupt shift of course in exchange rate policy, abandoning the strong currency anti-inflation anchor of the Real Plan. On 13 January 1999, Central Bank officials announced a one-time 8% devaluation of the real, and on 15 January 1999, the currency was declared to be freely floating. President CARDOSO remains committed to limiting inflation and weathering the financial crisis through austerity and sacrifice as the country rides out a deep recession. He hopes the country will resume economic growth in the second half of 1999, so that he can once again focus on his longer-term goal of reducing poverty and income inequality. CARDOSO still hopes to address mandated revenue sharing with the states and cumbersome procedures to amend the constitution before the end of his second term.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.0352 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 0.5% (1998)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,100 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 14% industry: 36% services: 50% (1997)
Population below poverty line: 17.4% (1990 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 47.9% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1998)
Labor force: 57 million (1989 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%
Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $151 billion expenditures: $149 billion, including capital expenditures of $36 billion (1998)
Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (1997 est.)
Electricity--production: 291.63 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 4.38% hydro: 92.09% nuclear: 0.8% other: 2.73% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 323.215 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 8 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 37.5 billion kWh (1996) note: imported electricity from Paraguay
Agriculture--products: coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
Exports: $51 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee, motor vehicle parts
Exports--partners: EU 28%, Latin America (excluding Argentina) 23%, US 20%, Argentina 12% (1996)
Imports: $57.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal
Imports--partners: EU 26%, US 22%, Argentina 13%, Japan 5% (1996)
Debt--external: $258.1 billion (December 1998)
Economic aid--recipient: $1.012 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 real (R$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: reals (R$) per US$1--1.501 (January 1999), 1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997), 1.005 (1996), 0.918 (1995), 0.639 (1994); CR$ per US$1--390.845 (January 1994) note: the real (R$) was introduced on 1 July 1994, equal to 2,750 cruzeiro reais; from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate was determined by a managed float; since 15 January 1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US$
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 14,426,673 (1992 est.)
Telephone system: good working system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations international: 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean Region East)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1,627, FM 251, shortwave 114 (of which 91 are associated with AM stations) (1998)
Radios: 60 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 138 (1997)
Televisions: 30 million (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 28,862 km (1,187 km electrified) broad gauge: 4,123 km 1.600-m gauge narrow gauge: 24,390 km 1.000-m gauge; 13 km 0.760-m gauge dual gauge: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails)
Highways: total: 1.98 million km paved: 184,140 km unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 50,000 km navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 2,980 km; petroleum products 4,762 km; natural gas 4,246 km (1998)
Ports and harbors: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria
Merchant marine: total: 179 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,132,037 GRT/6,642,442 DWT ships by type: bulk 35, cargo 28, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 10, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 10, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 61, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 3,265 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 514 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 134 914 to 1,523 m: 325 under 914 m: 31 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 2,751 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 1,312 under 914 m: 1,366 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes naval air and marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary)
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability: males age 15-49: 47,230,426 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 31,723,597 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually: males: 1,841,858 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $14.7 billion (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.9% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: two short sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute--Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay River
Illicit drugs: limited illicit producer of cannabis, minor coca cultivation in the Amazon region, mostly used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and Europe; increasingly used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia
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@British Indian Ocean Territory ------------------------------
Geography
Location: Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 71 30 E
Map references: World
Area: total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area--comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 698 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain: flat and low (up to four meters in elevation)
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Natural resources: coconuts, fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%
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: archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 3,000 native inhabitants, known as the Chagosians or Ilois, were evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK-US military facilities; now there are UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island
Government
Country name: conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Data code: IO
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Legal system: NA
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner David Ross MACLENNAN (since NA 1994); Administrator Don CAIRNS (since NA); note--both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description: white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and six blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
Economy
Economy--overview: All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.
Electricity--production: NA kWh note: electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity--consumption: NA kWh
Communications
Telephones: NA
Telephone system: facilities for military needs only domestic: NA international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Highways: total: NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Diego Garcia
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius and Seychelles
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@British Virgin Islands ----------------------
Geography
Location: Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 150 sq km land: 150 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the island of Anegada
Area--comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 33% forests and woodland: 7% other: 33% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Environment--current issues: limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchment)
Environment--international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
People
Population: 19,156 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 2,012; female 1,965) 15-64 years: 74% (male 7,300; female 6,896) 65 years and over: 5% (male 539; female 444) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.37% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 15.92 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.65 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 12.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.21 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 22.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.13 years male: 74.37 years female: 75.92 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups: black 90%, white, Asian
Religions: Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981)
Languages: English (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
Data code: VI
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Government type: NA
Capital: Road Town
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July
Constitution: 1 June 1977
Legal system: English law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David MACKILLIGIN (since NA June 1995) head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995; appointed after the death of former Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 February 1995 (next to be held NA February 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--VIP 6, CCM 2, UP 2, independents 3
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal; (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties and leaders: United Party or UP [Conrad
International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description: blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
Economy
Economy--overview: The economy, one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. An estimated 250,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 1997. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$183 million (1997 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 4.7% (1997)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$10,000 (1997 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 1.4% services: 97.6% (1991-95 average)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (1997)
Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
Labor force--by occupation: tourism NA%
Unemployment rate: 3% (1995)
Budget: revenues: $121.5 million expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1985)
Electricity--production: 42 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 42 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Exports: $23.9 million (1996)
Exports--commodities: rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports--partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Imports: $121.5 million (1996)
Imports--commodities: building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports--partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Debt--external: $34.8 million (1996)
Economic aid--recipient: $2.6 million (1995)
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 6,291 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 9,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (in addition, there is one cable company) (1997)
Televisions: 4,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 113 km (1995 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Road Town
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 3 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
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@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: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment--international agreements: party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution 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
People
Population: 322,982 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 54,154; female 51,766) 15-64 years: 63% (male 106,492; female 95,921) 65 years and over: 4% (male 7,945; female 6,704) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.38% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 24.69 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.21 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.19 male(s)/female total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 22.83 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.84 years male: 70.35 years female: 73.42 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.33 children born/woman (1999 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.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei
Data code: BX
Government type: constitutional sultanate
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)