Part 18
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 6.2% (1994)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country; all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island ______________________________________________________________________
BULGARIA
@Bulgaria:Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total : 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all with Serbia), Turkey 240 km
Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea : 12 nm
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 37% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 16% forests and woodland: 35% other: 10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,370 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified : Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
@Bulgaria:People
Population: 8,290,988 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17% (male 720,499; female 685,258) 15-64 years: 67% (male 2,769,288; female 2,823,431) 65 years and over: 16% (male 558,028; female 734,484) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.63% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 8.05 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 13.38 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.65 years male: 68.06 years female: 75.44 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.14 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%, Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%
Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%
Languages: Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1992 est.)
@Bulgaria:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria
Data code: BU
Government type: emerging democracy
National capital: Sofia
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna
Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991
Legal system: based on civil law system with Soviet law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Petar STOYANOV (since 22 January 1997); Vice President Todor KAVALDZHIEV (since 22 January 1997) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Ivan Kostov (since 19 May 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandur BOZHKOV (since 12 February 1997 Evgeniy BAKURDZHIEV (since 21 May 1997), Veselin METODIEV (since 21 May 1997) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 October and 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) appointed by the president election results: Petar STOYANOV elected president; percent of vote - Petar STOYANOV 59.73%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members are popularly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 19 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001) election results : percent of vote by party - UDF 52%, BSP 22%, ANS 7%, Euro-left 5.5%, BBB 4.95%; seats by party - UDF 137, BSP 58, ANS 19, Euro-left 14, BBB 12
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a seven-year term by the president; Constitutional Court, 12 justices appointed or elected for a nine-year term
Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Georgi PURVANOV, chairman]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF (an alliance of pro-Democratic parties) [Ivan KOSTOV]; Euro-left [Alexander TOMOV]; Alliance for National Salvation or ANS (coalition led mainly by Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]); Bulgarian Business Bloc or BBB [George GANCHEV]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Democratic Alliance for the Republic or DAR; New Union for Democracy or NUD; Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union; Bulgarian Communist Party or BCP; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or KNSB; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union - United or BZNS; Bulgarian Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov" Bulgarian Agrarian National Union; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Union of Macedonian Societies or IMRO-UMS; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Snezhana Damianova BOTUSHAROVA chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone : [1] (202) 387-7969 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Avis T. BOHLEN (22 July 1996) embassy : 1 Saborna Street, Sofia mailing address: Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 50521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 980-52-41 through 48 FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control)
Economy
Economy - overview: One of the poorest countries of central Europe, Bulgaria has slowly continued the process of moving from its old command economy towards a market-oriented economy. Slow advancement on economic reforms pitched the economy into crisis in 1996, marked by a banking system in turmoil, a depreciating currency, inflation of 311% and contracting production and foreign trade. Foreign exchange reserves dwindled to extremely low levels ($518 million), while dramatically hiked interest rates added to the domestic debt burden and stifled growth. GDP fell by 10% in 1996, after experiencing 2.6% growth in 1995. Privatization of state-owned industries stagnated, although the first auction of a mass privatization program was undertaken in late 1996. Lagging progress on structural reforms led to postponement of IMF disbursements under a $580 million standby loan agreed to in July. In November 1996, the IMF proposed a currency board as Bulgaria's best chance to restore confidence in the lev, eliminate discretionary spending, and avoid hyperinflation. The government has pledged to sell some of the country's most attractive state assets to the highest foreign bidders in 1997. The Bulgarian economy is projected to have another year of negative growth (minus 5%), and inflation near 700% in 1997, assuming introduction of a currency board in July of 1997.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $39.9 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -10% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,630 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.6% industry: 35.7% services: 51.7% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 311% (1996)
Labor force: total: 3.57 million (1996 est.) by occupation : industry 41%, agriculture 18%, other 41% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 12.5% (1996 est.)
Budget: revenues: $3 billion expenditures : $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries: machine building and metal working, food processing, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals
Industrial production growth rate: -6.5% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 12.09 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 36.07 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,491 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, oilseed, vegetables, fruits, tobacco; livestock
Exports: total value: $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities : machinery and equipment 12.8%; agriculture and food 21.9%; textiles and apparel 14%; metals and ores 19.7%; chemicals 16.9%; minerals and fuels 9.3% (1995) partners: OECD 50.0% (EU 37.2%); CIS and Central and Eastern Europe 32.4%; Arab countries 5.8%; other 11.8% (1995)
Imports: total value: $4.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials 30.1%; machinery and equipment 23.6%; textiles and apparel 11.6%; agricultural products 10.8%; metals and ores 6.8%; chemicals 12.3%; other 4.8% (1995) partners : OECD 45.5% (EU 38.1%); CIS and Central and Eastern European countries 41.1%; Arab countries 1.8%; other 11.6% (1995)
Debt - external: $9.3 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: NA
Currency: 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki
Exchange rates: leva (Lv) per US$1 - 483.4 (1996), 70.7 (1995), 54.2 (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.)