Chapter 16 of 17 · 3997 words · ~20 min read

Part 16

Infant mortality rate: 59.08 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 39.89 years male: 39.42 years female: 40.37 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.91 children born/woman (1999 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.)

Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland

Data code: BC

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital: Gaborone

Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Pikwe*, 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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); 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 note: President MASIRE resigned on 31 March 1998; Vice President MOGAE assumed the presidency pending elections to be held in 1999; on 2 April 1998, Festus MOGAE, then president, designated Seretse Ian KHAMA to be vice president

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 NA 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

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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone

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. Diamond mining and tourism also are important to the economy. 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 35% in 1997. Unemployment officially is 21% but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$5.25 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,600 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 45% (including 35% mining) services: 51% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)

Labor force--by occupation: 100,000 public sector; 135,000 private sector, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa; most others engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20-40% (1997 est.)

Budget: revenues: $1.6 billion expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560 million (FY96/97)

Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)

Electricity--production: 990 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 1.675 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 685 million kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts), beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock

Exports: $2.25 billion (f.o.b. 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities: diamonds 76%, copper, nickel 4%, meat (1997)

Exports--partners: EU 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 21%, Zimbabwe 3% (1996)

Imports: $2.43 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports--commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products

Imports--partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%, Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6% (1996)

Debt--external: $610 million (1997)

Economic aid--recipient: $73 million (1995)

Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Exchange rates: pulas (P) per US$1--4.5725 (January 1999), 4.2258 (1998), 3.6508 (1997), 3.3242 (1996), 2.7722 (1995), 2.6846 (1994)

Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March

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 15, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)

Televisions: 13,800 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways: total: 971 km narrow gauge: 971 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)

Highways: total: 18,482 km paved: 4,343 km unpaved: 14,139 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: 92 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways: total: 12 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 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 80 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 57 under 914 m: 21 (1998 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: 344,587 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 182,279 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually: males: 18,654 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $61 million (FY99/00)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.2% (FY99/00)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River is presently at the ICJ; at least one other island in Linyanti River is contested

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@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 m; 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

People

Population: uninhabited

Government

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bouvet Island

Data code: BV

Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered from Oslo

Legal system: NA

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Norway)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Norway)

Flag description: the flag of Norway is used

Economy

Economy--overview: no economic activity; declared a nature reserve

Communications

Communications--note: automatic meteorological station

Transportation

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Military

Military--note: defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

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@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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

People

Population: 171,853,126 (July 1999 est.) note: Brazil took a census in August 1996 which reported a population of 157,079,573; that figure was about 5% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for 1991; the Factbook's demographic statistics for Brazil do not take into consideration the results of the1996 census since the full results have not been released for analysis

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 26,059,687; female 25,095,236) 15-64 years: 65% (male 55,037,161; female 56,727,196) 65 years and over: 5% (male 3,626,893; female 5,306,953) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.16% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 20.42 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.79 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 35.37 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.06 years male: 59.35 years female: 69.01 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (1999 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.)

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

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 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002) election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO reelected president; percent of vote--53%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each state or federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Federal Senate--last held 4 October 1998 for one-third of Senate (next to be held NA October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies--last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002) election results: Federal Senate--percent of vote by party--NA%; seats by party--PMDB 27, PFL 20, PSDB 16, PT 7, PPB 5; Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA%; seats by party--PFL 106, PSDB 99, PMDB 82, PPB 60, PT 58

Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal, 11 judges are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Political parties and leaders: Brazilian Democratic Movement

Political pressure groups and leaders: left wing of the Catholic Church, Landless Worker's Movement, and labor unions allied to leftist Workers' Party are critical of government's social and economic policies

International organization participation: AfDB, BIS, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MONUA, MTCR, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate J. Brian ATWOOD embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900 Brazil mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030 consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo consulate(s): Recife

Flag description: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

Economy

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