Читать книгу The 2001 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 69

Flag description: blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

Belize Economy

Economy - overview: The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming greater importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer. The government's tough austerity program in 1997 resulted in an economic slowdown that continued in 1998. The trade deficit has been growing, mostly as a result of low export prices for sugar and bananas. The tourist and construction sectors strengthened in early 1999, supporting growth of 6% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. Aided by international donors, the government's key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $790 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18%

industry: 24%

services: 58% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: 33% (1999 est.)

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

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 71,000

note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 12.8% (1999)

Budget: revenues: $157 million

expenditures: $279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (1999)

Electricity - production: 185 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 56.76%

hydro: 43.24%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 172.1 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp

Exports: $235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood

Exports - partners: US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%,

Mexico 1% (1999)

Imports: $413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners: US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998)

Debt - external: $338 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient: $NA

Currency: Belizean dollar (BZD)

Currency code: BZD

Exchange rates: Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Belize Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 31,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 3,023 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: above-average system

domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 133,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)

Televisions: 41,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .bz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 12,000 (2000)

Belize Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 2,872 km

paved: 488 km

unpaved: 2,384 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable)

Ports and harbors: Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda

Merchant marine: total: 402 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,575,851 GRT/2,241,731 DWT

ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 265, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 14, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 56, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cuba 1, Singapore 1, US 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 44 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 40

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 10

under 914 m: 29 (2000 est.)

Belize Military

Military branches: Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime

Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15–49: 62,698 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15–49: 37,174 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 2,847 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $17 million (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.4% (FY98/99)

Belize Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Guatemala periodically asserts claims to territory in southern Belize; to deter cross-border squatting, both states in 2000 agreed to a "line of adjacency" based on the de facto boundary, which is not recognized by Guatemala

Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center

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@Benin

Benin Introduction

Background: Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991.

Benin Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 112,620 sq km

land: 110,620 sq km

water: 2,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries: total: 1,989 km

border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use: arable land: 13%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 4%

forests and woodland: 31%

other: 48% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter

Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,

Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental

Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,

Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: no natural harbors

Benin People

Population: 6,590,782

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0–14 years: 47.32% (male 1,574,124; female 1,544,741)

15–64 years: 50.38% (male 1,607,900; female 1,712,360)

65 years and over: 2.3% (male 64,756; female 86,901) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.97% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 44.23 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 14.51 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 89.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 49.94 years

male: 49.02 years

female: 50.88 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.23 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.45% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 70,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 5,600 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Beninese (singular and plural)

adjective: Beninese

Ethnic groups: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being

Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 37.5%

male: 52.2%

female: 23.6% (2000)

Benin Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Benin

conventional short form: Benin

local long form: Republique du Benin

local short form: Benin

former: Dahomey

Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991

Capital: Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou; note - six additional provinces have been reported but not confirmed; they are Alibori, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, and Plateau; moreover, the term "province" may have been changed to "department"

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1960)

Constitution: December 1990

Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006)

election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9%

note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first round presidential elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president) 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match"

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 30 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, E'toile 4, Alliance IPD 4, Car-DUNYA 3, MERCI 2, other 7

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle;

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders: African Movement for Democracy and

Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance for Democracy and

Progress or ADP [Sylvain Adekpedjou AKINDES]; Alliance of the Social

Democratic Party or PSD and the National Union for Solidarity and

Progress or UNSP [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Cameleon Alliance or AC [leader

NA]; Car-DUNYA [Saka SALEY]; Communist Party of Benin or PCB [Pascal

FANTONDJI, first secretary]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien

HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA

[Jerome Sakia KINA]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD

[Bertin BORNA]; Liberal Democrats' Rally for National

Reconstruction-Vivoten or RDL-Vivoten [Severin ADJOVI]; Movement for

Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI [Severin ADJOVI]; New

Generation for the Republic or NGR [Paul DOSSOU]; Our Common Cause

or NCC [Francois Odjo TANKPINON]; Party Democratique du Benin or PDB

[Col. Soule DANKORO]; Rally for Democracy and Pan-Africanism or RDP

[Dominique HOYMINOU, Dr. Giles Auguste MINONTIN]; Renaissance Party

du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance

E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union for National Democracy and Solidarity

or UDS [Adamou N'Diaye MAMA]

note: the Coalition of Democratic Forces is an alliance of parties and organizations supporting President KEREKOU [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,

ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,

IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,

ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,

UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTAET, UPU, WADB, WADB (regional),

WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador

Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN

chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 232–6656