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:Brazil Government

Long-form name:

Federative Republic of Brazil

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; note - the former territories of Amapa and Roraima

became states in January 1991

Independence:

7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

Constitution:

5 October 1988

Legal system:

based on Latin codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday:

Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Executive branch:

president, vice president, Cabinet

Legislative branch:

bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional) consists of an upper

chamber or Federal Senate (Senado Federal) and a lower chamber or Chamber of

Deputies (Camara dos Deputados)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Federal Tribunal

Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government:

President Fernando Affonso COLLOR de Mello (since 15 March 1990); Vice

President Itamar FRANCO (since 15 March 1990)

Political parties and leaders:

National Reconstruction Party (PRN), Daniel TOURINHO, president; Brazilian

Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Orestes QUERCIA, president; Liberal Front

Party (PFL), Hugo NAPOLEAO, president; Workers' Party (PT), Luis Ignacio

(Lula) da SILVA, president; Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), Luiz GONZAGA de

Paiva Muniz, president; Democratic Labor Party (PDT), Leonel BRIZOLA,

president; Democratic Social Party (PPS), Paulo MALUF, president; Brazilian

Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Tasso JEREISSATI, president; Popular

Socialist Party (PPS), Roberto FREIRE, president; Communist Party of Brazil

(PCdoB), Joao AMAZONAS, secretary general; Christian Democratic Party (PDC),

Siqueira CAMPOS, president

Suffrage:

voluntary at age 16; compulsory between ages 18 and 70; voluntary at age 70

Elections:

Chamber of Deputies:

last held 3 October 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - PMDB

21%, PFL 17%, PDT 9%, PDS 8%, PRN 7.9%, PTB 7%, PT 7%, other 23.1%; seats -

(503 total as of 3 February 1991) PMDB 108, PFL 87, PDT 46, PDS 43, PRN 40,

PTB 35, PT 35, other 109

Federal Senate:

last held 3 October 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - percent

of vote by party NA; seats - (81 total as of 3 February 1991) PMDB 27, PFL

15, PSDB 10, PTB 8, PDT 5, other 16

:Brazil Government

President:

last held 15 November 1989, with runoff on 17 December 1989 (next to be held

November 1994); results - Fernando COLLOR de Mello 53%, Luis Inacio da SILVA

47%; note - first free, direct presidential election since 1960

Communists:

less than 30,000

Other political or pressure groups:

left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions allied to leftist Worker's

Party are critical of government's social and economic policies

Member of:

AfDB, AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT,

IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,

INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS,

MERCOSUR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO,

UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation:

Ambassador Rubens RICUPERO; Chancery at 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW,

Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-2700; there are Brazilian

Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, and New

York, and Consulates in Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco

US:

Ambassador Richard MELTON; Embassy at Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3, Brasilia,

Distrito Federal (mailing address is APO AA 34030); telephone [55] (61)

321-7272; FAX [55] (61) 225-9136; there are US Consulates General in Rio de

Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and Consulates in PortoAlegre and Recife

Flag:

green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial

globe with 23 white five-pointed stars (one for each state) 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)

:Brazil Economy

Overview:

The economy, with large agrarian, mining, and manufacturing sectors, entered

the 1990s with declining real growth, runaway inflation, an unserviceable

foreign debt of $122 billion, and a lack of policy direction. In addition,

the economy remained highly regulated, inward-looking, and protected by

substantial trade and investment barriers. Ownership of major industrial and

mining facilities is divided among private interests - including several

multinationals - and the government. Most large agricultural holdings are

private, with the government channeling financing to this sector. Conflicts

between large landholders and landless peasants have produced intermittent

violence. The Collor government, which assumed office in March 1990, is

embarked on an ambitious reform program that seeks to modernize and

reinvigorate the economy by stabilizing prices, deregulating the economy,

and opening it to increased foreign competition. The government in December

1991 signed a letter of intent with the IMF for a 20-month standby loan.

Having reached an agreement on the repayment of interest arrears accumulated

during 1989 and 1990, Brazilian officials and commercial bankers are engaged

in talks on the reduction of medium- and long-term debt and debt service

payments and on the elimination of remaining interest arrears. A major

long-run strength is Brazil's vast natural resources.

GDP:

exchange rate conversion - $358 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth rate

1.2% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

478.5% (December 1991, annual rate)

Unemployment rate:

4.3% (1991)

Budget:

revenues $164.3 billion; expenditures $170.6 billion, including capital

expenditures of $32.9 billion (1990)

Exports:

$31.6 billion (1991)

commodities:

iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee

partners:

EC 31%, US 24%, Latin America 11%, Japan 8% (1990)

Imports:

$21.0 billion (1991)

commodities:

crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal

partners:

Middle East and Africa 22%, US 21%, EC 21%, Latin America 18%, Japan 6%

(1990)

External debt:

$118 billion (December 1991)

Industrial production:

growth rate—0.5% (1991); accounts for 39% of GDP

Electricity:

58,500,000 kW capacity; 229,824 million kWh produced, 1,479 kWh per capita

(1991)

Industries:

textiles and other consumer goods, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron

ore, steel, motor vehicles and auto parts, metalworking, capital goods, tin

Agriculture:

world's largest producer and exporter of coffee and orange juice concentrate

and second- largest exporter of soybeans; other products - rice, corn,

sugarcane, cocoa, beef; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat

:Brazil Economy

Illicit drugs:

illicit producer of cannabis and coca, mostly for domestic consumption;

government has a modest eradication program to control cannabis and coca

cultivation; important transshipment country for Bolivian and Colombian

cocaine headed for the US and Europe

Economic aid:

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.5 billion; Western (non-US)

countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.2 million; OPEC

bilateral aid (1979-89), $284 million; former Communist countries (1970-89),

$1.3 billion

Currency:

cruzeiro (plural - cruzeiros); 1 cruzeiro (Cr$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates:

cruzeiros (Cr$) per US$1 - 1,197.38 (January 1992), 406.61 (1991), 68.300

(1990), 2.834 (1989), 0.26238 (1988), 0.03923 (1987)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

:Brazil Communications

Railroads:

28,828 km total; 24,864 km 1.000-meter gauge, 3,877 km 1.600-meter gauge, 74

km mixed 1.600-1.000-meter gauge, 13 km 0.760-meter gauge; 2,360 km

electrified

Highways:

1,448,000 km total; 48,000 km paved, 1,400,000 km gravel or earth

Inland waterways:

50,000 km navigable

Pipelines:

crude oil 2,000 km; petroleum products 3,804 km; natural gas 1,095 km

Ports:

Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de

Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos

Merchant marine:

245 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,693,500 GRT/9,623,918 DWT; includes

3 passenger-cargo, 49 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 13 container, 9

roll-on/roll-off, 57 petroleum tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 11 liquefied gas,

14 combination ore/oil, 71 bulk, 2 combination bulk; in addition, 2 naval

tankers and 4 military transport are sometimes used commercially

Civil air:

198 major transport aircraft

Airports:

3,563 total, 2,911 usable; 420 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with

runways over 3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,240-3,659 m; 550 with runways

1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications:

good system; extensive radio relay facilities; 9.86 million telephones;

broadcast stations - 1,223 AM, no FM, 112 TV, 151 shortwave; 3 coaxial

submarine cables, 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations and 64 domestic

satellite earth stations

:Brazil Defense Forces

Branches:

Brazilian Army, Navy of Brazil (including Marines), Brazilian Air Force,

Military Police (paramilitary)

Manpower availability:

males 15-49, 41,515,103; 27,987,257 fit for military service; 1,644,571

reach military age (18) annually

Defense expenditures:

exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 0.3% of GDP (1990)

:British Indian Ocean Territory Geography

Total area:

60 km2

Land area:

60 km2; includes the island of Diego Garcia

Comparative area:

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

none

Coastline:

698 km

Maritime claims:

Territorial sea:

UK announced establishment of 200-nm fishery zone in August 1991

Disputes:

the entire Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius

Climate:

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain:

flat and low (up to 4 meters in elevation)

Natural resources:

coconuts, fish

Land use:

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and

woodland 0%; other 100%

Environment:

archipelago of 2,300 islands

Note:

Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location

in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility

:British Indian Ocean Territory People

Population:

no permanent civilian population; formerly about 3,000 islanders

Ethnic divisions:

civilian inhabitants, known as the Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius before

construction of UK and US defense facilities

:British Indian Ocean Territory Government

Long-form name:

British Indian Ocean Territory (no short-form name); abbreviated BIOT

Type:

dependent territory of the UK

Capital:

none

Leaders:

Chief of State:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

Head of Government:

Commissioner Mr. T. G. HARRIS; Administrator Mr. R. G. WELLS (since NA

1991); note - both reside in the UK

Diplomatic representation:

none (dependent territory of UK)

Flag:

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

:British Indian Ocean Territory 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 and the US. There are no

industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.

Electricity:

provided by the US military

:British Indian Ocean Territory Communications

Highways:

short stretch of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia

Ports:

Diego Garcia

Airports:

1 with permanent-surface runways over 3,659 m on Diego Garcia

Telecommunications:

minimal facilities; broadcast stations (operated by US Navy) - 1 AM, 1 FM, 1

TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:British Indian Ocean Territory Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

:British Virgin Islands Geography

Total area:

150 km2

Land area:

150 km2; includes the island of Anegada

Comparative area:

about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline:

80 km

Maritime claims:

Exclusive fishing zone:

200 nm

Territorial sea:

3 nm

Disputes:

none

Climate:

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Terrain:

coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Natural resources:

negligible

Land use:

arable land 20%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 33%; forest and

woodland 7%; other 33%

Environment:

subject to hurricanes and tropical storms from July to October

Note:

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

:British Virgin Islands People

Population:

12,555 (July 1992), growth rate 1.2% (1992)

Birth rate:

20 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate:

6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Net migration rate:

—2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Infant mortality rate:

20 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth:

71 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate:

2.3 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality:

noun - British Virgin Islander(s); adjective - British Virgin Islander

Ethnic divisions:

over 90% black, remainder of white and Asian origin

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:

98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)

Labor force:

4,911 (1980)

Organized labor:

NA% of labor force

:British Virgin Islands Government

Long-form name:

none

Type:

dependent territory of the UK

Capital:

Road Town

Administrative divisions:

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence:

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Constitution:

1 June 1977

Legal system:

English law

National holiday:

Territory Day, 1 July

Executive branch:

British monarch, governor, chief minister, Executive Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Council

Judicial branch:

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Leaders:

Chief of State:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor P. A.

PENFOLD (since NA 1991)

Head of Government:

Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT (since NA 1986)

Political parties and leaders:

United Party (UP), Conrad MADURO; Virgin Islands Party (VIP), H. Lavity

STOUTT; Independent Progressive Movement (IPM), Cyril B. ROMNEY

Suffrage:

universal at age 18

Elections:

Legislative Council:

last held 12 November 1990 (next to be held by November 1995); results -

percent of vote by party NA; seats - (9 total) VIP 6, IPM 1, independents 2

Member of:

CARICOM (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate)

Diplomatic representation:

none (dependent territory of UK)

Flag:

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)

:British Virgin Islands Economy

Overview:

The economy, one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean area, is highly

dependent on the tourist industry, which generates about 21% of the national

income. In 1985 the government offered offshore registration to companies

wishing to incorporate in the islands, and, in consequence, incorporation

fees generated about $2 million in 1987. Livestock raising is the most

significant agricultural activity. The islands' crops, limited by poor

soils, are unable to meet food requirements.

GDP:

purchasing power equivalent - $130 million, per capita $10,600; real growth

rate 6.3% (1990)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.5% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NEGL%

Budget:

revenues $51 million; expenditures $88 million, including capital

expenditures of $38 million (1991)

Exports:

$2.7 million (f.o.b., 1988)

commodities:

rum, fresh fish, gravel, sand, fruits, animals

partners:

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Imports:

$11.5 million (c.i.f., 1988)

commodities:

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

partners:

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

External debt:

$4.5 million (1985)

Industrial production:

growth rate—4.0% (1985)

Electricity:

10,500 kW capacity; 43 million kWh produced, 3,510 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries:

tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore

financial center

Agriculture:

livestock (including poultry), fish, fruit, vegetables

Economic aid:

NA

Currency:

US currency is used

Exchange rates:

US currency is used

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

:British Virgin Islands Communications

Highways:

106 km motorable roads (1983)

Ports:

Road Town

Airports:

3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways less than 1,220 m

Telecommunications:

3,000 telephones; worldwide external telephone service; submarine cable

communication links to Bermuda; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV

:British Virgin Islands Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

:Brunei Geography

Total area:

5,770 km2

Land area:

5,270 km2

Comparative area:

slightly larger than Delaware

Land boundaries:

381 km; Malysia 381 km

Coastline:

161 km

Maritime claims:

Exclusive fishing zone:

200 nm

Territorial sea:

12 nm

Disputes:

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

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Terrain:

flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Natural resources:

crude oil, natural gas, timber

Land use:

arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and

woodland 79%; other 18%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment:

typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

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

:Brunei People

Population:

269,319 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)

Birth rate:

27 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate:

5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Net migration rate:

7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Infant mortality rate:

26 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth:

69 years male, 73 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate:

3.5 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality:

noun - Bruneian(s); adjective - Bruneian

Ethnic divisions:

Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%

Religions:

Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and

other 15% (1981)

Languages:

Malay (official), English, and Chinese

Literacy:

77% (male 85%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)

Labor force:

89,000 (includes members of the Army); 33% of labor force is foreign (1988);

government 47.5%; production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction

41.9%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)

Organized labor:

2% of labor force

:Brunei Government

Long-form name:

Negara Brunei Darussalam

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)

Constitution:

29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency

since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)

Legal system:

based on Islamic law

National holiday:

23 February (1984)

Executive branch:

sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court

Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government:

Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji

HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu`izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)

Political parties and leaders:

Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei

National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned),

leader NA

Suffrage:

none

Elections:

Legislative Council:

last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive

body by decree of the sultan and no elections are planned

Member of:

APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, G-77, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO

(correspondent), ITU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation:

Ambassador Mohamed KASSIM bin Haji Mohamed Daud; Chancery at 2600 Virginia

Avenue NW, Suite 3000, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-0159

US:

Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan,

American Embassy Box B, APO AP 96440; telephone [673] (2) 229-670; FAX [673]

(2) 225-293

Flag:

yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black

starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is

superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top

of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by

two upraised hands

:Brunei Economy

Overview:

The economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship,

government regulation and welfare measures, and village tradition. It is

almost totally supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with

revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for more than 50% of GDP. Per

capita GDP of $8,800 is among the highest in the Third World, and

substantial income from overseas investment supplements domestic production.

The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and

housing.

GDP:

exchange rate conversion - $3.5 billion, per capita $8,800; real growth rate

1% (1990 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.3% (1989)

Unemployment rate:

3.7%, shortage of skilled labor (1989)

Budget:

revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital

expenditures of $255 million (1989 est.)

Exports:

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:

crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products

partners:

Japan 53%, UK 12%, South Korea 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 5% (1990)

Imports:

$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.)

commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals

partners:

Singapore 35%, UK 26%, Switzerland 9%, US 9%, Japan 5% (1990)

External debt:

none

Industrial production:

growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP

Electricity:

310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 2,400 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries:

petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction

Agriculture:

imports about 80% of its food needs; principal crops and livestock include

rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs

Economic aid:

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western (non-US)

countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $153 million

Currency:

Bruneian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates:

Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.7454 (January 1991), 1.8125 (1990),

1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986); note - the

Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

Fiscal year:

calendar year

:Brunei Communications

Railroads:

13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line

Highways:

1,090 km total; 370 km paved (bituminous treated) and another 52 km under

construction, 720 km gravel or unimproved

Inland waterways:

209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters

Pipelines:

crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km

Ports:

Kuala Belait, Muara

Merchant marine:

7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635

DWT

Civil air:

4 major transport aircraft (3 Boeing 757-200, 1 Boeing 737-200)

Airports:

2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over

3,659 m; 1 with runway 1,406 m

Telecommunications:

service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international

service good to adjacent Malaysia; radiobroadcast coverage good; 33,000

telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 4 AM/FM, 1 TV; 74,000 radio

receivers (1987); satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1

Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

:Brunei Defense Forces

Branches:

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, and Royal Brunei Police

Manpower availability:

males 15-49, 75,330; 43,969 fit for military service; 2,595 reach military

age (18) annually

Defense expenditures:

exchange rate conversion - $233.1 million, 7.1% of GDP (1988)

:Bulgaria Geography

Total area:

110,910 km2

Land area:

110,550 km2

Comparative area:

slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:

1,881 km; Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and

Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km

Coastline:

354 km

Maritime claims:

Contiguous zone:

24 nm

Exclusive economic zone:

200 nm

Territorial sea:

12 nm

Disputes:

Macedonia question with Greece and Macedonia

Climate:

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain:

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and south

Natural resources:

bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Land use:

arable land 34%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and

woodland 35%; other 10%; includes irrigated 11%

Environment:

subject to earthquakes, landslides; deforestation; air pollution

Note:

strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from

Europe to Middle East and Asia

:Bulgaria People

Population:

8,869,161 (July 1992), growth rate —0.5% (1992)

Birth rate:

12 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate:

12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Net migration rate:

—5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Infant mortality rate:

13 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth:

69 years male, 76 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate:

1.7 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality:

noun - Bulgarian(s); adjective - Bulgarian

Ethnic divisions:

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:

93% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)

Labor force:

4,300,000; industry 33%, agriculture 20%, other 47% (1987)

Organized labor:

Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB); Edinstvo

(Unity) People's Trade Union (splinter confederation from KNSB); Podkrepa

(Support) Labor Confederation, legally registered in January 1990

:Bulgaria Government

Long-form name:

Republic of Bulgaria

Type:

emerging democracy, diminishing Communist Party influence

Capital:

Sofia

Administrative divisions:

9 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo,

Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Sofiya, Varna

Independence:

22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)

Constitution:

adopted 12 July 1991

Legal system:

based on civil law system, with Soviet law influence; has accepted

compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday:

3 March (1878)

Executive branch:

president, chairman of the Council of Ministers (premier), two deputy

chairmen of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Leaders:

Chief of State:

President Zhelyu ZHELEV (since 1 August 1990)

Head of Government:

Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) Filip DIMITROV (since 8

November 1991); Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Deputy Prime

Minister) Stoyan GANEV (since 8 November 1991); Deputy Chairman of the

Council of Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 8 November 1991)

Political parties and leaders:

government:

Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), Filip DIMITROV, chairman, consisting of

United Democratic Center, Democratic Party, Radical Democratic Party,

Christian Democratic Union, Alternative Social Liberal Party, Republican

Party, Civic Initiative Movement, Union of the Repressed, and about a dozen

other groups; Movement for Rights and Freedoms (pro-Muslim party) (MRF),

Ahmed DOGAN, chairman, supports UDF but not officially in coalition with it

opposition:

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), formerly Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP),

Zhan VIDENOV, chairman

Suffrage:

universalandcompulsoryatage 18

Elections:

National Assembly:

last held 13 October 1991; results - BSP 33%, UDF 34%, MRF 7.5%; seats -

(240 total) BSP 106, UDF 110, Movement for Rights and Freedoms 24

President:

last held 12 January 1992; second round held 19 January 1992; results -

Zhelyu ZHELEV was elected by popular vote

Communists:

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), formerly Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP),

501,793 members; several small Communist parties

:Bulgaria Government

Other political or pressure groups:

Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa (Support) Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union;

Bulgarian Democratic Youth (formerly Communist Youth Union); Confederation

of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB); Nationwide Committee for

Defense of National Interests; Peasant Youth League; Bulgarian Agrarian

National Union - United (BZNS); Bulgarian Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov"

Bulgarian Agrarian National Union; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary

Organization - Union of Macedonian Societies (IMRO-UMS); numerous regional,

ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

Member of:

BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IIB, ILO,

IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,

UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation:

Ambassador Ognyan PISHEV; Chancery at 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC

20008; telephone (202) 387-7969

US:

Ambassador Hugh Kenneth HILL; Embassy at 1 Alexander Stamboliski Boulevard,

Sofia (mailing address is APO AE 09213-5740); telephone [359] (2) 88-48-01

through 05; Embassy has no FAX machine

Flag:

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)

:Bulgaria Economy

Overview:

Growth in the lackluster Bulgarian economy fell to the 2% annual level in

the 1980s. By 1990, Sofia's foreign debt had skyrocketed to over $10 billion

- giving a debt-service ratio of more than 40% of hard currency earnings and

leading the regime to declare a moratorium on its hard currency payments.

The post-Communist government faces major problems of renovating an aging

industrial plant; coping with worsening energy, food, and consumer goods

shortages; keeping abreast of rapidly unfolding technological developments;

investing in additional energy capacity (the portion of electric power from

nuclear energy reached over one-third in 1990); and motivating workers, in

part by giving them a share in the earnings of their enterprises. Bulgaria's

new government, led by Prime Minister Filip Dimitrov, is strongly committed

to economic reform. The previous government, even though dominated by former

Communists, had taken the first steps toward dismantling the central

planning system, bringing the economy back into balance, and reducing

inflationary pressures. The program produced some encouraging early results,

including eased restrictions on foreign investment, increased support from

international financial institutions, and liberalized currency trading.

Small entrepreneurs have begun to emerge and some privatization of small

enterprises has taken place. The government has passed bills to privatize

large state-owned enterprises and reform the banking system. Negotiations on

an association agreement with the EC began in late 1991.

GNP:

purchasing power equivalent - $36.4 billion, per capita $4,100; real growth

rate —22% (1991 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

420% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate:

10% (1991 est.)

Budget:

revenues NA; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of $NA billion

(1991)

Exports:

$8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:

machinery and equipment 55.3%; agricultural products 15.0%; manufactured

consumer goods 10.0%; fuels, minerals, raw materials, and metals 18.4%;

other 1.3% (1990)

partners:

former CMEA countries 70.6% (USSR 56.2%, Czechoslovakia 3.9%, Poland 2.5%);

developed countries 13.6% (Germany 2.1%, Greece 1.2%); less developed

countries 13.1% (Libya 5.8%, Iran 0.5%) (1990)

Imports:

$9.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:

fuels, minerals, and raw materials 43.7%; machinery and equipment 45.2%;

manufactured consumer goods 6.7%; agricultural products 3.8%; other 0.6%

partners:

former CMEA countries 70.9% (former USSR 52.7%, Poland 4.1%); developed

countries 20.2% (Germany 5.0%, Austria 2.1%); less developed countries 7.2%

(Libya 2.0%, Iran 0.7%)

External debt:

$11.2 billion (1991)

Industrial production:

growth rate —14.7% (1990); accounts for about 37% of GNP (1990)

Electricity:

11,500,000 kW capacity; 45,000 million kWh produced, 5,040 kWh per capita

(1990)

:Bulgaria Economy

Industries:

machine building and metal working, food processing, chemicals, textiles,

building materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals

Agriculture:

accounts for 22% of GNP (1990); climate and soil conditions support

livestock raising and the growing of various grain crops, oilseeds,

vegetables, fruits, and tobacco; more than one-third of the arable land

devoted to grain; world's fourth-largest tobacco exporter; surplus food

producer

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route

Economic aid:

donor - $1.6 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed

countries (1956-89)

Currency:

lev (plural - leva); 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki

Exchange rates:

leva (Lv) per US$1 - 17.18 (1 January 1992), 16.13 (March 1991), 0.7446

(November 1990), 0.84 (1989), 0.82 (1988), 0.90 (1987); note - floating

exchange rate since February 1991

Fiscal year:

calendar year

:Bulgaria Communications

Railroads:

4,300 km total, all government owned (1987); 4,055 km 1.435-meter standard

gauge, 245 km narrow gauge; 917 km double track; 2,510 km electrified

Highways:

36,908 km total; 33,535 km hard surface (including 242 km superhighways);

3,373 km earth roads (1987)

Inland waterways:

470 km (1987)

Pipelines:

crude oil 193 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 1,400 km (1986)

Ports:

Burgas, Varna, Varna West; river ports are Ruse, Vidin, and Lom on the

Danube

Merchant marine:

110 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 1,234,657 GRT/1,847,759 DWT;

includes 2 short-sea passenger, 30 cargo, 2 container, 1 passenger-cargo

training, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 15 petroleum tanker, 4 chemical carrier, 2

railcar carrier, 48 bulk; Bulgaria owns 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling

8,717 DWT operating under Liberian registry

Civil air:

86 major transport aircraft

Airports:

380 total, 380 usable; about 120 with permanent-surface runways; 20 with

runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications:

extensive radio relay; 2.5 million telephones; direct dialing to 36

countries; phone density is 25 phones per 100 persons; 67% of Sofia

households now have a phone (November 1988); broadcast stations - 20 AM, 15

FM, and 29 TV, with 1 Soviet TV repeater in Sofia; 2.1 million TV sets

(1990); 92% of country receives No. 1 television program (May 1990); 1

satellite ground station using Intersputnik; INTELSAT is used through a

Greek earth station

:Bulgaria Defense Forces

Branches:

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Troops, Internal Troops

Manpower availability:

males 15-49, 2,181,421; 1,823,678 fit for military service; 65,942 reach

military age (19) annually

Defense expenditures:

exchange rate conversion - 4.413 billion leva, 4.4% of GNP (1991); note -

conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current

exchange rate could produce misleading results

:Burkina Geography

Total area:

274,200 km2

Land area:

273,800 km2

Comparative area:

slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries:

3,192 km; Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Ivory Coast 584 km, Mali 1,000 km,

Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Coastline:

none - landlocked

Maritime claims:

none - landlocked

Disputes:

the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted

to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ

issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept;

Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the

tripoint with Niger

Climate:

tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain:

mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast

Natural resources:

manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper,

nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver

Land use:

arable land 10%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 37%; forest and

woodland 26%; other 27%, includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment:

recent droughts and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural

activities, population distribution, economy; overgrazing; deforestation

Note:

landlocked

:Burkina People

Population:

9,653,672 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)

Birth rate:

49 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate:

16 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Net migration rate:

—2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Infant mortality rate:

117 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth:

52 years male, 53 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate:

7.1 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality:

noun - Burkinabe (singular and plural); adjective - Burkinabe

Ethnic divisions:

more than 50 tribes; principal tribe is Mossi (about 2.5 million); other

important groups are Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani

Religions:

indigenous beliefs about 65%, Muslim 25%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic)

10%

Languages:

French (official); tribal languages belong to Sudanic family, spoken by 90%

of the population

Literacy:

18% (male 28%, female 9%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force:

3,300,000 residents; 30,000 are wage earners; agriculture 82%, industry 13%,

commerce, services, and government 5%; 20% of male labor force migrates

annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (1984); 44% of

population of working age (1985)

Organized labor:

four principal trade union groups represent less than 1% of population

:Burkina Government

Long-form name:

Burkina Faso

Type:

military; established by coup on 4 August 1983

Capital:

Ouagadougou

Administrative divisions:

30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou,

Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, 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; formerly Upper Volta)

Constitution:

June 1991

Legal system:

based on French civil law system and customary law

National holiday:

Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)

Executive branch:

President, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) was dissolved on 25

November 1980

Judicial branch:

Appeals Court

Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government:

President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)

Political parties and leaders:

Organization for Popular Democracy (ODP/MT), ruling party; Coordination of

Democratic Forces (CFD), composed of opposition parties

Suffrage:

none

Elections:

the National Assembly was dissolved 25 November 1980; presidential election

held December 1991 and legislative election scheduled for 24 May 1992

Communists:

small Communist party front group; some sympathizers

Other political or pressure groups:

committees for the defense of the revolution, watchdog/political action

groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities

Member of:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD,

ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,

ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL,

WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation:

Ambassador Paul Desire KABORE; Chancery at 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW,

Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-5577 or 6895

US:

Ambassador Edward P. BYRNN; Embassy at Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou

(mailing address is 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou); telephone [226] 30-67- 23

through 25 and [226] 33-34-22; FAX [226] 31-23-68

Flag:

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

:Burkina Economy

Overview:

One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina has a high population

density, few natural resources, and relatively infertile soil. Economic

development is hindered by a poor communications network within a landlocked

country. Agriculture provides about 40% of GDP and is entirely of a

subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by unprofitable

government-controlled corporations, accounts for about 15% of GDP.

GDP:

exchange rate conversion - $2.9 billion, per capita $320 (1988); real growth

rate 1.3% (1990 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

—0.5% (1989)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Budget:

revenues $275 million; expenditures $287 million, including capital

expenditures of $NA (1989)

Exports:

$262 million (f.o.b., 1989)

commodities:

oilseeds, cotton, live animals, gold

partners:

EC 42% (France 30%, other 12%), Taiwan 17%, Ivory Coast 15% (1985)

Imports:

$619 million (f.o.b., 1989)

commodities:

grain, dairy products, petroleum, machinery

partners:

EC 37% (France 23%, other 14%), Africa 31%, US 15% (1985)

External debt:

$962 million (December 1990 est.)

Industrial production:

growth rate 5.7% (1990 est.), accounts for about 15% of GDP (1988)

Electricity:

120,000 kW capacity; 320 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries:

cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles,

gold

Agriculture:

accounts for about 40% of GDP; cash crops - peanuts, shea nuts, sesame,

cotton; food crops - sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock; not

self-sufficient in food grains

Economic aid:

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US)

countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.9 billion;

Communist countries (1970-89), $113 million

Currency:

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)

= 100 centimes

Exchange rates:

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26

(1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

:Burkina Communications

Railroads:

620 km total; 520 km Ouagadougou to Ivory Coast border and 100 km

Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1.00-meter gauge and single track

Highways:

16,500 km total; 1,300 km paved, 7,400 km improved, 7,800 km unimproved

(1985)

Civil air:

2 major transport aircraft

Airports:

48 total, 38 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways

over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications:

all services only fair; radio relay, wire, and radio communication stations

in use; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

earth station

:Burkina Defense Forces

Branches:

Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, Peoples' Militia

Manpower availability:

males 15-49, 1,904,647; 971,954 fit for military service; no conscription

Defense expenditures:

exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 2.7% of GDP (1988 est.)

:Burma Geography

Total area:

678,500 km2

Land area:

657,740 km2

Comparative area:

slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:

5,876 km; 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:

edge of continental margin or 200 nm

Exclusive economic zone:

200 nm

Territorial sea:

12 nm

Disputes:

none

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

Natural resources:

crude oil, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some

marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas

Land use:

arable land 15%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and

woodland 49%; other 34%; includes irrigated 2%

Environment:

subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides

common during rainy season (June to September); deforestation

Note:

strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

:Burma People

Population:

42,642,418 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)

Birth rate:

29 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate:

10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Net migration rate:

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Infant mortality rate:

68 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth:

57 years male, 61 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate:

3.8 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality:

noun - Burmese (singular and plural); adjective - Burmese

Ethnic divisions:

Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%,

other 5%

Religions:

Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%,

animist beliefs 1%, other 2%

Languages:

Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Literacy:

81% (male 89%, female 72%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force:

16,036,000; agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%,

other 4.1% (FY89 est.)

Organized labor:

Workers' Asiayone (association), 1,800,000 members; Peasants' Asiayone,

7,600,000 members

:Burma Government

Long-form name:

Union of Burma; note - the local official name is Pyidaungzu Myanma

Naingngandaw, which has been translated by the US Government as Union of

Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar

Type:

military regime

Capital:

Rangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)

Administrative divisions:

7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular -

pyine); Chin State, Irrawaddy*, Kachin State, Karan State, Kayah State,

Magwe*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Pegu*, Rakhine State, Rangoon*, Sagaing*, Shan

State, Tenasserim*

Independence:

4 January 1948 (from UK)

Constitution:

3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988)

Legal system:

martial law in effect throughout most of the country; has not accepted

compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday:

Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

Executive branch:

chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, State Law and Order

Restoration Council

Legislative branch:

unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved after the coup

of 18 September 1988

Judicial branch:

Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18 September

1988

Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government:

Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE

(since 23 April 1992)

Political parties and leaders:

National Unity Party (NUP; proregime), THA KYAW; National League for

Democracy (NLD), U AUNG SHWE; National Coalition of Union of Burma (NCGUB),

SEIN WIN - consists of individuals legitimately elected but not recognized

by military regime; fled to border area and joined with insurgents in

December 1990 to form a parallel government

Suffrage:

universal at age 18

Elections:

People's Assembly:

last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened; results - NLD 80%; seats

- (485 total) NLD 396, the regime-favored NUP 10, other 79

Communists:

several hundred (est.) in Burma Communist Party (BCP)

Other political or pressure groups:

Kachin Independence Army (KIA), United Wa State Army (UWSA), Karen National

Union (KNU) , several Shan factions, including the Shan United Army (SUA)

(all ethnically based insurgent groups)

Member of:

AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,

IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

:Burma Government

Diplomatic representation:

Ambassador U THAUNG; Chancery at 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008;

telephone (202) 332-9044 through 9046; there is a Burmese Consulate General

in New York

US:

Ambassador (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission, Charge d'Affaires Franklin P.

HUDDLE, Jr.; Embassy at 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (mailing address is GPO

Box 521, AMEMB Box B, APO AP 96546); telephone [95] (1) 82055, 82181; FAX

[95] (1) 80409

Flag:

red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in

white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of

rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions

:Burma Economy

Overview:

Burma is a poor Asian country, with a per capita GDP of about $500. The

nation has been unable to achieve any substantial improvement in export

earnings because of falling prices for many of its major commodity exports.

For rice, traditionally the most important export, the drop in world prices

has been accompanied by shrinking markets and a smaller volume of sales. In

1985 teak replaced rice as the largest export and continues to hold this

position. The economy is heavily dependent on the agricultural sector, which

generates about 40% of GDP and provides employment for 65% of the work

force. Burma has been largely isolated from international economic forces

and has been trying to encourage foreign investment, so far with little

success.

GDP:

exchange rate conversion - $22.2 billion, per capita $530; real growth rate

5.6% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

40% (1991)

Unemployment rate:

9.6% in urban areas (FY89 est.)

Budget:

revenues $7.2 billion; expenditures $9.3 billion, including capital

expenditures of $6 billion (1991)

Exports:

$568 million

commodities:

teak, rice, oilseed, metals, rubber, gems

partners:

Southeast Asia, India, Japan, China, EC, Africa

Imports:

$1.16 billion

commodities:

machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products

partners:

Japan, EC, China, Southeast Asia

External debt:

$4.2 billion (1991)

Industrial production:

growth rate 2.6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP

Electricity:

950,000 kW capacity; 2,900 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries:

agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products;

petroleum refining; mining of copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction

materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer

Agriculture:

accounts for 40% of GDP (including fish and forestry); self-sufficient in

food; principal crops - paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses;

world's largest stand of hardwood trees; rice and teak account for 55% of

export revenues; fish catch of 740,000 metric tons (FY90)

Illicit drugs:

world's largest illicit producer of opium poppy and minor producer of

cannabis for the international drug trade; opium production is on the

increase as growers respond to the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic

programs

Economic aid:

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $158 million; Western (non-US)

countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.9 billion;

Communist countries (1970-89), $424 million