Natural hazards: landslides (57 cases in 1998)
Environment—current issues: heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
Environment—international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography—note: landlocked
People
Population: 4,460,838 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 555,096; female 535,625)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,408,334; female 1,529,542)
65 years and over: 10% (male 160,317; female 271,924) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 14.43 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 12.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)