Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an
underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on
subsistence agriculture. Its economic health depends on the coffee
crop, which accounts for 80% of foreign exchange earnings. The
ability to pay for imports therefore rests largely on the vagaries
of the climate and the international coffee market. Since October
1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence
which has resulted in the death of perhaps 250,000 persons and the
displacement of about 800,000 others. Only one in four children go
to school, and one in nine adults has HIV/AIDS. Foods, medicines,
and electricity remain in short supply.

Cambodia:
Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-98 due to
the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political
infighting. Foreign investment and tourism fell off. In 1999, the
first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic
reforms and growth resumed at 4%. GDP growth for 2000 had been
projected to reach 5.5%, but the worst flooding in 70 years severely
damaged agricultural crops, and high oil prices hurt industrial
production, and growth for the year is estimated at only 4%. Tourism
is Cambodia's fastest growing industry, with arrivals up 34% in
2000. The long-term development of the economy after decades of war
remains a daunting challenge. The population lacks education and
productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside,
which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.
Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the
government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid. On
the brighter side, the government is addressing these issues with
assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors.

Cameroon:
Because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural
conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity
economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious
problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy
civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business
enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF
and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment,
increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize