Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Kosovo (2008) - Mali (2005) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Kosovo (2008) - Mali (2005)

Compare Kosovo (2008) z Mali (2005)

 Kosovo (2008)Mali (2005)
 KosovoMali
Administrative divisions 30 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna in Albanian; opstine, singular - opstina in Serbian); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gllogoc/Drenas (Glogovac), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Istog (Istok), Kacanik, Kline (Klina), Kamenice/Dardana (Kamenica), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mitrovice (Mitrovica), Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Shtime (Stimlje), Shterpce (Strpce), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan 8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou
Age structure - 0-14 years: 47.1% (male 2,910,944/female 2,876,010)


15-64 years: 50% (male 2,955,496/female 3,185,666)


65 years and over: 3% (male 165,867/female 197,546) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products NA cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats
Airports 10 (2008) 28 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 4 (2008)
total: 9


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 4


under 914 m: 4 (2008)
total: 19


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 5


under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)
Area total: 10,887 sq km


land: 10,887 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 1.24 million sq km


land: 1.22 million sq km


water: 20,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Delaware slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Background Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century, but did not fully incorporate them into the Serbian realm until the early 13th century. The Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule, during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over Kosovo from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War (1912), and after World War II (1945) the government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz TITO reorganized Kosovo as an autonomous province within the constituent republic of Serbia. Over the next four decades, Kosovo Albanians lobbied for greater autonomy and Kosovo was granted the status almost equal to that of a republic in the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution. Despite the legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s leading to nationalist riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. Serbs in Kosovo complained of mistreatment and Serb nationalist leaders, such as Slobodan MILOSEVIC, exploited those charges to win support among Serbian voters, many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland. Under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia instituted a new constitution in 1989 that drastically curtailed Kosovo's autonomy and Kosovo Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum that declared Kosovo independent from Serbia. The MILOSEVIC regime carried out repressive measures against the Albanians in the early 1990s as the unofficial government of Kosovo, led by Ibrahim RUGOVA, tried to use passive resistance to gain international assistance and recognition of its demands for independence. In 1995, Albanians dissatisfied with RUGOVA's nonviolent strategy created the Kosovo Liberation Army and launched an insurgency. In 1998, MILOSEVIC authorized a counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians by Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces. The international community tried to resolve the conflict peacefully, but MILOSEVIC rejected the proposed international settlement - the Rambouillet Accords - leading to a three-month NATO bombing of Serbia beginning in March 1999, which forced Serbia to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo in June 1999. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. Under the resolution, Serbia's territorial integrity was protected, but it was UNMIK who assumed responsibility for governing Kosovo. In 2001, UNMIK promulgated a Constitutional Framework, which established Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG), and in succeeding years UNMIK increasingly devolved responsibilities to the PISG. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's future status. Negotiations held intermittently between 2006 and 2007 on issues related to decentralization, religious heritage, and minority rights failed to yield a resolution between Serbia's willingness to grant a high degree of autonomy and the Albanians' call for full independence for Kosovo. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared its independence from Serbia. The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 with a transitional government and in 1992 when Mali's first democratic presidential election was held. After his reelection in 1997, President Alpha KONARE continued to push through political and economic reforms and to fight corruption. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE.
Birth rate - 46.77 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $893.2 million


expenditures: $796.6 million (2006 est.)
revenues: $764 million


expenditures: $828 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2002 est.)
Capital name: Pristina (Prishtine)


geographic coordinates: 42 40 N, 21 10 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Bamako
Climate influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution Constitutional Framework of 2001; note - the Kosovo Government is charged with putting forward an AHTISAARI (UN Special Envoy) Plan-compliant draft of a new constitution soon after independence adopted 12 January 1992
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Kosovo


conventional short form: Kosovo


local long form: Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosova)


local short form: Kosova (Kosovo)


former: Kosovo i Metohija, Autonomna Pokrajina
conventional long form: Republic of Mali


conventional short form: Mali


local long form: Republique de Mali


local short form: Mali


former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic
Death rate - 19.05 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external Serbia continued to pay Kosovo's external debt, which it claimed was around $1.2 billion; Kosovo was willing to accept around $900 million, according to the national bank of Serbia (2007) $3.3 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Vicki HUDDLESTONE


embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V, Bamako


mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako


telephone: [223] (2) 223-833


FAX: [223] (2) 223-712
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP


chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950


FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603
Disputes - international Serbia with several other states protest the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaring itself as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Kosovo authorities object to alignment of the Kosovo boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement none
Economic aid - recipient $252 million (2006) $596.4 million (2001)
Economy - overview Kosovo's economy has largely transitioned to a market-based system but is highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany and Switzerland - account for about 30% of GDP. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an average per capita income of only $1900 - about one-third the level of neighboring Albania. Unemployment - at 50% of the population - is a severe problem that encourages outward migration. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the largest city, Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. The complexity of Serbia and Kosovo's political and legal relationships created uncertainty over property rights and hindered the privatization of state-owned assets. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because investment is insufficient to replace ageing Eastern Bloc equipment. Technical and financial problems in the power sector also impede industrial development, and deter foreign investment. Economic growth is largely driven by the private sector - mostly small-scale retail businesses. Both the euro and the Serbian dinar circulate. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep inflation low. Kosovo has maintained a budget surplus as a result of efficient tax collection and inefficient spending. While maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU and Kosovo's provisional government to accelerate economic growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment. In order to help integrate Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade Area (CEFTA) in 2006. Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population is nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along with gold. The government has continued its successful implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50% devaluation of the African franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic growth to a sturdy 5% average in 1996-2004. Worker remittances and external trade routes have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.
Electricity - consumption 4.281 billion kWh (2006) 651 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2002)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 3.996 billion kWh (2006) 700 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim 297 m (located on the border with Albania)


highest point: Gjeravica/Deravica 2,565 m
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m


highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
Environment - current issues - deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Albanians 88%, Serbs 7%, other 5% (Bosniak, Gorani, Roma, Turk) Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%
Exchange rates Serbian dinars per US dollar - 54.5 (2008 est.) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: President Fatmir SEJDIU (since 10 February 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Hashim THACI (since 9 January 2008)


cabinet: ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly


elections: the president is elected for a 5-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; the prime minister is elected by the Kosovo Assembly


election results: Fatmir SEJDIU and Hashim THACI elected to be president and prime minister respectively by the Assembly
chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi MAIGA (since 30 April 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (two-term limit); election last held 12 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE elected president; percent of vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 64.4%, Soumaila CISSE 35.6%
Exports $13.08 million (2006) NA
Exports - commodities scrap metals, mining and processed metal products, plastics, wood cotton, gold, livestock
Exports - partners Central Europe Free Trade Area (CFTA) 56% (2006) China 31.6%, Pakistan 10%, Italy 6.9%, Thailand 5.8%, Germany 5.1%, India 4.8%, Bangladesh 4.5%, Taiwan 4% (2004)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description centered on a dark blue field is the shape of Kosovo in a gold color surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars - each representing one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo - arrayed in a slight arc three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: NA
agriculture: 45%


industry: 17%


services: 38% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.6% (2007) 4% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 42 35 N, 21 00 E 17 00 N, 4 00 W
Geography - note - landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan
Heliports 2 (2008) -
Highways - total: 15,100 km


paved: 1,827 km


unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 1.8%


highest 10%: 40.4% (1994)
Imports $84.99 million (2006) NA
Imports - commodities petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and electrical equipment petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners Central Europe Free Trade Area (CFTA) 48% (2006) France 14.5%, Senegal 9.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.6% (2004)
Independence - 22 September 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - NA (FY96/97)
Industries NA food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining
Infant mortality rate - total: 116.79 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 123.32 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 110.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2007 est.) 4.5% (2002 est.)
International organization participation - ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land - 1,380 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG); district courts judges are appointed by the SRSG; municipal courts judges are appointed by the SRSG Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 832,000 (June 2007 est.) 3.93 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 21.4%


industry: NA


services: NA (2006)
agriculture and fishing 80% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 700.7 km


border countries: Albania 111.8 km, Macedonia 158.7 km, Montenegro 78.6 km, Serbia 351.6 km
total: 7,243 km


border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
Land use - arable land: 3.82%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 96.15% (2001)
Languages Albanian, Serbian, Bosniak, Turkish French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Legal system evolving legal system based on terms of UN Special Envoy Martii AHTISAARI's Plan for Kosovo's supervised independence based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was formally established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Kosovo Assembly of the Provisional Government (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats for Serbs, 10 seats for other minorities; to serve three-year terms)


elections: last held 17 November 2007 (next to be held NA)


election results: percent of vote by party - Democratic Party of Kosovo 34.3%, Democratic League of Kosovo 22.6%, New Kosovo Alliance 12.3%, Democratic League of Dardania-Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo 10.0%, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo 9.6%; seats by party - Democratic Party of Kosovo 37, Democratic League of Kosovo 25, New Kosovo Alliance 13, Democratic League of Dardania-Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo 11, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo 10
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 14 July and 28 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other 30
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 48.64 years


male: 46.68 years


female: 50.66 years (2005 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 46.4%


male: 53.5%


female: 39.6% (2003 est.)
Location Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
Map references Europe Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Military branches - Army, Air Force, National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $22.4 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.4% (2004)
National holiday - Independence Day, 22 September (1960)
Nationality noun: Kosovoan


adjective: Kosovoan
noun: Malian(s)


adjective: Malian
Natural hazards - hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding
Natural resources nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower


note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
Net migration rate - -0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo or PSHDK [Mark KRASNIQI]; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ]; Alliance of Independent Social Democrats of Kososvo and Metohija or SDSKiM [Slavisa PETKOVIC]; Autonomous Liberal Party of SLS [Slobodan PETROVIC]; Bosniak Vakat Coalition [ Dzezair MURATI]; Citizens' Initiative of Gora or GIG [Murselj HALILI]; Council of Independent Social Democrats of Kosovo or SNSDKIM [Ljubisa ZIVIC]; Democratic League of Dardania or LDD [Nexhat DACI]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Fatmir SEJDIU]; Democratic Party of Ashkali of Kosovo or PDAK [Sabit RRAHMANI]; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party of KDTP [Mahir YAGCILAR]; New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [Xhevdet Neziraj]; New Democratic Party or ND [Branislav GRBIC]; New Kosovo Alliance [Behgjet PACOLLI]; Popular Movement of Kosovo or LPK [Emrush XHEMAJLI]; Reform Party Ora; Serb National Party or SNS [Mihailo SCEPANOVIC]; Serbian Kosovo and Metohija Party or SKMS [Dragisa MIRIC]; United Roma Party of Kosovo or PREBK [Haxhi Zylfi MERXHA]; Democratic Action Party or SDA [Numan BALIC] Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE, party chairman]; Block of Alternative for the Renewal of Africa or BARA [Yoro DIAKITE]; Democratic and Social Convention or CDS [Mamadou Bakary SANGARE, chairman]; Hope 2002 [leader NA]; Movement for the Independence, Renaissance and Integration of Africa or MIRIA [Mohamed Lamine TRAORE, Mouhamedou DICKO]; National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL, chairman]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa TRAORE]; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Yoro DIAKITE, chairman; Tiebile DRAME, secretary general]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT [Ali GNANGADO]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Almamy SYLLA, chairman]; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA, chairman]; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE, secretary general]; Union of Democratic Forces for Progress or UFDP [Youssouf TOURE, secretary general]; Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY]; Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement and Fronts of Azawad or MFUA
Population 2,126,708 (2007 est.) 12,291,529 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 30% (2006 est.) 64% average; 30% of the total population living in urban areas; 70% of the total population living in rural areas) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.74% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Koulikoro
Radio broadcast stations - AM 1, FM 28, shortwave 1


note: the shortwave station in Bamako has seven frequencies and five transmitters and relays broadcasts for China Radio International (2001)
Railways total: 430 km (2005) total: 729 km


narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Religions Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving; provides only minimal service


domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress


international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 106,300 (2006) 56,600 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 562,000 (2006) 250,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations - 1 (plus repeaters) (2001)
Terrain flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Total fertility rate - 6.5 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 50% (2007 est.) 14.6% urban areas; 5.3% rural areas (2001 est.)
Waterways - 1,815 km (2004)
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.