Compare Antigua and Barbuda (2003) - Gabon (2002)

Compare Antigua and Barbuda (2003) z Gabon (2002)

	Antigua and Barbuda (2003)	Gabon (2002)

Administrative divisions	6 parishes and 2 dependencies; Barbuda, Redonda, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip*	9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Age structure	0-14 years: 28.1% (male 9,706; female 9,371) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 22,929; female 22,845) 65 years and over: 4.5% (male 1,218; female 1,828) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 33.3% (male 205,559; female 204,796) 15-64 years: 60.6% (male 376,103; female 371,422) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 37,220; female 38,253) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock	cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
Airports	3 (2002)	59 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 10 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 47 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 24 (2002)
Area	total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) land: 443 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km	total: 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km
Area - comparative	2.5 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than Colorado
Background	The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.	Ruled by autocratic presidents since independence from France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous black African countries.
Birth rate	18.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	27.24 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $123.7 million expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)	revenues: $1.8 billion expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $310 million (2002 est.)
Capital	Saint John's	Libreville
Climate	tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation	tropical; always hot, humid
Coastline	153 km	885 km
Constitution	1 November 1981	adopted 14 March 1991
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda	conventional long form: Gabonese Republic conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon
Currency	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Death rate	5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	17.59 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$231 million (1999)	$3.6 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda	chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth P. MOOREFIELD embassy: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92 FAX: [241] 74 55 07
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5211 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami	chief of mission: Ambassador Jules-Darius OGOUEBANDJA chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668 consulate(s): New York
Disputes - international	none	maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
Economic aid - recipient	$2.3 million (1995)	$331 million (1995) (1995)
Economy - overview	Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.	Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001.
Electricity - consumption	97.89 million kWh (2001)	790.5 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	105.3 million kWh (2001)	850 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 29% hydro: 71% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
Environment - current issues	water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly	deforestation; poaching
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian	Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
Exchange rates	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998) (fixed rate since 1976)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Robin YEARWOOD cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general	chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%
Exports	NA (2001)	$2.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities	petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%	crude oil 81%, timber, manganese, uranium (2000)
Exports - partners	France 68.5%, Germany 26.4%, Italy 1.2% (2002)	US 51%, France 17%, China 8%, Netherlands Antilles 4% (2000)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March	calendar year
Flag description	red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band	three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
GDP	purchasing power parity - $750 million (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $6.7 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3.9% industry: 19.2% services: 76.8% (2002)	agriculture: 10% industry: 60% services: 30% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $5,500 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3% (2002 est.)	2.5% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	17 03 N, 61 48 W	1 00 S, 11 45 E
Geography - note	Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor	a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity
Highways	total: 250 km (1999 est.)	total: 8,454 km paved: 838 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 7,616 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center	-
Imports	NA (2001)	$921 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities	food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials
Imports - partners	France 23.4%, Germany 14.2%, US 13.2%, Poland 9.8%, South Korea 8.3%, Singapore 5%, UK 4.4% (2002)	France 62%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, US 5%, Belgium 3% (2000)
Independence	1 November 1981 (from UK)	17 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	6% (1997 est.)	-6.4% (2001 est.)
Industries	tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)	food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair
Infant mortality rate	total: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	93.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	0.4% (2000 est.)	1.5% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	16 (2000)	1 (2001)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	150 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts
Labor force	30,000	600,000 600,000
Labor force - by occupation	commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)	agriculture 60%, services and government 25%, industry and commerce 15%
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Land use	arable land: 18.18% permanent crops: 0% other: 81.82% (1998 est.)	arable land: 1.26% permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (1998 est.)
Languages	English (official), local dialects	French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Legal system	based on English common law	based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next to be held prior to March 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - ALP 53.2%, UPP 45.5%, independent 1.3%; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1	bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats); members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms elections: National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in January 2004) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 71.31 years male: 68.99 years female: 73.75 years (2003 est.)	total population: 49.11 years male: 48.01 years female: 50.25 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1960 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3% (1995 est.)
Location	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico	Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Africa
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	total: 816 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,135,866 GRT/6,648,143 DWT ships by type: bulk 16, cargo 474, chemical tanker 8, combination bulk 3, container 255, liquefied gas 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 35 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 3, Colombia 1, Cuba 1, Estonia 1, Germany 747, Greece 1, Iceland 8, Latvia 1, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 1, Netherlands 22, New Zealand 2, Portugal 1, Slovenia 6, South Africa 1, Sweden 2, United Kingdom 1, United States 7 (2002 est.)	-
Military branches	Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (including the Coast Guard)	Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential (Republican) Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials), National Gendarmerie, National Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA	$70.8 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA%	2% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 284,358 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 146,908 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 11,304 (2002 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)	Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)
Nationality	noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan	noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese
Natural hazards	hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts	NA
Natural resources	NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism	petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Net migration rate	-6.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines	-	crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km
Political parties and leaders	Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM)	African Forum for Reconstruction or FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI]; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA, secretary general]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE, president]; Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]	NA
Population	67,897 (July 2003 est.)	1,233,353 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 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	0.64% (2003 est.)	0.97% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Saint John's	Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil
Radio broadcast stations	AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios	-	208,000 (1997)
Railways	total: 77 km narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane) (2001 est.)	total: 649 km standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single-track (2001)
Religions	Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)	Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	21 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: good automatic telephone system international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe	general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable to be in service in 2002
Telephones - main lines in use	28,000 (1996)	39,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1,300 (1996)	120,000 (2000)
Television broadcast stations	2 (1997)	4 (plus four low-powered repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas	narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Total fertility rate	2.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)	3.65 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	11% (2001 est.)	21% (1997 est.)
Waterways	none	1,600 km (perennially navigable)

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