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Compare Antigua and Barbuda (2008) - Benin (2008)

Compare Antigua and Barbuda (2008) z Benin (2008)

 Antigua and Barbuda (2008)Benin (2008)
 Antigua and BarbudaBenin
Administrative divisions 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Age structure 0-14 years: 27.3% (male 9,647/female 9,306)


15-64 years: 69% (male 24,137/female 23,801)


65 years and over: 3.7% (male 965/female 1,625) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 1,788,248/female 1,754,940)


15-64 years: 53.7% (male 2,138,649/female 2,203,291)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 77,844/female 115,342) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock
Airports 3 (2007) 5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Area total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)


land: 442.6 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
total: 112,620 sq km


land: 110,620 sq km


water: 2,000 sq km
Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak 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. Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI has begun a high profile fight against corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.
Birth rate 16.62 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 38.1 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $123.7 million


expenditures: $145.9 million (2000 est.)
revenues: $936.9 million


expenditures: $1.226 billion (2007 est.)
Capital name: Saint John's


geographic coordinates: 17 07 N, 61 51 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Porto-Novo (official capital)


geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E


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


note: Cotonou (seat of government)
Climate tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline 153 km 121 km
Constitution 1 November 1981 adopted by referendum 2 December 1990
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
conventional long form: Republic of Benin


conventional short form: Benin


local long form: Republique du Benin


local short form: Benin


former: Dahomey
Death rate 5.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 11.94 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $359.8 million (June 2006) $1.2 billion (2007)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda chief of mission: Ambassador Gayleatha B. BROWN


embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou


mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou


telephone: [229] 21-30-06-50


FAX: [229] 21-30-03-84
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL


chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016


telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122


FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225


consulate(s) general: Miami
chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN


chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656


FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
Disputes - international none two villages remain in dispute along the border with Burkina Faso; Benin accused Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin, but border relations remain strained by rival gang clashes; Benin and Togo announced plans in 2006 to construct a joint hydroelectric dam on the Mona River at the southern end of the border
Economic aid - recipient $7.23 million (2005) $374.7 million (2006)
Economy - overview Antigua has a relatively high GDP per capita in comparison to most other Caribbean nations. It has experienced solid growth since 2003, driven by a construction boom in hotels and housing that which should wind down in 2008. Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. 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. Since taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government has adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program, but will continue to be saddled by its debt burden with a debt-to-GDP ratio exceeding 100%. The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past seven years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Specific projects to improve the business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture though the government annulled the privatization of Benin's state cotton company in November 2007 after the discovery of irregularities in the bidding process. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. An insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely affect Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production.
Electricity - consumption 97.65 million kWh (2005) 587 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 595 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 105 million kWh (2005) 105 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 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 inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups black 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9% (2001 census) Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9% (2002 census)
Exchange rates East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)


note: fixed rate since 1976
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Louisse LAKE-TACK (since 17 July 2007)


head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004)


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 Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2011)


election results: Thomas YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%
Exports 177.7 bbl/day (2004) 0 bbl/day (2007)
Exports - commodities petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8% cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood
Exports - partners Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2006) China 20.9%, Indonesia 7.7%, India 7%, Netherlands 6.2%, Niger 5.7%, Togo 4.6%, Nigeria 4.3% (2006)
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 two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.8%


industry: 22%


services: 74.3% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 33.2%


industry: 14.5%


services: 52.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.8% (2007 est.) 4.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 17 03 N, 61 48 W 9 30 N, 2 15 E
Geography - note Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.1%


highest 10%: 29% (2003)
Illicit drugs considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center transshipment point used by Nigerian traffickers for narcotics destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations
Imports 4,215 bbl/day (2004) 16,830 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%, Spain 6.5% (2006) China 46.6%, France 7.5%, Thailand 6% (2006)
Independence 1 November 1981 (from UK) 1 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 4.5% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances) textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement
Infant mortality rate total: 18.26 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.99 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 77.85 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 82.32 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.8% (2007 est.) 2.5% (2007 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land NA 120 sq km (2003)
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); member Caribbean Court of Justice Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Labor force 30,000 (1991) 5.38 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 7%


industry: 11%


services: 82% (1983)
-
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,989 km


border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use arable land: 18.18%


permanent crops: 4.55%


other: 77.27% (2005)
arable land: 23.53%


permanent crops: 2.37%


other: 74.1% (2005)
Languages English (official), local dialects French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Legal system based on English common law based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members 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 23 March 2004 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 13
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 31 March 2007 (next to be held by March 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FCBE 35, ADD 20, PRD 10, other and independents 18
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.42 years


male: 70.03 years


female: 74.94 years (2007 est.)
total population: 53.44 years


male: 52.28 years


female: 54.63 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling


total population: 85.8%


male: NA%


female: NA% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 34.7%


male: 47.9%


female: 23.3% (2002 census)
Location Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 1,059 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,158,597 GRT/10,757,767 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 46, cargo 612, carrier 4, chemical tanker 6, container 350, liquefied gas 11, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 20


foreign-owned: 1,021 (Australia 1, Colombia 1, Cyprus 2, Denmark 15, Estonia 15, France 1, Germany 891, Greece 3, Iceland 9, Latvia 9, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 6, Netherlands 19, Norway 7, NZ 2, Poland 2, Russia 5, Slovenia 6, Sweden 1, Switzerland 5, Turkey 7, UK 4, US 8, Vietnam 1) (2007)
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Military branches Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (2006) Benin Armed Forces (FAB): Army (l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin People's Air Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2008)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA (2006) 1.7% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981) National Day, 1 August (1960)
Nationality noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)


adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)


adjective: Beninese
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Net migration rate -6.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three parties - Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP) Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD; Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Benin Renaissance or RB [Rosine SOGLO]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin or FCBE; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Theophile NATA]; Key Force or FC [Lazare SÈHOUÉTO]; Movement for the People's Alternative or MAP [Olivier CAPO-CHICHI]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Dominique HOUNGNINOU]; Social Democrat Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Union for the Relief or UPR [Issa SALIFOU]; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS [Sacca LAFIA]


note: approximately 20 additional minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL] NA
Population 69,481 (July 2007 est.) 8,078,314


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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 37.4% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate 0.527% (2007 est.) 2.674% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)
Railways - total: 758 km


narrow gauge: 758 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Religions Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census) Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.037 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.014 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.594 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.019 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.971 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.675 male(s)/female


total population: 0.983 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: good automatic telephone system


international: country code - 1-268; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe (2007)
general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network is almost saturated with fixed-line teledensity stuck at a meager 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing


domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; four mobile-cellular providers


international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 40,000 (2006) 77,300 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 102,000 (2006) 1.056 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 6 (2007)
Terrain mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Total fertility rate 2.23 children born/woman (2007 est.) 5.08 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 11% (2001 est.) NA%
Waterways - 150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)
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