Compare Bahamas, The (2002) - Congo, Republic of the (2005)

Compare Bahamas, The (2002) z Congo, Republic of the (2005)

	Bahamas, The (2002)	Congo, Republic of the (2005)

Administrative divisions	21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay	10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune; Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Age structure	0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250) 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508; female 98,859) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 37.3% (male 571,011/female 563,414) 15-64 years: 59% (male 886,297/female 907,348) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,799/female 65,257) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	citrus, vegetables; poultry	cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Airports	67 (2001)	32 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 30 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 2 (2002)	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 34 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 3 23 (2002)	total: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km	total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	slightly smaller than Montana
Background	Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.	Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO, but ushered in a period of ethnic unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers with significant potential for offshore development.
Birth rate	18.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	27.88 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $918.5 million expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00)	revenues: $870.1 million expenditures: $1.102 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital	Nassau	Brazzaville
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream	tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Coastline	3,542 km	169 km
Constitution	10 July 1973	approved by referendum 20 January 2002
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas	conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Currency	Bahamian dollar (BSD)	-
Death rate	7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	14.82 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$381.9 million (2000)	$5 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador J. Richard BLANKENSHIP embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222	chief of mission: Ambassador Roger A. MEECE embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860
Disputes - international	none	about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area
Economic aid - recipient	$9.8 million (1995)	$159.1 million (1995)
Economy - overview	The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of the majority of tourist visitors.	The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty.
Electricity - consumption	1.432 billion kWh (2000)	573.6 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	250 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	1.54 billion kWh (2000)	348 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m
Environment - current issues	coral reef decay; solid waste disposal	air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%	Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997
Exchange rates	Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; 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; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister	chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%
Exports	$535.8 million (2000)	NA
Exports - commodities	fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables (1999)	petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports - partners	US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany 14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000)	China 26.8%, Taiwan 19.2%, North Korea 8.4%, US 7.3%, France 5.5%, South Korea 4.8% (2004)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	calendar year
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side	divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP	purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (1999 est.)	agriculture: 7.4% industry: 52% services: 40.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2000 est.)	purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3.5% (2001)	3.7% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 15 N, 76 00 W	1 00 S, 15 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited	about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
Heliports	1 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1997)	total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center	-
Imports	$1.88 billion (2000)	NA
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals (1999)	capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Imports - partners	US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy 17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000)	France 32.7%, US 10.1%, Germany 6.2%, Italy 6%, China 5.2%, Netherlands 4.5% (2004)
Independence	10 July 1973 (from UK)	15 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	0% (2002 est.)
Industries	tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe	petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes
Infant mortality rate	17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 92.41 deaths/1,000 live births male: 98.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 86.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.5% (2001 est.)	1.8% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	19 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	NA sq km	10 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force	156,000 (1999)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)	-
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 5,504 km border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km
Land use	arable land: 0.6% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 99% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0.51% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 99.36% (2001)
Languages	English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)	French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)
Legal system	based on English common law	based on French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 69.87 years male: 66.32 years female: 73.49 years (2002 est.)	total population: 52.26 years male: 51.17 years female: 53.39 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78.4% (2003 est.)
Location	Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida	Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Africa
Maritime claims	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	territorial sea: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 1,076 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,309,187 GRT/45,859,485 DWT ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 246, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 13, combination ore/oil 22, container 80, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger 88, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 120, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 22 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium 18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany 26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2, Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.)	-
Military branches	Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force	Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$20 million (FY95/96)	$126.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.7% (FY99)	2.8% (2004)
National holiday	Independence Day, 10 July (1973)	Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
Nationality	noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian	noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards	hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage	seasonal flooding
Natural resources	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land	petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
Net migration rate	-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 53 km; oil 646 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]	the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC
Population	300,529 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.)	3,039,126 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 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA
Population growth rate	0.86% (2002 est.)	1.31% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau	Brazzaville, Djeno, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios	215,000 (1997)	-
Railways	0 km	total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Religions	Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%	Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)	at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern facilities domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)	general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	96,000 (1997)	7,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	6,152 (1997)	330,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	1 (2002)
Terrain	long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills	coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Total fertility rate	2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.)	3.54 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	6.9% (2001 est.)	NA (2003)
Waterways	none	4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2004)

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