Compare Benin (2002) - Albania (2002)

Compare Benin (2002) z Albania (2002)

	Benin (2002)	Albania (2002)

Administrative divisions	12 provinces; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou	12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores
Age structure	0-14 years: 47.2% (male 1,616,138; female 1,585,463) 15-64 years: 50.5% (male 1,665,439; female 1,764,966) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 65,877; female 89,742) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 28.8% (male 528,678; female 493,531) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,094,034; female 1,175,024) 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 111,524; female 142,050) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)	wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products
Airports	5 (2001)	11 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)	total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Area	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km	total: 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	slightly smaller than Maryland
Background	Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991.	In 1990 Albania ended 44 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, a dilapidated infrastructure, widespread gangsterism, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged local elections in 2001 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies which should be addressed through reforms in the Albanian electoral code.
Birth rate	43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	18.59 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)	revenues: $697 million expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $368 million (2002 est.)
Capital	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government	Tirana
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north	mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Coastline	121 km	362 km
Constitution	December 1990	a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey	conventional long form: Republic of Albania conventional short form: Albania local long form: Republika e Shqiperise local short form: Shqiperia former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States	lek (ALL)
Death rate	14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	6.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$1.18 billion (2000)	$784 million (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela E. BRIDGEWATER embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50 FAX: [229] 30-06-70	chief of mission: Ambassador James F. JEFFREY embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Washington, DC 20521-9510 telephone: [355] (4) 247285 FAX: [355] (4) 232222
Diplomatic representation in the US	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	chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942 FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
Disputes - international	Benin and Niger have refered to the ICJ the dispute over l'Ete and 14 smaller disputed islands in the Niger River, which has never been delimited; with Nigeria, several villages are in dispute along the Okpara River and only 35 km of the 436 km boundary are demarcated; the Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint remains undemarcated; Benin accuses Togo of moving boundary markers and stationing troops in its territory; two villages are in dispute with Burkina Faso	the Albanian Government supports protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia and Montenegro and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia while continuing to seek regional cooperation; many Albanians illegally transit neighboring states to emigrate to western Europe
Economic aid - recipient	$342.6 million (2000)	ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.)
Economy - overview	The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output averaged a stable 5% in the past five years, but rapid population rise 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. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation.	Poor and backward by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to revive economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and Italy. Agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, is held back because of frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment and consolidate small plots of land. Severe energy shortages are forcing small firms out of business, increasing unemployment, scaring off foreign investors, and spurring inflation. The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve the shortages.
Electricity - consumption	523.2 million kWh (2000)	5.378 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	100 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	300 million kWh (2000)	1.072 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	240 million kWh (2000)	4.738 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 17% hydro: 83% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)	fossil fuel: 3% hydro: 97% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m	lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification	deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500	Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Gypsy, Serb, and Bulgarian) (1989 est.) note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) 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 XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro	leke per US dollar - 140.16 (November 2001), 143.71 (2000) 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998), 148.93 (1997); note - leke is the plural of lek
Executive branch	chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9% note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president) 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match"	chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Fatos NANO (since 31 July 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19
Exports	$35.3 million f.o.b. (2000)	$340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa	textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exports - partners	Brazil, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire (2001)	Italy 71%, Greece 12%, Germany 7%, Yugoslavia 3% (2001)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side	red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
GDP	purchasing power parity - $6.8 billion (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $14 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 36% industry: 14% services: 50% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 49% industry: 27% services: 24% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.4% (2001 est.)	5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 30 N, 2 15 E	41 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands	strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Heliports	-	1 (2002)
Highways	total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1997 est.)	total: 18,000 km paved: 5,400 km unpaved: 12,600 km (1998 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 narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure	increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens
Imports	$437.6 million c.i.f. (2000)	$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Imports - partners	France, US, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Netherlands, Japan (2001)	Italy 32%, Greece 26%, Turkey 6%, Germany 6%, Bulgaria 2% (2001)
Independence	1 August 1960 (from France)	28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate	8.3% (2001 est.)	9% (2000 est.)
Industries	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)	food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Infant mortality rate	88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	38.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2001 est.)	6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	ACCT, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	4 (2002)	10 (2001)
Irrigated land	120 sq km (1998 est.)	3,400 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice	Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term)
Labor force	NA	1.283 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 50%, industry and services 50%
Land boundaries	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km	total: 720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
Land use	arable land: 15.28% permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.)	arable land: 21.09% permanent crops: 4.45% other: 74.46% (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)	Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Legal system	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 March 1999 (next to be held 30 March 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, Alliance E'toile 4, IPD 4, other 12	unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms) elections: last held 24 June with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, NDP 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, NDP 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH 3, PAD 3, independents 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 49.69 years male: 48.81 years female: 50.61 years (2002 est.)	total population: 72.1 years male: 69.27 years female: 75.14 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37.5% male: 52.2% female: 23.6% (2000)	definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 93% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
Map references	Africa	Europe
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,423 GRT/20,837 DWT ships by type: cargo 7, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Honduras 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie	Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$27 million (FY96)	$56.5 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.2% (FY96)	1.49% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 1,509,760 females age 15-49: 1,536,036 note: both sexes are liable for military service (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 888,086 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 771,373 females age 15-49: 778,730 (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 727,406 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2002 est.)	19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 71,278 females: 70,088 (2002 est.)	males: 35,792 (2002 est.)
National holiday	National Day, 1 August (1960)	Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Nationality	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese	noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March	destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Natural resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber	petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-1.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines	-	crude oil 196 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1996)
Political parties and leaders	African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Saka SALEY]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI [Severin ADJOVI]; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties; the Coalition of Democratic Forces, [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI], an alliance of parties and organizations supporting President KEREKOU	Agrarian Party or PASH [Lufter XHUVELI]; Albanian National Front (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Shptim ROQI]; Albanian Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Albanian Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albania Workers Party) [Fatos NANO, chairman]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Zef BUSHATI]; Democratic Alliance or PAD [Nerltan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Group of Reformist Democrats [Leonard NDOKA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIA]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Teodor LACO]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Genc POLLO]; OMONIA [Vagjelis DULES]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQUIRI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Unity for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vasil MELO, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	6,787,625 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.)	3,544,841 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	37% (2001 est.)	30% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	2.91% (2002 est.)	1.06% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cotonou, Porto-Novo	Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)	AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios	660,000 (2000)	1 million (2001)
Railways	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)	total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2001 est.)
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%	Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable	general assessment: Albania has the poorest telephone service in Europe with fewer than two telephones per 100 inhabitants; it is doubtful that every village has telephone service domestic: obsolete wire system; no longer provides a telephone for every village; in 1992, following the fall of the Communist government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used it to build fences international: inadequate; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece
Telephones - main lines in use	51,000 (2000)	120,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,500 (2000)	250,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2001)	3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains	mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Total fertility rate	6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)	2.27 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	17% officially (2001 est.); may be as high as 30% (2001)
Waterways	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally	43 km note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)

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