Compare Benin (2002) - Ghana (2002)

Compare Benin (2002) z Ghana (2002)

	Benin (2002)	Ghana (2002)

Administrative divisions	12 provinces; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou	10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
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: 40.4% (male 4,116,600; female 4,063,654) 15-64 years: 56.1% (male 5,625,397; female 5,723,786) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 338,352; female 376,365) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)	cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Airports	5 (2001)	12 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	total: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (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: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Area	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km	total: 239,460 sq km land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	slightly smaller than Oregon
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.	Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. He was succeeded by John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election.
Birth rate	43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	28.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)	revenues: $1.603 billion expenditures: $1.975 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government	Accra
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north	tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Coastline	121 km	539 km
Constitution	December 1990	new constitution approved 28 April 1992
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 Ghana conventional short form: Ghana former: Gold Coast
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States	cedi (GHC)
Death rate	14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	10.31 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$1.18 billion (2000)	$5.96 billion (2001 est.)
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 Mary Carlin YATES embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348 FAX: [233] (21) 701-813
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 Alan J. KYEREMATEN chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520 FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 consulate(s) general: New York
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	none
Economic aid - recipient	$342.6 million (2000)	$6.9 billion (1999) (1999)
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.	Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 36% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Excessively expansionary monetary and fiscal policy prior to the 2000 elections led to accelerating inflation in early 2001. A depressed cocoa market and continued weak growth in non-traditional exports led to disappointing growth in 2001. The late 2002 crisis in Cote d'Ivoire has boosted cocoa prices markedly. It remains to be seen if this portends a long-term shift in the cocoa market. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002.
Electricity - consumption	523.2 million kWh (2000)	5.484 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	422 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	300 million kWh (2000)	400 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	240 million kWh (2000)	5.92 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 17% hydro: 83% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)	fossil fuel: 30% hydro: 70% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification	recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
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, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500	black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)
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	cedis per US dollar - 7,195 (January 2002), 7,170.76 (2001), 5,455.06 (2000), 2,669.30 (1999), 2,314.15 (1998), 2,050.17 (1997)
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 John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 and 28 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 56.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.6%
Exports	$35.3 million f.o.b. (2000)	$1.94 billion f.o.b. (2000)
Exports - commodities	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa	gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds
Exports - partners	Brazil, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire (2001)	Togo, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, US, France (1998)
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	three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $6.8 billion (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $39.4 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 36% industry: 14% services: 50% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 36% industry: 25% services: 39% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,980 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.4% (2001 est.)	3% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 30 N, 2 15 E	8 00 N, 2 00 W
Geography - note	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands	Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
Highways	total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1997 est.)	total: 38,940 km paved: 9,346 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 29,594 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 30% (1998)
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	illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and corruption have made money laundering a problem, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center
Imports	$437.6 million c.i.f. (2000)	$2.83 billion f.o.b. (2000)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products	capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners	France, US, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Netherlands, Japan (2001)	UK, Nigeria, US, Germany, Italy, Spain (1998)
Independence	1 August 1960 (from France)	6 March 1957 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	8.3% (2001 est.)	3.8% (2000 est.)
Industries	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)	mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing
Infant mortality rate	88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	55.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2001 est.)	25% (2001 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	ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	4 (2002)	12 (2000)
Irrigated land	120 sq km (1998 est.)	110 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice	Supreme Court
Labor force	NA	9 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km	total: 2,094 km border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Land use	arable land: 15.28% permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.)	arable land: 15.82% permanent crops: 7.47% other: 76.71% (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)	English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Legal system	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on English common law and customary law; 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 Parliament (200 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 7 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 100, NDC 92, PNC 3, CPP 1, independents 4
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 49.69 years male: 48.81 years female: 50.61 years (2002 est.)	total population: 57.06 years male: 55.66 years female: 58.51 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 15 and over can read and write total population: 64.5% male: 75.9% female: 53.5% (1995 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo	Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,450 GRT/22,097 DWT ships by type: petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Brazil 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie	Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$27 million (FY96)	$35.2 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.2% (FY96)	0.7% (FY01)
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: 5,045,355 (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: 2,799,292 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2002 est.)	18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 71,278 females: 70,088 (2002 est.)	males: 213,237 (2002 est.)
National holiday	National Day, 1 August (1960)	Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Nationality	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese	noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March	dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
Natural resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber	gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
People - note	-	there are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 1,000 Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002)
Pipelines	-	0 km
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	Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman]; People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]
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.)	20,244,154 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	37% (2001 est.)	31% (1992 est.)
Population growth rate	2.91% (2002 est.)	1.7% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cotonou, Porto-Novo	Takoradi, Tema
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)	AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios	660,000 (2000)	12.5 million (2001)
Railways	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)	total: 953 km narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge; undergoing major rehabilitation (2001 est.)
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%	indigenous beliefs 21%, Muslim 16%, Christian 63%
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: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
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: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors
Telephones - main lines in use	51,000 (2000)	240,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,500 (2000)	150,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2001)	10 (2001)
Terrain	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains	mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Total fertility rate	6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)	3.69 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	20% (1997 est.)
Waterways	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally	1,293 km note: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways

Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.