Compare Benin (2002) - South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2003)

Compare Benin (2002) z South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2003)

	Benin (2002)	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2003)

Administrative divisions	12 provinces; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou	-
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.)	-
Agriculture - products	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)	-
Airports	5 (2001)	none (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (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)	-
Area	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km	total: 3,903 sq km land: 3,903 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of some nine islands
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	slightly larger than Rhode Island
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.	The islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908, except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. The islands have large bird and seal populations, and, recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 NM to 200 NM around each island.
Birth rate	43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)	-
Capital	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government	-
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north	variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Coastline	121 km	NA km
Constitution	December 1990	adopted 3 October 1985
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: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States	-
Death rate	14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-
Debt - external	$1.18 billion (2000)	-
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II; Grytviken, formerly a whaling station on South Georgia, is a scientific base
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	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
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	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
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	briefly occupied by military force in 1982 - claimed by Argentina in constitution but declares it will no longer seek settlement by force
Economic aid - recipient	$342.6 million (2000)	-
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.	Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.
Electricity - consumption	523.2 million kWh (2000)	-
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	-
Electricity - imports	300 million kWh (2000)	-
Electricity - production	240 million kWh (2000)	-
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 17% hydro: 83% 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 Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification	NA
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	-
Ethnic groups	African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500	-
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	-
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"	-
Exports	$35.3 million f.o.b. (2000)	-
Exports - commodities	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa	-
Exports - partners	Brazil, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire (2001)	-
Fiscal year	calendar year	-
Flag description	two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)
GDP	purchasing power parity - $6.8 billion (2001 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 36% industry: 14% services: 50% (2001 est.)	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5.4% (2001 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	9 30 N, 2 15 E	54 30 S, 37 00 W
Geography - note	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands	the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 21st century, live on South Georgia
Highways	total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1997 est.)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	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	-
Imports	$437.6 million c.i.f. (2000)	-
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products	-
Imports - partners	France, US, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Netherlands, Japan (2001)	-
Independence	1 August 1960 (from France)	-
Industrial production growth rate	8.3% (2001 est.)	-
Industries	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)	-
Infant mortality rate	88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (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	-
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	4 (2002)	-
Irrigated land	120 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice	-
Labor force	NA	-
Land boundaries	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 15.28% permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)	-
Legal system	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court
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	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 49.69 years male: 48.81 years female: 50.61 years (2002 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37.5% male: 52.2% female: 23.6% (2000)	-
Location	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Map references	Africa	Antarctic Region
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$27 million (FY96)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.2% (FY96)	-
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.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 771,373 females age 15-49: 778,730 (2002 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2002 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 71,278 females: 70,088 (2002 est.)	-
National holiday	National Day, 1 August (1960)	Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Nationality	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese	-
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March	the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism
Natural resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber	fish
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-
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	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	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.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	37% (2001 est.)	-
Population growth rate	2.91% (2002 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	Cotonou, Porto-Novo	Grytviken
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)	0 (2003)
Radios	660,000 (2000)	-
Railways	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)	-
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%	-
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.)	-
Suffrage	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: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Telephones - main lines in use	51,000 (2000)	-
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,500 (2000)	-
Television broadcast stations	1 (2001)	0 (2003)
Terrain	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains	most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes
Total fertility rate	6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	NA%	-
Waterways	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally	none

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