Compare Benin (2003) - French Polynesia (2006)

Compare Benin (2003) z French Polynesia (2006)

	Benin (2003)	French Polynesia (2006)

Administrative divisions	12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou	none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia
Age structure	0-14 years: 47% (male 1,668,817; female 1,638,291) 15-64 years: 50.7% (male 1,739,517; female 1,834,231) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 67,504; female 93,130) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999) 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)	coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products
Airports	5 (2002)	51 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	total: 39 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 7 (2006)
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: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2006)
Area	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km	total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls) land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Background	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.	The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.
Birth rate	43.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	16.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)	revenues: $865 million expenditures: $644.1 million; including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996)
Capital	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government	name: Papeete geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north	tropical, but moderate
Coastline	121 km	2,525 km
Constitution	December 1990	4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
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: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States	-
Death rate	13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$1.6 billion (2000)	$NA
Dependency status	-	overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Wayne NEILL 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 lands of France)
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 lands of France)
Disputes - international	two villages are in dispute along the border with Burkina Faso; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, but states accept 2001 arbitration over disputed Niger River islands; several villages along the Okpara River are in dispute with Nigeria; in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved the boundary stones - joint commission presently resurveying the boundary	none
Economic aid - recipient	$342.6 million (2000)	$580 million (2004)
Economy - overview	The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged a stable 5% in the past six years, but rapid population rise 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. 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, while pressing for speeded-up structural reforms.	Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services.
Electricity - consumption	631.1 million kWh (2001)	459.2 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	376 million kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	274.3 million kWh (2001)	493.7 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 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	Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)	Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001) note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the 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"	chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005) head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since 3 March 2005); President of the Territorial Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no term limits)
Exports	NA (2001)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa	cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat
Exports - partners	India 25%, Italy 11.1%, Indonesia 7.4%, China 7.2%, Thailand 6.7%, Brazil 6.1%, UK 4.4%, Niger 4% (2002)	France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2005)
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	two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions
GDP	purchasing power parity - $7.38 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 38% industry: 15% services: 47% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 3.1% industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2002)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	6% (2002 est.)	NA% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 30 N, 2 15 E	15 00 S, 140 00 W
Geography - note	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands	includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru
Government - note	-	under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister
Heliports	-	1 (2006)
Highways	total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 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 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	NA (2001)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products	fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment
Imports - partners	China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002)	France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2005)
Independence	1 August 1960 (from France)	none (overseas lands of France)
Industrial production growth rate	8.3% (2001 est.)	NA%
Industries	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)	tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates
Infant mortality rate	total: 86.76 deaths/1,000 live births male: 91.79 deaths/1,000 live births female: 81.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	total: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.3% (2002 est.)	1.1% (2006 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WMO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	4 (2002)	-
Irrigated land	120 sq km (1998 est.)	10 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice	Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif
Labor force	NA	65,870 (December 2005)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: 13% industry: 19% services: 68% (2002)
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: 0.75% permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005)
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)	French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)
Legal system	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on French system
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 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31	unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats - changed from 49 seats for May 2004 election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy 27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1; after by-elections of 13 February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New Democracy 3 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 51.08 years male: 50.35 years female: 51.84 years (2003 est.)	total population: 76.1 years male: 73.69 years female: 78.63 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 40.9% male: 56.2% female: 26.5% (2000)	definition: age 14 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo	Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia
Map references	Africa	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2006)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie	no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$80.8 million (FY02)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.7% (FY02)	-
Military manpower - availability	note: both sexes are liable for military service males age 15-49: 1,597,562 females age 15-49: 1,536,036 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 805,603 females age 15-49: 809,961 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 75,021 females: 78,998 (2003 est.)	-
National holiday	National Day, 1 August (1960)	Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese	noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March	occasional cyclonic storms in January
Natural resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber	timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders	African Congress for Renewal or DUNYA [Saka SALEY]; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Coalition of Democratic Forces [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Jerome Sakia KINA]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Key Force or FC [leader NA]; Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, IDP, and 4 other small parties); Renaissance Party du Benin or PRB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties	Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy or UPD [Oscar TEMARU]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	7,041,490 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 2003 est.)	274,578 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	37% (2001 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	2.95% (2003 est.)	1.48% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cotonou, Porto-Novo	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)	AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)	-
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%	Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 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: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	51,000 (2000)	53,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,500 (2000)	87,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	1;; (2001)	7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains	mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Total fertility rate	6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.)	2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	11.8% (1994)
Waterways	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally	-

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