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Compare Benin (2003) - Isle of Man (2004)

Compare Benin (2003) z Isle of Man (2004)

 Benin (2003)Isle of Man (2004)
 BeninIsle of Man
Administrative divisions 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections
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: 17.4% (male 6,669; female 6,357)


15-64 years: 65.4% (male 24,527; female 24,302)


65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,128; female 7,672) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Airports 5 (2002) 1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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: 572 sq km


land: 572 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Pennsylvania slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
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. Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language.
Birth rate 43.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 11.28 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $377.4 million


expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
revenues: $485 million


expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.)
Capital Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government Douglas
Climate tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time
Coastline 121 km 160 km
Constitution December 1990 unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the unwritten Manx 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: none


conventional short form: Isle of Man
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound
Death rate 13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 11.35 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $1.6 billion (2000) NA
Dependency status - British crown dependency
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 (British crown dependency)
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 (British crown dependency)
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) NA
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. Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.
Electricity - consumption 631.1 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 376 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - production 274.3 million kWh (2001) -
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: Irish Sea 0 m


highest point: Snaefell 621 m
Environment - current issues inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution
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 Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton
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) Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6125 (2003), 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
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: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held NA December 2010)


election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004
Exports NA (2001) NA
Exports - commodities cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb
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) UK (2000)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used
GDP purchasing power parity - $7.38 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 38%


industry: 15%


services: 47% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 13%


services: 86% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2002 est.) 13.5%
Geographic coordinates 9 30 N, 2 15 E 54 15 N, 4 30 W
Geography - note sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary
Highways total: 6,787 km


paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways)


unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.)
total: 800 km


paved: 800 km


unpaved: 0 km (1999)
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
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products timber, fertilizers, fish
Imports - partners China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002) UK (2000)
Independence 1 August 1960 (from France) none (British crown dependency)
Industrial production growth rate 8.3% (2001 est.) 3.2% (FY96/97)
Industries textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001) financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
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: 6.05 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.08 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.3% (2002 est.) 3.6% (March 2003 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 UPU
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 High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)
Labor force NA 36,610 (1998)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%
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: 9%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002)
Languages French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) English, Manx Gaelic
Legal system based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English common law and Manx statute
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
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006)


election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3, independents 19
Life expectancy at birth total population: 51.08 years


male: 50.35 years


female: 51.84 years (2003 est.)
total population: 78.16 years


male: 74.8 years


female: 81.7 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 40.9%


male: 56.2%


female: 26.5% (2000)
definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Location Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) total: 226 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,055,436 GRT/9,972,459 DWT


by type: bulk 25, cargo 40, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 2, container 19, liquefied gas 31, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 59, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 17, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5


foreign-owned: Australia 3, Cyprus 4, Denmark 30, Estonia 3, France 1, Germany 57, Greece 8, Hong Kong 11, Iceland 1, Italy 6, Monaco 4, Netherlands 2, New Zealand 1, Norway 10, Singapore 2, Sweden 3, United Kingdom 80, United States 1


registered in other countries: 9 (2004 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 $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) Tynwald Day, 5 July
Nationality noun: Beninese (singular and plural)


adjective: Beninese
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)


adjective: Manx
Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March NA
Natural resources small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber none
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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
Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government [leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]


note: most members sit as independents
Political pressure groups and leaders NA none
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.)
74,655 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 37% (2001 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.95% (2003 est.) 0.53% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Cotonou, Porto-Novo Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 578 km


narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
total: 61 km (35 km electrified) (2003)
Religions indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends
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: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 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: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system


international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable
Telephones - main lines in use 51,000 (2000) 51,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular 55,500 (2000) NA
Television broadcast stations 1;; (2001) 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)
Terrain mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Total fertility rate 6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 0.7% (March 2003)
Waterways streams navigable along small sections, important only locally -
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