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Compare Benin (2003) - Mauritius (2001)
Compare Benin (2003) z Mauritius (2001)
| Benin (2003) | Mauritius (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou | 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne |
| 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:
25.53% (male 153,691; female 150,094) 15-64 years: 68.24% (male 404,940; female 407,056) 65 years and over: 6.23% (male 29,588; female 44,456) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) | sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish |
| Airports | 5 (2002) | 5 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 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) |
total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km |
total:
1,860 sq km land: 1,850 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania | almost 11 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. | Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community. |
| Birth rate | 43.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 16.5 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $377.4 million
expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
revenues:
$1.1 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Capital | Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government | Port Louis |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north | tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) |
| Coastline | 121 km | 177 km |
| Constitution | December 1990 | 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 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 Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius |
| Currency | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States | Mauritian rupee (MUR) |
| Death rate | 13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | $1.6 billion (2000) | $1.9 billion (1998 est.) |
| 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 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mark W. ERWIN embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767 FAX: [230] 208-9534 |
| 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 Usha JEETAH chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983 |
| 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 | claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory); claims French-administered Tromelin Island |
| Economic aid - recipient | $342.6 million (2000) | $42 million (1997) |
| 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 independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Economic performance since 1991 has continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment. |
| Electricity - consumption | 631.1 million kWh (2001) | 1.172 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 376 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 274.3 million kWh (2001) | 1.26 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 14.2%
hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel:
91.27% hydro: 8.73% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Piton 828 m |
| Environment - current issues | inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification | water pollution, degradation of coral reefs |
| 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution 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 | Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% |
| 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) | Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 27.900 (January 2001), 26.250 (2000), 25.186 (1999), 22.993 (1998), 21.057 (1997), 17.948 (1996) |
| 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 Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice President Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 28 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly election results: Cassam UTEEM reelected president and Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA% |
| Exports | NA (2001) | $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
| Exports - commodities | cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa | clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses |
| 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 32%, France 19%, US 15%, Germany 6%, Italy 4% (1999 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
| Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side | four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $7.38 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 38%
industry: 15% services: 47% (2002 est.) |
agriculture:
10% industry: 29% services: 61% (1996) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $10,400 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6% (2002 est.) | 7.5% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 9 30 N, 2 15 E | 20 17 S, 57 33 E |
| Geography - note | sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands | - |
| Highways | total: 6,787 km
paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.) |
total:
1,910 km paved: 1,834 km (including 36 km of expressways) unpaved: 76 km (1998) |
| 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 | minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally |
| Imports | NA (2001) | $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products | manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals (1996) |
| Imports - partners | China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002) | France 14%, South Africa 11%, India 8%, UK 5% (1999 est.) |
| Independence | 1 August 1960 (from France) | 12 March 1968 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8.3% (2001 est.) | 8% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001) | food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; 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.) |
17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.3% (2002 est.) | 5.3% (2000 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 | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 4 (2002) | 2 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 120 sq km (1998 est.) | 170 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice | Supreme Court |
| Labor force | NA | 514,000 (1995) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | construction and industry 36%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 14%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3% (1995) |
| 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:
49% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 22% other: 23% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) | English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori |
| Legal system | based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas |
| 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 National Assembly (66 seats - 62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 51.08 years
male: 50.35 years female: 51.84 years (2003 est.) |
total population:
71.25 years male: 67.26 years female: 75.31 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.9% male: 56.2% female: 26.5% (2000) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.9% male: 87.1% female: 78.8% (1995 est.) |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar |
| Map references | Africa | World |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 NM | continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total:
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,909 GRT/87,313 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, combination bulk 2, container 2, liquefied gas 1, refrigerated cargo 2 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: India 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military branches | Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie | National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $80.8 million (FY02) | $11 million (FY97/98) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.7% (FY02) | 0.3% (FY97/98) |
| 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.) |
males age 15-49:
339,473 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 805,603
females age 15-49: 809,961 (2003 est.) |
males age 15-49:
171,206 (2001 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) | Independence Day, 12 March (1968) |
| Nationality | noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
noun:
Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March | cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards |
| Natural resources | small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber | arable land, fish |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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 |
Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or OPR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | various labor unions |
| 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.) |
1,189,825 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 37% (2001 est.) | 10.6% (1992 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.95% (2003 est.) | 0.88% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Cotonou, Porto-Novo | Port Louis |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000) | AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 420,000 (1997) |
| Railways | total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2002) |
0 km |
| Religions | indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% | Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1% |
| 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:
1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 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:
small system with good service domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 51,000 (2000) | 223,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 55,500 (2000) | 37,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1;; (2001) | 2 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains | small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau |
| Total fertility rate | 6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 2.01 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | 6.4% (1999 est.) |
| Waterways | streams navigable along small sections, important only locally | none |
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