Compare Benin (2003) - Oman (2002)

Compare Benin (2003) z Oman (2002)

	Benin (2003)	Oman (2002)

Administrative divisions	12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou	6 regions (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah) and 2 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam, Zufar; note - the US Embassy in Oman reports that Masqat is a governorate, but this has not been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
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: 41.9% (male 579,065; female 556,923) 15-64 years: 55.7% (male 914,494; female 597,948) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 34,555; female 30,477) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)	dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Airports	5 (2002)	143 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	total: 6 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 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)	total: 133 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 55 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 32 (2002)
Area	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km	total: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	slightly smaller than Kansas
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.	In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
Birth rate	43.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	37.76 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)	revenues: $9.2 billion expenditures: $6.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government	Muscat
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north	dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline	121 km	2,092 km
Constitution	December 1990	none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens
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: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman former: Muscat and Oman
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States	Omani rial (OMR)
Death rate	13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	4.03 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$1.6 billion (2000)	$5.3 billion (2000 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 Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: international: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 698989, extension 203 FAX: [968] 699771
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 Mohamed Ali AL KHUSAIBY chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933
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	Oman signed a boundary treaty with the UAE in 1999, but the completed boundary is not expected until the end of 2002; undefined segments of the Oman-UAE boundary remain with Ra's al-Khaymah and Ash Shariqah (Sharjah) emirates, including the Musandam Peninsula, where an administrative boundary substitutes for an international boundary
Economic aid - recipient	$342.6 million (2000)	$76.4 million (1995) (1995)
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.	Oman's economic performance improved significantly in 2000 due largely to the upturn in oil prices. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities, the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment, and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in November 2000. GDP growth improved in 2001 despite the global slowdown.
Electricity - consumption	631.1 million kWh (2001)	7.533 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	376 million kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	274.3 million kWh (2001)	8.1 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m	lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification	rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling 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	Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
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)	Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
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: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Exports	NA (2001)	$10.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa	petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
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)	Japan 21%, Thailand 18%, China 16%, South Korea 12%, UAE 12%, US 3% (2001)
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 horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $7.38 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $21.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 38% industry: 15% services: 47% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 3% industry: 40% services: 57% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $8,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	6% (2002 est.)	7.4% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 30 N, 2 15 E	21 00 N, 57 00 E
Geography - note	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands	strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Heliports	-	1 (2002)
Highways	total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.)	total: 32,800 km paved: 9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,960 km (1996)
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)	$5.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports - partners	China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002)	UAE 23% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 13%, Italy 7%, Germany 5%, US 5% (2001)
Independence	1 August 1960 (from France)	1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Industrial production growth rate	8.3% (2001 est.)	4% (2000 est.)
Industries	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)	crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
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.)	21.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.3% (2002 est.)	1% (2001 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	ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	4 (2002)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	120 sq km (1998 est.)	620 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice	Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges
Labor force	NA	920,000
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km	total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Land use	arable land: 15.28% permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0.08% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.7% (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)	Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Legal system	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; 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 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 Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by limited suffrage for three-year term, however, the monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers) elections: last held NA September 2000 (next to be held NA September 2003) election results: NA; note - two women were elected for the first time to the Majlis al-Shura, about 100,000 people voted
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 51.08 years male: 50.35 years female: 51.84 years (2003 est.)	total population: 72.31 years male: 70.15 years female: 74.57 years (2002 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: approaching 80% male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo	Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Map references	Africa	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,291 GRT/9,457 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie	Royal Omani Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Royal Omani Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$80.8 million (FY02)	$2,424.4 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.7% (FY02)	12.2% (FY01)
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: 780,292 (2002 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: 434,026 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2003 est.)	14 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 75,021 females: 78,998 (2003 est.)	males: 26,470 (2002 est.)
National holiday	National Day, 1 August (1960)	Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
Nationality	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese	noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March	summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Natural resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber	petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines	-	crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
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	none
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.)	2,713,462 note: includes 527,078 non-nationals (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	37% (2001 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	2.95% (2003 est.)	3.41% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cotonou, Porto-Novo	Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)	AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Radios	-	1.4 million (1997)
Railways	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)	0 km
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%	Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
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: 1.53 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.29 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura
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: modern system consisting of open wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable domestic: open wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use	51,000 (2000)	201,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,500 (2000)	59,822 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	1;; (2001)	13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)
Terrain	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains	central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Total fertility rate	6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.)	5.99 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	NA%
Waterways	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally	none

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