Compare Benin (2003) - Qatar (2008)

Compare Benin (2003) z Qatar (2008)

	Benin (2003)	Qatar (2008)

Administrative divisions	12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou	10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal
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: 23.1% (male 106,853/female 102,713) 15-64 years: 72.9% (male 455,631/female 206,099) 65 years and over: 4% (male 26,689/female 9,244) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)	fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
Airports	5 (2002)	5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
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: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km	total: 11,437 sq km land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	slightly smaller than 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.	Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
Birth rate	43.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	15.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)	revenues: $23.5 billion expenditures: $19.61 billion (2007 est.)
Capital	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government	name: Doha geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Coastline	121 km	563 km
Constitution	December 1990	ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the Amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
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: State of Qatar conventional short form: Qatar local long form: Dawlat Qatar local short form: Qatar note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar
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.)	4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$1.6 billion (2000)	$31.07 billion (31 December 2007 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 (vacant); charge d'Affaires Michael A. RATNEY embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4298 FAX: [974] 488 4176
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 Ali Fahad al-Shahwany al-HAJRID chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston
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)	$2.18 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.	Qatar is in the midst of an economic boom supported by its expanding production of natural gas and oil. Economic policy is focused on development of Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors. Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar one of the world's faster growing and higher per-capita income countries - equal to the EU in 2007 per-capita income. Sustained high oil prices and increased natural gas exports in recent years have helped build Qatar's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Proved oil reserves of more than 15 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 22 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are roughly 25 trillion cubic meters, about 15% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and became the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in 2007.
Electricity - consumption	631.1 million kWh (2001)	12.52 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	376 million kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	274.3 million kWh (2001)	13.54 billion kWh (2005)
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: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification	limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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	Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
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)	Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003)
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: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as heir apparent, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Heir Apparent TAMIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces head of government: Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani (since 3 April 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 3 April 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary note: in April 2007, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has limited consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999
Exports	NA (2001)	960,600 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa	liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
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 40.2%, South Korea 16.4%, Singapore 6.5%, Thailand 4.1% (2006)
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	maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
GDP	purchasing power parity - $7.38 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 38% industry: 15% services: 47% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 0.1% industry: 73.5% services: 26.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	6% (2002 est.)	7.8% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 30 N, 2 15 E	25 30 N, 51 15 E
Geography - note	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands	strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
Heliports	-	1 (2007)
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)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products	machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners	China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002)	France 13.3%, Japan 10.2%, US 9.3%, Italy 8.9%, Germany 7.9%, UK 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, South Korea 4.7% (2006)
Independence	1 August 1960 (from France)	3 September 1971 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	8.3% (2001 est.)	8% (2007 est.)
Industries	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)	crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
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: 17.46 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.3% (2002 est.)	12% (2007 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, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	4 (2002)	-
Irrigated land	120 sq km (1998 est.)	130 sq km (2002)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice	Courts of First Instance, Appeal, and Cassation; an Administrative Court and a Constitutional Court were established in 2007; note - all judges are appointed by Amiri Decree based on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council for renewable three-year terms
Labor force	NA	638,000 (2007 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km	total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
Land use	arable land: 15.28% permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.)	arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005)
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)	Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Legal system	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; 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	unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed) note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every year since the new constitution came into force on 9 June 2005; the constitution provides for a new 45-member Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the Amir would appoint the remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to the Majlis al-Shura
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 51.08 years male: 50.35 years female: 51.84 years (2003 est.)	total population: 74.14 years male: 71.6 years female: 76.82 years (2007 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: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 census)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo	Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Map references	Africa	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	total: 20 ships (1000 GRT or over) 574,969 GRT/856,057 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 7 (Kuwait 7) registered in other countries: 3 (Liberia 2, Panama 1) (2007)
Military branches	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie	Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$80.8 million (FY02)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.7% (FY02)	10% (2005 est.)
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)	Independence Day, 3 September (1971); also observed is National Day, 18 December
Nationality	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese	noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March	haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Natural resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber	petroleum, natural gas, fish
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	13.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	-	condensate 322 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,970 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 741 km (2007)
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.)	907,229 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	37% (2001 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	2.95% (2003 est.)	2.386% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cotonou, Porto-Novo	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)	AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)	-
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%	Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)
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: 2.211 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.887 male(s)/female total population: 1.852 male(s)/female (2007 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: modern system centered in Doha domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density is roughly 130 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use	51,000 (2000)	228,300 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,500 (2000)	919,800 (2006)
Television broadcast stations	1;; (2001)	1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains	mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Total fertility rate	6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.)	2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	0.7% (2007 est.)
Waterways	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally	-

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