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Compare Benin (2003) - Seychelles (2006)
Compare Benin (2003) z Seychelles (2006)
| Benin (2003) | Seychelles (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou | 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka |
| 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: 25.9% (male 10,667/female 10,440)
15-64 years: 68% (male 27,060/female 28,366) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,607/female 3,401) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) | coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; poultry; tuna |
| Airports | 5 (2002) | 15 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (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: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2006) |
| Area | total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km |
total: 455 sq km
land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania | 2.5 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. | A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. The most recent presidential elections were held in 2001; President RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected. In April 2004 RENE stepped down and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn in as president. |
| Birth rate | 43.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 16.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $377.4 million
expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
revenues: $343.3 million
expenditures: $332.2 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
| Capital | Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government | name: Victoria
geographic coordinates: 4 38 S, 55 27 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north | tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May) |
| Coastline | 121 km | 491 km |
| Constitution | December 1990 | 18 June 1993 |
| 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 Seychelles
conventional short form: Seychelles local long form: Republic of Seychelles local short form: Seychelles |
| 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.) | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $1.6 billion (2000) | $508 million (2005 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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles |
| 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 Jeremie BONNELAME
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786 |
| 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 | together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) |
| Economic aid - recipient | $342.6 million (2000) | $16.4 million (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. | Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. Sharp drops illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf War, and once again following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Growth slowed in 1998-2002, and fell in 2003, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors, but resumed in 2004, erasing a persistent budget deficit. Growth turned negative again in 2005. Tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term economic prospects. The black-market value of the Seychelles rupee is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency, the tourist sector may remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar. |
| Electricity - consumption | 631.1 million kWh (2001) | 224.4 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) | 241.3 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: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m |
| Environment - current issues | inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification | water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater |
| 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, Marine Dumping, 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 | mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab |
| 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) | Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004), 5.4007 (2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.8575 (2001) |
| 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 James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL (SPPF) 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 45.71%, Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004 |
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa | canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports) |
| 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 23%, Spain 19.6%, France 11.4%, Japan 9.7%, Italy 7.4%, Germany 5.7%, Netherlands 5.4% (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 | five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of 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: 3.2%
industry: 30.4% services: 66.5% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6% (2002 est.) | -3% (2005 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 9 30 N, 2 15 E | 4 35 S, 55 40 E |
| Geography - note | sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands | 41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands |
| 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 | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
| Imports - partners | China 30.7%, France 15.7%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.2% (2002) | Saudi Arabia 16.7%, Spain 14.9%, Singapore 7.6%, France 7.5%, Italy 6.2%, South Africa 6.2% (2005) |
| Independence | 1 August 1960 (from France) | 29 June 1976 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8.3% (2001 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001) | fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages |
| 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: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.3% (2002 est.) | 1.6% (2005 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, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 4 (2002) | - |
| Irrigated land | 120 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
| Judicial branch | Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice | Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president |
| Labor force | NA | 30,900 (1996) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 10%
industry: 19% services: 71% (1989) |
| 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: 2.17%
permanent crops: 13.04% other: 84.79% (2005) |
| Languages | French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) | Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census) |
| Legal system | based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law |
| 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 or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next to be held in December 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%, DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 51.08 years
male: 50.35 years female: 51.84 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 72.08 years
male: 66.69 years female: 77.63 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 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9% male: 91.4% female: 92.3% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 NM | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 69,777 GRT/113,501 DWT
by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4 foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1) (2006) |
| Military branches | Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie | Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Navy Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $80.8 million (FY02) | $14.85 million (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.7% (FY02) | 2.1% (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) | Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993) |
| Nationality | noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)
adjective: Seychellois |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March | lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible |
| Natural resources | small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber | fish, copra, cinnamon trees |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -5.4 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 |
Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Roman Catholic Church; trade 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.) |
81,541 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 37% (2001 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.95% (2003 est.) | 0.43% (2006 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Cotonou, Porto-Novo | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Railways | total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2002) |
- |
| Religions | indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% | Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 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: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 17 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: effective system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 51,000 (2000) | 21,400 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 55,500 (2000) | 57,000 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1;; (2001) | 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains | Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs |
| Total fertility rate | 6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | NA% |
| Waterways | streams navigable along small sections, important only locally | - |
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