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Compare Benin (2005) - Gibraltar (2007)

Compare Benin (2005) z Gibraltar (2007)

 Benin (2005)Gibraltar (2007)
 BeninGibraltar
Administrative divisions 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 0-14 years: 46.5% (male 1,752,243/female 1,719,458)


15-64 years: 51.2% (male 1,868,630/female 1,948,610)


65 years and over: 2.3% (male 70,367/female 100,717) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 17.2% (male 2,460/female 2,343)


15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,470/female 9,070)


65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,090/female 2,534) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) none
Airports 5 (2004 est.) 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 1


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 (2004 est.)
-
Area total: 112,620 sq km


land: 110,620 sq km


water: 2,000 sq km
total: 6.5 sq km


land: 6.5 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Pennsylvania a little less than one half the size of Rhode Island
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. Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar states that the British Government will never allow the people of Gibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, a series of talks were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002 in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartite talks have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and in September 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to allow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar, to speed up customs procedures, and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar. Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in Gibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed to open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly.
Birth rate 41.99 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 10.69 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $869.4 million


expenditures: $720.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $307 million


expenditures: $284 million (FY00/01 est.)
Capital Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government name: Gibraltar


geographic coordinates: 36 08 N, 5 21 W


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Coastline 121 km 12 km
Constitution December 1990 5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007
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: Gibraltar
Death rate 13.76 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.6 billion (2000) $NA
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK
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 (overseas territory of the UK)
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 (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international two villages remain in dispute along the border with Burkina Faso; accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, and the states expect a ruling in 2005 from the ICJ over the disputed Niger and Mekrou River islands; a joint task force was established in 2004 that resolved disputes over and redrew the maritime and the 870-km land boundary with Nigeria, including the sovereignty over seven villages along the Okpara River; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy
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 around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth 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 more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere. As a result, smuggling and criminality along the Benin-Nigeria border has been on the rise. Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment.
Electricity - consumption 565.2 million kWh (2002) 141 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 300 million kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 285.2 million kWh (2002) 141 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m


highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Environment - current issues inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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 Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000) Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.5434 (2006), 0.5504 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)


note: the Gibraltar 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 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 SOGLO (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 SOGLO 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir Robert FULTON (since 27 October 2006)


head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of the Parliament by the governor in consultation with the chief minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Exports NA NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
Exports - partners China 28.7%, India 18.4%, Ghana 6.3%, Thailand 6%, Niger 5.8%, Indonesia 4.2%, Nigeria 4.2% (2004) UK 30.8%, Spain 22.7%, Germany 13.7%, Turkmenistan 10.4%, Switzerland 8.3%, Italy 6.7% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 36.3%


industry: 14.3%


services: 49.4% (2004 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2004 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2004 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 9 30 N, 2 15 E 36 08 N, 5 21 W
Geography - note sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
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 NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Imports - partners China 32.2%, France 13%, Thailand 6.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.3% (2004) Spain 23.4%, Russia 12.3%, Italy 12%, UK 9%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 6.8%, US 4.7% (2006)
Independence 1 August 1960 (from France) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate 8.3% (2001 est.) NA%
Industries textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement (2001) tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco
Infant mortality rate total: 85 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 90 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 79.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 4.98 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.8% (2004 est.) 1.5% (1998)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Irrigated land 120 sq km (1998 est.) NA
Judicial branch Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Labor force NA (1996) 12,690 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (2001)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: negligible


industry: 40%


services: 60% (2001)
Land boundaries total: 1,989 km


border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
total: 1.2 km


border countries: Spain 1.2 km
Land use arable land: 18.08%


permanent crops: 2.4%


other: 79.52% (2001)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
Languages French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Legal system based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
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 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 Parliament (18 seats: 17 members elected by popular vote, 1 for the Speaker appointed by Parliament; to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 11 October 2007 (next to be held not later than October 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 49.3%, GSLP 31.8%, Gibraltar Liberal Party 13.6%; seats by party - GSD 10, GSLP 4, Gibraltar Liberal Party 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 52.66 years


male: 51.53 years


female: 53.82 years (2005 est.)
total population: 79.93 years


male: 77.05 years


female: 82.96 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 33.6%


male: 46.4%


female: 22.6% (2002 est.)
definition: NA


total population: above 80%


male: NA


female: NA
Location Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Merchant marine - total: 216 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,422,155 GRT/1,866,572 DWT


by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 5, cargo 117, chemical tanker 39, container 31, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 201 (Belgium 3, Cyprus 5, Denmark 9, Finland 3, France 1, Germany 117, Greece 8, Iceland 1, Italy 1, Netherlands 11, Norway 27, Sweden 10, UAE 2, UK 3)


registered in other countries: 7 (Liberia 7) (2007)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Gibraltar Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces in 1992
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Military expenditures - dollar figure $96.5 million (2004) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.4% (2004) -
National holiday National Day, 1 August (1960) National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain
Nationality noun: Beninese (singular and plural)


adjective: Beninese
noun: Gibraltarian(s)


adjective: Gibraltar
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 (2005 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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 four 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
Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association
Population 7,460,025


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 2005 est.)
27,967 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 33% (2001 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 2.82% (2005 est.) 0.129% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Cotonou -
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 578 km


narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
-
Religions indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.044 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.825 male(s)/female


total population: 1.005 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal; and British citizens who have been residents six months or more
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections


international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities


domestic: automatic exchange facilities


international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 66,500 (2003) 24,512 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 236,200 (2003) 9,797 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2001) 1 (plus 3 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Total fertility rate 5.86 children born/woman (2005 est.) 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 2% (2001 est.)
Waterways 150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2004) -
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