Compare Benin (2006) - Paraguay (2003)

Compare Benin (2006) z Paraguay (2003)

	Benin (2006)	Paraguay (2003)

Administrative divisions	12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou	17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
Age structure	0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) (2006 est.)	0-14 years: 38.4% (male 1,179,084; female 1,141,420) 15-64 years: 56.8% (male 1,721,867; female 1,707,918) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 132,145; female 154,466) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock	cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber
Airports	5 (2006)	879 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)	total: 11 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (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 (2006)	total: 868 1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 323 under 914 m: 518 (2002)
Area	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km	total: 406,750 sq km land: 397,300 sq km water: 9,450 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	slightly smaller than California
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 the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular presidential elections have been held since then.
Birth rate	38.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	30.14 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $766.8 million expenditures: $1.017 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)	revenues: $1.3 billion expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (1999 est.)
Capital	name: Porto-Novo (official capital) geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Cotonou (seat of government)	Asuncion
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north	subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
Coastline	121 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	December 1990	promulgated 20 June 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 Paraguay conventional short form: Paraguay local long form: Republica del Paraguay local short form: Paraguay
Currency	-	guarani (PYG)
Death rate	12.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	4.64 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$1.6 billion (2000)	$3.2 billion (2002 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 John F. KEANE embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001 telephone: [595] (21) 213-715 FAX: [595] (21) 213-728
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 Leila Teresa RACHID COWLES chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962 FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508 consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York
Disputes - international	Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones	unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and harbors Islamist militants
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. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, 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, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region.	Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. The informal sector features both reexport of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population derives their living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3% annually in 1995-97; but GDP declined slightly in 1998, 1999, and 2000, rose slightly in 2001, only to fall again in 2002. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty, corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial internal and external debt, and deficient infrastructure.
Electricity - consumption	538.2 million kWh (2003)	2.637 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	39.11 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	474 million kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	69 million kWh (2003)	44.89 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0.1% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m	lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification	deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
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	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Ethnic groups	African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500	mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)	guarani per US dollar - 5,720.44 (2002), 4,105.92 (2001), 3,486.35 (2000), 3,119.07 (1999), 2,726.49 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011) election results: YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%	chief of state: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI (since 15 August 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI (since 15 August 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held NA April 2008) election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected president; percent of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS 37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO Gomez 23.9%, Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo SANCHEZ Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2%
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa	soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity
Exports - partners	China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%, Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005)	Brazil 25.1%, Argentina 23%, Chile 5.5%, Bermuda 4% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side	three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $25.19 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 31.6% industry: 13.8% services: 54.6% (2004 est.)	agriculture: 27% industry: 27% services: 46% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3.5% (2005 est.)	-2.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 30 N, 2 15 E	23 00 S, 58 00 W
Geography - note	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands	landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country
Highways	-	total: 29,500 km paved: 14,986 km unpaved: 14,514 km (1999 est)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.8% (1998)
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	major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in South America; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, Europe, and US; corruption and some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products	road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery
Imports - partners	France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005)	Brazil 32.7%, Argentina 22.7%, US 18.1%, Hong Kong 4.7% (2002)
Independence	1 August 1960 (from France)	14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	8.3% (2001 est.)	0% (2000 est.)
Industries	textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement	sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products
Infant mortality rate	total: 79.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 84.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 74.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	total: 27.71 deaths/1,000 live births male: 32.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.5% (2005 est.)	10.5% (2002 est.)
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, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	4 (2000)
Irrigated land	120 sq km (2003)	670 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice	Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Counsel of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura)
Labor force	3.211 million	2 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 45%
Land boundaries	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km	total: 3,920 km border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Land use	arable land: 23.53% permanent crops: 2.37% other: 74.1% (2005)	arable land: 5.54% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 94.25% (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)	Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
Legal system	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice
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 (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD, AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31	bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held NA May 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held NA May 2008) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Colorado Party 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, MPQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Colorado Party 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, MPQ 10, PPS 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 53.04 years male: 51.9 years female: 54.22 years (2006 est.)	total population: 74.4 years male: 71.89 years female: 77.03 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 33.6% male: 46.4% female: 22.6% (2002 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94% male: 94.9% female: 93% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo	Central South America, northeast of Argentina
Map references	Africa	South America
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	-	total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 32,475 GRT/36,101 DWT ships by type: cargo 14, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 2, Japan 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force	Army, Navy (includes Naval Air and Marines), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$100.9 million (2005 est.)	$125 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.3% (2005 est.)	1.4% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 1,465,781 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 1,056,437 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 61,706 (2003 est.)
National holiday	National Day, 1 August (1960)	Independence Day, 14 May (1811)
Nationality	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese	noun: Paraguayan(s) adjective: Paraguayan
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March	local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Natural resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber	hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
Net migration rate	0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [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	Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS]; Movimiento Patria Querida or MPQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Colorados Eticos or UNACE [Lino Cesar OVIEDO Silva]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Diego ABENTE Brun]; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Julio Cesar FRANCO]; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Workers Central or CNT; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT
Population	7,862,944 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 2006 est.)	6,036,900 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	33% (2001 est.)	36% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	2.73% (2006 est.)	2.54% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)	AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (three inactive) (1998)
Railways	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)	total: 441 km standard gauge: 441 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%	Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite, and other Protestant
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia	general assessment: meager telephone service; principal switching center is Asuncion domestic: fair microwave radio relay network international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	76,300 (2005)	290,475 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular	386,700 (2005)	510,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2001)	4 (2001)
Terrain	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains	grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Total fertility rate	5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)	4.02 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	18.2% (2002 est.)
Waterways	150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)	3,100 km

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