Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) - Gabon (2005) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##
Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) - Gabon (2005)
Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) z Gabon (2005)
| British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) | Gabon (2005) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 42.1% (male 293,668/female 291,816)
15-64 years: 53.8% (male 372,134/female 374,850) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 23,551/female 33,182) (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish |
| Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 56 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 45
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total:
60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Colorado |
| Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier resident in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. Gabon's current President, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated Gabon's political scene for almost four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, the low turnout and allegations of electoral fraud during the most recent local elections in 2002-03 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Presidential elections scheduled for 2005 are unlikely to bring change since the opposition remains weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable African countries. |
| Birth rate | - | 36.24 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues: $2.129 billion
expenditures: $1.64 billion, including capital expenditures of $310 million (2004 est.) |
| Capital | - | Libreville |
| Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | tropical; always hot, humid |
| Coastline | 698 km | 885 km |
| Constitution | - | adopted 14 March 1991 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon |
| Death rate | - | 11.72 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $3.804 billion (2004 est.) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92 FAX: [241] 74 55 07 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA
chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668 consulate(s): New York |
| Disputes - international | the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius and Seychelles | UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay; only a few hundred out of the 20,000 Republic of the Congo refugees who fled militia fighting in 2000 remain in Gabon |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $331 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of sub-Saharan African nations. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Gabon signed a 14 month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 1.08 billion kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | 1.161 billion kWh (2002) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | deforestation; poaching |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | - | Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality |
| Exchange rates | - | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner John WHITE (since NA); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2 December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4% |
| Exports | - | NA |
| Exports - commodities | - | crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001) |
| Exports - partners | - | US 53.3%, China 8.5%, France 7.4% (2004) |
| Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
| Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 7.4%
industry: 46.7% services: 45.9% (2004 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2004 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 1.9% (2004 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 1 00 S, 11 45 E |
| Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity |
| Highways | total:
NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
total: 8,464 km
paved: 838 km unpaved: 7,626 km (2000 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Imports | - | NA |
| Imports - commodities | - | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials |
| Imports - partners | - | France 43.8%, US 6.3%, UK 5.9%, Netherlands 4% (2004) |
| Independence | - | 17 August 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | 1.6% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | - | petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement |
| Infant mortality rate | - | total: 53.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 43.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 1.5% (2004 est.) |
| International organization participation | - | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1993) | 150 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts |
| Labor force | - | 650,000 (2004 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,551 km
border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km |
| Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% |
arable land: 1.26%
permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (2001) |
| Languages | - | French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | - | bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next to be held by January 2009) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 55.02 years
male: 53.63 years female: 56.45 years (2005 est.) |
| Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3% (1995 est.) |
| Location | Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea |
| Map references | World | Africa |
| Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | - |
| Military branches | - | Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $184.8 million (2004) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2% (2004) |
| National holiday | - | Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968) |
| Nationality | - | noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese |
| Natural hazards | NA | NA |
| Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | gas 210 km; oil 1,385 km (2004) |
| Political parties and leaders | - | Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS [leader NA]; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 1995, there were approximately 1,700 UK and US military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia |
1,389,201
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.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA |
| Population growth rate | - | 2.45% (2005 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Owendo, Port-Gentil |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001) |
| Radios | NA | - |
| Railways | - | total: 814 km
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2004) |
| Religions | - | Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1% |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 21 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations international: country code - 241; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
| Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 38,400 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 300,000 (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001) |
| Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south |
| Total fertility rate | - | 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 21% (1997 est.) |
| Waterways | none | 1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2003) |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.