Compare Central African Republic (2002) - Seychelles (2004)

Compare Central African Republic (2002) z Seychelles (2004)

	Central African Republic (2002)	Seychelles (2004)

Administrative divisions	14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui, Basse-Kotto, Gribingui, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha, Vakaga	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: 43% (male 788,417; female 776,721) 15-64 years: 53.2% (male 951,908; female 986,947) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 60,395; female 78,351) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 26.9% (male 10,987; female 10,717) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 26,380; female 27,731) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 1,638; female 3,379) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber	coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish
Airports	51 (2001)	15 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)	total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 47 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2002)	total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 455 sq km land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Texas	2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a civilian government was installed in 1993.	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 31 August-2 September 2001. President RENE, who has served since 1977, was re-elected. On 14 April 2004 RENE stepped down and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn in as president.
Birth rate	36.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	16.55 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA	revenues: $338.7 million expenditures: $323.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital	Bangui	Victoria
Climate	tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers	tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	491 km
Constitution	passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995	18 June 1993
Country name	conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR	conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States	Seychelles rupee (SCR)
Death rate	18.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$881.4 million (2000 est.)	$213 million (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mattie R. SHARPLESS embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94	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 Emmanuel TOUABOY chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893	chief of mission: Ambassador Claude Sylvestre MOREL chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786
Disputes - international	none	together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
Economic aid - recipient	$172.2 million (1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France (1995)	$16.4 million (1995)
Economy - overview	Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased, leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995. Military rebellions and social unrest in 1996 were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and a drop in GDP of 2%. The IMF approved an Extended Structure Adjustment Facility in 1998 and the World Bank extended further credits in 1999 and approved a $10 million loan in early 2001. As of January 2002, many civil servants were owed as much as 16 months pay during the PATASSE administration, as well as 14 months pay from the KOLINGBA administration.	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. A sharp drop 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. Other issues facing the government are the curbing of the budget deficit, including the containment of social welfare costs, and further privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2002, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Also, 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 should remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
Electricity - consumption	96.72 million kWh (2000)	148.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	104 million kWh (2000)	160 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 20% hydro: 80% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m
Environment - current issues	tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation	water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	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	Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%	mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro	Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.4007 (2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.8575 (2001), 5.7138 (2000), 5.3426 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA September 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15%	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; election last held 31 August-2 September 2001 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: France Albert RENE re-elected president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 54.19%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 44.95%, Philippe BOULLE 0.86%; note - the first time that presidential elections have been held separately from legislative elections; France Albert RENE stepped down 14 April 2004 and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn in as president
Exports	$166 million f.o.b. (2000)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco	canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - partners	Benelux 64%, Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt, France (1999)	UK 38.8%, France 31.8%, Italy 14.5%, Germany 7.5% (2003)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band	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 - $4.6 billion (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $626 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 2.8% industry: 28.7% services: 68.9% (2003)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	1.8% (2001 est.)	1.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	7 00 N, 21 00 E	4 35 S, 55 40 E
Geography - note	landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa	40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
Highways	total: 23,810 km paved: 429 km unpaved: 23,381 km (2000)	total: 373 km paved: 315 km unpaved: 58 km (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 48% (1993) (1993)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	$154 million f.o.b. (2000)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners	France 35%, Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (1999)	Saudi Arabia 15.7%, South Africa 10.9%, Spain 10.4%, France 9.7%, Italy 9.2%, Singapore 7%, UK 6.8% (2003)
Independence	13 August 1960 (from France)	29 June 1976 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	3.9% (2001)	NA
Industries	diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles	fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Infant mortality rate	103.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 15.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.6% (2001 est.)	3.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2002)	-
Irrigated land	NA sq km	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts	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: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.76% (1998 est.)	arable land: 2.22% permanent crops: 13.33% other: 84.45% (2001)
Languages	French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages	English (official), French (official), Creole
Legal system	based on French law	based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election) elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7	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 held by 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%, DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11 note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the percentage that each party won of the total vote
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 43.58 years male: 42.08 years female: 45.13 years (2002 est.)	total population: 71.53 years male: 66.1 years female: 77.14 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 60% male: 68.5% female: 52.4% (1995 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60% (1971 est.)
Location	Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo	Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	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	-	total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 42,223 GRT/63,538 DWT by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, container 1 foreign-owned: Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 2 (2004 est.)
Military branches	Central African Armed Forces (FACA) (including Republican Guard, Ground Forces, Naval Forces, and Air Force), Presidential Security Guard, Gendarmerie, National Police	Army, Coast Guard (including Navy Wing, Air Wing), National Guard, Presidential Protection Unit (includes Presidential Guard), Seychelles National Police (includes Police Mobile Unit)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$29 million (FY96)	$11.6 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.2% (FY96)	1.8% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 845,182 (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 23,661 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 442,220 (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 11,712 (2004 est.)
National holiday	Republic Day, 1 December (1958)	Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)
Nationality	noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African	noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common	lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible
Natural resources	diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower	fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-5.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]	Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National Party or SNP (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]; 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	3,642,739 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 2002 est.)	80,832 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA
Population growth rate	1.8% (2002 est.)	0.45% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga	Victoria
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios	283,000 (1997)	-
Railways	0 km	-
Religions	indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority	Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian 2.5%, other 4.1%
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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal	17 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: fair system domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	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	9,500 (2000)	21,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	710 (1998)	54,500 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2001)	2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest	Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Total fertility rate	4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)	1.77 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)	NA
Waterways	900 km note: traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m	-

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.