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Compare Central African Republic (2005) - Eritrea (2004)

Compare Central African Republic (2005) z Eritrea (2004)

 Central African Republic (2005)Eritrea (2004)
 Central African RepublicEritrea
Administrative divisions 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga 6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub, Debubawi K'eyih Bahri, Gash Barka, Ma'akel, Semenawi Keyih Bahri
Age structure 0-14 years: 42.5% (male 813,596/female 802,728)


15-64 years: 54% (male 1,010,696/female 1,041,903)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 54,345/female 76,629) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 44.8% (male 998,404; female 993,349)


15-64 years: 51.9% (male 1,140,892; female 1,166,481)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 72,776; female 75,405) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
Airports 50 (2004 est.) 18 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 4


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (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 (2004 est.)
total: 13


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Area total: 622,984 sq km


land: 622,984 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 121,320 sq km


land: 121,320 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly larger than Pennsylvania
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 - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who has since established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of affiliated and independent candidates will contest the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections scheduled for February 2005. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices on 12 December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections.
Birth rate 35.17 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 39.03 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: $235.7 million


expenditures: $375 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.)
Capital Bangui Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Climate tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except in coastal desert
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 2,234 km total; mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km
Constitution passed by referendum 5 December 2004 the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented
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: State of Eritrea


conventional short form: Eritrea


local long form: Hagere Ertra


local short form: Ertra


former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Currency - nakfa (ERN)
Death rate 20.27 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 13.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $881.4 million (2000 est.) $311 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires James PANOS


embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui


mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui


telephone: [236] 61 02 00


FAX: [236] 61 44 94


note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff
chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI


embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara


mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara


telephone: [291] (1) 120004


FAX: [291] (1) 127584
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 GIRMA Asmerom


chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991


FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304


consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
Disputes - international about 30,000 refugees fleeing the 2002 civil conflict in the CAR still reside in southern Chad; periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but demarcation has been delayed, despite intense international intervention, by Ethiopian insistence that the decision ignored "human geography," made technical errors in the delimitation, and incorrectly awarded Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war, and other areas to Eritrea and Eritrea's insistence on not deviating from the commission's decision; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) continues to monitor a 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea until the demarcation; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish Islands awarded to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999
Economic aid - recipient ODA $73 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2000 est.) $77 million (1999)
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. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP growth at only 0.5% in 2004. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. Since independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down growth in 2002. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to open its economy to private enterprise so the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth.
Electricity - consumption 98.58 million kWh (2002) 205.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh NA kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh NA kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 106 million kWh (2002) 220.5 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m


highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m


highest point: Soira 3,018 m
Environment - current issues tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species


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% ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%
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) nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - NA (2003), 13.9582 (2002), 11.3095 (2001), 9.5 (2000), 7.6 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup)


head of government: Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005) note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: president elected to five year term with a two-term limit; next presidential elections scheduled for 10 April 2005; prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority
chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly


head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly


cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)


election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)
Exports - partners Belgium 39.2%, Italy 8.6%, Spain 7.9%, US 6.2%, France 6.1%, Indonesia 5.8%, China 4.9% (2004) Malaysia 65.1%, Italy 10.4%, France 4.4% (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 red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle
GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 55%


industry: 20%


services: 25% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 12.4%


industry: 25.3%


services: 62.4% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 0.5% (2004 est.) 2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 7 00 N, 21 00 E 15 00 N, 39 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
Highways total: 23,810 km


paved: 643 km


unpaved: 23,167 km (1999 est.)
total: 4,010 km


paved: 874 km


unpaved: 3,136 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.7%


highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)
Imports - partners France 17.6%, US 16.3%, Cameroon 9.3%, Belgium 5% (2004) US 39.7%, Italy 19.1%, Turkey 6.8%, Russia 5.4%, France 4.7% (2003)
Independence 13 August 1960 (from France) 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
Industrial production growth rate 3% (2002) NA
Industries gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Infant mortality rate total: 91 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 97.84 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 83.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 75.59 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 83.03 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 67.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.6% (2001 est.) 12.3% (2003)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Irrigated land NA sq km 220 sq km (1998 est.)
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 High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts
Labor force NA NA (1999)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 80%, industry and services 20%
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
total: 1,626 km


border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Land use arable land: 3.1%


permanent crops: 0.14%


other: 96.76% (2001)
arable land: 4.95%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 95.02% (2001)
Languages French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Legal system based on French law primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms


elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held 13 March 2005)


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 (150 seats; term limits not established)


elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely
Life expectancy at birth total population: 43.39 years


male: 43.27 years


female: 43.52 years (2005 est.)
total population: 52.7 years


male: 51.32 years


female: 54.12 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 51%


male: 63.3%


female: 39.9% (2003 est.)
definition: NA


total population: 58.6%


male: 69.9%


female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
Location Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm
Merchant marine - total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,069 GRT/19,549 DWT


by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1


registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Military branches Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Air Force; General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Republican Guard (2004) Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $15.5 million (2004) $77.9 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1% (2004) 11.8% (2003)
Military manpower - fit for military service - NA (2004)
National holiday Republic Day, 1 December (1958) Independence Day, 24 May (1993)
Nationality noun: Central African(s)


adjective: Central African
noun: Eritrean(s)


adjective: Eritrean
Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common frequent droughts; locust swarms
Natural resources diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: UNHCR began repatriating about 150,000 Eritrean refugees from Sudan in 2001 following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2000 (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 deposed 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] People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ [leader NA] (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement) [leader NA]); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement) [leader NA]; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]
Population 3,799,897


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.)
4,447,307 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA (1993) 53% (1993/94)
Population growth rate 1.49% (2005 est.) 2.57% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)
Railways - total: 306 km


narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge


note: railway is being rebuilt; 117 km open (2003)
Religions indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%


note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 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: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: inadequate


domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)


international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
Telephones - main lines in use 9,000 (2002) 38,100 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 13,000 (2003) NA
Television broadcast stations 1 (2001) 1 (2000)
Terrain vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Total fertility rate 4.5 children born/woman (2005 est.) 5.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) NA (2003 est.)
Waterways 2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2004) -
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