Compare Central African Republic (2008) - Kuwait (2005)

Compare Central African Republic (2008) z Kuwait (2005)

	Central African Republic (2008)	Kuwait (2005)

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	5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli
Age structure	0-14 years: 41.6% (male 914,566/female 903,849) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 1,174,520/female 1,195,364) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 71,355/female 109,384) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 27.2% (male 323,382/female 311,700) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,045,589/female 591,243) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 40,439/female 23,295) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber	practically no crops; fish
Airports	51 (2007)	7 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007)	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 48 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 13 (2007)	total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 17,820 sq km land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Texas	slightly smaller than New Jersey
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 established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Unrest in neighboring nations, Chad, Sudan, and the DRC, continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well.	Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91.
Birth rate	33.52 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	21.88 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $250 million expenditures: $273 million (2007 est.)	revenues: $35.82 billion expenditures: $19.53 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital	name: Bangui geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	Kuwait
Climate	tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers	dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	499 km
Constitution	ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004	approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
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 Kuwait conventional short form: Kuwait local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt local short form: Al Kuwayt
Death rate	18.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	2.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$1.153 billion (2007 est.)	$15.02 billion (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); 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 Richard LEBARON embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000 telephone: [965] 539-5307, 5308 FAX: [965] 538-0282
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 SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 FAX: [1] (202) 364-2868
Disputes - international	periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist	Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
Economic aid - recipient	ODA, $95.29 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2005 est.)	NA (2001)
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 more than half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 40%. 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. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.	Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.
Electricity - consumption	101.4 million kWh (2005)	30.16 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	109 million kWh (2005)	32.43 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed location 306 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	limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Ethnic groups	Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%	Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)	Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001), 0.3068 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) head of government: Prime Minister Faustin-Archange TOUADERA (since 22 January 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4%	chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 31 December 1977); Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior NAWWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch
Exports	0 bbl/day (2004)	1.97 million bbl/day (2003)
Exports - commodities	diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco	oil and refined products, fertilizers
Exports - partners	Belgium 30.7%, Spain 10.7%, Indonesia 8%, France 7.8%, China 6.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6%, Turkey 5%, Italy 4.7% (2006)	Japan 20.5%, South Korea 13.7%, US 12.4%, Singapore 11.3%, Taiwan 9.9% (2004)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
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	three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 0.4% industry: 60.5% services: 39.1% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $21,300 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4% (2007 est.)	6.8% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	7 00 N, 21 00 E	29 30 N, 45 45 E
Geography - note	landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa	strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Heliports	-	3 (2004 est.)
Highways	-	total: 4,450 km paved: 3,587 km unpaved: 863 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	2,201 bbl/day (2004)	NA
Imports - commodities	food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals	food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Imports - partners	France 15.4%, Netherlands 15.1%, US 9.2%, Cameroon 8.9% (2006)	US 12.9%, Germany 11.9%, Japan 7.9%, UK 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Italy 5%, France 4.5%, China 4.1% (2004)
Independence	13 August 1960 (from France)	19 June 1961 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	3% (2002)	-5% (2002 est.)
Industries	gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles	petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, desalination, food processing, construction materials
Infant mortality rate	total: 83.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 90.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 77.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 9.95 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	4% (2007 est.)	2.3% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	20 sq km (2003)	60 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 of Appeal
Labor force	1.857 million (2006)	1.42 million note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA
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: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Land use	arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005)	arable land: 0.73% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 99.16% (2001)
Languages	French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages	Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Legal system	based on French law	civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) 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 Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Islamists 21, government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 43.74 years male: 43.69 years female: 43.79 years (2007 est.)	total population: 77.03 years male: 76.01 years female: 78.1 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51% male: 63.3% female: 39.9% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.5% male: 85.1% female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
Location	Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Map references	Africa	Middle East
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,319,082 GRT/3,768,828 DWT by type: bulk carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 20 registered in other countries: 19 (2005)
Military branches	Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Ground Forces, General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Military Air Service, National Police (2008)	Land Forces, Navy, Air Force (includes Air Defense Force), National Guard (2002)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$2,584.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.1% (2006 est.)	5.3% (2004)
National holiday	Republic Day, 1 December (1958)	National Day, 25 February (1950)
Nationality	noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African	noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common	sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August
Natural resources	diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower	petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	14.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2004)
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 [Ange-Felix PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or KNK; 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]	none; formation of political parties is illegal
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	several political groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists
Population	4,369,038 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 2007 est.)	2,335,648 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA
Population growth rate	1.505% (2007 est.)	3.44% note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)	AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions	indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority	Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.652 male(s)/female total population: 0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.74 male(s)/female total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal	adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21 note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996, naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the first time
Telephone system	general assessment: limited telephone service; fixed-line connections for well less than 1 per 100 persons coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 3 per 100 persons 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) (2007)	general assessment: the quality of service is excellent domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones international: country code - 965; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use	10,000 (2005)	486,900 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	100,000 (2005)	1.42 million (2003)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2001)	13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)
Terrain	vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest	flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Total fertility rate	4.32 children born/woman (2007 est.)	2.97 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)	2.2% (2004 est.)
Waterways	2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2006)	-

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