Compare Congo, Republic of the (2002) - Oman (2003)

Compare Congo, Republic of the (2002) z Oman (2003)

	Congo, Republic of the (2002)	Oman (2003)

Administrative divisions	9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune; Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha	6 regions (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah) and 2 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam, Zufar; note - the US Embassy in Oman reports that Masqat is a governorate, but this has not been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
Age structure	0-14 years: 42.4% (male 630,985; female 622,024) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 783,238; female 823,882) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 39,369; female 58,950) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 42.2% (male 603,664; female 580,469) 15-64 years: 55.4% (male 934,621; female 620,158) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 36,504; female 31,709) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products	dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Airports	33 (2001)	139 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)	total: 6 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 11 (2002)	total: 133 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 55 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 32 (2002)
Area	total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km	total: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Montana	slightly smaller than Kansas
Background	Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.	In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
Birth rate	37.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	37.47 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $870 million expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)	revenues: $9.2 billion expenditures: $6.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital	Brazzaville	Muscat
Climate	tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator	dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline	169 km	2,092 km
Constitution	constitution approved by referendum in January 2002	none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo	conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman former: Muscat and Oman
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States	Omani rial (OMR)
Death rate	16.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	3.97 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$5 billion (1999 est.)	$5.7 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)	chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 698989, extension 203 FAX: [968] 699771
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860	chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Ali bin Thani AL-KHUSSAIBY chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933
Disputes - international	most of the Congo River boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)	boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves
Economic aid - recipient	$159.1 million (1995) (1995)	$76.4 million (1995)
Economy - overview	The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. Given a fragile peace, agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, and general international support for reconstruction and development, prospects for structural reform and 4% growth in 2002-03 appear strong.	Oman's economic performance improved significantly in 2000 due largely to the upturn in oil prices. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities, the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment, and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in November 2000. GDP growth improved in 2001 despite the global slowdown and then fell back to 2.2% in 2002. In order to reduce unemployment, the government is trying to replace expatriate workers with local workers. Another government objective is the development of the nation's gas resources.
Electricity - consumption	406.9 million kWh (1999)	8.625 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (1999)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	126 million kWh (1999)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	302 million kWh (1999)	9.274 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 1% hydro: 99% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m	lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
Environment - current issues	air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation	rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997	Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
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	Omani rials per US dollar - 0.38 (2002), 0.38 (2001), 0.38 (2000), 0.38 (1999), 0.38 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); 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 seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%	chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Exports	$2.6 billion f.o.b. (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	petroleum 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds	petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Exports - partners	US 20.9%, South Korea 15.5%, China 6.7%, Germany 3.2% (2000)	Japan 20.5%, South Korea 18.5%, China 14.1%, Thailand 11.7%, UAE 9.2%, Singapore 4.3%, US 4.1% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia	three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $22.4 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 10% industry: 48% services: 42% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 3% industry: 55% services: 42% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $900 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.2% (2001 est.)	2.2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	1 00 S, 15 00 E	21 00 N, 57 00 E
Geography - note	about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them	strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Heliports	-	1 (2002)
Highways	total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1996)	total: 34,965 km paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	$725 million f.o.b. (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	petroleum products, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports - partners	France 20.5%, US 9.8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 3.8% (2000)	UAE 27.5%, Japan 16.7%, UK 7.4%, US 6.9%, Germany 5% (2002)
Independence	15 August 1960 (from France)	1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	4% (2000 est.)
Industries	petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes	crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Infant mortality rate	97.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 21.01 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2001 est.)	-0.5% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	10 sq km (1998 est.)	620 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme	Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges
Labor force	NA	920,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries	total: 5,504 km border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km	total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Land use	arable land: 0.5% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 99.37% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0.08% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.7% (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)	Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Legal system	based on French civil law system and customary law	based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45	bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by limited suffrage for three-year term, however, the monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers) elections: last held 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: NA
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 47.71 years male: 44.27 years female: 51.24 years (2002 est.)	total population: 72.58 years male: 70.4 years female: 74.86 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.9% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (1995 est.)	definition: NA total population: 75.8% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon	Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Map references	Africa	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,291 GRT/9,457 DWT ships by type: container 1, passenger 2 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Army, Air Force, Navy, Gendarmerie, National Police	Royal Omani Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Royal Omani Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$84 million (FY01)	$2.424 billion (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.8% (FY01)	12.2% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 702,048 (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 788,429 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 356,388 (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 438,326 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	20 years of age (2002 est.)	14 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 32,350 (2002 est.)	males: 29,485 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 August (1960)	Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
Nationality	noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo	noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani
Natural hazards	seasonal flooding	summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Natural resources	petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower	petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	crude oil 25 km	gas 3,599 km; oil 3,187 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC	none
Population	2,958,448 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.)	2,807,125 note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.18% (2002 est.)	3.38% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire	Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)	AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Radios	341,000 (1997)	-
Railways	total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2000 est.)	0 km
Religions	Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%	Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.28 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis al-Shura
Telephone system	general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out-of-order domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable domestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use	22,000 (1998)	201,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	3,300 (1998)	59,822 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)
Terrain	coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin	central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Total fertility rate	4.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)	5.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	NA%
Waterways	1,120 km note: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only	none

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