Compare Congo, Republic of the (2006) - Guyana (2005)

Compare Congo, Republic of the (2006) z Guyana (2005)

	Congo, Republic of the (2006)	Guyana (2005)

Administrative divisions	10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune; Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha	10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
Age structure	0-14 years: 46.4% (male 864,407/female 853,728) 15-64 years: 50.7% (male 930,390/female 945,545) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,430/female 63,814) (2006 est.)	0-14 years: 26.4% (male 103,054/female 99,279) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 263,953/female 260,000) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 16,801/female 22,196) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products	sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp
Airports	32 (2006)	49 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006)	total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 11 (2006)	total: 41 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km	total: 214,970 sq km land: 196,850 sq km water: 18,120 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Montana	slightly smaller than Idaho
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 took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need to hope for new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.	Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early 1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president, in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. Upon his death five years later, he was succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.
Birth rate	42.57 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	18.45 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $1.328 billion expenditures: $1.065 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)	revenues: $287.6 million expenditures: $371.6 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2004 est.)
Capital	name: Brazzaville geographic coordinates: 4 16 S, 15 17 E time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	Georgetown
Climate	tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator	tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Coastline	169 km	459 km
Constitution	approved by referendum 20 January 2002	6 October 1980
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: Co-operative Republic of Guyana conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana
Death rate	12.93 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$5 billion (2000 est.)	$1.2 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mark BIEDLINGMAIER 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 Roland BULLEN embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497
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 Bayney KARRAN chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international	about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area	all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UNCLOS arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
Economic aid - recipient	$159.1 million (1995)	$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)
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 through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. However, 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. 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. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. The Republic of Congo may be eligible for an IMF-World Bank heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative in early 2006, provided it meets the strict fiscal and monetary targets set out for it under a new three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) with the IMF.	The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Growth then slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial privatization.
Electricity - consumption	619 million kWh (2003)	751.4 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	300 million kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	343 million kWh (2003)	808 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Environment - current issues	air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation	water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%	East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)	Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 198.33 (2004), 193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001), 182.43 (2000)
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 term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held in 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: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since December 1997) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA
Exports - commodities	petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds	sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners	China 38.9%, US 29%, Taiwan 11.8%, South Korea 7.2% (2005)	Canada 23.2%, US 19.2%, UK 10.9%, Portugal 9%, Belgium 6.4%, Jamaica 5.2% (2004)
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	green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 6.2% industry: 57% services: 36.9% (2005 est.)	agriculture: 38.3% industry: 19.9% services: 41.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	8.2% (2005 est.)	1.9% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	1 00 S, 15 00 E	5 00 N, 59 00 W
Geography - note	about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them	the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively
Highways	-	total: 7,970 km paved: 590 km unpaved: 7,380 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	-	transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA
Imports - commodities	capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs	manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners	France 25.6%, China 11.3%, US 8.1%, India 8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 5.1%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)	Trinidad and Tobago 24.8%, US 24.5%, Cuba 6.8%, UK 5.4% (2004)
Independence	15 August 1960 (from France)	26 May 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	0% (2002 est.)	7.1% (1997 est.)
Industries	petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes	bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Infant mortality rate	total: 85.29 deaths/1,000 live births male: 91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 79.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	total: 33.26 deaths/1,000 live births male: 36.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 29.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.2% (2005 est.)	4.5% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	20 sq km (2003)	1,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme	Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court
Labor force	NA	418,000 (2001 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: 2,462 km border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Land use	arable land: 1.45% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 98.4% (2005)	arable land: 2.44% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 97.41% (2001)
Languages	French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)	English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Legal system	based on French civil law system and customary law	based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; 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 July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by 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	unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 52.8 years male: 51.65 years female: 53.98 years (2006 est.)	total population: 65.5 years male: 62.86 years female: 68.28 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78.4% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98.8% male: 99.1% female: 98.5% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon	Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Map references	Africa	South America
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine	registered in other countries: 1 (Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1) (2006)	total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,475 GRT/8,758 DWT by type: cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1 registered in other countries: 3 (2005)
Military branches	Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005)	Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps, Guyana People's Militia
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$85.22 million (2005 est.)	$6.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.4% (2005 est.)	0.9% (2004)
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 August (1960)	Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Nationality	noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo	noun: Guyanese (singular and plural) adjective: Guyanese
Natural hazards	seasonal flooding	flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Natural resources	petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower	bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Net migration rate	-3.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-7.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines	gas 89 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 744 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president] (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); 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; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]	Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]
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	Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized
Population	3,702,314 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 2006 est.)	765,283 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%	NA
Population growth rate	2.6% (2006 est.)	0.26% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Georgetown
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)	AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)	total: 187 km standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)
Religions	Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%	Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
Sex ratio	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: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
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: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: fair system for long-distance service domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	13,800 (2004)	80,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	490,000 (2005)	87,300 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Terrain	coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin	mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Total fertility rate	6.07 children born/woman (2006 est.)	2.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	9.1% (understated) (2000)
Waterways	4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2005)	1,077 km note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2004)

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