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Compare Congo, Republic of the (2006) - West Bank (2006)
Compare Congo, Republic of the (2006) z West Bank (2006)
| Congo, Republic of the (2006) | West Bank (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha | - |
| 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: 42.9% (male 541,110/female 515,202)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 676,427/female 644,347) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 35,440/female 47,966) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products | olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products |
| Airports | 32 (2006) | 3 (2006) |
| 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: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 11 (2006) |
- |
| Area | total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km |
total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Montana | slightly smaller than Delaware |
| 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. | The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provided that Israel would retain responsibility during the transitional period for external and internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifada that broke out in September 2000. In April 2003 the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides have not followed through on their commitments. Longtime Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT died in November 2004 and Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA President in January 2005, bringing hope of a turning point in the conflict. Israel and the PA agreed in February 2005 to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments, focused on security issues, in an effort to move the peace process forward. Progress has been slow because of different interpretations of the verbal agreement by the two sides. |
| Birth rate | 42.57 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 31.67 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $1.328 billion
expenditures: $1.065 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $964 million
expenditures: $1.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA; note - these budget data include Gaza Strip (2004) |
| Capital | name: Brazzaville
geographic coordinates: 4 16 S, 15 17 E time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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| Climate | tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters |
| Coastline | 169 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | approved by referendum 20 January 2002 | - |
| 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: none
conventional short form: West Bank |
| Death rate | 12.93 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $5 billion (2000 est.) | $0; note - includes Gaza Strip (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) |
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| 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 |
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| 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 | West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region |
| Economic aid - recipient | $159.1 million (1995) | $1.14 billion; note - includes Gaza Strip (2004 est.) |
| 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 West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA)- has experienced a general decline in economic growth and a degradation in economic conditions made worse since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely the result of the Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant, the disruption of administrative structure, and widespread business closures. Including the Gaza Strip, the UN estimates that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israeli settlements, or in joint industrial zones, have lost their jobs. International aid of $2 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities, due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally, stymied growth. |
| Electricity - consumption | 619 million kWh (2003) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 300 million kWh (2003) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production | 343 million kWh (2003) | NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m |
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m |
| Environment - current issues | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation | adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment |
| 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 |
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| Ethnic groups | Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% | Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% |
| 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) | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001) |
| 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% |
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| Exports | NA bbl/day | $270 million f.o.b.; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) |
| Exports - commodities | petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds | olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone |
| Exports - partners | China 38.9%, US 29%, Taiwan 11.8%, South Korea 7.2% (2005) | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (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 | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 57% services: 36.9% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 9%
industry: 28% services: 63% note: includes Gaza Strip (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 8.2% (2005 est.) | 6.2% (2004 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 1 00 S, 15 00 E | 32 00 N, 35 15 E |
| Geography - note | about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them | landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | $1.952 billion c.i.f.; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) |
| Imports - commodities | capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs | food, consumer goods, construction materials |
| Imports - partners | France 25.6%, China 11.3%, US 8.1%, India 8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 5.1%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005) | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004) |
| Independence | 15 August 1960 (from France) | - |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0% (2002 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes | generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers |
| 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: 19.15 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2005 est.) | 7% (includes Gaza Strip) (2003 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 | - |
| Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2003) | 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme | - |
| Labor force | NA | 614,000 (April-June 2005) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 18.4%
industry: 24% services: 57.6% (April-June 2005) |
| 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: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km |
| Land use | arable land: 1.45%
permanent crops: 0.15% other: 98.4% (2005) |
arable land: 16.9%
permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001) |
| Languages | French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread) | Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) |
| Legal system | based on French civil law system and customary law | - |
| 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 |
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| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 52.8 years
male: 51.65 years female: 53.98 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 73.27 years
male: 71.5 years female: 75.15 years (2006 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 can read and write
total population: 91.9% male: 96.3% female: 87.4% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon | Middle East, west of Jordan |
| Map references | Africa | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 nm | none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | registered in other countries: 1 (Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1) (2006) | - |
| Military branches | Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005) | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $85.22 million (2005 est.) | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (2005 est.) | NA |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 15 August (1960) | - |
| Nationality | noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo |
noun: NA
adjective: NA |
| Natural hazards | seasonal flooding | droughts |
| Natural resources | petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower | arable land |
| Net migration rate | -3.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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] | - |
| 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 | - |
| 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.) |
2,460,492
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 46% including Gaza Strip (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.6% (2006 est.) | 3.06% (2006 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001) | AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 0 (2005) |
| Railways | total: 894 km
narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2005) |
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| Religions | Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% | Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% |
| 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | 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: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 13,800 (2004) | 357,300 (includes Gaza Strip) (2004) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 490,000 (2005) | 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 8 (2005) |
| Terrain | coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin | mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east |
| Total fertility rate | 6.07 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 4.28 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | 19.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (January-September 2005) |
| Waterways | 4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2005) | - |
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