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Compare Congo, Republic of the (2008) - West Bank (2006)

Compare Congo, Republic of the (2008) z West Bank (2006)

 Congo, Republic of the (2008)West Bank (2006)
 Congo, Republic of theWest Bank
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: 46.3% (male 885,039/female 873,753)


15-64 years: 50.8% (male 958,992/female 973,445)


65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,994/female 64,387) (2007 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 31 (2007) 3 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 5


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007)
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: 26


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 9 (2007)
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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 42.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 31.67 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $3.639 billion


expenditures: $2.104 billion (2007 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 15 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 12.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 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 Robert WEISBERG


embassy: BDEAC Building, 4th Floor, Brazzaville


mailing address: NA


telephone: [242] 81-1480


FAX:: [243] 81-5324
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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 Congo hosts about 63,000 refugees from neighboring states, primarily from the Pool border area of 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 $1.449 billion (2005) $1.14 billion; note - includes Gaza Strip (2004 est.)
Economy - overview The economy is a mixture of subsistance agriculture, an industrial sector based largely on oil, and 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. In March 2006, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo. 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 5.272 billion kWh (2005) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 1.8 billion kWh (2005) -
Electricity - imports 6 million kWh (2005) NA kWh
Electricity - production 7.341 billion kWh (2005) 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, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
-
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 - 483.6 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) 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);


head of government: Prime Minister Isidore MVOUBA (since 7 January 2005)


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%
-
Exports 20,750 bbl/day (2004) $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 US 35.9%, China 31.4%, Taiwan 9.9%, South Korea 8% (2006) 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


note: uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
-
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5.6%


industry: 57.1%


services: 37.3% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 9%


industry: 28%


services: 63%


note: includes Gaza Strip (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.8% (2007 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 11,410 bbl/day (2004) $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 23.5%, China 13.2%, US 7.6%, India 7%, Italy 5.6%, Belgium 5.3% (2006) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004)
Independence 15 August 1960 (from France) -
Industrial production growth rate -1% (2007 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: 83.26 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 88.93 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 77.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 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) 7% (2007 est.) 7% (includes Gaza Strip) (2003 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, 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 in 2008); National Assembly - last held 24 June and 5 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)


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 - PCT 46, MCDDI 11, UPADS 11, MAR 5, MSD 5, independents 37, other 22
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Life expectancy at birth total population: 53.29 years


male: 52.1 years


female: 54.52 years (2007 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) (2007) -
Military branches Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Gendarmerie, Special Presidential Security Guard (GSSP) (2008) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure - NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.1% (2006) 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 -3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines gas 89 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 758 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders Action Movement for Renewal or MAR; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Congolese Labour Party or PCT; Movement for Solidarity and Development or MSD; 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]; many less important parties -
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 3,800,610


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.)
2,460,492


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 2.639% (2007 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 (2006)
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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: 1.013 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.985 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.699 male(s)/female


total population: 0.988 male(s)/female (2007 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; fixed-line infrastructure inadequate providing less than 1 connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has surged reaching 16 per 100 persons


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 15,900 (2005) 357,300 (includes Gaza Strip) (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular 490,000 (2005) 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2001) 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 5.99 children born/woman (2007 est.) 4.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 19.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (January-September 2005)
Waterways 1,125 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2006) -
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