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Compare Dominican Republic (2001) - Central African Republic (2003)
Compare Dominican Republic (2001) z Central African Republic (2003)
| Dominican Republic (2001) | Central African Republic (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 29 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez Ramirez, San Cristobal, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde | 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
34.11% (male 1,495,477; female 1,431,406) 15-64 years: 60.99% (male 2,664,679; female 2,569,398) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 199,240; female 221,277) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 43.1% (male 799,241; female 788,370)
15-64 years: 53.5% (male 969,581; female 1,000,740) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 53,322; female 72,284) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs | cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber |
| Airports | 29 (2000 est.) | 50 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
13 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.) |
total: 47
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2002) |
| Area | total:
48,730 sq km land: 48,380 sq km water: 350 sq km |
total: 622,984 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire | slightly smaller than Texas |
| Background | A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative, rule for much of the 20th century was brought to an end in 1996 when free and open elections ushered in a new government. | The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. In March 2003 a military coup deposed the civilian government of President Ange-Felix PATASSE and has since established a new government. |
| Birth rate | 24.77 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 35.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$2.3 billion expenditures: $2.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $867 million (1999 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | Santo Domingo | Bangui |
| Climate | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
| Coastline | 1,288 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | 28 November 1966 | passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
Dominican Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republica Dominicana local short form: none |
conventional long form: Central African Republic
conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR |
| Currency | Dominican peso (DOP) | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Death rate | 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 19.73 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $4.7 billion (2000 est.) | $881.4 million (2000 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Charles T. MANATT embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500 telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171 FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Mattie R. SHARPLESS
embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Roberto Bienvenido SALADIN-SELIN chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280 FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Houston, Jacksonville, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico) |
chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893 |
| Disputes - international | none | internal political instabilities with fighting and violence overlap into Chad and CAR, leaving refugees and rebel groups in both countries; violent ethnic skirmishes persist along the border with Sudan |
| Economic aid - recipient | $239.6 million (1995) | ODA $73 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2000 est.) |
| Economy - overview | The Dominican economy experienced dramatic growth over the last decade, even though the economy was hit hard by Hurricane Georges in 1998. Although the country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest ten percent enjoy 40% of national income. In December 2000, the new MEJIA administration passed broad new tax legislation which it hopes will provide enough revenue to offset rising oil prices and to service foreign debt. | Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP growth likely to be no more than 1.3% in 2003. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. |
| Electricity - consumption | 6.78 billion kWh (1999) | 98.63 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 7.29 billion kWh (1999) | 106 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
87.19% hydro: 12.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0.41% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 19.8%
hydro: 80.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m |
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
| Environment - current issues | water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation; Hurricane Georges damage | tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation |
| Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Ethnic groups | white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73% | Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% |
| Exchange rates | Dominican pesos per US dollar - 16.888 (January 2001), 16.415 (2000), 16.033 (1999), 15.267 (1998), 14.265 (1997), 13.775 (1996) | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
President Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (since 16 August 2000); Vice President Milagros ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (since 16 August 2000); Vice President Milagros ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term; election last held 16 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2004) election results: Raphael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez elected president; percent of vote - Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (PRD) 49.87%, Danilo MEDINA (PLD) 24.95%, Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 24.6% |
chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup)
head of government: Prime Minister Abel GOUMBA (since NA March 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: NA; current president assumed power following a coup on 15 March 2003 in which former President Ange-Felix PATASSE was overthrown (President BOZIZE has stated that elections will be held by NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president |
| Exports | $5.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats | diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco |
| Exports - partners | US 66.1%, Netherlands 7.8%, Canada 7.6%, Russia 7.4%, UK 4.5% (1999 est.) | Belgium 66.8%, Spain 6.4%, Kazakhstan 4% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross | four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $48.3 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4.296 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
11.3% industry: 32.2% services: 56.5% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 55%
industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $5,700 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 8% (2000 est.) | 1.5% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 19 00 N, 70 40 W | 7 00 N, 21 00 E |
| Geography - note | shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti) | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa |
| Highways | total:
12,600 km paved: 6,224 km unpaved: 6,376 km (1996) |
total: 23,810 km
paved: 643 km unpaved: 23,167 km (1999 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
1.6% highest 10%: 39.6% (1989) |
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (1993) |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada | - |
| Imports | $9.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals | food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
| Imports - partners | US 25.7%, Venezuela 9.2%, Mexico 4%, Japan 3%, Panama 2.6% (1999 est.) | France 30%, US 5.2%, Cameroon 4.5%, Germany 4.3% (2002) |
| Independence | 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) | 13 August 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8% (2000 est.) | 3% (2002) |
| Industries | tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco | diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles |
| Infant mortality rate | 34.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 93.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 100.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 86.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.9% (2000 est.) | 3.6% (2001 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACP, Caricom (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 24 (2000) | 1 (2002) |
| Irrigated land | 2,300 sq km (1993 est.) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are elected by a Council made up of members of the legislative and executive branches with the president presiding) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts |
| Labor force | 2.3 million - 2.6 million | NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | services and government 58.7%, industry 24.3%, agriculture 17% (1998 est.) | - |
| Land boundaries | total:
275 km border countries: Haiti 275 km |
total: 5,203 km
border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km |
| Land use | arable land:
21% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 43% forests and woodland: 12% other: 15% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.76% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Spanish | French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages |
| Legal system | based on French civil codes | based on French law |
| Legislative branch | bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (149 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2002) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 24, PLD 3, PRSC 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 83, PLD 49, PRSC 17 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election)
elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
73.44 years male: 71.34 years female: 75.64 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 41.71 years
male: 40.18 years female: 43.29 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.1% male: 82% female: 82.2% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51% male: 63.3% female: 39.9% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
| Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 6 NM |
none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
| Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police | Central African Armed Forces (FACA) (including Republican Guard, Ground Forces, Naval Forces, and Air Force), Presidential Security Guard, Gendarmerie, National Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $180 million (FY98) | $13.43 million (FY02) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.1% (FY98) | 1.1% (FY02) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
2,281,035 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 858,671 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
1,430,776 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 449,466 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
87,404 (2001 est.) |
- |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 27 February (1844) | Republic Day, 1 December (1958) |
| Nationality | noun:
Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican |
noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African |
| Natural hazards | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
| Natural resources | nickel, bauxite, gold, silver | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | -3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Pipelines | crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hatuey DE CAMPS]; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo] | Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of deposed president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Collective of Popular Organizations or COP | NA |
| Population | 8,581,477 (July 2001 est.) | 3,683,538
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 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 25% (1999 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 1.63% (2001 est.) | 1.62% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Barahona, La Romana, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo | Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) |
| Radios | 1.44 million (1997) | - |
| Railways | total:
757 km standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge (Central Romana Railroad) narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (Dominican Republic Government Railway) note: 240 km operated by sugar companies in various gauges (0.558-m, 0.762-m, 1.067-m gauges) (2000) |
0 km |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 95% | indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote |
21 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: fair system
domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 709,000 (1997) | 9,500 (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 130,149 (1997) | 710 (1998) |
| Television broadcast stations | 25 (1997) | 1 (2001) |
| Terrain | rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed | vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
| Total fertility rate | 2.97 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 4.68 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 13.8% (1999 est.) | 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) |
| Waterways | none | 900 km
note: traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m |
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