Compare Equatorial Guinea (2006) - Lesotho (2007)

Compare Equatorial Guinea (2006) z Lesotho (2007)

	Equatorial Guinea (2006)	Lesotho (2007)

Administrative divisions	7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas	10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Age structure	0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989) 15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.)	0-14 years: 35.7% (male 382,308/female 377,303) 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 613,979/female 645,818) 65 years and over: 5% (male 42,621/female 63,233) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber	corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Airports	4 (2006)	28 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)	total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (2007)
Area	total: 28,051 sq km land: 28,051 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 30,355 sq km land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland	slightly smaller than Maryland
Background	Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.	Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 7 years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002.
Birth rate	35.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	24.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $1.973 billion expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)	revenues: $995.8 million expenditures: $763.2 million (2006 est.)
Capital	name: Malabo geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Maseru geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; always hot, humid	temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Coastline	296 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995	2 April 1993
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale former: Spanish Guinea	conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho conventional short form: Lesotho local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho local short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland
Death rate	15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	22.49 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$353 million (2005 est.)	$652 million (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 220 15 00 FAX: [237] 220 16 20	chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 22 312666 FAX: [266] 22 310116
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252	chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536 FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
Disputes - international	in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay	none
Economic aid - recipient	$33.8 million $NA	$68.82 million (2005)
Economy - overview	The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993, because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the second highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg.	Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa and also generates royalties for Lesotho. Lesotho produces about 90% of its own electrical power needs. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter has grown significantly mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF.
Electricity - consumption	27.37 million kWh (2003)	338.5 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2003)	13 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005)
Electricity - production	29.43 million kWh (2003)	350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m	lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Environment - current issues	tap water is not potable; deforestation	population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish	Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
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)	maloti per US dollar - 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.541 (2002)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup) head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud	chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998) cabinet: Cabinet elections: none - according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution, that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa	manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
Exports - partners	US 25.8%, China 22.9%, Spain 11.4%, Canada 7.7%, Taiwan 7.5%, Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, France 4.2% (2005)	US 81.9%, Belgium 15%, Canada 1.9% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)	three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 90.6% services: 6.2% (2005 est.)	agriculture: 18.2% industry: 40.8% services: 41% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	18.6% (2005 est.)	6.2% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	2 00 N, 10 00 E	29 30 S, 28 30 E
Geography - note	insular and continental regions widely separated	landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4% (2002 est.)
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	petroleum sector equipment, other equipment	food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products
Imports - partners	US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.7%, UK 7% (2005)	Hong Kong 33.4%, China 31.2%, Germany 7.7%, India 7.3% (2006)
Independence	12 October 1968 (from Spain)	4 October 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	30% (2002 est.)	15.5% (1999)
Industries	petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas	food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	total: 79.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 84.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 75.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	5% (2005 est.)	6.1% (2006 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer)	ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	NA	30 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Tribunal	High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional court
Labor force	NA	838,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa industry and services: 14% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 539 km border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km	total: 909 km border countries: South Africa 909 km
Land use	arable land: 4.63% permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2005)	arable land: 10.87% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89% (2005)
Languages	Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo	Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Legal system	partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom	based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch	unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, CPDS 2 note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61, NIP 21, ABC 17, LWP 10, ACP 4, BNP 3, other 4
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 49.54 years male: 48 years female: 51.13 years (2006 est.)	total population: 39.97 years male: 40.73 years female: 39.18 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.7% male: 93.3% female: 78.4% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.8% male: 74.5% female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon	Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2006)	-
Military - note	-	the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)	Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army and Air Wing
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$152.2 million (2005 est.)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.1% (2005 est.)	2.6% (2006)
National holiday	Independence Day, 12 October (1968)	Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Nationality	noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s) adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean	noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural) adjective: Basotho
Natural hazards	violent windstorms, flash floods	periodic droughts
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay	water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	condensate 46 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 47 km; oil 31 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Victorino Bolekia BONAY]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO]	Alliance of Congress Parties or ACP; All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang Basotho Party or KPB [Pheelo MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD (the governing party) [Pakalitha MOSISILI]; Lesotho Education Party or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; New Lesotho Freedom Party or NLFP [Manapo MAJARA]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	540,109 (July 2006 est.)	2,125,262 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.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	49% (1999)
Population growth rate	2.05% (2006 est.)	0.144% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions	nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices	Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.674 male(s)/female total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal adult	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: poor system with adequate government services domestic: NA international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)	general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a subscribership approaching 15 per 100 persons; rural services are scant international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	10,000 (2005)	48,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	96,900 (2005)	249,800 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	1 (2000)
Terrain	coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic	mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Total fertility rate	4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)	3.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	30% (1998 est.)	45% (2002)

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