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Compare Eritrea (2006) - Equatorial Guinea (2004)

Compare Eritrea (2006) z Equatorial Guinea (2004)

 Eritrea (2006)Equatorial Guinea (2004)
 EritreaEquatorial Guinea
Administrative divisions 6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea) 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Age structure 0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458/female 1,046,955)


15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153/female 1,268,189)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112/female 86,127) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 42% (male 110,268; female 109,222)


15-64 years: 54.3% (male 136,370; female 147,431)


65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,745; female 11,015) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Airports 17 (2006) 3 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


less than 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 13


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 121,320 sq km


land: 121,320 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 28,051 sq km


land: 28,051 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Pennsylvania slightly smaller than Maryland
Background Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections. 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 OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO has ruled the country for over two decades since seizing power from his uncle, then President MACIAS, in a 1979 coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 legislative elections - were widely seen as being flawed. The president controls most opposition parties through the judicious use of patronage. 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 country's living standards.
Birth rate 34.33 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 36.56 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $248.8 million


expenditures: $409.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $708.5 million


expenditures: $317.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital name: Asmara (Asmera)


geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 53 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Malabo
Climate hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands tropical; always hot, humid
Coastline 2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km) 296 km
Constitution a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
Country name conventional long form: State of Eritrea


conventional short form: Eritrea


local long form: Hagere Ertra


local short form: Ertra


former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea


conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea


local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial


local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial


former: Spanish Guinea
Currency - Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Death rate 9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 12.27 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $311 million (2000 est.) $248 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI


embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara


mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara


telephone: [291] (1) 120004


FAX: [291] (1) 127584
the US does not have an embassy in Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995); the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea; the US State Department is considering opening a Consulate Agency in Malabo
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam


chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991


FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304


consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
chief of mission: Ambassador Teodoro Biyogo NSUE


chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700


FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252
Disputes - international Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despite international intervention, mutual animosities, accusations, and armed posturing have prevented demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until claimed technical errors made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications; in 2005 Eritrea began severely restricting the operations of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitoring the 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000; Sudan sustains over 110,000 Eritrean refugees and accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups 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 coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay with Gabon is hampered by dispute over Mbane Island, administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s
Economic aid - recipient $77 million (1999) $33.8 million (1995)
Economy - overview Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down growth in 2002-05. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, as well as the willingness to open its economy to private enterprise so that the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth. 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 unsuccessfully 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 will remain strong in 2004, led by oil.
Electricity - consumption 251.9 million kWh (2003) 21.91 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 270.9 million kWh (2003) 23.56 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m


highest point: Soira 3,018 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3% Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Exchange rates nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003), 13.958 (2002), 11.31 (2001) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly


head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly


cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)


election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%
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 Miguel Abia BITEO BORICO (since 14 June 2004); First Deputy Prime Minister Miguel OYONO NDONG (since NA January 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Demetrio Elo NDONG NZE FUMU (since NA January 1998)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held NA 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
Exports NA bbl/day NA (2001)
Exports - commodities livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000) petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners Italy 39.3%, US 14.9%, Belarus 7.3%, Germany 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005) US 33.6%, Spain 25.8%, China 14.4%, Canada 11.8%, Italy 6.4% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 January - 31 December
Flag description red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle 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)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 10.2%


industry: 25.4%


services: 64.3% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 20%


industry: 60%


services: 2.4% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2% (2005 est.) 20% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 15 00 N, 39 00 E 2 00 N, 10 00 E
Geography - note strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993 insular and continental regions rather widely separated
Highways - total: 2,880 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Imports NA bbl/day NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000) petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - partners Germany 22.2%, Italy 20.3%, France 15.9%, US 12.8%, Ireland 8.2% (2005) US 30.6%, UK 16%, France 15.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.9%, Spain 8.1%, Norway 5.9%, Italy 5.3% (2003)
Independence 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia) 12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 30% (2002 est.)
Industries food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt, cement, commercial ship repair petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Infant mortality rate total: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 87.08 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 93.27 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 80.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15% (2005 est.) 6% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO 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), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Irrigated land 210 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts Supreme Tribunal
Labor force NA NA (October 2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20%
-
Land boundaries total: 1,626 km


border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
total: 539 km


border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Land use arable land: 4.78%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 95.19% (2005)
arable land: 4.63%


permanent crops: 3.57%


other: 91.8% (2001)
Languages Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Legal system primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)


elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely
unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held 24 April 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - PDGE 80%, UP 6%, CPDS 5%; seats by party - PDGE 75, UP 4 and CPDS 1


note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president
Life expectancy at birth total population: 59.03 years


male: 57.44 years


female: 60.66 years (2006 est.)
total population: 55.15 years


male: 53 years


female: 57.36 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 58.6%


male: 69.9%


female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 85.7%


male: 93.3%


female: 78.4% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,506 GRT/23,649 DWT


by type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2006)
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,556 GRT/9,704 DWT


by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1


registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $220.1 million (2005 est.) $75.1 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 17.7% (2005 est.) 2.5% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 120,463 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 61,084 (2004 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 24 May (1993) Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Nationality noun: Eritrean(s)


adjective: Eritrean
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)


adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Natural hazards frequent droughts; locust swarms violent windstorms, flash floods
Natural resources gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium, titanium, iron ore
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - condensate 37 km; gas 39 km; liquid natural gas 4 km; oil 24 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE (ruling party) [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]; 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement)); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob] NA
Population 4,786,994 (July 2006 est.) 523,051 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 50% (2004 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.47% (2006 est.) 2.43% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - Bata, Luba, Malabo
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000) AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)
Railways total: 306 km


narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2005)
-
Religions Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
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: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
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: 0.79 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal adult
Telephone system general assessment: inadequate


domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)


international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 37,700 (2005) 9,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 40,400 (2005) 41,500 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 1 (2002)
Terrain dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Total fertility rate 5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.) 4.68 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 30% (1998 est.)
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