Compare Faroe Islands (2005) - Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2003)

Compare Faroe Islands (2005) z Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2003)

	Faroe Islands (2005)	Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2003)

Administrative divisions	none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 49 municipalities	10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and one city (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu
Age structure	0-14 years: 21.3% (male 4,997/female 4,999) 15-64 years: 64.9% (male 16,120/female 14,360) 65 years and over: 13.8% (male 2,923/female 3,563) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 48.3% (male 13,734,706; female 13,624,579) 15-64 years: 49.2% (male 13,648,155; female 14,203,077) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 583,366; female 831,156) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish	coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Airports	1 (2004 est.)	229 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 24 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 205 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 95 under 914 m: 91 (2002)
Area	total: 1,399 sq km land: 1,399 sq km water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)	total: 2,345,410 sq km land: 2,267,600 sq km water: 77,810 sq km
Area - comparative	eight times the size of Washington, DC	slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Background	The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was attained in 1948.	Since 1997, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow in 1994 of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of former president MOBUTU Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated on 16 January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state ten days later. In October 2002, the new president was successful in getting occupying Rwandan forces to withdraw from eastern Congo; two months later, an agreement was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and set up a government of national unity.
Birth rate	13.97 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	45.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $488 million expenditures: $484 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1999)	revenues: $269 million expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
Capital	Torshavn	Kinshasa
Climate	mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy	tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October
Coastline	1,117 km	37 km
Constitution	5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)	24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it was not ratified by a national referendum; one outcome of the ongoing inter-Congolese dialogue is to be a new constitution
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Faroe Islands local long form: none local short form: Foroyar	conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo local short form: none former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire abbreviation: DROC
Currency	-	Congolese franc (CDF)
Death rate	8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	14.87 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$64 million (1999)	$12.9 billion (2000 est.)
Dependency status	part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)	chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (88) 43608 FAX: [243] (88) 43467
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)	chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609
Disputes - international	because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferred; Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm	Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state - Tutsi, Hutu, Lendu, Hema and other conflicting ethnic groups, political rebels, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda - heads of the Great Lakes states pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; most of the Congo River boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)
Economic aid - recipient	$135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998)	$195.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview	The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is minimal and there are signs of labor shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget surpluses, which in turn has helped to reduce the large public debt, most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians.	The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, has increased external debt, and has resulted in the deaths from war, famine, and disease of perhaps 3.5 million people. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data.
Electricity - consumption	204.6 million kWh (2002)	3.839 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	1.097 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	60 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	220 million kWh (2002)	5.243 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 1.8% hydro: 98.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Environment - current issues	NA	poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups	Scandinavian	over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Exchange rates	Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001), 8.0831 (2000)	Congolese francs per US dollar - 346.49 (2002), 206.62 (2001), 21.82 (2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3 February 2004) cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - NA% note: coalition of Social Democrats, Union Party, and People's Party	chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by the president elections: prior to the overthrow of MOBUTU Sese Seko, the president was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, there was also a prime minister who was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - a Transitional Government is drafting a new constitution with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005 election results: results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, following the latter's assassination in January 2001, negotiations with rebel leaders led to the establishment of a Transitional Government in July 2003 with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005
Exports	NA	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999)	diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt
Exports - partners	Denmark 33.5%, UK 29.7%, Norway 8.4%, Nigeria 7.2% (2004)	Belgium 64.4%, US 13.4%, Zimbabwe 6.7%, Finland 4.9% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)	light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed stars along the hoist side
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $34 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 27% industry: 11% services: 62% (1999)	agriculture: 55% industry: 11% services: 34% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $22,000 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $600 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	10% (2001 est.)	3.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	62 00 N, 7 00 W	0 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note	archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands	straddles equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
Heliports	-	1 (2002)
Highways	total: 463 km paved: 454 km unpaved: 9 km (1999)	total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center
Imports	NA	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment 29%, consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, fuels, fish and salt (1999)	foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners	Denmark 52.8%, Norway 18.3%, Iceland 4.4%, Sweden 4.2% (2004)	Belgium 14.6%, South Africa 14.2%, Nigeria 10.3%, France 9.5%, Germany 7.3%, Netherlands 5.3%, Kenya 5.2% (2002)
Independence	none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)	30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
Industrial production growth rate	8% (1999 est.)	NA%
Industries	fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts	mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement
Infant mortality rate	total: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 96.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 105.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 87.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	5.1% (1999)	16% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2001)
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	110 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	none	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force	24,250 (October 2000)	14.51 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	fishing, fish processing, and manufacturing 33%, construction and private services 33%, public services 34%	NA
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 10,730 km border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Land use	arable land: 2.14% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2001)	arable land: 2.96% permanent crops: 0.52% other: 96.52% (1998 est.)
Languages	Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish	French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Legal system	Danish	based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%, Social Democrats 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by party - Union Party 7, Social Democrats 7, Republican Party 8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1 note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, People's Party 1	a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000 elections: NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President Laurent Desire KABILA
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 79.21 years male: 75.77 years female: 82.67 years (2005 est.)	total population: 48.93 years male: 46.83 years female: 51.09 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: probably the same as Denmark proper	definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba total population: 65.5% male: 76.2% female: 55.1% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway	Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Map references	Europe	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line	exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 24,051 GRT/11,998 DWT by type: cargo 6, container 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 8 (Denmark 2, Germany 1, Iceland 2, Norway 2, United Kingdom 1) (2005)	none (2002 est.)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of Denmark	-
Military branches	no regular military forces	Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Security Battalion
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA	$250 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	4.6% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 12,292,933 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 6,267,752 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Olaifest (Olavasoka), 29 July	Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
Nationality	noun: Faroese (singular and plural) adjective: Faroese	noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards	NA	periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes
Natural resources	fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas	cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber
Net migration rate	0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese internally displaced and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2003 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 54 km; oil 71 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Oeo JOHANNESEN]	Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR (three factions: MPR-Fait Prive [Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo]; MPR/Vunduawe [Felix VUNDUAWE]; MPR/Mananga [MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo]); Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI (two factions: UFERI [Lokambo OMOKOKO]; UFERI/OR [Adolph Kishwe MAYA])
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	46,962 (July 2005 est.)	56,625,039 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	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	0.62% (2005 est.)	2.9% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Torshavn	Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001)
Railways	-	total: 4,772 km narrow gauge: 3,621 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2002)
Religions	Evangelical Lutheran	Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system	general assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable	general assessment: poor domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	23,000 (2002)	20,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	30,700 (2002)	15,000 (2000)
Television broadcast stations	3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)	4 (2001)
Terrain	rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast	vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Total fertility rate	2.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)	6.69 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	1% (October 2000)	NA%
Waterways	-	15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)

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