Finland (2002) | Gabon (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani | 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.9% (male 471,920; female 454,082)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,752,493; female 1,717,544) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 306,216; female 481,290) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 286,819; female 285,184)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 362,311; female 365,132) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 23,157; female 32,643) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish | cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish |
Airports | 160 (2001) | 56 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 74
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 12 (2002) |
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 76
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 72 (2002) |
total: 45
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 337,030 sq km
land: 305,470 sq km water: 31,560 sq km |
total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Montana | slightly smaller than Colorado |
Background | Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It finally won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and fend off invasions by the Soviet Union and Germany. In the subsequent half century, the Finns have made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999. | Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. Gabon's current President, El Hadj Omar BONGO - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated Gabon's political scene for almost four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, the low turnout and allegations of electoral fraud during the most recent local elections in 2002-03 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. In addition, recent strikes have underscored the popular disenchantment with the political system. Presidential elections scheduled for 2005 are unlikely to bring change since the opposition remains weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable African countries. |
Birth rate | 10.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 36.4 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $36.1 billion
expenditures: $31 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $1.771 billion
expenditures: $1.413 billion, including capital expenditures of $310 million (2003 est.) |
Capital | Helsinki | Libreville |
Climate | cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes | tropical; always hot, humid |
Coastline | 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations) | 885 km |
Constitution | 17 July 1919 | adopted 14 March 1991 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi |
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon |
Currency | euro (EUR); markka (FIM)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
Death rate | 9.78 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 11.43 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $30 billion (December 1993) | $3.284 billion (2003 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Bonnie McELVEEN-HUNTER
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 171931 FAX: [358] (9) 174681 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth P. MOOREFIELD
embassy: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92 FAX: [241] 74 55 07 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka Robert VALTASAARI
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA
chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668 consulate(s): New York |
Disputes - international | none | creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay with Equatorial Guinea is hampered by dispute over Mbane Island, administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $379 million (1997) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $331 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling almost one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2002 was held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2003 provided the world economy suffers no further blows. | Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies. |
Electricity - consumption | 81.961 billion kWh (2000) | 742.5 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 326 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 12.206 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 75.356 billion kWh (2000) | 798.4 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 41%
hydro: 19% nuclear: 28% other: 12% (2000) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Halti 1,328 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations | deforestation; poaching |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02% | Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); markkaa per US dollar - 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997) | 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 Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Ville ITALA (since 31 August 2001) cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 6 February 2000 (next to be held NA February 2006); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed from the majority party by the president after parliamentary elections election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4% note: government coalition - SDP, Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's Democratic Union and Democratic Alternative), SFP, and Green League |
chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4% |
Exports | $40.1 billion f.o.b. (2002) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp | crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001) |
Exports - partners | Germany 12.4%, US 9.7%, UK 9.6%, Sweden 8.4%, Russia 5.9%, France 4.6% (2001) | US 51.5%, France 8.7%, China 7.5%, Japan 4% (2003) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) | three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $136.2 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7.301 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4%
industry: 34% services: 62% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 8.1%
industry: 48.8% services: 43.1% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $26,200 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5,500 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.1% (2002 est.) | 1.2% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 64 00 N, 26 00 E | 1 00 S, 11 45 E |
Geography - note | long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain | a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity |
Highways | total: 77,831 km
paved: 49,789 km (including 444 km of expressways) unpaved: 28,042 km (1999) |
total: 8,464 km
paved: 838 km unpaved: 7,626 km (2000 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 22% (1991) (1991) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | $31.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials |
Imports - partners | Germany 14.5%, Sweden 10.2%, Russia 9.6%, US 6.9%, UK 6.4%, France 4.5% (2001) | France 49.9%, US 5.3%, UK 4.6% (2003) |
Independence | 6 December 1917 (from Russia) | 17 August 1960 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5% (2002 est.) | 1.6% (2002 est.) |
Industries | metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing | petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement |
Infant mortality rate | 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 54.34 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 64.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 44.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.9% (2002 est.) | 0.5% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 3 (2002) | - |
Irrigated land | 640 sq km (1998 est.) | 150 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts |
Labor force | 2.6 million (2000 est.) | 610,000 (2003) |
Labor force - by occupation | public services 32%, industry 22%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, agriculture and forestry 8%, transport and communications 8%, construction 6% | agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% |
Land boundaries | total: 2,628 km
border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km |
total: 2,551 km
border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km |
Land use | arable land: 6.98%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 93.01% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 1.26%
permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (2001) |
Languages | Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities | French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
Legal system | civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - SDP 22.9%, Kesk 22.5%, Kok 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, SFP 5.1%, Green League 7.2%, SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51, Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green League 11, SKL 10, other 3 |
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next to be held by January 2009) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.75 years
male: 74.1 years female: 81.52 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 56.46 years
male: 54.85 years female: 58.12 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3% (1995 est.) |
Location | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia | Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea |
Map references | Europe | Africa |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden territorial sea: 12 NM (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 NM) |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 98 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,172,404 GRT/1,144,139 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, chemical tanker 5, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 36, short-sea passenger 10 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1, Sweden 1 (2002 est.) |
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Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Sea Guard) | Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $1.8 billion (FY98/99) | $149.3 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2% (FY98/99) | 2% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,240,762 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 314,434 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,024,379 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 162,847 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 33,883 (2002 est.) | males: 13,462 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 6 December (1917) | Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968) |
Nationality | noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish |
noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese |
Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver | petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | natural gas 580 km | gas 210 km; oil 1,385 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | Center Party or Kesk [Esko AHO]; Finnish Christian Democratic Party or SKL [C. P. Bjarne KALLIS]; Green League [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Leftist Alliance (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Ville ITALA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]; True Finns [Timo SOINI] | Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE,]; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | 5,183,545 (July 2002 est.) | 1,355,246
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 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 0.14% (2002 est.) | 2.5% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus | Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001) |
Radios | 7.7 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total: 5,865 km
broad gauge: 5,865 km 1.524-m gauge (2,234 km electrified; 480 km double- or multiple-track) (2000 est.) |
total: 814 km
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
Religions | Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% | Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net provide domestic needs international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) |
general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations international: country code - 241; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
Telephones - main lines in use | 2,847,900 (2001) | 38,400 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,728,600 (2001) | 300,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999) | 4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001) |
Terrain | mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills | narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south |
Total fertility rate | 1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 4.8 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 8.5% (2002 est.) | 21% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | 6,675 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km suitable for large ships |
1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2003) |