Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare French Guiana (2006) - Liberia (2006)

Compare French Guiana (2006) z Liberia (2006)

 French Guiana (2006)Liberia (2006)
 French GuianaLiberia
Administrative divisions none (overseas department of France) 15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe
Age structure 0-14 years: 28.9% (male 29,540/female 28,210)


15-64 years: 64.8% (male 69,302/female 59,980)


65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,350/female 6,127) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 43.1% (male 656,016/female 653,734)


15-64 years: 54.2% (male 816,443/female 832,152)


65 years and over: 2.8% (male 40,591/female 43,068) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Airports 11 (2006) 53 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 5 (2006)
total: 51


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 38 (2006)
Area total: 91,000 sq km


land: 89,150 sq km


water: 1,850 sq km
total: 111,370 sq km


land: 96,320 sq km


water: 15,050 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Indiana slightly larger than Tennessee
Background First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou. Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE assassinated President William TOLBERT (1971-80) and ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule followed by a prolonged civil war, in which DOE himself was killed. In August 2003, a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of intermittent fighting and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country, completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004, but the security situation is still volatile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country remains sluggish.
Birth rate 20.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 44.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $135.5 million


expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)
revenues: $85.4 million


expenditures: $90.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital name: Cayenne


geographic coordinates: 4 56 N, 52 20 W


time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Monrovia


geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 47 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Coastline 378 km 579 km
Constitution 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) 6 January 1986
Country name conventional long form: Department of Guiana


conventional short form: French Guiana


local long form: none


local short form: Guyane
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia


conventional short form: Liberia
Death rate 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 23.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $800.3 million (2003) $3.2 billion (2005 est.)
Dependency status overseas department of France -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas department of France) chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH


embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380


FAX: [231] 226-148
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas department of France) chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. MINOR


chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011


telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437


FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) in French Guiana although Liberia's domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs was declared over in 2003, civil unrest persists, and in 2004, 133,000 Liberian refugees remained in Guinea, 72,000 in Cote d'Ivoire, 67,000 in Sierra Leone, and 43,000 in Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone; since 2003, the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has maintained about 18,000 peacekeepers in Liberia; the Cote d'Ivoire Government accuses Liberia of supporting Ivoirian rebels; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber
Economic aid - recipient $NA $94 million (1999)
Economy - overview The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers. Civil war and government mismanagement have destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia, while continued international sanctions on diamonds and timber exports will limit growth prospects for the foreseeable future. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some have returned, but many will not. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. The departure of the former president, Charles TAYLOR, to Nigeria in August 2003, the establishment of the all-inclusive Transitional Government, and the arrival of a UN mission have helped defuse the political crisis, but have done little to encourage economic development. Wealthy international donors, who are ready to assist reconstruction efforts, are withholding funding until Liberia's National Assembly signs onto a Governance and Economic Management Action Plan (GEMAP). The Plan was created in October 2005 by the International Contact Group for Liberia to help ensure transparent revenue collection and allocation - something that was lacking under the Transitional Government and that has limited Liberia's economic recovery. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous financial support and technical assistance from donor countries.
Electricity - consumption 432.6 million kWh (2003) 473.8 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 465.2 million kWh (2003) 509.4 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Environment - current issues NA tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) Liberian dollars per US dollar - NA (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003), 61.754 (2002), 48.583 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE (since 19 July 2006)


head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT (since 26 March 2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992)


cabinet: NA


elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils
chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 6 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 November 2005 (next to be held NA 2011)


election results: Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF elected president; percent of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (UP) 59.6%, George WEAH (CDC) 40.4%


note: a UN-brokered cease-fire among warring factions and the Liberian Government resulted in the August 2003 resignation of former president, Charles TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement, Chairman Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as head of the National Transitional Government on 14 October 2003; free elections were held 11 October 2005, with a runoff election between the two leading candidates on 8 November 2005
Exports NA bbl/day $910 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee
Exports - partners France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004) Belgium 41.4%, Spain 11.6%, US 9.1%, Malaysia 5.5%, Thailand 4.6%, Poland 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description the flag of France is used 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA% 6.6%


industry: NA% 15.6%


services: NA% 77.8%
agriculture: 76.9%


industry: 5.4%


services: 17.7% (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 9.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 4 00 N, 53 00 W 6 30 N, 9 30 W
Geography - note mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs
Imports - partners France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004) South Korea 37.9%, Japan 21.1%, Singapore 14.2%, Croatia 4.7% (2005)
Independence none (overseas department of France) 26 July 1847
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds
Infant mortality rate total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 10.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 155.76 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 171.96 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 139.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1% (2003) 15% (2003 est.)
International organization participation UPU, WCL, WFTU ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Irrigated land 20 sq km (2003) 30 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana) Supreme Court
Labor force 62,630 (1999) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 18.2%


industry: 21.2%


services: 60.6% (1980)
agriculture: 70%


industry: 8%


services: 22% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,240.4 km


border countries: Brazil 730.4 km, Suriname 510 km
total: 1,585 km


border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Land use arable land: 0.13%


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other) (2005)
arable land: 3.43%


permanent crops: 1.98%


other: 94.59% (2005)
Languages French English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
Legal system French legal system dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)


elections: General Council - last held in March 2000 (next to be held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7, other 2; Regional Council - (second election results) percent of vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7


note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, Walwari Committee 1
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats - number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2014); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held NA 2011)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDC 15, LP 9, UP 8, COTOL 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15


note: the current six-year term for junior senators - those who received the second most votes in the election - is mandated by the Liberian constitution to stagger Senate elections and ensure continuity of government
Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.27 years


male: 73.95 years


female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)
total population: 39.65 years


male: 37.99 years


female: 41.35 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 83%


male: 84%


female: 82% (1982 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 57.5%


male: 73.3%


female: 41.6% (2003 est.)
Location Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Map references South America Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 1,687 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,522,787 GRT/96,776,521 DWT


by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 322, cargo 83, chemical tanker 199, combination ore/oil 2, container 477, liquefied gas 75, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 397, refrigerated cargo 76, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 35


foreign-owned: 1,611 (Argentina 7, Australia 2, Austria 13, Bahamas, The 1, Bermuda 1, Brazil 3, Canada 2, China 35, Croatia 7, Cyprus 3, Denmark 8, Estonia 1, France 3, Germany 587, Greece 267, Hong Kong 37, India 3, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 5, Israel 5, Italy 16, Japan 102, South Korea 3, Kuwait 1, Latvia 14, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Monaco 10, Netherlands 29, Norway 38, Poland 14, Qatar 2, Russia 77, Saudi Arabia 24, Singapore 28, Slovenia 2, Sweden 8, Switzerland 7, Taiwan 69, Turkey 1, UAE 18, UK 41, Ukraine 16, Uruguay 3, US 93, unknown 1) (2006)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of France -
Military branches no regular military forces; Gendarmerie Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA $67.4 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 7.5% (2005 est.)
National holiday Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Nationality noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)


adjective: French Guianese
noun: Liberian(s)


adjective: Liberian
Natural hazards high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
Natural resources bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Net migration rate 4.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 27.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: at least 238,500 Liberian refugees are in surrounding countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their ability to return (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Popular National Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix LABBE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis DUBOC]; Walwari Committee (aligned with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON] Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH]; Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN]; Unity Party or UP [Charles CLARKE]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 199,509 (July 2006 est.) 3,042,004 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 80%
Population growth rate 1.96% (2006 est.) 4.91% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5 repeaters) (1998) AM 0, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2001)
Railways - total: 490 km


standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge


note: railway is inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil war (2005)
Religions Roman Catholic indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female


total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system


international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia


domestic: fully automatic system with very low density of .23 fixed main lines per 100 persons; limited wireless service available


international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 51,000 (2001) 6,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 98,000 (2004) 160,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations 3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997) 1 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001)
Terrain low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Total fertility rate 2.98 children born/woman (2006 est.) 6.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 19.2% (December 2003) 85% (2003 est.)
Waterways 3,760 km


note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2003)
-
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.