Compare Gabon (2004) - New Caledonia (2008)

Compare Gabon (2004) z New Caledonia (2008)

	Gabon (2004)	New Caledonia (2008)

Administrative divisions	9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem	none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud
Age structure	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.)	0-14 years: 27.9% (male 31,578/female 30,270) 15-64 years: 65.3% (male 72,821/female 72,109) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 7,047/female 8,118) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish	vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish
Airports	56 (2003 est.)	25 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	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.)	total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.)	total: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 6 (2007)
Area	total: 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km	total: 19,060 sq km land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Colorado	slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background	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.	Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
Birth rate	36.4 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	17.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $1.771 billion expenditures: $1.413 billion, including capital expenditures of $310 million (2003 est.)	revenues: $996 million expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.)
Capital	Libreville	name: Noumea geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; always hot, humid	tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Coastline	885 km	2,254 km
Constitution	adopted 14 March 1991	4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name	conventional long form: Gabonese Republic conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon	conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States	-
Death rate	11.43 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$3.284 billion (2003 est.)	$79 million (1998 est.)
Dependency status	-	territorial collectivity of France since 1998
Diplomatic representation from the US	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	none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US	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	none (overseas territory of France)
Disputes - international	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	Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
Economic aid - recipient	$331 million (1995)	$524.3 million annual subsidy from France (2004)
Economy - overview	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.	New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than 15% of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years.
Electricity - consumption	742.5 million kWh (2001)	1.403 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	798.4 million kWh (2001)	1.508 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; poaching	erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires
Environment - international agreements	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	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	Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)	Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - NA (2007), 95.025 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
Executive branch	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%	chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Commissioner Yves DASSONVILLE (since 9 November 2007) head of government: President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 7 August 2007) cabinet: Cabinet consisting of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held 7 August 2007 when Harold MARTIN was elected following the resignation of Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU as president on 24 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Exports	NA (2001)	605.7 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)	ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Exports - partners	US 51.5%, France 8.7%, China 7.5%, Japan 4% (2003)	Japan 17.4%, France 15.9%, Taiwan 14.5%, China 10.8%, Spain 9.4%, Belgium 7.3%, Italy 6%, Australia 4.6% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue	the flag of France is used
GDP	purchasing power parity - $7.301 billion (2003 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 8.1% industry: 48.8% services: 43.1% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 15% industry: 8.8% services: 76.2% (2003)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $5,500 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	1.2% (2003 est.)	NA%
Geographic coordinates	1 00 S, 11 45 E	21 30 S, 165 30 E
Geography - note	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	consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls
Heliports	-	6 (2007)
Highways	total: 8,464 km paved: 838 km unpaved: 7,626 km (2000 est.)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	NA (2001)	11,980 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials	machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners	France 49.9%, US 5.3%, UK 4.6% (2003)	France 39.4%, Singapore 15.1%, Australia 11.3%, NZ 4.8% (2006)
Independence	17 August 1960 (from France)	none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014
Industrial production growth rate	1.6% (2002 est.)	-0.6% (1996)
Industries	petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement	nickel mining and smelting
Infant mortality rate	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.)	total: 7.42 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	0.5% (2003 est.)	1.4% (2000 est.)
International organization participation	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	ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO
Irrigated land	150 sq km (1998 est.)	100 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts	Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court
Labor force	610,000 (2003)	78,990 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25%	agriculture: 20% industry: 20% services: 60% (2002)
Land boundaries	total: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 1.26% permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (2001)	arable land: 0.32% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.46% (2005)
Languages	French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi	French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Legal system	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	based on French civil law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands
Legislative branch	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	unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du territoire (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3 note: New Caledonia currently holds one seat in the French Senate; by 2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on June 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 56.46 years male: 54.85 years female: 58.12 years (2004 est.)	total population: 74.5 years male: 71.52 years female: 77.63 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3% (1995 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.2% male: 96.8% female: 95.5% (1996 census)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea	Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Map references	Africa	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2007)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police	no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$149.3 million (2003)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2% (2003)	NA
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 314,434 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 162,847 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 13,462 (2004 est.)	-
National holiday	Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)	Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality	noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese	noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Natural hazards	NA	cyclones, most frequent from November to March
Natural resources	petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower	nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2007 est.)
Pipelines	gas 210 km; oil 1,385 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	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]	Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian Union or UC; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independence) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	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.)	221,943 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	2.5% (2004 est.)	1.203% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	total: 814 km standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)	-
Religions	Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%	Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Sex ratio	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.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.043 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.868 male(s)/female total population: 1.009 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	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	general assessment: NA domestic: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia, scheduled for completion in 2008, will improve high-speed connectivity and access to international networks international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	38,400 (2003)	55,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	300,000 (2003)	134,300 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001)	6 (plus 25 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south	coastal plains with interior mountains
Total fertility rate	4.8 children born/woman (2004 est.)	2.25 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	21% (1997 est.)	17.1% (2004)
Waterways	1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2003)	-

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