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Compare Gabon (2006) - Saint Lucia (2008)
Compare Gabon (2006) z Saint Lucia (2008)
| Gabon (2006) | Saint Lucia (2008) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.1% (male 300,914/female 299,141)
15-64 years: 53.9% (male 383,137/female 384,876) 65 years and over: 4% (male 23,576/female 33,262) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 29.4% (male 25,869/female 24,248)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 55,115/female 56,641) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 3,200/female 5,576) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa |
| Airports | 56 (2006) | 2 (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 (2006) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 45
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 23 (2006) |
- |
| Area | total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km |
total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Colorado | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. The current president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated the contry's political scene for almost four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political 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. | The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979. |
| Birth rate | 36.16 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 19.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $2.463 billion
expenditures: $1.618 billion; including capital expenditures of $325 million (2005 est.) |
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.) |
| Capital | name: Libreville
geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Castries
geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical; always hot, humid | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August |
| Coastline | 885 km | 158 km |
| Constitution | adopted 14 March 1991 | 22 February 1979 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique gabonaise local short form: Gabon |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
| Death rate | 12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Debt - external | $3.903 billion (2005 est.) | $257 million (2004) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
embassy: Boulevard du Bord de 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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia |
| 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York |
| Disputes - international | UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay; only a few hundred out of the 20,000 Republic of the Congo refugees who fled militia fighting in 2000 remain in Gabon | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea |
| Economic aid - recipient | $331 million (1995) | $11.06 million (2005) |
| Economy - overview | Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of sub-Saharan African nations. 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 currency by 50% in 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 mandated progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon 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. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies. | The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, with a surge in foreign direct investment in 2006, attributed to the construction of several tourism projects. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks including declines in European Union banana preferences, volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. High debt servicing obligations constrain the KING administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be reduced. |
| Electricity - consumption | 1.383 billion kWh (2003) | 282.9 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 1.487 billion kWh (2003) | 304.2 million kWh (2005) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; poaching | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region |
| 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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
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 | black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census) |
| Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2 December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe NDONG (since 20 January 2006) 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 (no term limits); election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 79.2%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 13.6%, Zacharie MYBOTO 6.6% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in office Friday, 7 September 2007 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
| Exports | NA bbl/day | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Exports - commodities | crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001) | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil |
| Exports - partners | US 53.5%, France 6.4%, China 6.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 4% (2005) | France 69.7%, US 10.2%, UK 8.8% (2006) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 6.1%
industry: 59.2% services: 34.8% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 15% services: 80% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.9% (2005 est.) | 5.1% (2005 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 1 00 S, 11 45 E | 13 53 N, 60 58 W |
| 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 | the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | - | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | 2,678 bbl/day (2004) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels |
| Imports - partners | France 40.6%, US 6.4%, Cameroon 4.2% (2005) | US 21.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.9%, Italy 12.3%, France 11.8%, Venezuela 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 5.8% (2006) |
| Independence | 17 August 1960 (from France) | 22 February 1979 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 1.6% (2002 est.) | -8.9% (1997 est.) |
| Industries | petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 54.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 45.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -0.1% (2005 est.) | 2.9% (2005 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Irrigated land | 70 sq km (2003) | 30 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 | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) |
| Labor force | 640,000 (2005 est.) | 43,800 (2001 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 60%
industry: 15% services: 25% |
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.) |
| 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: 1.21%
permanent crops: 0.64% other: 98.15% (2005) |
arable land: 6.45%
permanent crops: 22.58% other: 70.97% (2005) |
| Languages | French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi | English (official), French patois |
| 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 English common law |
| 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: Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next to be held by January 2009); National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9; 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 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 54.49 years
male: 53.21 years female: 55.81 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 74.08 years
male: 70.53 years female: 77.88 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 has ever attended school
total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.) |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Merchant marine | registered in other countries: 2 (Cambodia 1, Panama 1) (2006) | - |
| Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police | no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $253.5 million (2005 est.) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.4% (2005 est.) | NA |
| National holiday | Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968) | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) |
| Nationality | noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese |
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian |
| Natural hazards | NA | hurricanes and volcanic activity |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential |
| Net migration rate | -2.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Pipelines | gas 272 km; oil 1,354 km (2006) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA] (former sole party); Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; National Rally of Woodcutters or RNB; 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]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU] | National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Sir John COMPTON] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 1,424,906
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 2006 est.) |
170,649 (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.13% (2006 est.) | 1.297% (2007 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003) |
| Railways | total: 814 km
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) |
- |
| Religions | Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1% | Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.574 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 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: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 39,100 (2005) | 51,100 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 649,800 (2005) | 105,700 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001) | 2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003) |
| Terrain | narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys |
| Total fertility rate | 4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 21% (1997 est.) | 20% (2003 est.) |
| Waterways | 1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2005) | - |
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