Guadeloupe (2004) | Namibia (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas department of France) | 13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 24.4% (male 55,386; female 52,977)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 146,772; female 149,314) 65 years and over: 9% (male 16,730; female 23,336) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 42.5% (male 414,559; female 404,346)
15-64 years: 54% (male 517,469; female 522,549) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 30,038; female 38,486) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats | millet, sorghum, peanuts; livestock; fish |
Airports | 9 (2003 est.) | 135 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 114
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 71 under 914 m: 19 (2002) |
Area | total: 1,780 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km water: 74 sq km note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin) |
total: 825,418 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 10 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than half the size of Alaska |
Background | Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe | South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Independence came in 1990 following multi-party elections and the establishment of a constitution. President NUJOMA is currently serving his third term as president. |
Birth rate | 15.79 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 34.1 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
revenues: $883 million
expenditures: $950 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998) |
Capital | Basse-Terre | Windhoek |
Climate | subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity | desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic |
Coastline | 306 km | 1,572 km |
Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form: Guadeloupe local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe local short form: Guadeloupe |
conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
conventional short form: Namibia former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa |
Currency | euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) | Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR) |
Death rate | 6.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 19.17 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | NA (yearend 2003 est.) | $517 million (2002 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas department of France | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas department of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin J. McGUIRE
embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek telephone: [264] (61) 221601 FAX: [264] (61) 229792 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas department of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard Nangolo IIPUMBU
chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443 |
Disputes - international | none | commission established with Botswana to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe boundaries converge; Angolan rebels and refugees still reside in Namibia |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies (1995) | ODA $160 million (2000 est.) |
Economy - overview | The Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy. | The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the population while about half of the population depends on subsistence agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the region, hides the great inequality of income distribution; nearly one-third of Namibians had annual incomes of less than $1400 in constant 1994 dollars, according to a 1993 study. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged to the South African rand. Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign investment. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.074 billion kWh (2001) | 603.1 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 578 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001) |
Electricity - production | 1.155 billion kWh (2001) | 26.95 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% | black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5% |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) | Namibian dollars per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Paul GIROT DE LANGLADE (since 17 August 2004)
head of government: President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Victorin LUREL (since 2 April 2004) 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; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils election results: NA |
chief of state: President Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Theo-Ben GURIRAB (since 28 August 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 30 November-1 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA elected president; percent of vote - Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA 77% |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | bananas, sugar, rum | diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed fish, karakul skins |
Exports - partners | France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1999) | EU 79%, US 4% (2001) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $3.513 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $13.15 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15%
industry: 17% services: 68% (1997 est.) |
agriculture: 11%
industry: 28% services: 61% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $6,900 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 2.3% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 15 N, 61 35 W | 22 00 S, 17 00 E |
Geography - note | a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre | first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip |
Highways | total: 2,467 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1998) |
total: 66,467 km
paved: 9,172 km unpaved: 57,285 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials | foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
Imports - partners | France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2% (1999) | US 50%, EU 31% (2001) |
Independence | none (overseas department of France) | 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism | meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamond, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper) |
Infant mortality rate | total: 8.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 68.44 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 71.72 deaths/1,000 live births female: 65.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA (2003 est.) | 8% (2001) |
International organization participation | WCL, WFTU | ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (1998 est.) | 70 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique | Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission) |
Labor force | 125,900 (1997) | 725,000 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | NA | agriculture 47%, industry 20%, services 33% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km |
total: 3,936 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km |
Land use | arable land: 11.24%
permanent crops: 3.55% other: 85.21% (2001) |
arable land: 0.99%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.01% (1998 est.) |
Languages | French (official) 99%, Creole patois | English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama |
Legal system | French legal system | based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution |
Legislative branch | unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2010) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - left-wing candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council (second round) - percent of vote by party - PS 58.4%, UMP 41.6%; seats by party - PS 29, UMP 12 note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1, different right parties 1 |
bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; two members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to determine members of the National Council, held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held by December 2004); National Assembly - last held 30 November-1 December 1999 (next to be held by December 2004) election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SWAPO 21, DTA 4, UDF 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 76%, COD 10%, DTA 9%, UDF 3%, MAG 1%, other 1%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 7, DTA 7, UDF 2, MAG 1, note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.71 years
male: 74.56 years female: 81.03 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 42.77 years
male: 44.27 years female: 41.22 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90% male: 90% female: 90% (1982 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84% male: 84.4% female: 83.7% (2003 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico | Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,240 GRT/109 DWT
by type: passenger 1 foreign-owned: France 1 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces | National Defense Force (Army, including Air Wing), Police |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $73.1 million (FY02) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2.4% (FY02) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 459,474 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 274,015 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Independence Day, 21 March (1990) |
Nationality | noun: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe |
noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian |
Natural hazards | hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano | prolonged periods of drought |
Natural resources | cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism | diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore |
Net migration rate | -0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Mona CADOCE]; FGPS [Dominique LARIFLA]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Flavien FERRANT]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Socialist Party or PS [Marlene MELISSE and Favrot DAVRAIN]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Robert JOYEUX] | Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president]; Monitor Action Group or MAG [Kosie PRETORIUS]; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement | NA |
Population | 444,515 (July 2004 est.) | 1,927,447
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 50% (2002 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.96% (2004 est.) | 1.49% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on Saint Barthelemy), Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre | Luderitz, Walvis Bay |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001) |
Railways | - | total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2002) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1% | Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate
domestic: NA international: country code - 590; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique |
general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each 100 persons
domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are by open wire; 100% digital international: fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 210,000 (2001) | 110,200 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 323,500 (2002) | 82,000 (2000 est.) |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997) | 8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin | mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east |
Total fertility rate | 1.91 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 4.71 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 27.8% (1998) | 35% (1998) |
Waterways | - | none |