Compare Guinea (2008) - Benin (2006)

Compare Guinea (2008) z Benin (2006)

	Guinea (2008)	Benin (2006)

Administrative divisions	33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Lelouma, Lola, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou	12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Age structure	0-14 years: 44.3% (male 2,226,414/female 2,183,153) 15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,611,833/female 2,610,773) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 138,392/female 177,249) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock
Airports	16 (2007)	5 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2007)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007)	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
Area	total: 245,857 sq km land: 245,857 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Oregon	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background	Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after the death of the first president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in 1998 and again in 2003, though all the polls have been marred by irregularities. Guinea has maintained its internal stability despite spillover effects from conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia. As those countries have rebuilt, Guinea's own vulnerability to political and economic crisis has increased. Declining economic conditions and popular dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006; a third nationwide strike in early 2007 sparked violent protests in many Guinean cities and prompted two weeks of martial law. To appease the unions and end the unrest, CONTE named a new prime minister in March 2007.	Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged.
Birth rate	41.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	38.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $382 million expenditures: $817.4 million (2007 est.)	revenues: $766.8 million expenditures: $1.017 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital	name: Conakry geographic coordinates: 9 33 N, 13 42 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Porto-Novo (official capital) geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Cotonou (seat of government)
Climate	generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline	320 km	121 km
Constitution	23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)	December 1990
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Guinea conventional short form: Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea	conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey
Death rate	15.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	12.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$3.298 billion (31 December 2007 est.)	$1.6 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Phillip CARTER III embassy: Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle mailing address: B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry telephone: [224] 30-42-08-61 through 68 FAX: [224] 30-42-08-73	chief of mission: Ambassador Wayne NEILL embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50 FAX: [229] 30-06-70
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mory Karamoko KABA chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-9420 FAX: [1] (202) 483-8688	chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
Disputes - international	conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone considers Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers excessive and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands, including the hamlet of Yenga, occupied since 1998	Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones
Economic aid - recipient	$182.1 million (2005)	$342.6 million (2000)
Economy - overview	Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country has almost half of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounts for over 70% of exports. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Investor confidence has been sapped by rampant corruption, a lack of electricity and other infrastructure, a lack of skilled workers, and the political uncertainty due to the failing health of President Lansana CONTE. Guinea is trying to reengage with the IMF and World Bank, which cut off most assistance in 2003, and is working closely with technical advisors from the U.S. Treasury Department, the World Bank and IMF, seeking to return to a fully funded program. Growth rose slightly in 2006-07, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity prices on world markets, but the standard of living fell. The Guinea franc depreciated sharply as the prices for basic necessities like food and fuel rose beyond the reach of most Guineans. Dissatisfaction with economic conditions prompted nationwide strikes in February and June 2006.	The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region.
Electricity - consumption	832.9 million kWh (2006)	538.2 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2006)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2006)	474 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	840 million kWh note: excludes electricity generated at interior mining sites (2006)	69 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%	African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Exchange rates	Guinean francs per US dollar - 4,122.8 (2007), 5,350 (2006), 3,644.3 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Lansana KOUYATE (since 26 February 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president; election last held 21 December 2003 (next to be held in December 2010); the prime minister is appointed by the president election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE 95.3%, Mamadou Bhoye BARRY 4.6%	chief of state: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011) election results: YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%
Exports	0 bbl/day (2004)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Exports - partners	Russia 11.6%, Ukraine 9.6%, Spain 9%, South Korea 8.8%, France 7.7%, US 7.7%, Germany 5.4%, Ireland 5.1% (2006)	China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%, Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia	two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 22% industry: 40.5% services: 37.6% (2007 est.)	agriculture: 31.6% industry: 13.8% services: 54.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	1.5% (2007 est.)	3.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	11 00 N, 10 00 W	9 30 N, 2 15 E
Geography - note	the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 41% (2006)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure
Imports	8,481 bbl/day (2004)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners	China 8.6%, France 8%, Netherlands 4.8%, Belgium 4.4% (2006)	France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005)
Independence	2 October 1958 (from France)	1 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	7.6% (2007 est.)	8.3% (2001 est.)
Industries	bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing	textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement
Infant mortality rate	total: 88.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 93.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 79.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 84.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 74.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	20% (2007 est.)	3.5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	950 sq km (2003)	120 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Court of First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Labor force	3.7 million (2006 est.)	3.211 million
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 76% industry and services: 24% (2006 est.)	-
Land boundaries	total: 3,399 km border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use	arable land: 4.47% permanent crops: 2.64% other: 92.89% (2005)	arable land: 23.53% permanent crops: 2.37% other: 74.1% (2005)
Languages	French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Legal system	based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by a mixed system of direct popular vote and proportional party lists elections: last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%, other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9 note: legislative elections were due in 2007 but have been postponed	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD, AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 49.65 years male: 48.5 years female: 50.84 years (2007 est.)	total population: 53.04 years male: 51.9 years female: 54.22 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 29.5% male: 42.6% female: 18.1% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 33.6% male: 46.4% female: 22.6% (2002 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 200 nm
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (2007)	Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$100.9 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.7% (2006)	2.3% (2005 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 2 October (1958)	National Day, 1 August (1960)
Nationality	noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources	bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders	National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP (the governing party) [Lansana CONTE]; People's Party of Guinea or PPG [Charles Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Cellou Dalein DIALLO]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH]	Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	National Confederation of Guinean Workers - Labor Union of Guinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance: National Confederation of Guinean Workers [Rabiatou Sarah DIALLO] and Labor Union of Guinean Workers [Dr. Ibrahima FOFANA]; Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG [Dr. Louis M'Bemba SOUMAH]; National Council of Civil Society Organizations of Guinea CNOSCG [Ben Sekou SYLLA]	NA
Population	9,947,814 (July 2007 est.)	7,862,944 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.)
Population below poverty line	47% (2006 est.)	33% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	2.62% (2007 est.)	2.73% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 0, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2006)	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)
Railways	total: 837 km standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Religions	Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.781 male(s)/female total population: 1.001 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system domestic: Conakry reasonably well served; coverage elsewhere remains inadequate and large companies tend to rely on their own systems for nationwide links; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 2 per 100 persons international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Telephones - main lines in use	26,300 (2005)	76,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	189,000 (2005)	386,700 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	6 (2001)	1 (2001)
Terrain	generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Total fertility rate	5.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)	5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	NA%
Waterways	1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005)	150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)

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