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Compare Guinea-Bissau (2003) - Virgin Islands (2003)

Compare Guinea-Bissau (2003) z Virgin Islands (2003)

 Guinea-Bissau (2003)Virgin Islands (2003)
 Guinea-BissauVirgin Islands
Administrative divisions 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
Age structure 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 284,150; female 285,370)


15-64 years: 55.2% (male 358,891; female 392,703)


65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,285; female 22,428) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 26% (male 16,685; female 15,794)


15-64 years: 64.4% (male 36,241; female 44,157)


65 years and over: 9.5% (male 5,078; female 6,823) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Airports 28 (2002) 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
-
Area total: 36,120 sq km


land: 28,000 sq km


water: 8,120 sq km
total: 352 sq km


land: 349 sq km


water: 3 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut twice the size of Washington, DC
Background In 1994, 20 years after independence from Portugal, the country's first multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held. An army uprising that triggered a bloody civil war in 1998 created hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. A military junta ousted the president in May 1999. An interim government turned over power in February 2000 when opposition leader Kumba YALA took office following two rounds of transparent presidential elections. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy will be complicated by its crippled economy, devastated in the civil war. During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Birth rate 38.41 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues: $364.4 million


expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Capital Bissau Charlotte Amalie
Climate tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
Coastline 350 km 188 km
Constitution 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996 Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau


conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau


local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau


local short form: Guine-Bissau


former: Portuguese Guinea
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands


conventional short form: Virgin Islands


former: Danish West Indies
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States; previously the Guinea-Bissau peso (GWP) was used US dollar (USD)
Death rate 16.62 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $941.5 million (2000 est.) $NA
Dependency status - organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation from the US the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; for the time being, US embassy Dakar is responsible for covering Guinea-Bissau: telephone - [221] 823-4296; FAX - [221] 822-5903 none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique Adriano DA SILVA


chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 519, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 347-3950


FAX: [1] (202) 347-3954
none (territory of the US)
Disputes - international separatist war in Senegal's Casamance region results in refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling and other illegal activities, and political instability in Guinea-Bissau none
Economic aid - recipient $115.4 million (1995) $NA
Economy - overview One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. However, unexploited offshore oil reserves could provide much-needed revenue in the long run. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base. Government drift and indecision, however, have resulted in low growth in 2002 and dim prospects for 2003. Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, support construction projects in the private sector, expand tourist facilities, reduce crime, and protect the environment.
Electricity - consumption 51.15 million kWh (2001) 957.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 55 million kWh (2001) 1.03 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing lack of natural freshwater resources
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1% black 78%, white 10%, other 12%


note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands and 32% born elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 4%, other 2%
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)


note: as of 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted the XOF franc as the national currency; since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: President Henrique ROSA (interim; since 28 September 2003); note - a September 2003 coup overthrough the elected government of Kumba YALA; General Verissimo Correia SEABRA served as interim president from 14 to 28 September 2003


head of government: Prime Minister Artur SANHA (since 28 September 2003)


cabinet: NA


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 28 November 1999 and 16 January 2000 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature


election results: Kumba YALA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Kumba YALA (PRS) 72%, Malan Bacai SANHA (PAIGC) 28%


note: a bloodless coup led to the dissolution of the elected government of Kumba YALA in September 2003; General Verissimo Correia SEABRA served as interim president from 14 September 2003 until stepping aside on 28 September 2003 with the establishment of a caretaker government
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001)


head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Vargrave RICHARDS (since NA January 2003)


cabinet: NA


elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006)


election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4%
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber refined petroleum products
Exports - partners India 51.5%, Uruguay 19.5%, Thailand 19.4% (2002) US, Puerto Rico
Fiscal year calendar year 1 October - 30 September
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
GDP purchasing power parity - $901.4 million (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 62%


industry: 12%


services: 26% (1999 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -4.3% (2002 est.) 2% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 00 N, 15 00 W 18 20 N, 64 50 W
Geography - note this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
Highways total: 4,400 km


paved: 453 km


unpaved: 3,947 km (1999 est.)
total: 856 km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km


note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.5%


highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Imports - partners Senegal 19.6%, Portugal 19.1%, India 15.3%, Taiwan 5.1% (2002) US, Puerto Rico
Independence 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal) -
Industrial production growth rate 2.6% (1997 est.) NA%
Industries agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Infant mortality rate total: 110.29 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 120.99 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 99.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 9 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4% (2002 est.) 2% (1992)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2002) 50 (2000)
Irrigated land 170 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices who are appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases) US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)
Labor force 480,000 49,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 82% (2000 est.) agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total: 724 km


border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 10.67%


permanent crops: 1.78%


other: 87.55% (1998 est.)
arable land: 15%


permanent crops: 6%


other: 79% (1998 est.)
Languages Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages English (official), Spanish, Creole
Legal system NA based on US laws
Legislative branch unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve a maximum of four years); note - President YALA dissolved the National People's Assembly in November 2002, elections for a new legislature were scheduled to fall in February 2003 but were then postponed to April, then July, and were last scheduled to occur in September 2003


elections: last held 28 November 1999 (next to be held NA September 2003)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRS 37, RGB 27, PAIGC 25, 11 remaining seats went to 5 of the remaining 10 parties that fielded candidates
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)


elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM NA, no party affiliation NA


note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected
Life expectancy at birth total population: 46.97 years


male: 45.09 years


female: 48.91 years (2003 est.)
total population: 78.59 years


male: 74.73 years


female: 82.68 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 42.4%


male: 58.1%


female: 27.4% (2003 est.)
definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Africa Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) none (2002 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $5.6 million (FY02) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.8% (FY02) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 318,711 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 181,318 (2003 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 24 September (1973) Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
Nationality noun: Guinean(s)


adjective: Guinean
noun: Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: Virgin Islander
Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Natural resources fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum sun, sand, sea, surf
Net migration rate -1.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Francisco BENANTE]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Francois MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Ba Fata Movement or RGB-MB [Helder Vaz LOPES]; Guinean Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; International League for Ecological Protection or LIPE [Alhaje Bubacar DJALO, president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Abubacer BALDE, secretary general]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Victor Sau'de MARIA] Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 1,360,827 (July 2003 est.) 124,778 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.02% (2003 est.) 1.02% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix
Radio broadcast stations AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2002) AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)
Railways 0 km 0 km
Religions indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5% Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female


total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Telephone system general assessment: small system


domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications


international: NA
general assessment: NA


domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay


international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA
Telephones - main lines in use 10,000 (2001) 65,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (2001) 2,000 (1992)
Television broadcast stations NA (1997) 2 (2002)
Terrain mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Total fertility rate 5.07 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 4.9% (March 1999)
Waterways several rivers are accessible to coastal shipping none
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