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Compare Guinea-Bissau (2008) - Maldives (2008)

Compare Guinea-Bissau (2008) z Maldives (2008)

 Guinea-Bissau (2008)Maldives (2008)
 Guinea-BissauMaldives
Administrative divisions 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos 19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and the capital city*; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale* (Male), Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu
Age structure 0-14 years: 41.2% (male 302,408/female 303,786)


15-64 years: 55.8% (male 394,799/female 427,055)


65 years and over: 3% (male 18,463/female 26,269) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 81,383/female 76,984)


15-64 years: 54% (male 101,699/female 97,518)


65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,619/female 5,828) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish
Airports 27 (2007) 5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 24


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 19 (2007)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Area total: 36,120 sq km


land: 28,000 sq km


water: 8,120 sq km
total: 300 sq km


land: 300 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Background Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA, after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation. The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM - currently in his sixth term in office - has dominated the islands' political scene. Following riots in the capital Male in August 2004, the president and his government pledged to embark upon democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress has been slow, however, and many promised reforms have been slow to come to fruition. Nonetheless, political parties were legalized in 2005. A constituent assembly - termed the "special majlis" - has pledged to complete the drafting of a new constitution by the end of 2007 and first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system are slated for November 2008. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.
Birth rate 36.81 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 34.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $508 million (including foreign grants)


expenditures: $671 million (2006 est.)
Capital name: Bissau


geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Male


geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E


time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Coastline 350 km 644 km
Constitution 16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996 adopted 1 January 1998
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: Republic of Maldives


conventional short form: Maldives


local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa


local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
Death rate 16.29 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $941.5 million (2000 est.) $482 million (2006 est.)
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; the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to Guinea-Bissau the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)


chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017


telephone: [1] (212) 599-6194


FAX: [1] (212) 599-6195
Disputes - international in 2006, political instability within Senegal's Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids, and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau none
Economic aid - recipient $79.12 million (2005) $66.83 million (2005)
Economy - overview One of the five 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. Offshore oil prospecting is underway in several sectors but has not yet led to commercially viable crude deposits. 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. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total national budget. Government drift and indecision, however, resulted in continued low growth in 2002-06. Higher raw material prices boosted growth to 3.7% in 2007. Tourism, Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Fishing is the second leading sector. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a lesser role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labor. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 7% of GDP. The Maldivian Government began an economic reform program in 1989 initially by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to allow more foreign investment. Real GDP growth averaged over 7.5% per year for more than a decade. In late December 2004, a major tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000 displaced, and property damage exceeding $300 million. As a result of the tsunami, the GDP contracted by about 3.6% in 2005. A rebound in tourism, post-tsunami reconstruction, and development of new resorts helped the economy recover quickly. The trade deficit has expanded sharply as a result of high oil prices and imports of construction material. Diversifying beyond tourism and fishing and increasing employment are the major challenges facing the government. Over the longer term Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level.
Electricity - consumption 55.8 million kWh (2005) 157.1 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 60 million kWh (2005) 169 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1% South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)


note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
rufiyaa per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA (since 1 October 2005)


head of government: Prime Minister Martinho N'Dafa CABI (since 9 April 2007)


cabinet: NA


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature


election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52.4%, Malam Bacai SANHA 47.6%
chief of state: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978)


cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president nominated by the Majlis; nomination must be ratified by a national referendum (at least a 51% approval margin is required); president elected for a five-year term; election last held 17 October 2003 (next to be held in 2008)


election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected in referendum held 17 October 2003; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.3%
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) 1,517 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber fish
Exports - partners India 76.1%, Nigeria 18.1%, Italy 1.4% (2006) Thailand 33.1%, UK 14.3%, Sri Lanka 11.9%, Japan 10.3%, France 6.9%, Algeria 6.1% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
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 red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 62%


industry: 12%


services: 26% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 16%


industry: 7%


services: 77% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.7% (2007 est.) 5.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 00 N, 15 00 W 3 15 N, 73 00 E
Geography - note this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.5%


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


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine enroute to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations thanks to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling -
Imports 2,463 bbl/day (2004) 6,390 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate and capital goods
Imports - partners Portugal 18.7%, Senegal 16.3%, Italy 13%, Pakistan 4.5% (2006) Singapore 23.2%, UAE 15.8%, India 11.1%, Malaysia 7.9%, Thailand 6.9%, Sri Lanka 5.6% (2006)
Independence 24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal) 26 July 1965 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 4.7% (2003 est.) -0.9% (2004 est.)
Industries agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining
Infant mortality rate total: 103.5 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 113.7 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 93.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 53.25 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 52.4 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 54.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4% (2002 est.) 6% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ADB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 250 sq km (2003) NA
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices 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) High Court
Labor force 480,000 (1999) 101,300 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 82%


industry and services: 18% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 22%


industry: 18%


services: 60% (1995)
Land boundaries total: 724 km


border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 8.31%


permanent crops: 6.92%


other: 84.77% (2005)
arable land: 13.33%


permanent crops: 30%


other: 56.67% (2005)
Languages Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Legal system based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%, PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2%; seats by party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1
unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 members elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 22 January 2005 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50
Life expectancy at birth total population: 47.18 years


male: 45.37 years


female: 49.04 years (2007 est.)
total population: 64.76 years


male: 63.41 years


female: 66.19 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 42.4%


male: 58.1%


female: 27.4% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96.3%


male: 96.2%


female: 96.4% (2000 census)
Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Map references Africa Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 85,935 GRT/114,054 DWT


by type: cargo 17, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2


foreign-owned: 1 (Greece 1)


registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Tuvalu 1) (2007)
Military - note - Maldives has no regular armed forces; the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) includes ground forces, the Coast Guard, and a small, undermanned air element; with its small size and with little servable equipment, the MNDF is inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone (2007)
Military branches People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary force Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Quick Reaction Force, Security Protection Group, Coast Guard (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.1% (2005 est.) 5.5% (2005 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 24 September (1973) Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Nationality noun: Guinean(s)


adjective: Guinean
noun: Maldivian(s)


adjective: Maldivian
Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise
Natural resources fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum fish
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS; Electoral Union or UE; Guinea-Bissau Civic Forum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG; Guinea-Bissau Socialist Democratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]; Labor and Solidarity Party or PST [Iancuba INDJAI]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP; Progress Party or PP [Ibrahima SOW]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; Union of Guinean Patriots or UPG [Francisca VAZ]; United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Abdul Majeed Abdul BARI]; Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) or DRP [Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM]; Islamic Democratic Party or IDP [Omar NASEER]; Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed NASHEED]; note - political parties were allowed to register in June 2005
Political pressure groups and leaders NA various unregistered political parties
Population 1,472,780 (July 2007 est.) 369,031 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 21% (2004)
Population growth rate 2.052% (2007 est.) 2.732% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2001) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5% Sunni Muslim
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 0.995 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.924 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.703 male(s)/female


total population: 0.945 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.057 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.043 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.964 male(s)/female


total population: 1.046 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: small system


domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications; fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 7 per 100 in 2005


international: country code - 245
general assessment: telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with rapidly expanding subscribership


domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service


international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 10,200 (2005) 32,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 95,000 (2005) 262,600 (2006)
Television broadcast stations NA (2005) 1 (2006)
Terrain mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east flat, with white sandy beaches
Total fertility rate 4.79 children born/woman (2007 est.) 4.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NEGL% (2003 est.)
Waterways rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2007) -
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