Compare Guinea-Bissau (2008) - Northern Mariana Islands (2006)

Compare Guinea-Bissau (2008) z Northern Mariana Islands (2006)

	Guinea-Bissau (2008)	Northern Mariana Islands (2006)

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 (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order: Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian
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: 19.4% (male 8,350/female 7,623) 15-64 years: 79% (male 26,715/female 38,442) 65 years and over: 1.6% (male 679/female 650) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish	coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle
Airports	27 (2007)	5 (2006)
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 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
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 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Area	total: 36,120 sq km land: 28,000 sq km water: 8,120 sq km	total: 477 sq km land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
Area - comparative	slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut	2.5 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.	Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.
Birth rate	36.81 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	19.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA	revenues: $193 million expenditures: $223 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02 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: Saipan geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E time difference: UTC+10 (15 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 marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October
Coastline	350 km	1,482 km
Constitution	16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996	Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant Agreement fully effective 4 November 1986
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: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands abbreviation: CNMI former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Mariana Islands District
Death rate	16.29 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	2.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$941.5 million (2000 est.)	$NA
Dependency status	-	commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs
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	-
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC	-
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)	extensive funding from US
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.	The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent years, but financial difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is by far the most important industry with the employment of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under duty and quota exemptions.
Electricity - consumption	55.8 million kWh (2005)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh
Electricity - production	60 million kWh (2005)	NA kWh
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing	contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development
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	-
Ethnic groups	African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%	Asian 56.3%, Pacific islander 36.3%, Caucasian 1.8%, other 0.8%, mixed 4.8% (2000 census)
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	the US dollar is used
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 George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Benigno R. FITIAL (since 9 January 2006); Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. VILLAGOMEZ (since 9 January 2006) cabinet: the cabinet consists of the heads of the 10 principal departments under the executive branch who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; other members include Special Assistants to the governor and office heads appointed by and reporting directly to the governor elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009) election results: Benigno R. FITIAL elected governor in a four-way race; percent of vote - Benigno R. FITIAL (Covenant Party) 28.07%, Heinz HOFSCHNEIDER (Independent) 27.34%, Juan BABAUTA (Republican) 26.6%, Froilan TENORIO (Democrat) 17.99%
Exports	0 bbl/day (2004)	$NA
Exports - commodities	cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber	garments
Exports - partners	India 76.1%, Nigeria 18.1%, Italy 1.4% (2006)	US (2004)
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	blue, with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 62% industry: 12% services: 26% (1999 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - real growth rate	3.7% (2007 est.)	NA%
Geographic coordinates	12 00 N, 15 00 W	15 12 N, 145 45 E
Geography - note	this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland	strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean
Heliports	-	1 (2006)
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)	$214.4 million $NA
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products	food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products
Imports - partners	Portugal 18.7%, Senegal 16.3%, Italy 13%, Pakistan 4.5% (2006)	US, Japan (2004)
Independence	24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)	none (commonwealth in political union with the US)
Industrial production growth rate	4.7% (2003 est.)	NA%
Industries	agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks	tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts
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: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	4% (2002 est.)	-0.8% (2000)
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	Interpol (subbureau), SPC, UPU
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)	Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court
Labor force	480,000 (1999)	44,470 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers (2000)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 82% industry and services: 18% (2000 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
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: 13.04% permanent crops: 4.35% other: 82.61% (2005)
Languages	Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages	Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census)
Legal system	based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation
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	bicameral Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 2, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 7, Republican Party 7, Democratic Party 2, independent 2 note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party - Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO)
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 47.18 years male: 45.37 years female: 49.04 years (2007 est.)	total population: 76.09 years male: 73.5 years female: 78.83 years (2006 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: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal	Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Map references	Africa	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches	People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary force	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	3.1% (2005 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 24 September (1973)	Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
Nationality	noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean	noun: NA (US citizens) adjective: NA
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires	active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)
Natural resources	fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum	arable land, fish
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	8.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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	Covenant Party [Benigno R. FITIAL]; Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Juan S. REYES]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	1,472,780 (July 2007 est.)	82,459 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.052% (2007 est.)	2.54% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2001)	AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 1 (2006)
Religions	indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%	Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)
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: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.7 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 0.77 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal; 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; fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 7 per 100 in 2005 international: country code - 245	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	10,200 (2005)	21,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	95,000 (2005)	20,500 (2004)
Television broadcast stations	NA (2005)	1 (Low Power TV on Saipan; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (2006)
Terrain	mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east	southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic
Total fertility rate	4.79 children born/woman (2007 est.)	1.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	3.9% NA%
Waterways	rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2007)	-

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