Compare Guyana (2003) - Benin (2002)

Compare Guyana (2003) z Benin (2002)

	Guyana (2003)	Benin (2002)

Administrative divisions	10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo	12 provinces; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Age structure	0-14 years: 27% (male 96,775; female 93,077) 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 240,305; female 236,378) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 15,755; female 19,810) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 47.2% (male 1,616,138; female 1,585,463) 15-64 years: 50.5% (male 1,665,439; female 1,764,966) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 65,877; female 89,742) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish (shrimp)	cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)
Airports	51 (2002)	5 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2002)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 34 (2002)	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Area	total: 214,970 sq km land: 196,850 sq km water: 18,120 sq km	total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Idaho	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background	Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early 1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president, in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. Upon his death five years later, he was succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.	Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991.
Birth rate	17.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $227 million expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000)	revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Capital	Georgetown	Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government
Climate	tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)	tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline	459 km	121 km
Constitution	6 October 1980	December 1990
Country name	conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana	conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey
Currency	Guyanese dollar (GYD)	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Death rate	9.27 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$1.2 billion (2002)	$1.18 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497	chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela E. BRIDGEWATER 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 Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 consulate(s) general: New York	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	all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute	Benin and Niger have refered to the ICJ the dispute over l'Ete and 14 smaller disputed islands in the Niger River, which has never been delimited; with Nigeria, several villages are in dispute along the Okpara River and only 35 km of the 436 km boundary are demarcated; the Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint remains undemarcated; Benin accuses Togo of moving boundary markers and stationing troops in its territory; two villages are in dispute with Burkina Faso
Economic aid - recipient	$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)	$342.6 million (2000)
Economy - overview	The Guyanese economy has exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near term by restructuring and partial privatization.	The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output averaged a stable 5% in the past five years, but rapid population rise 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. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation.
Electricity - consumption	792.4 million kWh (2001)	523.2 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	300 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	852 million kWh (2001)	240 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 99.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 17% hydro: 83% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
Environment - current issues	water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation	inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%	African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Exchange rates	Guyanese dollars per US dollar - NA (2002), 187.32 (2001), 182.43 (2000), 178 (1999), 150.52 (1998)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro
Executive branch	chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President JAGAN head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December 1997) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%	chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9% note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president) 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match"
Exports	NA (2001)	$35.3 million f.o.b. (2000)
Exports - commodities	sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber	cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Exports - partners	Canada 21.1%, US 17.9%, Netherlands Antilles 12.9%, UK 10.4%, Jamaica 5.3%, Portugal 4.2% (2002)	Brazil, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire (2001)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green	two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
GDP	purchasing power parity - $2.628 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $6.8 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 35% industry: 21% services: 44% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 36% industry: 14% services: 50% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	1.1% (2002 est.)	5.4% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	5 00 N, 59 00 W	9 30 N, 2 15 E
Geography - note	the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively	sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Highways	total: 7,970 km paved: 590 km unpaved: 7,380 km (1999 est.)	total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis	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	NA (2001)	$437.6 million c.i.f. (2000)
Imports - commodities	manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food	foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners	US 23.7%, Netherlands Antilles 20.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.2%, Italy 6.3%, UK 5.1%, Cuba 4.2% (2002)	France, US, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Netherlands, Japan (2001)
Independence	26 May 1966 (from UK)	1 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	7.1% (1997 est.)	8.3% (2001 est.)
Industries	bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining	textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)
Infant mortality rate	total: 37.55 deaths/1,000 live births male: 41.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 33.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	4.7% (2002 est.)	3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO	ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	3 (2000)	4 (2002)
Irrigated land	1,500 sq km (1998 est.)	120 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court	Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Labor force	418,000 (2001 est.)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%	-
Land boundaries	total: 2,462 km border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km	total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use	arable land: 2.44% permanent crops: 0.08% other: 97.48% (1998 est.)	arable land: 15.28% permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.)
Languages	English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Legal system	based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1	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 1999 (next to be held 30 March 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, Alliance E'toile 4, IPD 4, other 12
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 63.09 years male: 60.51 years female: 65.79 years (2003 est.)	total population: 49.69 years male: 48.81 years female: 50.61 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98.8% male: 99.1% female: 98.5% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37.5% male: 52.2% female: 23.6% (2000)
Location	Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo
Map references	South America	Africa
Maritime claims	continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	territorial sea: 200 NM
Merchant marine	total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT ships by type: cargo 2 (2002 est.)	none (2002 est.)
Military branches	Guyana Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia, Guyana National Service	Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA	$27 million (FY96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA%	1.2% (FY96)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 207,890 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 1,509,760 females age 15-49: 1,536,036 note: both sexes are liable for military service (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 156,174 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 771,373 females age 15-49: 778,730 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 71,278 females: 70,088 (2002 est.)
National holiday	Republic Day, 23 February (1970)	National Day, 1 August (1960)
Nationality	noun: Guyanese (singular and plural) adjective: Guyanese	noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese
Natural hazards	flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons	hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources	bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Net migration rate	-4.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC/R [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]	African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Saka SALEY]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI [Severin ADJOVI]; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties; the Coalition of Democratic Forces, [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI], an alliance of parties and organizations supporting President KEREKOU
Political pressure groups and leaders	Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized	NA
Population	702,100 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.)	6,787,625 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 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	37% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	0.44% (2003 est.)	2.91% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika	Cotonou, Porto-Novo
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)
Radios	-	660,000 (2000)
Railways	total: 187 km standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)	total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)
Religions	Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%	indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable
Telephones - main lines in use	70,000 (2000)	51,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	6,100 (2000)	55,500 (2000)
Television broadcast stations	3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)	1 (2001)
Terrain	mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south	mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Total fertility rate	2.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)	6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	9.1% (understated) (2000)	NA%
Waterways	5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways) note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively	streams navigable along small sections, important only locally

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