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Compare India (2003) - Sao Tome and Principe (2003)

Compare India (2003) z Sao Tome and Principe (2003)

 India (2003)Sao Tome and Principe (2003)
 IndiaSao Tome and Principe
Administrative divisions 28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome


note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995
Age structure 0-14 years: 32.2% (male 173,973,350; female 163,979,116)


15-64 years: 63% (male 342,620,712; female 319,259,867)


65 years and over: 4.8% (male 25,281,756; female 24,585,317) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 47.7% (male 42,480; female 41,411)


15-64 years: 48.3% (male 41,043; female 43,986)


65 years and over: 4% (male 3,197; female 3,766) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish
Airports 334 (2002) 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 232


over 3,047 m: 14


2,438 to 3,047 m: 47


1,524 to 2,437 m: 78


914 to 1,523 m: 73


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 102


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 42


under 914 m: 48 (2002)
-
Area total: 3,287,590 sq km


land: 2,973,190 sq km


water: 314,400 sq km
total: 1,001 sq km


land: 1,001 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than one-third the size of the US more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Background The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, goes back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in 12th were followed by European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU led to independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output. Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. Although independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. Though the first free elections were held in 1991, the political environment has been one of continued instability with frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea is likely to have a significant impact on the country's economy.
Birth rate 23.28 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 41.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $48.3 billion


expenditures: $78.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $14 (FY01/02 est.)
revenues: $58 million


expenditures: $114 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (1993 est.)
Capital New Delhi Sao Tome
Climate varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Coastline 7,000 km 209 km
Constitution 26 January 1950 approved March 1990; effective 10 September 1990
Country name conventional long form: Republic of India


conventional short form: India
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe


conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe


local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe


local short form: Sao Tome e Principe
Currency Indian rupee (INR) dobra (STD)
Death rate 8.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $100.6 billion (2001 est.) $253.8 million (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Robert D. BLACKWILL


embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [91] (11) 419-8000


FAX: [91] (11) 419-0017


consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)
the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Lalit MANSINGH


chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000


FAX: [1] (202) 483-3972


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
Sao Tome and Principe does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA, located at 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022, telephone [1] (212) 317-0580
Disputes - international much of the rugged, militarized boundary with China is in dispute, but the two sides have participated in more than 13 rounds of joint working group sessions on this issue; India objects to Pakistan ceding lands to China in 1965 boundary agreement that India believes are part of disputed Kashmir; with Pakistan, armed stand-off over the status and sovereignty of Kashmir continues; disputes with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing and the terminus of the Rann of Kutch, which prevents maritime boundary delimitation; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to work on resolution of disputed boundary sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty Island in the Bay of Bengal prevents maritime boundary delimitation none
Economic aid - recipient $2.9 billion (FY 98/99) $200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program
Economy - overview India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. Overpopulation severely handicaps the economy and about a quarter of the population is too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet. Government controls have been reduced on imports and foreign investment, and privatization of domestic output has proceeded slowly. The economy has posted an excellent average growth rate of 6% since 1990, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India has large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language; India is a major exporter of software services and software workers; the information technology sector leads the strong growth pattern. The World Bank and others worry about the continuing public-sector budget deficit, running at approximately 10% of GDP in 1997-2002. In 2003 the state-owned Indian Bank substantially reduced non-performing loans, attracted new customers, and turned a profit. Deep-rooted problems remain, notably conflicts among political and cultural groups. This small poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence 28 years ago. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement, but strengthening prices brighten prospects for 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has been unable to service its external debt and has had to depend on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. Sao Tome's success in implementing structural reforms has been rewarded by international donors, who pledged increased assistance in 2001. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic that substantial petroleum discoveries are forthcoming in its territorial waters in the oil-rich waters of the Gulf of Guinea; production could begin as early as 2004.
Electricity - consumption 497.2 billion kWh (2001) 15.81 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 321 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 1.54 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 533.3 billion kWh (2001) 17 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 81.7%


hydro: 14.5%


nuclear: 3.4%


other: 0.3% (2001)
fossil fuel: 41.2%


hydro: 58.8%


nuclear: 0%


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


highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000) mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
Exchange rates Indian rupees per US dollar - 48.61 (2002), 47.19 (2001), 44.94 (2000), 43.06 (1999), 41.26 (1998) dobras per US dollar - NA (2002), 8,842.11 (2001), 7,978.17 (2000), 7,118.96 (1999), 6,883.24 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Abdul KALAM (since 26 July 2002); Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 12 August 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Atal Bihari VAJPAYEE (since 19 March 1998)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term; election last held NA July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 12 August 2002 (next to be held NA August 2007); prime minister elected by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held NA October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)


election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%; Atal Bihari VAJPAYEE elected prime minister; percent of vote - NA%
chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)


head of government: Prime Minister Maria das NEVES (since 7 October 2002)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held NA July 2006); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president


election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA%
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil
Exports - partners US 22.5%, UK 5.1%, UAE 5.1%, Hong Kong 4.5%, Germany 4.3%, China 4.1% (2002) Netherlands 30.1%, Poland 11.8%, Canada 9.7%, Germany 7.5%, Philippines 7.5%, Spain 7.5%, Belgium 6.5%, France 4.3%, Portugal 4.3% (2002)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP purchasing power parity - $2.664 trillion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $200 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 25%


industry: 25%


services: 50% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 25%


industry: 10%


services: 65% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.3% (2002 est.) 4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 20 00 N, 77 00 E 1 00 N, 7 00 E
Geography - note dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous
Heliports 19 (2002) -
Highways total: 3,319,644 km


paved: 1,517,077 km


unpaved: 1,802,567 km (1999 est.)
total: 320 km


paved: 218 km


unpaved: 102 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.5%


highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system -
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products
Imports - partners US 7.1%, Belgium 6.7%, China 4.6%, Singapore 4.6%, UK 4.6% (2002) Portugal 51.4%, Germany 10.1%, UK 7.6%, Belgium 6.3% (2002)
Independence 15 August 1947 (from UK) 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate 6% (2002 est.) NA%
Industries textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber
Infant mortality rate total: 59.59 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 60.23 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 58.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 46.04 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 48.07 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 43.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.4% (2002 est.) 9% (2002 est.)
International organization participation AfDB, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 43 (2000) 1 (2002)
Irrigated land 590,000 sq km (1998 est.) 100 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65) Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)
Labor force 406 million (1999) NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 60%, services 23%, industry 17% (1999) population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing


note: shortages of skilled workers
Land boundaries total: 14,103 km


border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 54.35%


permanent crops: 2.66%


other: 42.99% (1998 est.)
arable land: 2%


permanent crops: 41%


other: 57% (1998 est.)
Languages English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language Portuguese (official)
Legal system based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)


elections: People's Assembly - last held 5 September through 3 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)


election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP alliance 40.8%, Congress (I) alliance 33.8%, other 25.4%; seats by party - BJP alliance 304, Congress (I) alliance 134, other 107
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 3 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for Change Democratic Movement 39.4%, Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats by party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change Democratic Movement 23, Ue-Kedadji coalition 8
Life expectancy at birth total population: 63.62 years


male: 62.92 years


female: 64.37 years (2003 est.)
total population: 66.28 years


male: 64.79 years


female: 67.82 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 59.5%


male: 70.2%


female: 48.3% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79.3%


male: 85%


female: 62% (1991 est.)
Location Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon
Map references Asia Africa
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 305 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,753,279 GRT/9,621,911 DWT


ships by type: bulk 100, cargo 82, chemical tanker 15, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 2, container 10, liquefied gas 10, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 75, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: China 1, UAE 10, UK 1 (2002 est.)
total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 78,595 GRT/99,873 DWT


ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 15, chemical tanker 1, livestock carrier 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 1, Kenya 1, Portugal 1, Syria 1, Turkey 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, Strategic Nuclear Command (SNC), Coast Guard, various security or paramilitary forces (including Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Ladakh Scouts, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, Defense Security Corps, and Indian Reserve Battalions) Army, Navy, Security Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure $11.52 billion (FY02) $400,000 (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.3% (FY02) 0.8% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 288,251,975 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 36,905 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 169 million (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 19,443 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 17 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 11,035,174 (2003 est.) -
National holiday Republic Day, 26 January (1950) Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Nationality noun: Indian(s)


adjective: Indian
noun: Sao Tomean(s)


adjective: Sao Tomean
Natural hazards droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes NA
Natural resources coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land fish, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -2.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 5,798 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,195 km; oil 5,613 km; refined products 5,567 km (2003) -
Political parties and leaders All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [D. BISWAS (general secretary)]; Asom Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Jana KRISNAMURTHY]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML [Dipankar BHATTACHARYA]; Congress (I) Party [Sonia GANDHI]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu) [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National League [Suliaman SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D. Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United) or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K. M. MANI]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M. BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP [Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal [G. S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena [Bal THACKERAY]; Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]; Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE] Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement [leader NA]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition [leader NA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference NA
Population 1,049,700,118 (July 2003 est.) 175,883 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 25% (2002 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.47% (2003 est.) 3.18% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Chennai (Madras), Cochin, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Vishakhapatnam Santo Antonio, Sao Tome
Radio broadcast stations AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
Railways total: 63,518 km (15,009 km electrified)


broad gauge: 45,142 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 15,013 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,363 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2002)
0 km
Religions Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000) Christian 80% (Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female


total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: mediocre service; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major objective is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance network to keep pace with rapidly growing number of local subscriber lines; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but, with telephone density at about two for each 100 persons and a waiting list of over 2 million, demand for main line telephone service will not be satisfied for a very long time


domestic: local service is provided by microwave radio relay and coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been introduced for local and long-distance service; long-distance traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity microwave radio relay; since 1985 significant trunk capacity has been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite system with 254 earth stations; mobile cellular service is provided in four metropolitan cities


international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to Penang; Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah, UAE; India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay); Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay) (2000)
general assessment: adequate facilities


domestic: minimal system


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 27.7 million (October 2000) 4,600 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.93 million (November 2000) 6,942 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997) 2 (2002)
Terrain upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north volcanic, mountainous
Total fertility rate 2.91 children born/woman (2003 est.) 5.88 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 8.8% (2002) NA%
Waterways 16,180 km


note: 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
none
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