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Compare Maldives (2002) - Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001)

Compare Maldives (2002) z Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001)

 Maldives (2002)Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001)
 MaldivesCongo, Democratic Republic of the
Administrative divisions 19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and 1 other first-order administrative division*; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale*, Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and one city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu
Age structure 0-14 years: 45.3% (male 74,493; female 70,394)


15-64 years: 51.7% (male 84,548; female 81,092)


65 years and over: 3% (male 4,944; female 4,694) (2002 est.)
0-14 years:
48.24% (male 12,988,488; female 12,878,232)

15-64 years:
49.21% (male 12,931,886; female 13,459,109)

65 years and over:
2.55% (male 575,113; female 791,890) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Airports 5 (2001) 232 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total:
24

over 3,047 m:
4

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)
total:
208

1,524 to 2,437 m:
20

914 to 1,523 m:
96

under 914 m:
92 (2000 est.)
Area total: 300 sq km


land: 300 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
2,345,410 sq km

land:
2,267,600 sq km

water:
77,810 sq km
Area - comparative about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Background The Maldives were long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. They became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago. Since 1994 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of former president MOBUTU Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state. The new president quickly began overtures to end the war.
Birth rate 37.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 46.02 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $166 million (excluding foreign grants)


expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million
revenues:
$269 million

expenditures:
$244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
Capital Male Kinshasa
Climate tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October
Coastline 644 km 37 km
Constitution adopted January 1998 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it has not been ratified by a national referendum
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Maldives


conventional short form: Maldives


local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa


local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
conventional long form:
Democratic Republic of the Congo

conventional short form:
none

local long form:
Republique Democratique du Congo

local short form:
none

former:
Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire

abbreviation:
DROC
Currency rufiyaa (MVR) Congolese franc (CDF)
Death rate 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 15.15 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $237 million (2000 est.) $13 billion (1998 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there chief of mission:
Ambassador William Lacy SWING

embassy:
310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa

mailing address:
Unit 31550, APO AE 09828

telephone:
[243] (12) 21804, 21807

FAX:
[243] (88) 43805
Diplomatic representation in the US Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York; permanent representative is Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF chief of mission:
Ambassador Faida MITIFU

chancery:
1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 234-7690, 7691

FAX:
[1] (202) 234-2609
Disputes - international none the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state; most of the Congo river boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)
Economic aid - recipient $NA $195.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 20% 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. Almost 400,000 tourists visited the islands in 1998. Fishing is a second leading sector. 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. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a minor 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 18% of GDP. 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. The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The new government instituted a tight fiscal policy that initially curbed inflation and currency depreciation, but these small gains were quickly reversed when the foreign-backed rebellion in the eastern part of the country began in August 1998. The war has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and has increased external debt. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict and because of increased government harassment and restrictions. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan but associated reforms are on hold.
Electricity - consumption 102.3 million kWh (2000) 4.55 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 404 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 55 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 110 million kWh (2000) 5.268 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel:
2.05%

hydro:
97.95%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Environment - current issues depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees who arrived in mid-1994 were responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching in the eastern part of the country (most of those refugees were repatriated in November and December 1996)
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Exchange rates rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) Congolese francs per US dollar - 50 (January 2001), 4.5 (January 2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997), 0.50 (1996)

note:
on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire
Executive branch 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); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president; note - need not be members of Majlis


elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then that 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 16 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003)


election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.9%
chief of state:
Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:
Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
National Executive Council, appointed by the president

elections:
before Laurent Desire KABILA seized power, the president was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, the prime minister was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - elections were not held in 1991 as called for by the constitution

election results:
results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition

note:
Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga was president from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 16 May 1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Desire KABILA, who immediately assumed governing authority; KABILA pledged to hold elections by April 1999, but in December 1998 announced that elections would be postponed until all foreign military forces attempting to topple the government had withdrawn from the country; KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph KABILA
Exports $88 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) $960 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities fish, clothing diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
Exports - partners US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description 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 light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed stars along the hoist side
GDP purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 20%


industry: 18%


services: 62% (2000 est.)
agriculture:
58%

industry:
17%

services:
25% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,870 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7% (2001 est.) -15% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 3 15 N, 73 00 E 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note 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 straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
Highways total: NA km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city (1988 est.)
total:
157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996)

paved:
NA km

unpaved:
NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs - illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
Imports $372 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) $660 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999)
Independence 26 July 1965 (from UK) 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
Industrial production growth rate 4.4% (1996 est.) NA%
Industries fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement
Infant mortality rate 61.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 99.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2000 est.) 540% (2000 est.)
International organization participation AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 2 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 100 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch High Court Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 67,000 (1995) (1995) 14.51 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) (1995) agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total:
10,744 km

border countries:
Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 473 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Land use arable land: 3.33%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 90% (1998 est.)
arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
7%

forests and woodland:
77%

other:
13% (1993 est.)
Languages Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Legal system based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 20 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2004)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 42
a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000

elections:
NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President KABILA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 62.93 years


male: 61.72 years


female: 64.2 years (2002 est.)
total population:
48.94 years

male:
46.96 years

female:
50.98 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93.2%


male: 93.3%


female: 93% (1995 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba

total population:
77.3%

male:
86.6%

female:
67.7% (1995 est.)
Location Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Map references Asia Africa
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone:
boundaries with neighbors

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,532 GRT/71,298 DWT


ships by type: cargo 13, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)
none (2000 est.)
Military branches National Security Service Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Presidential Security Group
Military expenditures - dollar figure $34.5 million (FY01) $250 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 8.6% (FY01) 4.6% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 74,893 (2002 est.) males age 15-49:
11,615,554 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 41,672 (2002 est.) males age 15-49:
5,915,251 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 26 July (1965) Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
Nationality noun: Maldivian(s)


adjective: Maldivian
noun:
Congolese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity
Natural resources fish cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

note:
one million refugees fled into Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DROC) in 1994 to escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis; fighting in the DROC between rebels and government forces in October 1996 caused 875,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early 1997; an additional 173,000 Rwandan refugees disappeared in early 1997 and are assumed to have been killed by Zairian forces; fighting between the Congolese government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese displaced in DROC and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries
Pipelines - petroleum products 390 km
Political parties and leaders although political parties are not banned, none exist Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [leader NA]; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI [Kouyoumba MUCHULI Mulembe]
Political pressure groups and leaders none NA
Population 320,165 (July 2002 est.) 53,624,718

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 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.95% (2002 est.) 3.1% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Gan, Male Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 3, FM 12, shortwave 1 (1999)
Radios 35,000 (1999) 18.03 million (1997)
Railways 0 km total:
5,138 km (1995)

note:
severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by civil strife

narrow gauge:
3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2000)
Religions Sunni Muslim Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: minimal domestic and international facilities


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


international: satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment:
NA

domestic:
barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 21,000 (1999) 21,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,290 (1997) 8,900 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 20 (1999)
Terrain flat, with white sandy beaches vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Total fertility rate 5.38 children born/woman (2002 est.) 6.84 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NEGL% NA%
Waterways none 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)
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