Compare Marshall Islands (2008) - Sao Tome and Principe (2006)

Compare Marshall Islands (2008) z Sao Tome and Principe (2006)

	Marshall Islands (2008)	Sao Tome and Principe (2006)

Administrative divisions	33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo, Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik, Wotho, Wotje	2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995
Age structure	0-14 years: 38.3% (male 12,061/female 11,622) 15-64 years: 58.9% (male 18,634/female 17,775) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 832/female 891) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 47.5% (male 46,478/female 45,302) 15-64 years: 48.8% (male 45,631/female 48,661) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 3,368/female 3,973) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens	cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish
Airports	15 (2007)	2 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2007)	-
Area	total: 181.3 sq km land: 181.3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: the archipelago includes 11,673 sq km of lagoon waters and includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik	total: 1,001 sq km land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about the size of Washington, DC	more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Background	After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.	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	32.37 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	40.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $42 million expenditures: $40 million (1999)	revenues: $26.39 million expenditures: $59.48 million; including capital expenditures of $54 million (2004 est.)
Capital	name: Majuro geographic coordinates: 7 06 N, 171 23 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Sao Tome geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt	tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Coastline	370.4 km	209 km
Constitution	1 May 1979	approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands local long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands local short form: Marshall Islands abbreviation: RMI former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Marshall Islands District	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
Death rate	4.66 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$86.5 million (FY99/00 est.)	$318 million (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Clyde BISHOP embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379 telephone: [692] 247-4011 FAX: [692] 247-4012	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 Banny DE BRUM chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236 consulate(s) general: Honolulu	chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580 FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348 consulate(s): Atlanta
Disputes - international	claims US territory of Wake Island	none
Economic aid - recipient	$56.56 million more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002 (2005)	$200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program
Economy - overview	US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are coconuts and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. Under the terms of the Amended Compact of Free Association, the US will provide millions of dollars per year to the Marshall Islands (RMI) through 2023, at which time a Trust Fund made up of US and RMI contributions will begin perpetual annual payouts. Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, the decline in tourism, and less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.	This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement, but strengthening prices helped boost export earnings in 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily 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, and is expected to benefit from an additional round of HIPC debt relief in early 2006, to help bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In August 2005, Sao Tome signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program worth $4.3 million. 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 about the development of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao Tome's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Real GDP growth reached 6% in 2004, and also probably in 2005, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment.
Electricity - consumption	-	13.95 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	-	15 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels	deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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	Micronesian	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	the US dollar is used	dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2005), (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Litokwa TOMEING (since 7 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Litokwa TOMEING (since 7 January 2008) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of the legislature elections: president elected by Parliament from among its members for a four-year term; election last held 7 January 2008 (next to be held in 2012) election results: Litokwa TOMEING elected president; TOMEING received 18 votes to 15 for incumbent NOTE	chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since 21 April 2006) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5%
Exports	$9.1 million f.o.b. (2000)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish	cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil
Exports - partners	US, Japan, Australia, China (2006)	Netherlands 61.1%, Belgium 9.2%, Turkey 5.5%, South Korea 4% (2005)
Fiscal year	1 October - 30 September	calendar year
Flag description	blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes	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 - composition by sector	agriculture: 31.7% industry: 14.9% services: 53.4% (2004 est.)	agriculture: 16.7% industry: 14.8% services: 68.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3.5% (2005 est.)	6% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 00 N, 168 00 E	1 00 N, 7 00 E
Geography - note	the Marshal Islands Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is used as a US missile test range; island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific	the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	$54.7 million f.o.b. (2000)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco	machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products
Imports - partners	US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2006)	UK 94.2%, Portugal 2.7%, US 1% (2005)
Independence	21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)	12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from seashells, wood, and pearls	light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber
Infant mortality rate	total: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 30.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 41.83 deaths/1,000 live births male: 43.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 39.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2005 est.)	15.2% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, ADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land	0 sq km	100 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; High Court; Traditional Rights Court	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)
Labor force	14,680 (2000)	35,050
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 21.4% industry: 20.9% services: 57.7% (2000)	note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 11.11% permanent crops: 44.44% other: 44.45% (2005)	arable land: 8.33% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005)
Languages	Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language	Portuguese (official)
Legal system	based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws	based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral legislature or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held by November 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 33 note: the Council of Chiefs or Ironij is a 12-member body comprised of tribal chiefs that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice	unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, other 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 70.61 years male: 68.61 years female: 72.71 years (2007 est.)	total population: 67.31 years male: 65.73 years female: 68.95 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.)
Location	Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia	Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon
Map references	Oceania	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 902 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,260,440 GRT/55,644,008 DWT by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 215, cargo 61, carrier 1, chemical tanker 165, combination ore/oil 6, container 171, liquefied gas 28, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 228, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 10, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 857 (Australia 1, Belgium 1, Bermuda 5, Canada 4, Chile 4, China 3, Croatia 4, Cyprus 39, Denmark 9, Finland 2, Germany 214, Greece 226, Hong Kong 4, Italy 3, Japan 5, South Korea 3, Latvia 10, Malaysia 3, Monaco 7, Netherlands 5, Norway 62, Romania 1, Russia 4, Saudi Arabia 4, Singapore 12, Slovenia 3, Spain 3, Sweden 1, Switzerland 14, Turkey 41, UAE 14, UK 17, US 129) (2007)	total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,527 GRT/29,823 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 7 foreign-owned: 3 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1) (2006)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the US	Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay and conditions have been a problem in the past, as has alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance as initial steps towards the improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)
Military branches	no regular military forces; under the 1983 Compact of Free Association, the US has full authority and responsibility for security and defense of the Marshall Islands; Marshall Islands Police (2006)	Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$581,729 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	0.8% (2005 est.)
National holiday	Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)	Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Nationality	noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese	noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean
Natural hazards	infrequent typhoons	NA
Natural resources	coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals	fish, hydropower
Net migration rate	-5.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders	traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Aelon Kein Ad Party [Michael KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]	Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; 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; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	61,815 (July 2007 est.)	193,413 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	54% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	2.207% (2007 est.)	3.15% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (additionally, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Services (Central Pacific Network) operate one FM and one AM station on Kwajalein) (2005)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
Religions	Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)	Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.038 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.934 male(s)/female total population: 1.041 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: digital switching equipment; modern services include telex, cellular, internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) and mini-satellite telephones international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein (2001)	general assessment: adequate facilities domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	4,500 (2004)	7,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular	600 (2004)	12,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	2 (both are US military stations; Marshalls Broadcasting Service, a cable company, operates on Majuro) (2005)	2 (2002)
Terrain	low coral limestone and sand islands	volcanic, mountainous
Total fertility rate	3.76 children born/woman (2007 est.)	5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	30.9% (2000 est.)	NA%

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