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Compare Netherlands Antilles (2005) - Guinea-Bissau (2004)

Compare Netherlands Antilles (2005) z Guinea-Bissau (2004)

 Netherlands Antilles (2005)Guinea-Bissau (2004)
 Netherlands AntillesGuinea-Bissau
Administrative divisions none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)


note: each island has its own government
9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos
Age structure 0-14 years: 24.2% (male 27,302/female 26,002)


15-64 years: 67.3% (male 70,838/female 77,148)


65 years and over: 8.5% (male 7,673/female 10,995) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 288,760; female 289,975)


15-64 years: 55.4% (male 367,728; female 400,996)


65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,570; female 23,334) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Airports 5 (2004 est.) 28 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 5


over 3,047 m: 1


2038 to 3047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
Area total: 960 sq km


land: 960 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
total: 36,120 sq km


land: 28,000 sq km


water: 8,120 sq km
Area - comparative more than five times the size of Washington, DC slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Background Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe (France). Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable upheaval. The founding government consisted of a single party system and command economy. In 1980, a military coup established Joao VIEIRA as president and a path to a market economy and multiparty system was implemented. A number of coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him and in 1994 he was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military coup attempt and civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIERA's ouster in 1999. In February 2000, an interim government turned over power when opposition leader Kumba YALA took office following two rounds of transparent presidential elections. YALA was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003, and Henrique ROSA was sworn in as President. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy will be complicated by its crippled economy, devastated in the civil war.
Birth rate 15 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 38.03 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $710.8 million


expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997 est.)
revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Capital Willemstad; note - located on Curacao, the largest of the islands Bissau
Climate tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Coastline 364 km 350 km
Constitution 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles


local long form: none


local short form: Nederlandse Antillen


former: Curacao and Dependencies
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau


conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau


local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau


local short form: Guine-Bissau


former: Portuguese Guinea
Currency - Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States; previously the Guinea-Bissau peso (GWP) was used
Death rate 6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 16.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $1.35 billion (1996) $941.5 million (2000 est.)
Dependency status an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs -
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON


consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao


mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao


telephone: [599] (9) 4613066


FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; US embassy Dakar is responsible for covering Guinea-Bissau: telephone - [221] 823-4296; FAX - [221] 822-5903
Diplomatic representation in the US none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique Adriano DA SILVA


chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 519, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 347-3950


FAX: [1] (202) 347-3954
Disputes - international none attempts to stem refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and political instability from a separatist movement in Senegal's Casamance region
Economic aid - recipient IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2000) $115.4 million (1995)
Economy - overview Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past eight years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population. One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. However, unexploited offshore oil reserves could provide much-needed revenue in the long run. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base. Government drift and indecision, however, have resulted in low growth in 2002-03 and dim prospects for 2004.
Electricity - consumption 934.3 million kWh (2002) 51.15 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 1.005 billion kWh (2002) 55 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m
Environment - current issues NA deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
Exchange rates Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)


note: as of 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted the XOF franc as the national currency; since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Executive branch chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Etienne YS (since 3 June 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature)


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006)


note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, PLKP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia
chief of state: President Henrique ROSA (interim; since 28 September 2003); note - a September 2003 coup overthrew the elected government of Kumba YALA; General Verissimo Correia SEABRA served as interim president from 14 to 28 September 2003


head of government: Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 9 May 2004)


cabinet: NA


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 28 November 1999 and 16 January 2000 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature


election results: Kumba YALA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Kumba YALA (PRS) 72%, Malan Bacai SANHA (PAIGC) 28%


note: a bloodless coup led to the dissolution of the elected government of Kumba YALA in September 2003; General Verissimo Correia SEABRA served as interim president from 14 September 2003 until stepping aside on 28 September 2003 with the establishment of a caretaker government
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities petroleum products cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber
Exports - partners US 20.4%, Panama 11.2%, Guatemala 8.8%, Haiti 7.1%, Bahamas, The 5.6%, Honduras 4.2% (2004) India 76.8%, Nigeria 12.1%, Italy 5.1% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.063 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 62%


industry: 12%


services: 26% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 0.5% (2003 est.) -7% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 15 N, 68 45 W 12 00 N, 15 00 W
Geography - note the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao) this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland
Highways total: 600 km


paved: 300 km


unpaved: 300 km
total: 4,400 km


paved: 453 km


unpaved: 3,947 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 0.5%


highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center -
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities crude petroleum, food, manufactures foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products
Imports - partners Venezuela 51.1%, US 21.9%, Netherlands 5% (2004) Senegal 18.1%, India 14.6%, Portugal 14.6%, China 9.7%, Italy 9%, Spain 4.9% (2003)
Independence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 2.6% (1997 est.)
Industries tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Infant mortality rate total: 10.03 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 9.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 108.72 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 119.37 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 97.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.1% (2003 est.) 4% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate) ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land NA sq km 170 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices who are appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)
Labor force 89,000 (2000) 480,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.) agriculture 82% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries total: 10.2 km


border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 10.2 km
total: 724 km


border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Land use arable land: 10%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 90% (2001)
arable land: 10.67%


permanent crops: 8.82%


other: 80.51% (2001)
Languages Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Legal system based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence NA
Legislative branch unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held in 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP St. M 2, UP Bonaire 2, WIPM 1, DP


note: the government of Prime Minister Etienne YS is a coalition of several parties; current government formed after collapse of FOL led government on 4 April 2004
unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve a maximum of four years); note - President YALA dissolved the National People's Assembly in November 2002, elections for a new legislature were scheduled to fall in February 2003 but were then postponed to April, then July, then September, and were last scheduled to occur in March 2004


elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%, PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2% ; seats by party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.83 years


male: 73.58 years


female: 78.2 years (2005 est.)
total population: 46.98 years


male: 45.09 years


female: 48.92 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96.7%


male: 96.7%


female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 42.4%


male: 58.1%


female: 27.4% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 168 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,317,007 GRT/1,668,499 DWT


by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 23, cargo 72, chemical tanker 2, container 21, liquefied gas 6, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 2


foreign-owned: 158 (Belgium 5, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Germany 57, Hong Kong 3, Netherlands 71, Peru 1, Sweden 9, Turkey 7, United Kingdom 2, United States 1) (2005)
none
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands -
Military branches National Guard, Police Force People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $8.4 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.8% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 326,864 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 185,801 (2004 est.)
National holiday Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Nationality noun: Dutch Antillean(s)


adjective: Dutch Antillean
noun: Guinean(s)


adjective: Guinean
Natural hazards Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Natural resources phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Net migration rate -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Etienne YS]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National Alliance [William MARLIN]; National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UP Bonaire [Ramonsito BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard HODI]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK, Editha WRIGHT]


note: political parties are indigenous to each island
African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Francois MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Ba Fata Movement or RGB-MB [Helder Vaz LOPES]; Guinean Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; International League for Ecological Protection or LIPE [Alhaje Bubacar DJALO, president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Abubacer BALDE, secretary general]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Platform or UP [coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Francisco Jose FADUL]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 219,958 (July 2005 est.) 1,388,363 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA
Population growth rate 0.82% (2005 est.) 1.99% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Bopec Terminal, Fuik Bay, Kralendijk, Willemstad Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census) indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: generally adequate facilities


domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links


international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: small system


domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications


international: country code - 245
Telephones - main lines in use 81,000 (2001) 10,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 81,000 (2001) 1,300 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (2004) NA (1997)
Terrain generally hilly, volcanic interiors mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Total fertility rate 2 children born/woman (2005 est.) 5 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 15.6% (2002 est.) NA (1998)
Waterways - 4 largest rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2004)
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