Saint Barthelemy (2007) | Liberia (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 43.4% (male 742,508; female 730,677)
15-64 years: 52.9% (male 875,951; female 918,570) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 61,867; female 61,062) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber |
Airports | 1 | 53 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 |
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 38 (2004 est.) |
Area | 21 sq km | total: 111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km water: 15,050 sq km |
Area - comparative | less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than Tennessee |
Background | Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, St. Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who renamed the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France repurchased the island in 1878 and placed it under the administration of Guadeloupe. St. Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appelations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003, the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity. | In August 2003, a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of civil war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. The National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) - which is composed of rebel, government, and civil society groups - assumed control in October 2003. Chairman Gyude BRYANT, who was given a two-year mandate to oversee efforts to rebuild Liberia, heads the new government. The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country, completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004, but the security situation is still volatile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country remains sluggish. |
Birth rate | - | 44.81 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $85.4 million
expenditures: $90.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour, starts 20 March and ends 17 October |
Monrovia |
Climate | tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid) | tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers |
Coastline | - | 579 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | 6 January 1986 |
Country name | conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy local long form: Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy local short form: Saint-Barthelemy |
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia |
Currency | - | Liberian dollar (LRD) |
Death rate | - | 17.86 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $2.1 billion (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas collectivity of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador John William BLANEY III
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380 FAX: [231] 226-148 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas collectivity of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Aaron B. KOLLIE
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437 FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | - | domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have created insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms trafficking, and ethnic conflicts and refugees in border areas; the Cote d'Ivoire Government accuses Liberia of supporting Ivorian rebels |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $94 million (1999) |
Economy - overview | The economy of Saint Barthelemy is based upon high-end tourism and duty-free luxury commerce, serving visitors primarily from North America. The luxury hotels and villas host 70,000 visitors each year with another 130,000 arriving by boat. The relative isolation and high cost of living inhibits mass tourism. The construction and public sectors also enjoy significant investment in support of tourism. With limited fresh water resources, all food must be imported, as must all energy resources and most manufactured goods. Employment is strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal. | Civil war and misgovernment have destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some have returned, many will not. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. The departure of the former president, Charles TAYLOR, to Nigeria in August 2003, the establishment of the all-inclusive National Transition Government of Liberia (NTGL), and the arrival of a UN mission are all encouraging signs that the political crisis is coming to an end. The restoration of infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy depend on the implementation of sound macro- and micro-economic policies, including the encouragement of foreign investment, and generous support from donor countries. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 435.9 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | - | 468.8 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m |
Environment - current issues | with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and provided by desalinization of sea water, collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker | tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia) | indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves) |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) | Liberian dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 61.7542 (2002), 48.5833 (2001), 40.9525 (2000), 41.9025 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007 |
chief of state: Chairman Gyude BRYANT (since 14 October 2003); note - this is an interim position until presidential elections in 2005; the chairman is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Chairman Gyude BRYANT (since 14 October 2003); note - this is an interim position until presidential elections in 2005; the chairman is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; note - current cabinet positions are divided among groups participating in the Liberian peace process elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA October 2005) election results: Charles Ghankay TAYLOR elected president; percent of vote - Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (NPP) 75.3%, Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF (UP) 9.6%, Alhaji KROMAH (ALCOP) 4%, other 11.1%; note - Taylor stepped down in August 2003 note:: a UN-brokered cease-fire among warring factions and the Liberian government resulted in the August 2003 resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement, Chairman Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as head of the National Transitional Government on 14 October 2003 |
Exports | - | $1.079 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
Exports - commodities | - | rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee |
Exports - partners | - | Germany 43.3%, Poland 10.9%, Greece 9.1%, US 6%, France 5.5%, Thailand 4.9%, China 4.1% (2003) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $3.261 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 76.9%
industry: 5.4% services: 17.7% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 3% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 17 90 N, 62 85 W | 6 30 N, 9 30 W |
Geography - note | - | facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture |
Highways | - | total: 10,600 km
paved: 657 km unpaved: 9,943 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center |
Imports | - | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | - | fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | - | South Korea 39.2%, Japan 16.2%, Singapore 12.4%, Germany 9.9%, Spain 4.1% (2003) |
Independence | none (overseas collectivity of France) | 26 July 1847 |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA |
Industries | - | rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 130.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 137.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 123.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 15% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | UPU | ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
Irrigated land | - | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 3.95%
permanent crops: 2.28% other: 93.77% (2001) |
Languages | French (primary), English | English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector |
Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - SBA 72.2%, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 9.9%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 7.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 9.9%; seats by party - SBA 16, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 1, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 1, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1 |
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (26 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2006); House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA October 2005) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 21, UP 3, ALCOP 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 49, UP 7, ALCOP 3, Alliance of Political Parties 2, UPP 2, LPP 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 47.93 years
male: 46.9 years female: 48.99 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.5% male: 73.3% female: 41.6% note: (2003 est.) |
Location | located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 1,449 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 50,555,752 GRT/79,125,329 DWT
by type: bulk 278, cargo 67, chemical tanker 161, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 20, container 388, liquefied gas 77, multi-functional large load carrier 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 317, refrigerated cargo 62, roll on/roll off 14, short-sea/passenger 3, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 33 foreign-owned: Argentina 9, Australia 3, Austria 16, Belgium 8, Bermuda 1, Brazil 5, Chile 7, China 40, Croatia 11, Cyprus 4, Denmark 4, Estonia 1, France 3, Germany 510, Greece 142, Hong Kong 56, Iceland 1, India 3, Indonesia 1, Israel 4, Italy 8, Japan 81, South Korea 7, Latvia 22, Isle of Man 5, Mexico 1, Monaco 59, Netherlands 11, Nigeria 2, Norway 54, Panama 1, Poland 2, Portugal 6, Russia 68, Saudi Arabia 23, Singapore 43, Slovenia 1, Spain 1, Sri Lanka 1, Sweden 9, Switzerland 7, Taiwan 36, Turkey 3, Ukraine 3, United Kingdom 36, United States 95, Uruguay 3 registered in other countries: 35 (2004 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
Military branches | - | Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $10 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.3% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 752,943 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 406,293 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August | Independence Day, 26 July (1847) |
Nationality | - | noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian |
Natural hazards | - | dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) |
Natural resources | has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important | iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: at least 200,000 Liberian refugees are in surrounding countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their ability to return (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Action-Equilibre-Transparence [Maxime DESOUCHES]; Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy [Benoit CHAUVIN]; Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS]; Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy [Karine MIOT-RICHARD] | Alliance of Political Parties (a coalition of LAP and LUP) [leader NA]; All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP [Peter KERBAY]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [C. Gyude BRYANT]; Liberian People's Party or LPP [Koffa NAGBE]; Liberia Unification Party or LUP [leader NA]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN] - governing party; United People's Party or UPP [Wesley JOHNSON]; Unity Party or UP [Charles CLARKE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | 6,852 (1999 March census) | 3,390,635 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 80% |
Population growth rate | - | 2.7% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia, Robertsport |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 0, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2001) |
Railways | - | total: 490 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge note: none of the railways are in operation (2003) |
Religions | Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness | indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age, universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe |
general assessment: telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia
domestic: NA international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 7,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 2,000 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001) |
Terrain | hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches | mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast |
Total fertility rate | - | 6.16 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Transportation - note | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) | - |
Unemployment rate | - | 85% (2003 est.) |