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Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2005) - Central African Republic (2002)
Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2005) z Central African Republic (2002)
| Sao Tome and Principe (2005) | Central African Republic (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995 |
14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 47.6% (male 45,145/female 44,007)
15-64 years: 48.6% (male 43,996/female 47,011) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 3,333/female 3,918) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 43% (male 788,417; female 776,721)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 951,908; female 986,947) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 60,395; female 78,351) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish | cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber |
| Airports | 2 (2004 est.) | 51 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 47
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2002) |
| Area | total: 1,001 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 622,984 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | more than five times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Texas |
| Background | 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. | The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a civilian government was installed in 1993. |
| Birth rate | 40.8 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 36.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $27.94 million
expenditures: $43.91 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (2004 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | Sao Tome | Bangui |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
| Coastline | 209 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990 | passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995 |
| Country name | 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 |
conventional long form: Central African Republic
conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR |
| Currency | - | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Death rate | 6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 18.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $318 million (2002) | $881.4 million (2000 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Mattie R. SHARPLESS
embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893 |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program | $172.2 million (1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France (1995) |
| Economy - overview | 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, but lacking a formal poverty reduction program with the IMF, it has not benefited from subsequent HIPC debt reductions. Sao Tome's external debt stands at over $300 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. The first production license was sold to a consortium led by US-based oil firms. Much of the 2005 budget is dependent upon the sale of additional production licenses. | Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased, leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995. Military rebellions and social unrest in 1996 were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and a drop in GDP of 2%. The IMF approved an Extended Structure Adjustment Facility in 1998 and the World Bank extended further credits in 1999 and approved a $10 million loan in early 2001. As of January 2002, many civil servants were owed as much as 16 months pay during the PATASSE administration, as well as 14 months pay from the KOLINGBA administration. |
| Electricity - consumption | 15.81 million kWh (2002) | 96.72 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 17 million kWh (2002) | 104 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 20%
hydro: 80% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m |
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion | tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation |
| Environment - international 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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Ethnic groups | 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) | Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% |
| Exchange rates | dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001), 7,978.2 (2000) | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Maria do Carmo SILVEIRA (since 7 June 2005); Damiao Vaz DE ALMEIDA resigned 2 June 2005 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 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% |
chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA September 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15% |
| Exports | NA | $166 million f.o.b. (2000) |
| Exports - commodities | cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil | diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco |
| Exports - partners | Netherlands 35.9%, China 12.3%, Belgium 7.4%, Germany 6.3%, Poland 5.1%, France 4.8%, Thailand 4.1% (2004) | Benelux 64%, Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt, France (1999) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | 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 | four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 16.5%
industry: 15.4% services: 68.1% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 55%
industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6% (2004 est.) | 1.8% (2001 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 1 00 N, 7 00 E | 7 00 N, 21 00 E |
| Geography - note | the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa |
| Highways | total: 320 km
paved: 218 km unpaved: 102 km (1999 est.) |
total: 23,810 km
paved: 429 km unpaved: 23,381 km (2000) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 48% (1993) (1993) |
| Imports | NA | $154 million f.o.b. (2000) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products | food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products |
| Imports - partners | Portugal 52.3%, Germany 9.5%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.8%, South Africa 4.3%, Belgium 4.1% (2004) | France 35%, Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (1999) |
| Independence | 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) | 13 August 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | 3.9% (2001) |
| Industries | light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber | diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 43.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 45.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
103.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 14% (2004 est.) | 3.6% (2001 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2002) |
| Irrigated land | 100 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts |
| Labor force | NA | NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing
note: shortages of skilled workers |
- |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 5,203 km
border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km |
| Land use | arable land: 6.25%
permanent crops: 48.96% other: 44.79% (2001) |
arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.76% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Portuguese (official) | French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages |
| Legal system | based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on French law |
| Legislative branch | 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 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 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election)
elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 66.99 years
male: 65.43 years female: 68.59 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 43.58 years
male: 42.08 years female: 45.13 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60% male: 68.5% female: 52.4% (1995 est.) |
| Location | Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 79,490 GRT/97,077 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 11, chemical tanker 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Egypt 1, Greece 1) (2005) |
- |
| Military - note | Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resouces 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 intial steps towards the improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is excersized from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005) | - |
| Military branches | Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004) | Central African Armed Forces (FACA) (including Republican Guard, Ground Forces, Naval Forces, and Air Force), Presidential Security Guard, Gendarmerie, National Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $700,000 (2004) | $29 million (FY96) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.8% (2004) | 2.2% (FY96) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 845,182 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 442,220 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 12 July (1975) | Republic Day, 1 December (1958) |
| Nationality | noun: Sao Tomean(s)
adjective: Sao Tomean |
noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African |
| Natural hazards | NA | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
| Natural resources | fish, hydropower | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | -2.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | 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 | Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 187,410 (July 2005 est.) | 3,642,739
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 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 54% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 3.16% (2005 est.) | 1.8% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Sao Tome | Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) |
| Radios | - | 283,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census) | indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority |
| Sex ratio | 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: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: fair system
domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 7,000 (2003) | 9,500 (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 4,800 (2003) | 710 (1998) |
| Television broadcast stations | 2 (2002) | 1 (2001) |
| Terrain | volcanic, mountainous | vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
| Total fertility rate | 5.71 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA | 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) |
| Waterways | - | 900 km
note: traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m |
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