Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2005) - Solomon Islands (2004)

Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2005) z Solomon Islands (2004)

	Sao Tome and Principe (2005)	Solomon Islands (2004)

Administrative divisions	2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995	9 provinces and 1 capital territory; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
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: 42.4% (male 113,183; female 108,816) 15-64 years: 54.4% (male 144,157; female 140,769) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,058; female 8,634) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish	cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Airports	2 (2004 est.)	33 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 1,001 sq km land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative	more than five times the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than Maryland
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 UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been very effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Birth rate	40.8 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	31.6 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $27.94 million expenditures: $43.91 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (2004 est.)	revenues: $38 million expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)
Capital	Sao Tome	Honiara
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)	tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline	209 km	5,313 km
Constitution	approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990	7 July 1978
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: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands
Currency	-	Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
Death rate	6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	4.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$318 million (2002)	$162.5 million (2001 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	the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador Robert W. FITTS, is accredited to the Solomon Islands
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 Collin David BECK chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Disputes - international	none	Australian defense personnel are dispatched at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to restore law and order on the islands and reinforce regional security
Economic aid - recipient	$200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program	$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2001 est.)
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.	The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country. The disintegration of law and order left the economy in tatters by mid-2003, and on 24 July 2003 more than 2000 Australian soldiers entered the Solomon Islands to restore order and to facilitate the restoration of basic services.
Electricity - consumption	15.81 million kWh (2002)	29.76 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	17 million kWh (2002)	32 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion	deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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)	Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
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)	Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999)
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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001) cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
Exports	NA	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil	timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners	Netherlands 35.9%, China 12.3%, Belgium 7.4%, Germany 6.3%, Poland 5.1%, France 4.8%, Thailand 4.1% (2004)	China 25.2%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 13.4%, Philippines 8.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Thailand 5.9% (2003)
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	divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 16.5% industry: 15.4% services: 68.1% (2004 est.)	agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	6% (2004 est.)	-10% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	1 00 N, 7 00 E	8 00 S, 159 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	strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
Government - note	-	June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003
Highways	total: 320 km paved: 218 km unpaved: 102 km (1999 est.)	total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	NA	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products	food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners	Portugal 52.3%, Germany 9.5%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.8%, South Africa 4.3%, Belgium 4.1% (2004)	Australia 29.7%, Singapore 21.9%, Fiji 4.7%, New Zealand 4.7% (2003)
Independence	12 July 1975 (from Portugal)	7 July 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	NA
Industries	light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber	fish (tuna), mining, timber
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.)	total: 22.09 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	14% (2004 est.)	9% (2002 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)	ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	100 sq km (1998 est.)	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)	Court of Appeal
Labor force	NA	26,840 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation	population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing note: shortages of skilled workers	agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 6.25% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 44.79% (2001)	arable land: 0.64% permanent crops: 2% other: 97.36% (2001)
Languages	Portuguese (official)	Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population note: 120 indigenous languages
Legal system	based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	English common law, which is widely disregarded
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 Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than December 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 66.99 years male: 65.43 years female: 68.59 years (2005 est.)	total population: 72.38 years male: 69.9 years female: 74.98 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.)	definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Location	Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon	Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references	Africa	Oceania
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
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)	none
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)	no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$700,000 (2004)	NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.8% (2004)	NA
National holiday	Independence Day, 12 July (1975)	Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Nationality	noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean	noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander
Natural hazards	NA	typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources	fish, hydropower	fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Net migration rate	-2.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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	Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU] note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	187,410 (July 2005 est.)	523,617 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	54% (2004 est.)	NA
Population growth rate	3.16% (2005 est.)	2.76% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Sao Tome	Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)	AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions	Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)	Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%
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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 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: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	7,000 (2003)	6,600 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	4,800 (2003)	1,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2002)	0 (1997)
Terrain	volcanic, mountainous	mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Total fertility rate	5.71 children born/woman (2005 est.)	4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA	NA

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